Things can get fiery when it comes to finances—but everyday Aussies share their hacks for cooling the convo and keeping it constructive.
1. Pick your moment
Nick Powell, Ballarat, VIC: “Talking about money can be tense, particularly when finances are under pressure. When my partner and I need to have those chats, we pick our moment—they never happen on weeknights, when we’re passing one another in the hallway or while taking kids to sport or music lessons. Our time is Sunday evening. The kids are in bed, we’re more relaxed and we can work things out without interruptions.”
2. Remove the emotion
James Locke, Adelaide, SA: “My partner and I used to point fingers and lay blame and get nowhere. Recently we’ve made a conscious effort to only deal with the numbers—we don’t look at who spent what that week and nitpick. Now we only talk about how the numbers are adding up and how we can reach our savings goal. We’re currently saving for a trip to Alaska.”
3. Talk about value
Sarah Martin, Melbourne, VIC: “When I go shopping with my teenagers, who both have part-time jobs, we talk about how many hours they’ll have to work to buy something they want. It makes them think about whether those runners or that hair straightener are with their time. It helps them when they’re deciding whether to spend or not. I want to help them find balance between rewarding themselves and learning to save to make life easier later on.”
4. Digitise your expenses
Helena Sands, Melbourne, VIC: “House sharing is great—but things get awkward when you’re splitting bills and working out who bought toilet rolls. My housemates and I use a budgeting tool, Splitwise. When you pay for something, you use the app to list the coast. A notification will then be sent to each housemate to let them know how much they owe you. It helps us avoid awkward conversations about who owes what.”
5. Be transparent
Ben Grant, Sydney, NSW: “My partner and I have been together for eight years and have separate bank accounts but we’re transparent about money. We support each other when money is tight or one of us takes a wrong step. If you spend more than you should or make a bad investment, you need to own that mistake and talk to someone you trust to put the pieces back together.”
6. Don’t give up
Anna Jones, Canberra, ACT: “Talking to kids about money—how to make smart decisions, save and live within your means—isn’t easy. Half the time they don’t listen and think you know nothing! But keep looking for small opportunities when you can drip-feed them what you’ve learnt about managing money (the mistakes, too), because some of that advice sticks, even though they may not admit it.”
