Talking to friends about money

This is a #subwayselfie of me and one of my very best friends Meryl. I can talk to Meryl about absolutely anything, including money. A few years ago when Meryl was making a big career move, she looked me dead in the eyes and said, “I want to work for a big company, be the breadwinner, make a ton of money, and never have to stress about finances again.” My first response was, “Woah! Can we say that out loud?” My second response was, “Wait! I want to say that out loud.”

So many of us— especially women, but definitely men, too—want financial security but feel that our desire for monetary stability (or, heaven forbid, prosperity) has to be cloaked in a moral cause. Like, it’s only okay to want to earn a big income if it means you can provide for everyone around you first. Or it’s only okay to want a raise if it means you’ll be able to do even more at your social justice-oriented job that already burns you out everyday.

Meryl and I both tend to want to make the world a better place through the work we do. We also both tend to want our financial lives to feel stable and expansive. Through our long talks about money and all the feelings that go along with it, I think that in our own ways we’ve both come around to the idea that we don’t have to choose between those two desires.

I’m grateful to have a friend that I can candidly explore taboo topics with and never feel judged. If you are looking to cultivate a place where you can talk openly and freely about a topic as taboo as money (and get to hear what it sounds like for others to do the same), consider joining the Flourish Series. And consider inviting a close friend to join with you. #flourishseries #financialwellness #financialpsychology #friendship #talkaboutmoney #money #expand #friends #breadwinner