A Smart Girl's Guide: Money. Nancy Holyoke

Then

      doors slam. Amber turns on some tunes, sits on her bed, and makes

      ankle bracelets.

      7:30

      p.m.

      No clean laundry for Morgan tonight. The washer’s broken. “Let’s get a

      new one,” says her dad. “It’s only money.”

      9:05

      p.m.

      Sierra is reading in bed. It’s a story about an orphan who gets adopted

      by a millionaire. She falls asleep imagining what it would be like to be

      that rich. Next week she’ll save her allowance for sure. Maybe.

      money emotions

      You’ve probably had all kinds of feelings about money.

      You also have habits and attitudes that have been shaped by your family.

      A girl whose parents talk with ease about family finances will think

      differently about money than a girl whose parents worry or argue when

      the bills arrive. A girl who’s grown up shopping the sales with her mom

      will likely have different spending habits than a girl who has only seen

      her mom buy freely. A girl’s experiences may incline her to like or dislike

      people with more money—or to like or dislike people with less.

      All this means that your feelings about money may be complicated. But

      the way you use money doesn’t have to be.

      When it comes to making decisions about money, keep your head cool

      and your thinking clear. Let three basic questions be your guide:

      1.

      Where are you now in terms of money?

      2.

      Where do you want

      to go?

      3.

      How do you

      get there?

      confidence

      guilt

      anxiety

      greed

      happiness

      pride

      jealousy

      generosity

      “I get an allowance.

      My mom likes the fact that

      I am not bugging her for

      money. Having my own

      money has helped me learn

      how to manage money.”

      Alex

      “

      I

      o

      n

      l

      y

      g

      e

      t

      a

      n

      a

      l

      l

      o

      w

      a

      n

      c

      e

      w

      h

      e

      n

      I

      d

      o

      a

      l

      l

      m

      y

      c

      h

      o

      r

      e

      s

      ,

      l

      i

      k

      e

      f

      e

      e

      d

      i

      n

      g

      t

      h

      e

      a

      n

      i

      m

      a

      l

      s

      ,

      p

      u

      t

      t

      i

      n

      g

      m

      y

      l

      a

      u

      n

      d

      r

      y

      a

      w

      a

      y

      ,

      a

      n

      d

      j

      u

      s

      t

      p

      i

      c

      k

      i

      n

      g

      u

      p

      a

      f

      t

      e

      r

      m

      y

      s

      e

      l

      f

      .

      C

      h

      o

      r

      e

      s

      a

      r