Okay ladies, we need to have a talk.
I know that most of you are GREAT at saving money. I also know that many of you keep most of your money in savings accounts, rather than invest it.
And what’s more, I know that most of you WANT to change this, but you’re scared.
You want a better, more complete picture of your finances. You want to feel like you’re more in control of your financial future.
But you’re busy. There are so many things on your to-do list. You have a job to work, dinners to make, diapers to change, and laundry to fold. Figuring out your finances can seem like a humongous task, and one that’s easy to keep putting off.
You may have heard that investing is a good thing to do, but it seems to be more of a guys’ thing. It seems risky. It seems hard.
So, you continue sticking money into your savings account. Because, better that you can see it there every week, right? And hey, at least the numbers aren’t going down.
I totally get it. I was in your shoes not long ago. Wary of investing, scared to try it, unsure where to start.
But ladies, it’s time. It’s time for us all to wake up and step up.
It’s time for us to put on our big girl panties, take charge of our own finances, and start investing like the strong, fierce, independent women and mothers that we are, and to stop depending on men to do it for us.
It’s time to #investlikeamother.
I know I know, I totally just invented a badass hashtag right there, and I’m pretty proud of myself.
But hashtag genius aside, let’s take a serious look at why it’s important for moms to invest, the impact it has on your children, and why you owe it to your family to start investing.
Let’s begin by taking the investing out of it for a minute and just focus on the mom part.
What Does It Mean to Be a Mother?
To me, being a mom means that I have a responsibility. A responsibility to care for two little souls whom I helped to put on this earth. A responsibility to help them reach their potential, see the wonder in the world, and live their lives to the fullest.
As a mom, I am the tissue that wipes their nose, the nod of encouragement when they’re feeling scared, the stern reprimand when they try to cross the street without looking, the warm homemade cookies on a rainy day. I am the hugs, the tickles, and the occasional eye-rolls. I am their role model, their cheerleader, their confidante, and their fearless leader.
In my role as a mom, I feel like I am making a difference in my children’s lives every day. I feel like I’m doing a job no one else in the world could do. And while I may not be the perfect mom in every little moment, I’ve developed confidence in myself as a mother.
But I didn’t always feel this way.
When I first became a mom, I was scared shitless, tired out of my mind, wondering if I could give this thing back, and constantly wondering whether I was doing it “right,” and whether others were doing it better than I was. I felt alone, scared, and vulnerable.
But you know the funny thing about babies, is that they don’t care. And they stick around. They’ve got no choice, after all. The helpless, adorable little things.
And so, I learned. I had to. I had no other choice. I must’ve gotten poo on my hands a hundred times. I did the sleep training thing all wrong, I picked food up off the floor and put it back on my baby’s plate, and sometimes I just had to step outside and let them cry while I took deep breaths.
But I stuck with it. And now, I can show you exactly how to change a diaper, on any surface, while keeping everything poo-free. I can help new moms by telling them my stories and giving them my recommendations. Admittedly though, I still pick food off the floor sometimes and give it to my kids. Because, germs are good for them.
I’ve become a strong, confident, and independent mother. But it didn’t happen overnight. I earned it. Through multiple sleepless nights, through many laughable mistakes, and through just effing doing what needed to be done.
Okay. Now, let’s put the investing piece back in.
What Does It Mean to Invest Like a Mother?
I’m sure that many of you are with me on the mom front. You’ve got your battle scars, as I have mine, and we’re proud to have survived together, sharing war stories and mutually marveling at the fact that our kids are somehow still alive.
I know that when I switch gears to talking about money and finances and investing, I’m going to lose some of you. That glimmer of light in your eyes that you had while reading the happy and sentimental mom section is going to dim just a little.
But hear me out, ladies. Because this is important.
Just as it is your responsibility to care for your children physically and emotionally, it’s also your responsibility to plan for their future and to teach them how to become independent adults, right?
As such, it is critical that you not only become a confident mom, but that you become a confident investor.
Why? Because investing for your family’s future ensures that your children will have the resources to reach their full potential, that you’re not leaving your finances to chance, and that you are guiding your children by example.
Remember how long it took for you to become confident as a mom? And maybe you’re still working on it, and that’s okay too. The point is, confidence takes time. It comes from trying, and failing, and pushing through to try again.
If you’re not feeling confident as an investor, it’s because you haven’t put enough time into it yet. You need to give yourself the space to make mistakes, learn from those mistakes, and keep going.
It’s going to be hard, but you’re going to do it, because moms do hard things for their kids.
Putting your money in a savings account and refusing to invest because you’re scared or not confident or because your to-do list is too long is flat-out irresponsible, as you’re literally losing money every day. Money that will go toward your children’s future and help you to have a fulfilling and independent retirement.
Here’s what investing like a mother means:
- Having the guts to try different types of investing, to find what works for you
- Being okay losing money sometimes, and cutting yourself some slack when you do, because that’s how you’ll become a stronger investor
- Not depending on the dads to take care of all the finances and do all the investing
- Facing investing head-on, rather than continually pushing it to the bottom of your to-do list
- Knowing that your kids look up to you, and that you have a responsibility to teach them about finances and help them develop a healthy relationship with money
- Investing wisely, with eyes wide open, and with a view toward the future
- Investing for passive income, which will help provide additional sources of income for your family
- Investing for impact, so that your money can do good in the world and help make the world a better place for your children
When most people think of investing, they automatically think of Wall Street, which, I totally get, seems very much like a man’s world. There’s yelling, there’s papers being thrown, there are fist bumps and hell-yeah’s.
But that’s just the investing you see on TV.
You owe it to yourself and to your family to learn more about what investing REALLY is, and to start investing now, before it’s too late.
How I Invest Like a Mother
For me personally, investing like a mother means I invest in real estate. I do so because I want to create passive income so that I can have more freedom to spend time with my children, because I know they’re only going to be little for so long. I also want to invest in something that makes an impact in people’s lives, and makes the world a slightly better place.
How You Should Invest Like a Mother
Real estate investments may not be the right thing for every family, but there’s some type of investment out there that is. And that’s the real point.
It’s not what you invest in. It’s just the act of getting out there and investing. Period.
Because you owe it to your children to invest for their future, to face your fears, to learn what this whole investing thing is about, and to #investlikeamother.
