Who runs the world? Girls.
Beyonce was all over it. Women run the world – but not in the way we might think. Nope, were not the majority of CEOs. And we still earn less than men over our lifetimes. But you know what can do? Control the money do have.
But a lot of women don’t own their power. We mentally check out when it comes to out finances: “It’s too hard.” (It’s not.)
“I’m not good at math.” (You can learn.)
“My boyfriend loves doing it.” (He also loves playing Playstation, but I’m sure you don’t leave that all to him, do you?)
It’s time to throw away those excuses – they are flimsy and you are throwing away your opportunity to make the world a legitimately better place by owning your power.
If we control the money – we control the world’s future. Here are some ways we can change the world by taking control of our finances.
Be a conscious shopper
When you’re at the grocery story, choose products that make a difference in the world – not just first one you see. If you care about the environment, support companies that care about the environment. Select products based on their environmental impact, that use recycled products, or less plastic, or buy glass jars that can be upcycled.
If you care about human rights, look for food and clothing that was produced fairtrade, or companies that do not use child labour (yep – that’s a thing people companies still do.)
If you care about animals, look for free-range eggs, products without animal testing, or without real fur.
Yep, its really tough to do all these things at once, I’m not going to lie. But you don’t need to do them at once. If each week you look at your shopping basket and have a closer look at the products. Are there companies you shouldn’t buy from again? We’re all learning and making small changes over time.
The power is yours
Solar power is all the rage these days – but not everyone owns their own home to be able to add solar panels.
But did you know that you can sign up with electricity companies in a regular rental property that provide power exclusively from solar or wind? You might not be able to put solar on your own roof, but you can certainly buy your power from one that does.
Ethical super
Did you know that your superannuation contributions are an investment in other companies, just like if you’d bought those companies on the stock market? Often, they are a mix of current successful companies, which can mean it might include companies that are putting profits before people and the planet.
There are super funds like Australian Ethical Super that are just invested in companies with a focus on, well, ethical companies. If 9 – 12% of your pay each month is automatically contributing a stake in a company, why not have it go towards a company with values you support?
Hire up
Who do you hire? Maybe you don’t run a business, so you don’t have employees, but a lot of us do hire people for services, perhaps someone to help mow the lawn. Or, we do hire people when we get our coffee. Do you get your cafe from a local cafe, or a multinational like Starbucks? Are you helping someone in your local area raise their family – or are you giving a corporation another 0.0001% of profits?
Donate
Women are more likely to give to charity than men. And you know what? That’s powerful. The more you own your money, the more you can give to organisations doing good in the world.
You might be passionate about saving forests, or helping women get education or supporting cancer research. Whatever you’re passionate about, you can help. And, lets not forget that you can contribute towards making difference in the laws, policies and governance of your country, if donating to a political party is your bag.
However you want to change the world – the more money you have, the more you can contribute.
Let’s own it
You might not be in a position to give millions away right now, but taking control of your money is they first step to being in a position to change the world for good.
The more you learn about the money you do have now and how to wisely use it, means that in the future you will have a stronger financial foundation. This means you can not only weather storms in your own future – but use that money and change the world in the future, too.
DIY inspo
Do you feel you’re in control of your money? If not, start learning. There are plenty of great books on personal finance which break it down and make it super easy to understand. Here are my favourites. Grab one from your local library.
