Cash-Based Accounting: Show Me the Money-NOW!

In accounting, there are two ways to record numbers: Accrual-Based or Cash-Based. Accrual-based is considered the more sophisticated of the two (think New York Stock Exchange versus ma-and-pa businesses). Sounds fancy, but it just means that you don’t consider yourself incurring an expense at the time you pull out your wallet, but when you actually benefit from the purchase.

It makes total sense in accounting. The problem is many women also use it in their love lives.

Society teaches women to be patient and long-suffering. Okay, so he asked you to pay for his drinks on date two, but if you wait long enough, he might treat you to lobsters on date five! So he’s in school right now and needs you to help with the tuition fee, but that boy is going to be a lawyer one day and really take care of you!

So women continue to dump their time, energy, and money into unworthy guys, thinking there’s going to be a pay-off later. She’s not really wasting her effort - she’s accruing it for future benefit! Needless to say, this kind of accrual often leads to heartbreaks. The lobsters never came. The boy moved on to a newer model right after he passed the bar exam. The girls are left feeling used and old.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t stand by your man, but you should ask yourself if he’ll do the same for you.

This willingness to give first without getting anything back must be a young women thing. With experience, older gals are smarter at this game. We recognize follies easier and walk away faster. Without the fear of looking unsophisticated, we scream: “Show me the money-now!” If you’re gonna treat me right, then do it NOW.