Why is Our Financial Life Taboo to Talk About?

It has been my experience in life that money is a taboo topic of conversation. It is something you just plain do not talk about. It is bad etiquette. It is tacky. It is rude. You don't talk about it with your parents. You don't talk about it with your kids. You don't talk about it with your friends.

So, if we never talk about financial matters how do we ever learn? Most things in life I, personally, have learned by talking with other people. Maybe it was from listening to instruction in somewhere like school. Maybe it was listening to someone's story and taking their information, applying it to my own situation, and then making conclusions and choices for myself. Whether it has been book learning or learning from another person, the things I have learned and applied to my own life have all come from my own experience and those shared with me by other brave souls.

Since the subject of money is off limits for conversation, how does anyone ever learn what is "normal" in other people's homes? How do we ever discern if the neighbors with the five cars and expensive home are really wealthy or are just up to their armpits in debt? How do we learn the specific strategies of how to better manage our finances like the neighbor we have that worked a blue-collar job all their lives and have still managed to save a million dollars for their retirement? How do we ever know which people to listen to and which people don't know what they are doing themselves? In my opinion the answer is simple. If we don't freely talk about it we don't!

I started writing about frugal living because I wanted to share my thoughts and the strategies which I have learned over the years to turn my life around. I was a total and complete spendthrift with a good "middle class" income. Nowadays I am much more frugal and grounded person who happens to live on a "lower income." I want to share with you specific tips and hints to living more frugally and within your means that have worked for us. But, more importantly, I want you to understand that if we are ever to become a more frugal nation we need to start talking about our financial lives.

I am not a financial planner. I am not a guru. I am not a "specialist" or "expert" in frugal living. However, I have been learning about frugal living and working at changing my life with success. And, I strongly believe that if I can do it, then anyone can do it!

Many people are embarrassed to talk about their own personal financial situations and the stories behind how they came to be. However, if someone doesn't start that conversation then it will never be an acceptable thing to do. To me it is simple; if we don't talk about it then no one can ever learn anything from our struggles. No one can enjoy our triumphs with us. Why allow the generations that follow us to make all of the same mistakes we do by robbing them of some simple, straightforward, conversations?

The internet has been instrumental in my learning and growth process. I find that people will speak freely and honestly on message boards where their identity is hidden and there are no others present who know them in their "real" lives. Some us are very free with whom we are in that real life when we post our stories. Others we only know as a nickname and country of origin. Either way I think we all benefit because it allows people to drop those walls they normally hide behind and speak honestly about their financial lives. Some are great stories of achievement while others are devastatingly sad. The awesome thing is that we can all learn from each other. And learn from each other we must do!