'Tis the season, they say. But the season seems to be changing. Did you notice that Black Friday started before Thanksgiving this year? Cyber Monday crept right into the holiday week. Gift guides are everywhere; increasing the pressure to find the "perfect" gift, often with financing options right at checkout. The underlying message seems to be: buy now, think about it later.
I've worked for myself for nearly a decade, and in all but one of those years I've earned more than the U.K. average salary. Some years it's been a little more. I'm naturally frugal, and even during the rockiest stretches, there's always been enough to cover the basics-plus a safety net if I ever truly needed it. Yet I worry about money constantly, gnawed by the sense that I'm only one missed invoice from financial collapse.
"Money is more than just dollars and cents - it's highly emotional, with our life experiences shaping how we feel about money," adds Dr. Traci Williams, a certified financial therapist. "In fact, a recent survey conducted by Chime found that 39% of men say they feel pressure to appear more financially stable than they actually are. That pressure can make people defensive or avoidant. Normalizing money talks early helps take the stigma out and shows that it's about partnership, not judgment."
Money conversations can feel like they are the elephant in the living room. Everyone sees the financial issues shaping their lives, but politeness dictates that we pretend money doesn't shape our decisions and relationships. Without talking about money with others, we're left to wonder how our friends and family are able to afford their lives and whether we're the only ones who are sometimes worried about our finances.
