Female authors offer up their perspective on managing personal finances
Except for the occasional special coin or the Martha Washington $1 silver certificate, I always wondered why the face of a woman isn’t part of US currency. Then I saw this quote from Ivy Baker Priest, a former US treasurer: “Why should we mind if men have their faces on the money, as long as we get our hands on it?’’
How true.
So for March, in honor of Women’s History Month, I’ve selected four financial books written by four dynamic women to recommend for the Color of Money Book Club. Here are the books:
“A Purse of Your Own: An Easy Guide to Financial Security’’ by Deborah Owens with Brenda Lane Richardson. I love using a purse as a metaphor for wealth. “More than anything, the purse represents our private financial identity,’’ Owens writes. She talks about investing, saving, and spending less. But she does it with a conversational tone. She’s the smart sister you might wish you could go to for financial advice. Owens is a 20-year financial services industry veteran, chief executive of Owens Media Group, and host of “Wealthy Lifestyles,’’ a show on National Public Radio in Baltimore.
“Live It, Love It, Earn It: A Woman’s Guide to Financial Freedom’’ by Marianna Olszewski, the founder and chief executive of Madison Financial Management. Her book is part motivational, part personal finance, and Olszewski seeks to first inspire before she walks you down the path to prosperity. “A healthy mind, body, and bank account are all connected,’’ she writes. This isn’t psychobabble. Often those who are poor money managers are unhappy and unhealthy people. Olszewski suggests you get a few friends together and read the book as a group to follow her exercises.
“Save Big’’ by Elisabeth Leamy. I’m a lifelong penny pincher who follows the cautionary advice from Benjamin Franklin that “a small leak will sink a great ship.’’ I use this quote to drive home to people that it’s the small expenditures in life that can add up to big losses.
But in her book, Leamy, who is a consumer correspondent for ABC’s “Good Morning America,’’ says buy your latte in the morning and work on spending less on the big stuff. Her philosophy: “I’ve always preferred to save a lot of money on a few things rather than a little bit of money on a bunch of things. I like to save big. Not small.’’ Every tip in her book has the potential to save you at least $1,000, she says. She shows you how to save on the five things we spend the most on - a home, car, credit card, groceries, and health care.
“Expect to Win: Proven Strategies for Success from a Wall Street Vet’’ by Carla A. Harris, who is a managing director of Morgan Stanley Investment Management, has a lot of advice if you need a push up the career ladder.
I’m not suggesting you should purchase all four books. But at least put them all on your list to read eventually, because each has something to offer.
Michelle Singletary is a columnist for The Washington Post. She can be reached at singletarym@washpost.com. 
