Money is one of the most common sources of stress in relationships. Having a healthy financial relationship with a partner boils down to a willingness to be open, honest, and vulnerable – both with yourself and your partner. How do my wife and I practice this, and what does our financial life look like as a result?
Hello, and welcome to Shift Upwards!
Mixing friendship and finances can be tricky. In this post, Jaime (from Keep Thrifty) and I explore our thoughts on the impacts money can have on our relationships.
We are taught not to question the ridiculous levels of consumption and waste as a way of life in our culture. When Annelise and I downsized our lives a year ago, we saw first-hand just how wasteful we can be…and that’s after years of making less-ridiculous decisions about what to bring into our lives.
I attended a retirement seminar at my last job. Not only was I the youngest person in the room, I got some funny looks. But you know what’s actually weird? Being old and deciding to finally figure out how your retirement plan works. With time being a critical ingredient of any successful savings plan, it should be the case that younger people attend seminars like this in droves.
I’m obsessed with money, because I’m good at it and because it’s tangible. I can easily quantify it, and measure my accomplishments. Because of this, it’s become a vice that I turn to when I want to distract myself from the things I find difficult. Having an increased awareness of this behavior helps me redirect my energy to what matters most.