I was in a meeting today at work and most of the people on my team were sharing a general frustration but no one wanted to talk about it. Well, I am the type of person who likes everyone to know how I feel so I said how I felt about the situation, let it all out and of course others chimed in. Hopefully it will be resolved but only time will tell. I started to think about how hard it is for people to communicate things that are really important to them with a fear of their feelings being rejected or seen in a negative light. Let's face it, money is one of the most talked about but not really talked about topics in our society. People borrow money from each other, they don't talk about it. People go into to business together and then break up friendships or even break up families, they don't talk about it. Even people who are married have the most arguments about money yet they do not talk about the real issues. Money drives just about everything under the sun. It causes people to go to school or not go to school, move around the world, buy certain clothes or even fancy cars and houses but it is one of the hardest things to communicate about. I have been talking about budgets as an it pertains to financial health in my former posts but it is hard to get to a have a healthy financial future without proper communication. Here are some tips to have a healthy financial future through properly communicating your financial needs.
1. Be totally HONEST! If you have trouble paying bills, let someone know. People can help you, you are not alone. Auto-pay is a great way to stay on track. Even if you forget, an automatic system will not. If you borrow money from people, let them know when you can give it back and if you can not let them know as well. You will be surprised how many people have gracious hearts and may give it to you anyway. If you or your spouse have problems with managing money. TALK IT OUT!! Usually each person has a trait the other one does not so putting your minds together can be very beneficial. If you are in debt and you are being hassled by collectors, be honest. Contrary to popular belief, when you have an account in collections, they can not refuse any payment amount. If you give them $10 a month, it is enough. Or maybe they have a program to help in your current situation if you are honest!.
2. Know where you stand financially. This can piggyback off of the first tip. Do you know how much house you can afford? Do you know what will truly be a comfortable payment for you when you step on to a car lot to purchase a new vehicle? Do you know what your credit score is? All of these are good answers to know. This will help you not waste your time or others. It will assist you in communicating your wants and needs when talking to someone about your plans involving your finances.
3. Do your homework. Researching things on your own helps you become more confident with communicating with any type of sales person or even with people you have personal relationships with. If someone comes to you and asks for money and you know they are notorious for not paying you back talk to them. Maybe you can just buy them what they need instead of giving them money. Know what features you want in a car and how much it is going to cost you. Know how interest rates can fluctuate your payments. I know most people say it is up to a professional to know all of these answers. To a certain extent, you are correct but many people have had their financial lives ruined because of being misinformed or having a lack of information.
4. RELAX!! This is the hardest step but the most important. I know money is important and it is hard to come by and easy to lose but you have got to learn how to relax!! If you are in business with someone and they don't pay when they said they would, relax. I know you are probably thinking " Nicole I need my money!!" I totally understand because I need my money too but a lot of the time people are doing the best they can and mistakes happen. Don't be so quick to ruin a relationship over money. It may sound cliche, you can earn more money but people and relationships are priceless.