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How do women really feel about money, especially now?

"I feel pretty in control right now, I mean, I grew up with a single mom who really didn't talk about finance a lot, so I was a little uncomfortable with it. But I took it upon myself to get the poor man's MBA, which is reading the Wall Street Journal, following what's going on in Forbes, and just trying to stay abreast of what's going on with the economy on my own," said Jacquetta Szathmari, a Riverdale resident.

"Money becomes like a boogey-man. It's something we're not used to addressing, it hangs out in the closet, we don't even want to look at what we've got in our bank accounts, or how our investments are. And that fear grows. It becomes a bigger deal than maybe it actually is," said Dajes Juvelier, a Brooklyn resident.

So says financial advisor, author and radio host Galia Gichon, who says many women deal with their finances much differently than men do, and they could be feeling the effects of the recession in a much more personal way.

"There's no question that money is an emotional topic. Because it is so emotional, such as 'OK, I lost my job, what am I going to do?' Or 'How am I going to pay for my retirement?' Or if you have a family, 'How am I going to pay for my child's college fund?' And we just feel it. Where men, it's a very traditional stereotype, but just don't let their emotions come out as much. And so I think women just take it much more personally," said Gichon.

Gichon spent more than 10 years on Wall Street before becoming an educator. She recently created a kit called "My Money Matters" with specific money management tips. And she says now more than ever, women who don't feel in control, should be making it a priority to tame their financial fears.

"Build money habits into your life on a more regular basis. Whether it's meeting with friends or groups to talk about it, read books, read workbooks that help you, that motivate you that you're excited to read, that you're motivated by, attend classes. Put it into your life just like you would a personal training class, or going to the gym, or a hobby that you're excited about," said Gichon.

There's never been a better time, especially for women who've lost or are about to lose their jobs.

"Don't do it alone. Don't sit behind your desk and think what am I going to do? Find the support and talk to people. These are the people who are getting jobs, who are getting the contracts," said Gichon.

Gichon says she plans to hold regular weekly meetings for women who want more of a financial education, but don't know how or where to begin.