Contents Chapter 1 Money Makes the World Go Round 4 Chapter 2 Show Me the Money 10 Chapter 3 Common ₵ent$ 20 Chapter 4 Keeping Tabs 30 Chapter 5 Reality Checks 36 Glossary 44 Further Information 46 Index 47 About the Author 48
CHAPTER ONE MONEY MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND Moolah Bread Bucks Dough Dinero Loot Cabbage Coinage Scratch Smackers Whatever you call it you can’t live without it Everyone needs money It pays for the necessities in life food clothing shelter health care and transportation Many of us will struggle to have enough money for those necessities And even if we have enough to live on most of us wish we had more of it That’s because money also allows us to have fun We use money to take an occasional vacation or to buy the latest gadgets 4 A laptop and a credit card will help you get what you want in life But before you hit submit for those online purchases you should think about the bigger picture of bills and other expenses that need to be paid every month
Money especially shared money is also the subject of arguments Married couples for example often have different ideas about how they should spend their hard-earned money One of them might want to splurge on a tropical vacation while the other wants to buy a new house They may not realize that with proper planning they can probably do both Money stirs up other emotions in people too worry that they don’t have enough to pay the bills guilt over spending instead of saving or jealousy toward wealthy people who seem to have more than their fair share For Richer or Poorer Some people believe money is power To others it’s the root of all evil Whether you’re struggling to make enough to get by or spending it like water it’s important to understand how money works learn to manage it well and develop a healthy relationship with it After all it’s going to be in your life for a long long time Money Matters Some people have a love hate relationship with money They love that it can buy them the things they want to live a certain lifestyle On the other hand people hate money when they don’t have enough to meet their needs fulfill their dreams or do everything they want to do in life Lack of money can be one of the greatest sources of frustration in a person’s lifetime but it doesn’t always have to be If the answer to the question What’s in your wallet is Not nearly enough then you may need to sit down and balance some factors such as these what you need what you want how much money you earn and what you can afford to spend and save It’s all a part of becoming financially savvy 5
