Clever Girl Finance

About the Author xi Acknowledgments xiii You are in the Right Place xv How to Use This Book xvii Introduction xix My Story xv Part I The Start 1 Your What and Your Why 3 Chapter 1 Your Mindset 9 Let Go of Your Money Mistakes 11 Dream Big – Affirm Yourself to Being Wealthy 17 Shift Your Circle of Influence 22 Meet Latoya Scott 25 Chapter 2 Get Organized 29 Get Your Records in Order 31 Track Your Spending 37 Identify Your Bad Money Habits 42 Know Your Net Worth 47 Define Your Values 51 Set Your Goals 53 Meet Molly Stillman 55 Part II The Plan 59 Chapter 3 Budgeting 61 Budgeting 101 – The Basics 63 Setting Up Your Budget Using Categories 65 Budgeting Styles 68 Rewarding Yourself 72 Budgeting on an Inconsistent Income 77 Budgeting as a Couple 78 The Save Yourself Fund – Your Emergency Savings 84 My Story: How I Saved over $100,000 in Three Years 87 Chapter 4 Debt and Loans 93 Let’s Talk About Debt . . . Because It Sucks 95 Paying Off Your Debt 98 Student Loans . . . Facts and Basics 104 Meet Melisa Boutin 105 Where to Start with Your Student Loans 107 Ideas to Pay Off Your Debt Fast 112 Meet Naseema McElroy 117 Cashback and Rewards Credit Cards 119 Meet Monica Louie 121 Chapter 5 Investing 127 Investing 101 129 Meet Adeola Omole 136 Investing for Retirement 139 How to Start Investing 146 Meet Brittney Knies 149 Part III The Necessary 151 Chapter 6 Credit 153 Credit 101 155 Credit Scores 157 Busting Credit Myths 162 Chapter 7 Protecting Yourself 165 Creating a Backup Plan with the Right Insurance 167 Recession-Proofing Your Finances 174 Compromised Information 177 Chapter 8 Making More Money 181 Negotiating to Win 183 Side Hustles 189 Chapter 9 Key Financial Actions 193 Steps to Keep Your Financial Plans Intact 193 In Closing 197 Index 199