Many women want to become more financially aware and understand more about the way that market forces work, about how to make the most of their money, and about what is going on in the world that could affect their savings. However, many people don’t know where to begin educating themselves – or where to find the time to do so! Here are some ideas of how to work financial awareness into your life, without burning a hole in your wallet or taking up too much of your spare time.
Borrow resources from your library
Stop in at your nearest university library or public library and take out an Economics, Finance or Business textbook that is targeted towards introductory freshman or sophomore courses. A quick Google search is going to give you an indication of options. If the textbook is required reading it may be only available as a short loan; if this is the case, the library is likely to stock older editions of the textbook, which will still be useful but not constantly in demand by college students.
The textbook can now be read at your leisure to give you a grounding in some basic financial principles. This will then allow you to gain a better understanding of much more advanced topical issues.
Read the paper on your commute
Driving your car to work might give you greater flexibility, but a commute on public transportation allows you to devote the same amount of time to reading. Pick up a Wall Street Journal or quality business magazine at the station every morning or – better yet – get a copy delivered to your door. Scheduling breathing space during the day for reading the paper on a regular basis is difficult; make use of what is otherwise “dead time” to do just that.
Set your home page to a website with accessible business information
Another way to forcibly gain exposure to current events and financial news is to set the default home page of your web browser to a business news website such as Forbes. Even if it’s just the headlines you see, it still alerts you to what is happening in the world outside – and the headlines may tempt you to read articles that you wouldn’t normally have considered.
Make more use of social media
If you have a presence on a social media platform, make use of it – a lot of reliable real-time news is available there, just waiting to be accessed. The Twitter Lists function means you don’t have to browse and pre-vet the people and companies that you wish to follow: someone has already done that for you. The same opportunities are available on LinkedIn – you can join shared interest groups, follow companies and read what the top Influencers in your sphere are posting.
Financial awareness is about more than ensuring your income exceeds your spending just long enough to invest in the best computer on the market (though saving money and finding the best products for you is an important aspect to consider!). With enough financial awareness, you shall be well on your way to being enviably savvy in all aspects of personal finance, business and current affairs.