Lessons From Women & Money By Suze Orman
Lessons from Women & Money by Suze Orman
On Monday, August 12, 2024, we hosted 18 amazing women for the summer Women, Wealth, and Wisdom Financial Book Club in Bloomington, Indiana. In attendance were business owners, consultants, employees, second-career leaders, and retired professionals.
We have a five-fold purpose that guides our quarterly gatherings:
- Create a safe space for women to ask financial questions.
- Educate women about money issues they commonly avoid
- Empower women in the Bloomington area to make financial decisions.
- Encourage our current attendees to begin their own book clubs to spread knowledge and support the women in their lives.
- To relax and have a little fun!
If you would like to host a book club, use the key quotes and discussion questions below or download the PDF file at the bottom of this page.
Quotes from Chapter 1: Imagine What’s Possible
- You don’t need to be convinced of your worth; you own it. Loud and Proud. Amazing. (p 5)
- You are never powerful in life until you are powerful with money…I simply want you to give to yourself as much as you give of yourself. I want you to think about financial self-care. (p11)
- Respecting your relationship with money, you see, is the key not only to your security and independence, but to your happiness as well. (p 12)
Quotes from Chapter 2: No Shame, No Blame
- In order to build a healthy relationship with money, there are some attitudes I am going to ask you to cast off—forever…the burden of shame and the tendency to blame. (p 17)
- Rewrite the story history has handed you…It is how you decide to write your own story, how you decide to live your life. (p 28)
- Enough was enough. I knew I had to stop this debilitating fear from making me feel so vulnerable. That’s when I created a new truth to silence my fear. (p 36)
Quotes from Chapter 3: You are Not on Sale
- When you devalue what you do, it becomes inevitable that you—and those around you—devalue who you are. (p 41)
- Being powerful is not about being selfish, but it does require that you examine your behavior and see where you may be out of balance. (p 43)
- You are to set your value, communicate that value to the outside world, and then not settle for less. (p 53)
Quotes from Chapter 4: The Eight Qualities of a Wealthy Woman
Harmony Balance Courage Generosity
Happiness Wisdom Cleanliness Beauty
- A wealthy woman absolutely has money, but she also has harmony, balance, courage, generosity, happiness, wisdom, cleanliness, and beauty. (p 54)
- A wise woman recognizes when her life is out of balance and summons the courage to act to correct it. A wise woman knows the meaning of true generosity. A wise woman knows happiness is the reward for a life lived in harmony, with courage and grace. A wise woman knows how to summon her courage and do what is right, rather than what is easy. (p 62-63)
Steps and Quotes from Chapter 5 and 6: The Financial Empowerment Plan
I. Protect Yourself
Building a financially secure life starts with laying a foundation that will support you when the unexpected happens. (p 71)
II. Spend Smart
Live below your means, but within your needs. (p 92)
III. Build Your Future
Fear comes from inaction. I am ready to remove worry and anxiety from my todays by making smart and strong decisions that will build retirement security. (p 115)
IV. Give to Others
It is only when you are strong and confident that you are in position to give the very best of yourself to the relationships that mean everything to you. Be as Committed to Yourself as You Are to Others. (p 151-152)
Quote from Chapter 7: Bonus Section: Investing on Your Own
Investing on your own is a step you take only after you have all the essential financial empowerment moves covered: an eight- month emergency fund, term life insurance if you have dependents, must-have documents to protect you and your family, absolutely no credit card debt, and retirement accounts that are fully funded. Those all come first. (p 181)
Steps:
- Let go of any inkling of feeling intimidated
- Divide your savings goals into short-term and long-term buckets
- Pay attention to taxes
- Make it a great habit
Quotes from Chapter 8: Say Your Name
- Take credit for who you are, what you believe in, what you have achieved, and all that you hope to achieve. (p 190)
- You insult yourself and your own efforts when you back off of your accomplishments and, therefore, your power. (p 191)
- Who you are will always be the foundation of what you have in this life. (p 195)
If you are interested in participating in a future financial book club or want support to host your own Women’s Financial Book Club, reach out to Dawnetta Cooper. To download a copy of the discussion questions, click the link below:
