Money and Sex

Two weeks ago I took a daring move in a close relationship. No I didn't make any deep dark sexual confessions. I talked to a friend about money.

This friend of mine had been struggling with debt for most of there life. I don't know all the facts but some of it is credit card. Some of it is from student loans. What I do know is that it is a heavy burden for them and although having taken steps to control spending and set up a budget, the debt is beyond there control.

As I mentioned in a previous blog post I have been trying to get my finances in order for the past several months. Finally, I feel as though I am in a place where I can begin to give more money away as well as aggressively save for a down payment on my first home. In the process of all this I have wanted to be more creative in how I give away my money. One thought was to help out my friend.

My first meaningful conversation with my friend about money was a lot like my first sexual experience. They were both very awkward and only lasted a couple of minutes. I told my friend that I would be willing to help out with $50.00 a month to be use to pay off the debt. My friend was very hesitant. As hard as it was for me to bring up the subject I'm sure that it brought up my friends insecurities as well. In the end my friend decided to think about it and get back to me.

In this process I can't help but notice one thing. Why is it that we don't think twice about taking money from a faceless corporation that we know is taking advantage of us, yet we find it so hard to discuss money with our closest friends who only want to help us?