'Kahit na medyo awkward, I want to talk to my family about money. How can I bring it up?'

Q: I've been slowly trying to understand the way I spend money kasi 'di talaga ako nakaka-save up. Nagre-research ako online at nanunuod ng YouTube videos on personal finance. Parang gusto ko 'tong i-bring up with family and friends, kahit na medyo awkward. It's something I want to learn more about din kasi. What's the best way to do this? 

***

We understand it can feel awkward or weird to talk about money, even with the people who are closest to you. It's one of the biggest social taboos in our culture; some even find it rude when a person wants to discuss numbers. But why is that? Part of the reason is because there's this belief that learning about money is initimdating (because it affects so many aspects of our lives). There are also so many emotions associated with money (or the lack of it): shame, embarrassment, joy, stress, and so on. 

The truth is, though, that it's hard to learn about money when everyone insists on NOT talking about it. Just as you experienced in school, discussion is an important part of learning. 

Charm de Leon of Ready2AdultPH suggests to take emotions out of the equation: "It has to be just a numbers game. There's no judgment. There's no making people ashamed of what they earn or how they spend it. When I started my channel, I talked to two of my friends. They fully disclosed to me how much they're earning, what they're spending it on, and then I told them where they can adjust what they were doing, and maybe what steps they need to make. Maybe they need to make a new bank account or they need to do a savings challenge. Don't be judgmental when you open the subject and try to talk about it like how you talk about something completely logical."

Learn more about how you can break the ice when it comes to talking about money:

[youtube:{"videoId":"477","youtubeId":"CLJwLuQ0hoM", "caption":"", "contributor":"Alyza Angeles"}]

Check out Ready2Adult PH on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

Do you need career, life, love, money, or mental health advice? We're here to help you, bb. Join our Cosmo Community on Facebook, post your question—btw, you can do this anonymously now—and use the hashtag #AskACosmoCoach. 

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Source: Cosmo PH