Don’t bottle it up: 3 tips to help you get talking about money
By Molly, third-year Graphic Design student.
As a student, I know just how difficult it can be to balance your finances on your own. Sharing your concerns about money with trusted friends and family members is really important for your financial and mental well-being.
It’s difficult to start these types of conversations, but they can be really helpful and can take a huge weight off your shoulders. Being as honest and open as possible can help you feel less isolated and more supported. Here are my three top tips to get the conversation started about money.
#1: Speak to someone you trust
…the holidays can be a great time to start having these conversations about money with friends and family
Finding the right people in your life who you can talk about money with can be a massive relief. In particular, the holidays can be a great time to start having these conversations about money with friends and family, or even the headspace to reach out for help. If you can, speaking to parents, guardians, or trusted family members is a great place to start as they probably have been in the same position themselves, especially when they were younger.
You might not be able to talk with family, and that’s also okay. University friends are also a great option as they’re in the same boat as you. You might be in a completely different financial place, but money struggles are a common shared experience for students. You don’t have to spill your bank statements, but making suggestions such as batch-cooking meals together and saving money on nights out by having a few more house nights in can be super beneficial.
#2: Normalise chatting about money
…money is a big mental burden that takes a huge toll on us and shouldn’t be constantly joked about
As students, we often tend to make jokes about how skint and into our overdraft we are. The reality is that money is a big mental burden that takes a huge toll on us and shouldn’t be constantly joked about. Small and regular chats can help to normalise conversations about money. If you feel comfortable talking to other students, sharing your tips, whether it be buying clothing second-hand, using the heating more sparingly, or how you can make your society night cheaper, can help normalise having conversations about money.
Additionally, having regular conversations with loved ones is equally as important. Topics like asking for help with budgeting or guidance on how to start saving can steer the conversation towards talking about money. By talking more often about money, you’re helping to normalise it for yourself and your friends and loved ones.
#3: Keep the conversation going
…little and often is better than keeping it bottled up
Although it might feel uncomfortable to start talking about money, talking through your financial well-being little and often is better than keeping it bottled up. You could have a monthly check-in with a family member or a weekly coffee catch-up with a friend. Something as small as checking your bank account more often and looking at your expenses is a fantastic way to check in with your money.
Not sure how to start talking about money? Check out our friends, and recent grads, Leah and Katia chat through their experiences of money as a student, and learn how to get the conversation started.
Living independently and managing your finances can be extremely overwhelming. If you are struggling, or are worried about your finances, it helps to reach out to someone and talk it through. The University offers lots of helpful advice through the cost of living hub, with access to advisors who you can speak to confidentially about any concerns that you may have.
