Every day I'm hustling...

Diva - The term was originally used to describe a woman of rare, outstanding talent. It derives from the Italian word 'divina', meaning "divine" (feminine form), which, in turn, derives from the feminine form of the Latin word divus/diva, meaning "divine one."

I am a Diva, and my brain is the sexiest part of my body. With that said, today's tip is cut from a different cloth.

Being a diva is more than just looking hot. It means you are on top of the game. YOU are in control! Today I was reading an article on the MSN Money Boards. If you're not familiar, Liz Pulliam Weston and MP Dunleavy are talented writer-divas who host a "Women in Red" series focused on helping women eliminate or greatly reduce their debt. Today's article was about becoming debt free in 1 year, and 5 steps to fix your finances. In this article there was a link to ING Direct. In case you didn't know, your bank is probably paying around 0.25% apy on a savings account, contingent upon your balance and relationship. ING is currently offering 3.45% apy. Yeah, let that sink in. Open a savings account and have at least $10 transferred monthly. You won't even miss that money but you will love it once it has grown.

So...ING has this program called share builder. This allows you to purchase a part of a share, using automatic transfers or however you set it up. Weekly, monthly, etc. You get the idea. Instead of waiting to purchase a full share, or pooling your money (like in a mutual fund, where you have no control over the portfolio), you know exactly how your money is working for you. You buy what your money allows, but it actually owns something as it grows toward the larger goal.

ex. Shares of The Everyday Diva are trading at $200 each. You are investing at $25 weekly. At the point of that investment, you now own 1/8 of a share of this stock. If the price of that stock increases, so does your piece of a share. If the stock increases to $300 a share, your $25 is now worth $37.50. Of course, you are subject to the same fluctuations of the market, but you can be a player in the big boys game.

I know this will work for some and not others. To me, it's basically foolproof. Instead of trying to save up to buy that one share, you own a piece of it, making it a more reasonable and achievable goal to get to that $200. It is an alternative to doing it the old way, which never worked for me. I could act like I want to save $200 to buy a share of something, but the reality is I will pinch off of that money. Besides, why not let it work for you? I just told you, $25 sitting in my Chase account isn't doing anything anyway, compared to that same $25 sitting at ING, or better yet, that $25 turning into $37.50, and then eventually $200.

The Virtuous Woman did more than just look good. She ran things. Ask ANY man - That is the most attractive quality of a woman...And the TRUE definition if a diva!

Ladies - this is the time to get in the game. I can't sit on the bench anymore, I want to play with the big dogs! By doing this, I am positioning myself to be an investor, and attract those type of things...because we all know, you attract what you're about.

Okay. I'm out. Gotta go set up my accounts!

***This information is not intended to be a substitute for consulting a financial advisor, nor does it imply that following this advice will guarantee any type of a return on investment.

The Everyday Divas will be taking one day next week to do a personal financial overhaul. We will let you know how that works out!