American Dream Women: Workbook & Planning Guide

This workbook is designed as an extension of the original American Dream Women book. Many have asked me to provide a tool to make the book come to life for them individually so that they could take control of their financial life. This is in response to those requests. Though this workbook does indeed stand on its own as a resource to plan and organize your financial life and dreams, you will notice throughout that I have included references back to the book for additional insight. Each woman measures wealth differently. Women have defined “being” wealthy as being: comfortable, well paid, financially independent, able to laugh all the way to the bank, able to spend without worry, able to have security for a rainy day, and able to run a profitable business. Tangibles associated with wealth include a nest egg, financial resources, investment accounts, stocks and bonds, assets, property and riches. The women who inspired the original American Dream Women book and this workbook/planner have further defined their own wealth not in any dollar amount but as a future condition that improves life beyond what they experience today. Ideas women have shared include: knowing my freezer will always be full and my pantry will be diversified with essentials and goodies outfitting children with more than one pair of shoes, clothing that fits them as they grow, and a wardrobe for each season taking family vacations at will being able to give children dance and music lessons having no loans or credit card debt living in a home that’s paid for paying for college without loans living off an inheritance maintaining my current lifestyle when I retire being able to comfortably pay myself as well as my employees and to offer them excellent benefits leaving a legacy for children or a charitable institution. This workbook serves to pull together your dreams. The result is two-fold: it can help put you in control of your financial destiny and allows you to leave the gift of an organized workbook to your family. Keep in mind as you apply this work to your life, wealth encompasses a spirit and a state of “being” as much as it refers to a condition of “having.” This workbook/planner is for all women striving and accomplishing wealth—on their own terms.