This innovative online personal finances software offers emotional support and fun ideas to keep more of your money in your pocket. The entrepreneur who co-founded the site is Komal Bhojwani of Beverly Hills, Calif. A lawyer, she’s also dabbled in stand up comedy, playing the Hollywood Improv and gigs in Toronto, San Francisco and Miami. Then in 2004, she went from stand-up to start-up, launching Moneypants with partners Julia Salazar and Anne Stockwell, and they came up with the idea of tracking expenses, staying on top of bills, and getting conscious about money in a fun way, with a simple tracking software. What makes it different from other financial sites is that instead of presenting information in a boring or intimidating way, it does it with whimsy and humor. Says Bhojwani: “We don’t lecture. It’s like a Weight Watchers for money. Just as we eat unconsciously, we spend unconsciously. Only when you start writing down what you’re doing do you begin to understand how a piece of chocolate cake ends up on your thighs.” Does she practice what she preaches? She says, “Absolutely. It’s almost like a reflexive reaction. When you have to report to somebody, even if it’s just yourself, you’re a lot more careful about what you do! And of course at tax time, it’s such a life-saver because I can just hit print and my list of tax-deductible expenses are all there for me.” |