Let’s Talk Money

As a mortgage broker I get to ask people all the time how much they earn, how much they spend and how much debt they have. And you know what? People tell me willingly! Generally, they tell me everything I need to know without questioning it. It’s interesting really, because growing up we never really spoke about money outside of the home. It’s one of the questions you avoid at social gatherings, like what religion you are, how much you earn and who you vote for at the federal election! So, when I became qualified as a mortgage broker I was hesitant to ask the questions. I felt a little bit uncomfortable coming straight out and asking how much my clients earned. But it didn’t take long for me to realise that I was in the one industry that allowed me to be quite forward and blunt in asking the questions.

Talking about money can be quite difficult in social situations because money seems to determine our place in society. People rich and poor don’t really like discussing it. We all talk about it in a general sense. Like what we’d do with $1 million, like what we spend our money on and what we are buying but real discussions around money are quite taboo.

What I’ve found in talking to my friends and family about money and their reluctance to share information is that

1. 1. They can be self-conscious when it comes to money because they may feel embarrassed that they are worse off than others, or they may not want to brag about their successes.
   2. They don’t like being judged when it comes to money. No one wants to be told how they can spend their money or whether they have bad spending habits. Imagine enjoying a punt on the races and being judged by someone who had been affected by gambling; imagine loving fine dining and being judged by someone who feels that it is extravagant.
   3. They feel hopeless with their finances. If they aren’t confident with money or just can’t seem to make ends meet they are really reluctant to share their stories with others, to feel like they are failing. For some people, talking about money only reinforces their perception that they are terrible at managing money.
   4. Talking about money means you’re obsessed with it. People who work hard and sacrifice everything to make money can make them seem one dimensional and obsessive but perhaps they were in a situation when they were younger when they went without.

What I’ve learnt is that we all have had a different journey with money and we can only learn from each other by sharing stories. It is for this reason that I’m launching my “Let’s Talk Money” video interview series which will be on You Tube. So stay tuned and subscribe to my You Tube channel,  so you can catch each interview as it is released. It will no doubt be an incredible insight into how different we all are and how different our money experiences have been. By hearing about people’s money journey we can learn so much. I’m asking questions about money mentors, mistakes we’ve made and what financial freedom means.

Don’t forget that my Money Worries Gone Workshop is on September 18 – there are still places available so don’t delay, book in now.

Now is you chance – so let’s talk money!

Sarah xx