By Jennifer Cramer Lewis, Business Wisewoman | Trendsetter | Maverick

The thought of managing our finances can seem tedious, overwhelming and incredible boring, to say the least. And it can prove even more difficult if you’re not already financially savvy or feel stuck in a position where you don’t know how to generate more wealth.

Finance coach and business wisewoman, Jennifer Cramer Lewis, shares 4 money management tips that can help you get started on securing a prosperous financial future.

Tip #1 – Ask for more

Whatever money you are making now, what would it be like to double it, triple it, quadruple it?   When I was working in commercial and residential Real Estate management, I had a spreadsheet that showed me what money I was making for the company that I was working for.  Every 6 months I would go into my boss’s office and show him the new spreadsheet numbers and ask for a raise.   I was responsible for increasing the bottom line of the company that I was working for by asking for and receiving increases in the management fees for my portfolio of real estate.  If I had never asked for the raises and presented the numbers that supported the raises, the company might have given me a raise now and again, but certainly not as often and as much as they did.  Over a 5 year period, I was able to increase my income by more than double.  I was willing to do the work and was also willing to ask for my share of the profit.  Always ask for your share of the profit and always know the value you add to the bottom line of the company you work for.

Tip #2 – Be aware of the contribution you make to your workplace

As women, we are not taught about being a contribution to our families and our workplaces and how valuable it is.  What do you do that nobody else can do?  How does that contribute to your workplace?  Do you walk in and everyone feels better? Often knowing your value can add to how valuable you are perceived.  A question you can ask is, “What do I know that nobody else here knows?” Also, “What does me working here add to this business?”  If asking this question gives you the thought that you are not adding to this workplace or making a contribution, you can ask, “Where can I go today to be a valuable contribution right away?” And “What would I do all day every day that could add to my life and my financial flows?”

Tip #3 – Stop being negative

It’s time to stop whining! I know that this isn’t going to be a popular tip, but it will create the most for you financially. If there is any situation that you are not happy with, rather than complaining or whining about it, and take action. When my clients put themselves in situations financially that do not work for them, one of the things I notice is that it’s normal for them to whine but not normal to take action with their finances.  Ask, “What can I do to change this?” “Who can assist me to change this?” “Where can I go to change this?” and “What information do I need right now to change this?” And be willing to stop complaining and start taking action. If you actively work to change your financial situation today, imagine the position you could be in 5 or 10 years from now, and the possibilities that will be presented to you in the future. It is possible to get better at making changes and better at managing your finances and being profitable.

Tip#4 – Get accustomed to having money

What thoughts do you have about people who have money?  What if you let those go?  Also, what thoughts do you have about who you would be if you had “too much” money? Would you let those go too? I recommend opening up a bank account and start putting at least 10% of your income into it.  It could be an investment bank account or a retirement savings account, the point is to get accustomed to having money.  At the beginning, it’s not a fun or easy thing to be doing with your money, but when it accumulates to 10’s and 100’s of thousands of dollars, you start making choices based on having money instead of lacking it. Once you build up a tidy sum, then you can start asking questions like, “What can I do to generate even more money?” It is entirely possible to build a sense of intuition about where your money should go to grow. How often have we said to ourselves, “I knew I shouldn’t have done that with my money!?”  Once we learn to use our intuition for us rather than against us, financial awareness and skill can build from there.

Originally published by The Business Woman Media November 8, 2017 https://www.thebusinesswomanmedia.com/4-money-management-tips/