Ma Marge

MA MARGE Because a bank balance doesn't tell you what you can spend. Part of that money is already spoken for: the taxes due at year end, the health insurance premium, the bill that hasn't gone through yet. Many people know it, few can see it, and that is where nasty surprises come from. Ma Marge starts from a conviction: managing money is not about spreadsheets or heroic discipline, it is about seeing clearly. When you can see what is free and what is committed, good decisions become easy, and money stops being a source of worry. HOW One number at the centre: the truly available amount. It is what sits in your checking accounts and your wallet, minus what you owe short term, minus what you have set aside. Never the gross balance. Set aside before spending: you set your own provisions (taxes, health insurance, whatever you like) and Ma Marge deducts them from the available amount from…