Welcome to another week of the Women’s Personal Finance Wednesdays roundup. I started this series after months of debate because I wasn’t certain I wanted to up the ante and commit to publishing three posts a week. However, now that I’ve started sharing these posts, I’m so glad I started.
There are so many fabulous women writing about personal finance online, and yet there is still a perception that women aren’t good with money, don’t care about money, or don’t understand it on a granular level beyond perhaps knowing how to coupon and score a good shopping deal. These roundups are my way of doing a small part to change that perception. There are no shortage of women online doing their part to make it clear that they DO understand money, and these posts are meant to amplify that fact.
The hardest part of this post every week always is narrowing it down to my favorites, because there is just so much good content out there. If you’re ever interested in what else I’m reading, I share quite a few other posts on Twitter (and that’s also where I read most of the content to begin with these days).
Our Women’s Personal Finance Facebook group also has a sharing thread on Fridays, and that’s the place to read all the blog posts written by members over the previous week. If you’re looking for more articles written by women, that’s a great place to continue reading (plus we have plenty of great discussions on finances the rest of the week as well!).
If you don’t have the time or inclination to go searching down myriad posts, though, I will be continuing this series every week to showcase some of the best of the new content I read. If you ever read a post you thing I absolutely need to consider for this roundup, please let me know! I am always open to reading new blogs (and posts of blogs I do know, because I miss some).
Women’s Personal Finance Wednesdays – Week 38
1. The Diderot Effect: How Buying Fuels Itself Afford Anything
Whenever I consider bumping up our lifestyle in a considerable way, this concept comes to mind. It is so much easier to stick with what we know to be normal and good than to start finding ways to splurge when a windfall comes our way. That isn’t to say that SOME lifestyle inflation isn’t good, because being able to spend on things like travel and quality products can absolutely make our lives better, but as a whole, holding back is usually a good plan as much as possible.
While I’ve definitely heard about Diderot, reading a history of his situation through the lens of financial independence and lifestyle inflation was fascinating. I feel this would be a great read for any young person just starting out before their income grows (or for anyone, really). On the environmental side of things, that same mindfulness is way better for the planet as well because we become much less voracious consumers.
2. My Friend Always Wanted To Be A Mom; Then She Got Prenatal Depression Frugalwoods
While I didn’t experience the depression Emma talks about here, I definitely had quite a few very anxious moments after conceiving a very much wanted pregnancy myself. Considering I struggle with anxiety without all the hormones that come from being pregnant, it shouldn’t have shocked me that pregnancy was as hard on me mentally as it was.
But we talk about pregnancy as such a sunshine and rainbows time where the mother to be can be simply glowing and make light of the not so fun parts of the experience that I suppose it isn’t actually so surprising that I was caught off guard like Emma. If we want to make a real difference in the experience of women before, during, and after pregnancy, we need to be more open to share the real, raw emotions that sometimes (oftentimes) accompany what is an otherwise happy time of life.
Emma, it does get better. Likely not immediately after the baby is born, but it does get better. And having the support system you have is incredible, and I have no doubt they’ll be there for you through that whole first year with your very loved baby. Thank you, for me, for all us mamas and want to be and some day mamas for being brave enough to bare your soul and lay this out online.
3. Lost Time. Or: 51 Doctor Appointments Disabled Girl on FIRE
I’m writing this post while I’m waiting with my two dogs for their annual shots and exams (as well as to check out the reason for our older dog’s chewing). I feel like I have SO many appointments between myself, the kiddo, and the animals (don’t even ask me about when I’m actually going to get in for my follow up hearing exam), but the idea of fifty one appointments in a single year is mind boggling.
When we talk about visible and invisible disabilities, the conversation is usually about how they can impact daily life, but this is something I’ve never seen discussed – the emotional, physical, monetary, and time costs of actually dealing with those disabilities. So thank you, Tami, for always being so candid and open on your blog so we can get just a peak at what it’s like. No matter what, knowledge of experience is a powerful piece of helping people to understand lives different than their own.
PS. I did my very first Facebook Live in the Women’s Personal Finance Facebook group where I talk about the origin and the goals for the group as well as celebrating a friend’s milestone of being NET WORTH POSITIVE! Go check it out 🙂
I hope you enjoy the posts this week as much as I did. I read a ton of content and it was hard to narrow down my favorites. I’m looking forward to sharing some new ones with you again next week!
As always, if you’re looking for a categorized list of self identified women writing and speaking about personal finance, here is my comprehensive guide to the Women of the Financial Independence Community.
