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Last weekend, I found myself in the midst of a very eclectic group of people. I’m talking artists, actuaries, teachers, waiters, a trust fund baby and a butcher. As you might guess, we didn’t have a lot in common.
I mean, you should have seen the waitress’s face (who, incidentally had just finished working two back-to-back double shifts) when she heard trust fund boy was on his way to an all expenses paid skiing trip. (Why, oh why do wealthy people always get stuff for free?)
That wasn’t half as bad though, as when the butcher, blissfully unaware that he was talking to a vegan couple, started bragging about his new “ethical foie gras”. Let’s just say I hit the wine pretty hard to get through the evening.
Which, by the way, didn’t sit very well with the recovering alcoholic on my left.
Through all the bickering and judging and pregnant silences one thing did become very clear to me though: Everyone at the party was worried about money in some way or the other. Not a single person felt they were in control of their finances and everyone (even Mr Trust Fund) was terrified of their debt.
Debt expert, Moeshfika Botha, calls money the last taboo. We talk openly about sex, illness, infidelity, heartbreak, loss, childrearing and work, but we seldom talk about money.
Maybe if we started we’d realise that we all feel as if we’re paddling with only one oar in a boat that’s leaking?
I’ve decided that I’m going to take control this year. Well, I’m at least going to try. Because feeling so paralysed about something that makes up such a huge part of our lives isn’t grown up at all.
So I’m drawing up a budget this week, and then I’m going to look at my bank statements from the past month and draw up exactly how much I spend on what. Wow, even typing that sounds scary and kind of empowering at the same time.
What I want to know, is where must I go from there? And if anyone will do it with me?
I mean, you should have seen the waitress’s face (who, incidentally had just finished working two back-to-back double shifts) when she heard trust fund boy was on his way to an all expenses paid skiing trip. (Why, oh why do wealthy people always get stuff for free?)
That wasn’t half as bad though, as when the butcher, blissfully unaware that he was talking to a vegan couple, started bragging about his new “ethical foie gras”. Let’s just say I hit the wine pretty hard to get through the evening.
Which, by the way, didn’t sit very well with the recovering alcoholic on my left.
Through all the bickering and judging and pregnant silences one thing did become very clear to me though: Everyone at the party was worried about money in some way or the other. Not a single person felt they were in control of their finances and everyone (even Mr Trust Fund) was terrified of their debt.
Debt expert, Moeshfika Botha, calls money the last taboo. We talk openly about sex, illness, infidelity, heartbreak, loss, childrearing and work, but we seldom talk about money.
Maybe if we started we’d realise that we all feel as if we’re paddling with only one oar in a boat that’s leaking?
I’ve decided that I’m going to take control this year. Well, I’m at least going to try. Because feeling so paralysed about something that makes up such a huge part of our lives isn’t grown up at all.
So I’m drawing up a budget this week, and then I’m going to look at my bank statements from the past month and draw up exactly how much I spend on what. Wow, even typing that sounds scary and kind of empowering at the same time.
What I want to know, is where must I go from there? And if anyone will do it with me?
