African American Family Connection

Channel of Communication for the African American Community

The Salicious Civil Rights Activist, Lady Josephine Baker

March 30, 2009 by omitunde  
Filed under books and literature


Well know for her salacious banana dance and bold comedy, Lady Josephine Baker was a revolutionary civil rights activist.

Describing herself, Josephine Baker said “I have never really been a great artist. I have been a human being that has loved art, which is not the same thing. But I have loved and believed in art and the idea of universal brotherhood so much, that I have put everything I have into them, and I have been blessed.” (Ebony report of interview in 1975.)

Shortly after her 11th birthday, Josephine Baker born as Freda Josephine McDonald survived one of the worst riots in US history in East St. Louis, Missouri.

Lady Josephine was born at a time in history marred by racial segregation and violence that erupted due to white workers feeling threatened by the employment of black workers in factories with government contracts. During the riot, 40 blacks and 8 whites were killed.

After a difficult childhood, she left home at thirteen she began dancing as a street performer with a vaudeville revue company called the Dixie Steppers. The 1920s was a time popularized by parody and satire influenced by the artistry of the Harlem Renaissance.

Most memorable are the performances with the African American theater productions in New York known as Shuffle Along the first all-black Broadway musical created by Baltimore born Eubie Blake and Chocolate Dandies also by the Noble Sissle/Eubie Blake team considered to have composed the first jazz on film.

Disillusioned and hurt by the segregation and racism in American, Lady Josephine left for Paris in 1925 which set in motion her long international career with companies like Revue Nègre, Folies Bergères, and, the Ziegfeld Follies with Bob Hope and Fanny Brice.

Although there were many ups and downs during her career Lady Josephine overcame the limitations imposed by the color of her skin and became a well know star in Paris for most of her adult life.

On the stage her performances were exotic and extroverted expressed through sensual images with outfits which defined her unique boldness like her trademark leopard on a leash, a skirt made of feathers, and a dance in which she wore a string of bananas.

Lady Josephine, known as dancer, theater performer, writer, and civil rights activist was told that she was no longer welcome in the United States due to her efforts to change segregation and how she was treated in white establishments.

As a black woman, she was not allowed to access her room through the lobby of the hotels she stayed in to not offend the white patrons. Once refused service at the famous Stork Club in New York City she renounced her American citizenship and became a citizen of France.

During World War II Josephine Baker worked with the Red Cross, gathered intelligence for the French Resistance and entertained troops in North Africa and the Middle East.

Josephine was decorated for her undercover work for the French Resistance during World War II. As a civil rights activist she refused to perform for segregated audiences and integrated the Las Vegas nightclubs.

She adopted twelve children from around the world whom she called her “Rainbow Tribe.” making her home a World Village, a “showplace for brotherhood.”

She used her fame and influence as an international star to advance civil rights issues during her frequent visits to the United States. In 1951 the NAACP honored her political work by declaring an official Baker Day in Harlem.

A tireless crusader for racial equality in 1963, she spoke at the March on Washington along with Martin Luther King, Jr.

Josephine Baker’s World Village fell apart in the 1950s and in 1969 she was evicted from her chateau which was then auctioned off to pay debts. Princess Grace of Monaco gave her a villa. In 1973 Baker married an American, Robert Brady, and began her stage comeback.

In 1975, Josephine Baker’s Carnegie Hall comeback performance was a success, as was her subsequent Paris performance. But two days after her last Paris performance, she died of a stroke.

The impact Josephine Baker made on the civil-rights era in America gives her a permanent place as one of the most famous expatriates in American history.

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What is Your Family Code of Conduct? Dont get caught in your own trap!

March 25, 2009 by omitunde  
Filed under art of living


Life is full of the traps we set for ourselves

My Grand Daughter sets traps for me! These colorful cards, puzzle pieces, coasters, toys, and shapes with pictures of the basic meanings and definitions of life are laid out like bread crumbs all through the house leading in out of the kitchen and living areas or up the stairs leading to my room. winter-to-spring-11

Due the type of  family values that have been instilled in me, my first instinct of course is to pick these items up and admonish her for leaving her things all over the floor. I resist giving in to my instincts  to clean and organize every minute of my life because to me that represents control of my environment. I choose to create a new connection with her every chance I get!

Giving in to my compulsory obsession with cleanliness and order is less important than the opportunity to reinforce family values of acknowledgment of the teaching moment she offers me.

It means something to her for me to acknowledge her creativity.  When I allow myself to get caught in the trap its means success for her that the trap has worked.  So to say “hey, what are these cards and puzzle pieces and toys doing all over the floor?”

This statement gives this five year old such a sense of satisfaction that I noticed her and something she did to get my attention because I am usually so busy doing something important. To get any reaction to her traps makes her chuckle and smile to herself like it’s a private joke that only she understands.

We are creating memories and teachable moments between us! We are reinforcing our family values.

I love it! It keeps me grounded in reality and my family values so I cannot get too caught up in the day to day tendency to take life too seriously. To be open and aware of every moment in its unique unfolding gift is a thrilling expectation of something new to behold in amazement of just being alive.

Traps! Life is of course full of traps, the ones we set unwittingly for ourselves when we set aside our family values to achieve our goals and survive in the midst of what we are constantly being told is a bad time financially for everyone.

It is true that there is financial struggle and it could be that the Universe is telling us that this is time to smell the roses and reset the focus of what we value the most in life.  I want my grand daughter to have great memories of her time with me, not how hard it was.

Be patient with the process of your life, we tend to be in a hurry to get to the end of the day before we really let the day begin. I resist knowing the outcome all the time because that is fear based behavior. Fear of the outcome! Worrying is not operating in Faith.

I trust my Faith in God, The Higher Power, the Most High, Allah, Jehovah, Krishna, Buddah, The Force, The Source the Breath of Life!

To operate in faith and be conscious of the sweetness and simplicity of my life is the best gift I can give to myself everyday. In this process, I am Peaceful, loving, interested, aware, emotional, feminine, flexible, teachable always smiling from the inside.

Traps set on the floor could annoy me as too many children’s things creating clutter and messiness or remind me of my values.

Family values are the most important part of my relationship with my family members because it  is part of our family code of conduct.

Every family has its own code of conduct and way of being together. What works for one family may or may not work for another.

A few examples in my family
1. We hug and kiss hello and good bye almost every time we see each other, sounds extreme to you, it’s normal for us.
2. We never take anything from each other without permission, never assume that it’s okay, they won’t mind. Some families have issues around this respect of boundaries.
3. We actually eat together at the table with no television just music and cook meals together. Most families today eat in front of the television and they don’t cook together, the responsibility falls on mom most of the time in most families.
4. We don’t talk negatively about people we are connected to. We admonish each other about being critical or negative.
5. We do not fight we talk until there is a solution. My children were not permitted to hit and hurt each other when they were young, disagreements were resolved through problem solving.

Sounds simple, yet it has its own complexity in the process.

Having a sense of simplicity today is important due to the amount of stress and anxiety everyone is feeling about the economy.

If you are watching too much news or listening to too many messages about how bad things are then you are setting yourself up for a trip to the land of cynicism and uncertainty.

That is not a nice place to visit because once you get there it is difficult to find your way out, which leads to depression.

winter-to-spring-27We as mothers must refrain from being too obsessed with controlling every aspect of every person and every part and parcel of our lives. This takes away from actually living and being present in our lives for the simplicity of seeing how happy it makes a five year old to set a trap and see Gram actually caught in it.

It does not hurt to play along and be focused on the joy of the moment instead of correcting it and aligning it with what works in you life to make feel safe and in control.

If you get what I am saying, then share your family values. What works for you? How do you appreciate your living and be healthy while you are doing it?

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AIG Code of Conduct and Company Values

March 23, 2009 by omitunde  
Filed under Kitchen Table Wisdom


AIG is blowing smoke up our you-know-what and because of greed and the American people are taking the brunt of the mistake. This company turned an emergency bailout into a meritless handout, paying windfalls to employees as reward for financial failure.

Americans are working hard to keep the jobs we have and no one is taking their job for granted;  due to a failing economy being rewarded for doing a poor job  strikes a sour note and offends our sense of moral values to see others benefit from not doing their job well.  People are getting laid off through no fault of their own and AIG is trying to give millions of dollars to people who have money and won’t be in the food stamp office if they don’t get these bonuses.

The documents Connecticut received showed that 418 people received bonuses, from $1,000 to $6.4 million, he said. At least 73 people made $1 million or more, and there were seven people who made $4 million or more, Blumenthal said.

When the President is telling us to have hope and Oprah is saying Live Your Best Life, have integrity, be a real citizen of America and we will all get through this together, AIG execs are benefiting from not doing any of these things.

I am angry and it creates a sense of anxiety to imagine that others can be rewarded because of an employment agreement based on performance when the performance clearly was not up to the company’s financial objectives.

Chairman of AIG, Liddy was asked by Rep. Barney Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services committee, to turn over the names of the executives who received the bonuses.

Our economy is over-wrought with lay offs, foreclosures, businesses closing and everyone making an effort to do without and change the way we live so we can survive.

I visited the AIG web site to learn more about the company and examined the “Code of Conduct” the “ethical” guidelines for delivering business. This is an excerpt that promotes values to develop diverse talent, reward excellence and be accountable.

AIG Code of Conduct

Our Values

  • People

Develop diverse talent. Reward excellence.

  • Customer Focus

Anticipate their priorities. Exceed their expectations.

  • Performance

Be accountable. Manage risks. Deliver AIG’s strength.

  • Integrity

Work honestly. Enhance AIG’s reputation.

  • Respect

Value all colleagues. Collaborate with one another.

  • Entrepreneurship

Seize opportunities. Innovate for and with customers.

Deliver the Firm

The core values and principles set forth in our Code are a reflection of the talents and expertise which distinguish AIG and are an integral component of the value proposition that we bring to our customers, employees and all of our communities as we strive every day to truly Deliver The Firm. In order to execute our Deliver The Firm strategy, AIG expects every employee to collaborate with colleagues throughout the organization, manage risks, comply with all applicable regulations and optimize operational efficiencies.

The company further states the fellow employees are trusted to value and respect each

other its customers and business partners because of an expectation of integrity.

“Communities around the world rely on us to be responsible corporate citizens.”

What do you think?

  1. Should AIG executives return the money,
  2. Is the President responsible for the mess even if he did not make it. He is responsible for fixing it.
  3. Should there be regulations in place to prevent companies from taking huge risk

As a person striving to tread water in the financial abyss of an unstable economy I want answers, I want accountability. As a woman, with a family providing guidance and instilling family values to live by, I want answers.

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If you don’t think you are a potential victim you are wrong!

March 12, 2009 by omitunde  
Filed under business


Anyone can be a victim of identity theft. If you don’t think you are a potential victim you are wrong!

It can happen in minutes, and take years for the fallout to stop. Someone can steal your identity and leave you a mountain of legal and financial entanglements.

The amount of hours it could take you to unravel the impact on your life can be like having a full time job. Depending on the nature of what a stolen identity was used for, the number of agencies that would need to be contacted is more than you can imagine.

The number of people from every walk of life that are victimized every day is continually increasing. The loss of time and money spent by victims trying to put their lives and finances back in order can be devastating.

You can have peace of mind because there is protection that you can use that is affordable and offers the services you need today. I use this service and the peace of mind is priceless for the investment.

Pre-Paid Legal’s Identity Theft ShieldSM is an affordable solution to combat a growing crime that knows no boundaries. Just look at the coverage and services that you will receive.

Your IDT membership includes:
• An up-to-date Experian credit report, including your personal credit score calculated and analyzed by an independent service. A review of your credit report and credit score is a step that make or break your financial future.
• Continuous monitoring of your credit file at Experian so you will be alerted if new activity is added to your credit report. If the activity is not initiated by you, it can point to identity theft.
• Identity restoration means that licensed investigators are on your side working to correct damage caused by identity thieves. This includes working with law enforcement, the government and credit cards companies on your behalf. Also, fraud alerts will be sent on your behalf to all three credit bureaus and affected companies and agencies.
• You are covered as soon as your application is processed by Pre-Paid Legal. Your membership packet contains simple steps that authorize monitoring of your credit report, plus crime preventions tips that identity thieves don’t want you to follow.

Assistance is as close as a toll-free number to report any potential problems in your credit report.

If a discrepancy is identity theft, a Fraud Restoration package will be rushed to you and our expert investigators will assist you in steps to correct inaccuracies.

What do you do if you discover that you are an identity theft victim? No one is exempt and we are all at risk. Do you do any of these things?
• Do you hand your credit card to restaurant servers?
• Do you receive mail at your home?
• Do you shop on the Internet?
• Do you shred all discarded personal mail?

What if it happens to you? Ask yourself these questions and then contact PrePaid Legal:
• How many phone calls must you make?
• What agencies do you call?
• How many hours will it take?
• How much money will be lost?

Do something today, click here on the link to get started today.
PrePaid Legal can help you avoid identity theft.

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The Dirty Little Secret that no one wants to talk about

March 10, 2009 by omitunde  
Filed under health


To Rihanna and Chris Brown please get help your actions may save someone’s life.

If we are not already facing enough anxiety about money and layoffs, and foreclosures and now the secret is out in the open again.  The truth is it never goes away, it has to be addressed.

Our family values about violence in the family is to not talk about and act like it does not exist so that men don’t go to jail and women will not press charges. so they will not end up alone or hurt again.

It does not matter who you are, no one is exempt and it can happen to people who have everything. Domestic Violence is a very serious problem in America for women and children in every ethnic group.

More women have been a victim of Domestic Violence than any of us would admit. The fear we have experienced at the hands of those we love is pure horror.

It is scary to admit to how much violence is a part of our lives, whether is it actually happens to us or someone we interact with every day.

Women are always blamed for causing or provoking a man to use violence against her. Violence against women is not even an important issue to society as a problem until a rich person is exposed or someone is killed.

To be fair, young boys witness abuse from their fathers in ways that can be more than just physical, like fathers who break down a young man’s self esteem with verbal abuse. There is a code of silence among men that ignores the impact of abuse on male children as adults that triggers the same behavior towards women.

During my childhood there were incidents of violence in someone’s house at least once or twice a week. It is a frightening and difficult thing to understand as children. Couples would argue and get loud about something and it would escalate into all out fighting with someone ending up bleeding.

Black family values created a web of silence and insulation almost protecting of the abuser, forcing the victim and the witnesses to go on with life like nothing happened.  I don’t remember the police every coming to someone’s house in my neighborhood.  The secret was kept in the confines of the community.

No wanted  to talk about it then and the same is true today, the ugliness of it all creates a wall of fear that makes everyone afraid of what will happen if it is ever exposed. It is the wound that never heals and women that will never be the same so they will dress it up, cover it up and cope with it until the damage is smoothed over.

It was difficult to see a family embarrassed by the bruises and obvious signs of violence on the face of the mother. Sometimes my mother or another mother would take the children in and feed them to give the mother a chance to pull it together. We learned though our values to not show embarrassment and to be supportive of the family to get through it.

There would be lots of whispering and crying hugging between the women. The couple would stay together, but the next time your saw the father of that family you never looked at him the same way. As a child my family values taught me to not speak disrespectfully to an adult, so once again the wall of silence prevailed.

I would ask my parents why people fought each other and would be reminded that grown folks business ain’t everybody’s business, so I never received an answer.  No one ever explained domestic violence to me in a way that I could make sense out of in my world.

This fact along with the violence in my own life has  had a direct affect on the family values I imparted  to my family. My children have been taught something different than the values I learned.

Incidents of violence have affected me throughout most of my life in all of my relationships and in how I raised my daughters but just as important in how I raised my son.

One in every four women in America are violently abused and 80t o 90% of these stay with their abuser or go back.

Domestic violence is not usually a one time occurrence it is usually a repeat incident and happens more frequently than it is reported.

Our family values can affect how we choose to deal with violence in our relationships.

This can happen to anyone, no matter what status you are in life. No one is exempt. If you are reading this and any of it applies to you, talk to someone, please get help now. If there is intimidation, control and force in your relationship, please get help now. CALL 800-799-SAFE (7299)

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Women, it is time to get in touch with all that is bugging you

March 8, 2009 by omitunde  
Filed under Kitchen Table Wisdom


Women it is time to get in touch with all that is bugging you and holding you hostage! women-w-a-headache

What are you doing about what is bugging you? Are you talking about it or sulking about it? Can you admit that you have shut down and stopped caring about how you have been treated by your children, your spouse or partner, your job, and everyone that you make a sacrifice for?

Are you saying to yourself, I just want to leave and disappear so I won’t have to deal with any of this any more? That won’t work because wherever you go you take yourself with you and the same problems that exist now will be recreated wherever you go.

We say if I could just get away from all the people, places and things that hurt me, I can finally get on with my own life. Running away is not the answer.

The truth is that we as women and mothers must admit to how we contribute to the break down in our Spirit. We must come clean and examine why we do what we do and how it has created pain and disappointment in our relationships.

My favorite author Iyanla Vanzant made a statement in her book “Until Today”. She says, we do not have many relationships with many different people we have one relationship with many people.

We are the one constant factor in every relationship we have and we are the ones that define who and what we are in every relationship we have. If we are hurt, then we let someone hurt us because we defined what they did as something that hurt us.

We were expecting something that was not there to begin with. We knew it consciously and intuitively, yet we went forward with the relationship for reasons we justify in our hearts and minds in the moment.

When we are disappointed by our children and want something different from them, what are we showing them? Are we compromising the boundaries of respect by being their friend and peer instead of their parent?

In love, do we love ourselves enough to stick with our convictions about what we deserve to receive out of the connection? Love does not come to us through relationships that allow us to express our sexuality. This is only one aspect of expression in relationships and we must teach our daughters not to become too focused on just this dimension of who they really are as an individual.

Love is total uncompromised acceptance of self and being clear about who you are. When you are clear about who you are, there is no compromise to please the other person. If your must alter who you are to keep a person in your life, you are lying to yourself.

When you were alone and a seeking a relationship, did you say to yourself, “I will compromise who I am to keep this person in my life”, no you did not. We know what we learned in the last relationship that did not work, but we still make the same mistakes.

Ladies, please take a deep look into yourself and take responsibility for false ideas about who you are. This does not mean that you are wrong; it means you can adjust our perspective and see yourself in a different light.

Make an effort to purge the negativity you have been living inside of every day. Make a list of all the things that you can change. Look at each one individually and really be honest about what did to contribute to the consequences you are now experiencing.

Stop being the victim and take back your power. We are the hands that rock the cradle, we are the ones that nurture the seeds of a nation we raise families and support partners the way we desire to be supported.

Please take this journey with me and tell me how you are feeling. Leave a comment.

In Peace in and Love.

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Saving Money by Using Food Stamps

March 7, 2009 by omitunde  
Filed under art of living


If you’re determined to beat the odds with the current economic crisis then you, like many other Americans will be using Food Stamps. There have been many stories in the news lately about a new class of people using Food Stamps that have never had to use them before.

First you must let go of the stigma attached to using Food Stamps because it is not just for poor low income people. Millions of people use food stamps and there is no shame in needing some assistance when times are hard.

1. Don’t shop when you are hungry. You’ll end up spending a lot more money Eat a good meal first, and you’ll be more likely to stick to your list.

2. Make a list of what you need to buy, go through your pantry to make a list of staple items like rice, sugar, beans, peanut butter, spices, etc. This is essential due the fact that when you run out of all the things you like to eat, you can still make a meal out what you have.

3. Stock up on staple items. An example of a few staple items would be rice, spaghetti, macaroni, egg noodles, peanut butter, jam, canned tuna, spaghetti sauce, and canned beans and soups have a long shelf life as well.

4. Try some new recipes instead preparing the same meals every week, look up recipes online and add some variety to our collection of regular meals that your family loves.

5. Do some research on creative snacks, lunches for you, your spouse and for your children. This is important because lunch time at school or at work is an important break in your day and making the meal interesting can boost your self esteem and give you the energy to get through the day.

6. Planning meals ahead of time gives you sense of being organized and eases the stress of the daily tasks of deciding what’s for dinner. Make lunches interesting and add some love by adding some variety to satisfy your tastes and avoid making you feel deprived when you see what everyone else is eating.

7. Pack a lunch so that when you are at work and everyone is going out to buy lunch and you start feeling deprived. Everyone is getting food that smells great its fried and full of ingredients you cant identify. The advantage to your health is that you know what you are eating and what’s in it, you are much better off. I know you are shaking you head saying no, I want what they are eating. Trust me you will be proud of yourself later.

8. Search for a community food pantry or food bank from a church in your neighborhood to supplement your supply. Receiving social service assistance can be a great way to stretch you cash. Starting out with this in mind will teach you to be more conscious of what your reason is that you are taking advantage of a service that is designed to keep you fed and healthy.

9. A common misconception that people might have about using Food Stamps is that people look at you funny in the grocery store when you are paying for your food. All you need to do is make your purchase, and make sure that you don’t look around for the approval or opinionated looks of others.

If you have ever been behind a person using food stamps and the shopping cart is spilling over with frozen food entrees, junk food snacks, multiple boxes of processed food and everything is name brand items, you think to yourself “that is really wasteful”.

Instead of judging and complaining consider that they may not know how to shop So if you really want to make the most of your Food Stamp subsidy consider follow these tips gain the greatest benefit and save your hard earned cash.

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Starting a Business with a New Baby

March 6, 2009 by omitunde  
Filed under art of living


Starting a Business with a New Baby by Lisa Mullins

If you have recently had a baby, you may think that this means that you may have to put your dreams of running business on hold. I started my business when my middle son was 4 months old and currently I have a 5 month old five and a half years later. With some careful planning and preparation, you can make your dreams of owning a successful business become a reality.

If you have a determination to start your own business, there are some important things you need to know before you begin. The following tips will help you to succeed in business.

1. An important factor when you have a baby and want to start a business is making sure that you have informed your family of what you would like to do. The reason why this is important is because family support will be very important. You will need to discuss the income considerations, hours of operations, start-up costs, etc. Since you recently gave birth, this is also subtracting from your monthly budget. It is also important that your hours of operation and office space be respected whether the space is a room or a closet. If you don’t make sure your family understands, then you run the risk of family members feeling neglected, disputes over money or someone feeling as though they are contributing more to the family in terms of time. It will also lead to productivity problems due to disruptions and distractions.

2. Another important consideration for starting your own business with a small child is where you decide you will work. It’s critical that you choose an area that you are comfortable in but can also accommodate your baby because you need to have your baby at the minimum at ear shot if not in eye view. If you make sure that you are fine and have your baby within reach, then you’ll will minimize the time away from your work area and not worry about something happening to your baby.

3. You don’t have to send your child to child care of hire a baby sitter in order to run your own business. I have a total of seven children and I have never used daycare or a baby sitter since starting my business in 2003. All you need to do is to set up a schedule, and make sure that you stick to it. I found that I am most productive from 4 am to 9 am and again from 9 pm until bedtime. These are also the times that my younger children are asleep. This makes a perfect time to do my tasks that I need to concentrate on. So, set your schedule at times you will be most productive and have little distractions.

4. Instead of complicating your business start-up efforts by jumping in head first, be sure you first have a plan. Understand the business you are trying to start. Know that it will take time and dedication. Understand your competition and know that there may be some times that you may not be able to spend as much time with your family as you would like.
5. Schedule what is important to you first. I attend school plays, award ceremonies, soccer games, school parties, etc. I never miss any of these because I consider these things important to me. So treat those activities as appointments and schedule them first.
So if you really want to start your business with a new baby, follow these tips to maximize your chances for success.

Lisa Mullins, marketing manager to top realtors, focus on keeping the pipline of realtors filled with qualified buyers and sellers. Visit http://www.Reliable-Business.com and get your free copy of the RB Lead Generation Toolkit

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Bookkeeping is not only for Business

March 5, 2009 by omitunde  
Filed under finance


Bookkeeping is not only for Business by Jacqueline Williams
Financial Strategist

The term bookkeeping is enough to send people running for cover. Why is it that, of all the business tasks to perform, this one is the most popular when it comes to procrastination?

We all know the importance of having a clear financial picture of our business activities. But what about our personal lives?

In terms of bookkeeping from a personal perspective, many consider this to be simply “budgeting”. Actually this is not the case. Budgeting involves determining how much money you have, and where to spend it.

Bookkeeping in a sense involves the same however it’s more complex because it’s also about creating a system or process for managing the flow of your financial data.

For instance, a simple household budget would not typically go any further than a spreadsheet consisting of “income in and income out”.

Bookkeeping on the other hand shows the details behind what’s coming in, from where, so that you’ll be able to create trends and make decisions based on the cumulative data. Bookkeeping involves the process of not only the input of data but the manipulation and placement of that data.

So, the next question is how would you set up an effective bookkeeping system for your household? Well, I’ll show you.

First, let’s start with the beginning, which is the source of this data. For instance, our major source of household income is from salaries or business revenue.

A good bookkeeping system would have separate bank accounts to receive the income. Any expenses associated with the earnings would also flow through this account. It may seem a bit redundant; however, it makes for a cleaner process when it comes to tracking your sources.

Next, any information from these sources should be kept in their own files or folders. Items received in the mail should be immediately sorted and filed according to their categories. Thus far, you can already see the importance of an efficient filing system.
Once the data has been received, next you must enter this information into a spreadsheet. Today, most people use financial software to accomplish this task.

I often refer to QuickBooks, because it’s my software choice for both business and personal. QuickBooks has a line of software products geared towards your specific need. Even on the most basic of levels, the software is easy to maneuver.

For personal financial software, there is no need to understand debits and credits. This is where most folks get confused. You will work directly from your bank account.

The software even has features to track other items such as investments, property, and retirement accounts. The biggest task here is making sure than you keep your files updated.

Rule of thumb is to update based on the number of transactions you produce on a monthly basis. 0-100 transactions, you can update your files monthly. 100-250, you should update your files more often, probably weekly.

After you have organized all your information, from receipt to recording, now is the time to analyze your data to make some key decisions.

Streamlining your household finances is an important process and must be handled with the same focus and energy as if you were conducting business. After all, your financial picture is the framework of your family.

Partnering for your success
http://bookkeepingsuccess.com/

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