First, let me say that stealing is such an ugly word. I prefer to call what I do creative accounting. My financial education began with the game of Monopoly, which I was taught to play by the matriarchs of my family, including my mother, my aunt, and my grandmother. We selected playing pieces (my mom was always the top hat) while the designated banker passed us our funny money. “To begin, you take one of the $500 bills and sit on it,” my aunt instructed. “That way, you won’t spend it until you need it.” Under her butt it went.
“It will be like extra money, because you’ll forget that you had it!” My mom added, tucking hers expertly beneath her bottom.
“It’s money for a rainy day,” my grandmother concluded, following suit. “All women need that.” She then explained that she had actual hundred dollar bills stashed in between her mattress and box spring at home. It was her real-life version of Monopoly.
And so, I began to learn the subtle art of financial obfuscation. Click here to read the rest on the Huffington Post.