Clever Girl Finance isn’t just about money. We are about freedom, choices, and confidence. We know how overwhelming finances can feel, especially when you’re juggling career, family, and personal goals. That’s why we’ve built one of the largest personal finance communities for women, with over 100,000 women learning, growing, and winning with their money together.When you subscribe, you’re not just signing up for financial tips, you’re joining a movement. You’ll get access to relatable, judgment-free advice designed to help you ditch debt, save consistently, and invest with confidence. We break down money topics in a way that’s simple, practical, and actually fun. Whether you want to build your first emergency fund, pay off thousands in debt, or finally start building wealth for the long term, we’ve got the tools and support you need. With our resources, tools, and strategies, you’ll know you’re not alone on this journey. Subscribe today—because your future self deserves the financial freedom you’re dreaming of!
Over the years, I've had the opportunity to meet and learn from so many women. Through Clever Girl Finance, my books, speaking engagements, podcast interviews, coaching sessions, and community conversations, I've listened to women share their wins, their struggles, and the questions that keep them up at night.
And I've come to believe that if we're going to have honest conversations about wealth, we also have to have honest conversations about the barriers, responsibilities, and expectations many women face while trying to build it.
The advice to spend less than you earn, invest consistently, avoid unnecessary debt, and build wealth over time is solid advice. It's even advice I teach every day.
But what often gets left out of the conversation are the realities that many women are navigating while they're trying to put that advice into practice.
Today, I wanted to talk about some of those realities because I think it's important that we acknowledge the full picture.
Let's get into it.
1. Your career may not follow a straight line
One of the first lessons I learned about building wealth came early in my career.
I found out that I was the lowest-paid person on my team. Not because I was the least qualified or wasn't doing great work, but because I accepted the first offer that came my way. I was so grateful to have the job that I never thought to negotiate.
At the time, I had no idea that one decision would affect so much more than my starting salary. It influenced every raise that came after, every bonus that was calculated as a percentage of my pay, and every retirement contribution tied to my income.
That experience completely changed how I think about advocating for yourself financially.
But salary negotiation is only one part of the story for many women.
Unlike many men, women's careers are often interrupted by responsibilities that have nothing to do with ambition or ability. Taking time away to raise children (I took unpaid time off while I was pregnant and unpaid maternity leave because I needed more time off), caring for aging parents, supporting family members, or stepping back when life demands it can all have long-term financial consequences.
Those career pauses can mean fewer years of earning, fewer years of investing, and fewer years for compound growth to work in your favor.
None of this means you shouldn't make those choices if they're right for you. It simply means you should make them with a financial plan in place whenever possible.
What you can do
Negotiate your salary, raises and benefits every chance you get.
Research your market value before accepting an offer.
If you're planning a career break, build your emergency fund ahead of time.
Continue investing during a career break if it's financially feasible, even if it's a smaller amount.
2. Many women carry financial responsibilities that aren't always visible
Over the years, I've noticed another common thread in my conversations with women.
Many of us aren't just managing our own finances. We're also helping parents, supporting siblings, assisting adult children, sending money to extended family, or becoming the person everyone calls when there's a financial emergency.
There's nothing wrong with wanting to help the people you love. In fact, generosity is something I deeply admire.
But I've also seen women delay their own financial goals year after year because they're constantly putting everyone else's needs ahead of their own.
Here's what I've learned: protecting your own financial future isn't selfish. It's one of the most responsible things you can do.
Because if you compromise your own financial security today, it becomes much harder to help anyone tomorrow.
What you can do
Build your own emergency fund before becoming someone else's emergency fund.
Decide in advance what you're comfortable contributing financially.
Remember that "not right now" is a perfectly acceptable answer.
Give generously but within the boundaries of your financial plan.
3. Building wealth doesn't happen instead of life, it happens while life is happening
Sometimes I read financial advice that makes it sound like building wealth is simply a matter of making the right decisions and staying disciplined.
I wish it were that simple.
The reality is that many women are building wealth while managing careers, raising children, running households, caring for aging parents, maintaining relationships, and trying to find a little time for themselves in between.
Life doesn't pause while you're trying to save for retirement.
It doesn't pause while you're paying off debt or learning how to invest.
You're often doing all of it at the same time.
That's why I believe successful wealth building isn't about creating the perfect routine. It's about creating systems that continue working even when life gets busy.
Progress doesn't require perfection, it requires consistency.
What you can do
Automate your savings and investing wherever possible.
Schedule regular money check-ins with yourself.
Simplify your financial systems so they're easier to maintain.
Give yourself permission to adjust your pace without abandoning your goals.
4. Your financial journey doesn't have to look like anyone else's
If there's one thing I wish more women would stop doing, it's measuring their financial progress against someone else's.
I've spoken to women earning every income level imaginable, and one thing surprises me every time is that so many of them think they're behind.
The woman paying off debt thinks she's behind because she hasn't started investing.
The woman investing wishes she'd started ten years earlier.
The woman with a healthy retirement account wishes she'd bought a home sooner.
The goalposts keep moving and moving.
The truth is, comparison rarely tells the full story and you don't know what opportunities someone else had, what sacrifices they made, what challenges they didn't face, or how long it took them to get where they are.
Your financial journey is exactly that, your own.
The only comparison that really matters is whether you're making better decisions today than you were a year ago.
What you can do
Measure your progress against your own goals, not someone else's.
Celebrate milestones, even the small ones.
Stay focused on the next right step instead of the entire journey.
Remember that consistency will always outperform comparison.
Remember...
If there's one thing I hope you take away from this newsletter, it's that your financial journey deserves context.
You don't have to pretend the challenges aren't real.
You don't have to compare your progress to someone whose life looks completely different from yours.
And you certainly don't have to wait until everything is perfect before you start building wealth.
The women I've seen make the greatest progress aren't necessarily the women who had the easiest path.
They're the women who stayed committed to their goals, adapted when life changed, and kept moving forward one step at a time and that is what building wealth looks like.
Keep building your financial confidence
If you're looking for financial education created with women's real lives in mind, I'd love for you to explore everything we've built at Clever Girl Finance.
We offer 30+ free courses, 40+ worksheets, and a supportive community designed to help you build confidence and take action at every stage of your financial journey.
Many of the ideas I shared today are explored in much greater depth in my newest book, Clever Girl Millionaire.
I wrote it for women who want to build wealth while navigating real life, not an idealized version of it. It's a practical guide to creating financial success on your own terms, with the mindset shifts and action steps that can help you move forward with confidence.
If you've already picked up a copy, thank you so much for your support. And if you haven't yet, you can find Clever Girl Millionaire wherever books are sold.
Take control of your life and achieve your financial freedom. Join over 100,000 women in our community!
Clever Girl Finance isn’t just about money. We are about freedom, choices, and confidence. We know how overwhelming finances can feel, especially when you’re juggling career, family, and personal goals. That’s why we’ve built one of the largest personal finance communities for women, with over 100,000 women learning, growing, and winning with their money together.When you subscribe, you’re not just signing up for financial tips, you’re joining a movement. You’ll get access to relatable, judgment-free advice designed to help you ditch debt, save consistently, and invest with confidence. We break down money topics in a way that’s simple, practical, and actually fun. Whether you want to build your first emergency fund, pay off thousands in debt, or finally start building wealth for the long term, we’ve got the tools and support you need. With our resources, tools, and strategies, you’ll know you’re not alone on this journey. Subscribe today—because your future self deserves the financial freedom you’re dreaming of!
Learn, plan, and grow! Check out our 30+ free courses, 40+ free worksheets, and our 1-on-1 coaching offerings! Did you get this email forwarded to you? Join thousands of women in the CGF community, follow us on Instagram, and watch on YouTube! View this and previous newsletters anytime: Online newsletters. Fuel the mission! ☕️ ❤️ Hello Reader, It’s Bola here. With August pretty much here, back-to-school shopping is in full swing. As a mom of twins, I've been working through my own shopping...
Learn, plan, and grow! Check out our 30+ free courses, 40+ free worksheets, and our 1-on-1 coaching offerings! Did you get this email forwarded to you? Join thousands of women in the CGF community, follow us on Instagram, and watch on YouTube! View this and previous newsletters anytime: Online newsletters. Fuel the mission! ☕️ ❤️ Hello Reader, If you’ve spent any time online lately, you’ve probably heard about Strangers, the bestselling memoir by Belle Burden. Her story has sparked countless...
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