Why Women Need to Talk About Money Openly and Often
Women are told it’s impolite, tacky, or inappropriate to talk about money, and as a result, we’ve been silenced. But that silence has cost us in our paychecks, pricing products and services, investing our money, and our financial confidence. But if we want more wealth in the hands of women, we need to talk about money openly and often. The silence does not protect us; it takes our financial power away from us.
If you want to build your financial confidence, you need to break the silence around talking about money and make regular and unapologetic conversations around the subject.
The Cost of Not Talking About Money
There are consequences when women don’t talk about money, and we see those consequences show up through every part of life and business. One of the most immediate costs to not discussing money is income. The wage gap persists because many women don’t know what the others are earning or what they should be charging. In business, this shows up as undercharging and not charging for the value that the client is receiving.
This silence also enables financial abuse and a lack of power in relationships. When we don’t have those open conversations about debt, financial goals, budgeting, or financial purchases, too many women stay unaware about their household finances. Some don’t even realize when and how they are being manipulated or controlled financially until it’s too late.
When money isn’t discussed openly, many feel they do not have the skills or knowledge to invest their money, ask questions, or even negotiate financial terms. This can breed shame around financial mistakes, leaving women feel isolated when struggling financially.
The reality is that women who are struggling financially are never alone.
What Money Conversations Can Look Like
There’s no need for money conversations to be formal or intimidating. The best money conversations are simple exchanges that build clarity and confidence. It can be as straightforward as asking a fellow business owner what they charge for a similar service or talking with your partner about a shared financial goal. You could text a friend and ask what app they use for investing their money or how they are planning for their retirement.
We need to get comfortable about using words like profit, equity, debt, cash flow, wealth, and being rich. There’s too much shame around these words, and talking about these topics only help us gain financial power. We learn to set smarter goals, manage our money better, and avoid costly mistakes.
Money is a tool that often gets clouded with emotion. But money is fuel for your life and your business, and the more frequent conversations are had around money, the less fear or insecurity you will feel around the topic. You’ll be in a better position to make financial decisions when you talk about money and grow your knowledge.
How to Start Talking About Money More
There are many ways you can get a conversation started when you want to start talking more about money with friends and family. Here are a few conversation starter ideas:
- Share an article you found helpful
- Talk about a money podcast you listen to
- Ask someone how they learned about investing
When you surround yourself with people who also talk openly about money, it makes it easier. Join masterminds or groups where women talk about financial growth. Whether it’s focused on business, investing, or budgeting, these are safe spaces to talk about money and share your concerns.
The bottom line is that women need to be talking about money and normalizing the conversation. The more you speak openly about money, the more confidence and knowledge you will have. When women lead these conversations, we not only build our own wealth, but we help other women build theirs. We need to normalize women having more money and managing their money to build wealth.
This article was written by Melissa Houston from Forbes and was legally licensed through the DiveMarketplace by Industry Dive. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com.
