Assemble Your Finance Team

When you make financial goals, especially if they involve budgeting and cutting costs, it can be hard to talk about with friends and family. But righting your personal finances is all about allocating your resources to the things you value; it’s not supposed to be about deprivation. So don’t abandon your social life.

And don’t go it alone! It’s time to create your own Justice League. (Or knights of the round table. Or Avengers. Or whatever.) Choose three of your friends or family members to be your financial confidantes over the next year.

Note: One of the things that makes it so hard to talk about money is that, well, we usually don’t. If you’re not used to it, it might be intimidating at first. Hang in there, be vulnerable with your friends, and don’t forget to listen as much as you share. (Easy to forget when you finally open the floodgates!) However, once you have someone to listen to your pain points, set goals alongside you, track progress alongside you, and celebrate the small wins you both have along the way, you might just find that your overall financial stress is lessened.

For each of your new teammates, consider:

• What will you share with them about your financial journey?

• What financial goals might they be able to support you with?

• What are their financial goals that you might be able to support them with in return?

• What do your financial goals and challenges have in common? How are they different?

• How will you check in, provide each other accountability, and support each other? (By phone or text? Face to face?)

Set up a time to talk with each of your teammates to decide. And good luck to your whole team!