Her 2003 book, 7 Money Mantras for a Richer Life, details the financial rules her grandmother taught her. She admits, however, that she did not always heed her grandmother's advice, and when she was younger, "would actually have withdrawal pains if I went one weekend without shopping."

Singletary's column, The Color of Money, appears every Sunday and Thursday in the New York Post. Her weekly segment on NPR's Day to Day program airs Tuesdays (the exact schedule varies from station to station). The broadcast is also available as a podcast, updated every Tuesday at 5 p.m. EST. Over 150,000 subscribers receive Singletary's weekly Personal Finance Newsletter, which offers a more expansive discussion of the topics in her columns, as well as responses to readers' questions. The newsletter is available free from The Washington Post.

• 2003: 7 Money Mantras for a Richer Life

1. If it’s on your ass, it’s not an asset!
2. Is this a need or is it a want?
3. Sweat the small stuff.
4. Cash is better than credit.
5. Keep it simple.
6. Priorities lead to prosperity.
7. Enough is enough.