Women and Finance with Jocelyn Pantastico

We think of households in the Philippines as having the man being the breadwinner, the CEOs (Chief Executive Officer) of the household. 

We often overlook that women tend to be the CFOs (Chief Financial Officer) since, oftentimes, women don’t know it. 

Jocs Pantastico started the blog Olivia Finance to empower women so that they can be in control of their finances. She points out that regardless of these decisions women make, they tend to think of discussing the topic of money as taboo! 

“Generally, across Asia, women are the ones who take care of the budgeting, allocating funds, making sure that there’s enough money for everything.” Pantastico tells us. 

“In fact, more recently, there are studies to indicate even with major purchases like vehicles or cars, women are heavy influencers and in fact a lot of them do the searches for this but they are underserved when it comes to personal finance or understanding finances”. She adds.

Over 75% of women worry about having enough funds once they stop working. That’s why financial dependence or just taking control of your finances is really good for overall wellness as well. 

Women specifically worry a lot about the family having enough food or resources or provisions for the month. Worry and anxiety can turn on those stress hormones that make your heart beat faster and result in all sorts of health issues.

Pantastico goes on to tell us “Just like anything, money, if used correctly, can help you. It can also help other people.” 

In this episode, she elaborates on the first important step to empower yourself as a woman CFO: Understand your cash flow, know where your money is going.  

Click through to hear her advice on how to understand your money better, and hear her answer money questions from working women just like you!