Just yesterday I overheard two of my friends talking about how awkward it can be to talk about money. In all fairness they were talking about a friends situation where she is down in the dumps about several things, one of them being money.
It is true, money conversations can be uncomfortable, especially when someone is having trouble managing their money. However, all finance conversations do not have to make you want to crawl in a bed in utter despair.
Sharing your financial outlook with your spouse and children can help you keep each other focused. If you share your financial goals with someone, even a friend, they can help you stay on track with your spending. There have been many times that Tom reminds me that I would rather save for something big instead of doing an impulse buy.
I was lucky that my parents encouraged me to manage my own money at a young age. When I was 12 they gave me my own checking account and gave me a monthly allowance. If I wanted fancy shampoo, lotions, razors, or clothes I had to buy them myself out of my allowance. For example, my mom would buy me regular shampoo from Wal-Mart, but if I wanted the salon stuff I was on my own! They also wouldn’t give me extra money to hang out with friends, if I wanted to go to the movies, they would remind me that they had already given me my allowance for the month and I needed to budget that amount wisely. This promptly led to several after school and weekend jobs.
Every family works differently, and I am not saying this is the only way to instill a sense of financial awareness in your children. I don’t even know if that is how I will raise my child. But I do know that talking about money in my household helped me understand how it works. Because of this, I am not nervous to talk about my financial situation with anyone.
So, I am sorry if I have ever made any of my friends feel uncomfortable when I talk about money. I don’t think anyone should ever feel uncomfortable talking about money (at least with friends, it may not be the best cocktail conversation piece). We all make money mistakes and it feels good to admit that to someone and make better plans for the future.
How do you feel about discussing finances?
Talking about finances, especially when you’re in a mess, creates the opportunity to change. Your parents were wise, but it’s never too late to get a grip on things.
Thanks Hannah.
I think in a partnership it is very important to discuss finances. Are you both on the same page when it comes to saving, spending, etc.
Our family (really just my wife and I because my kids are still to young to completely understand) considers money discussion as a normal topic around the dinner table. For us, there are no secrets surrounding money.
However, we only talk about money to friends and other family members when the topic is invited. We are careful not to force feed the topic nor do we want to sound like we are bragging.
Best wishes! AFFJ