The other day I was driving in the car with my kids when my son asked me, “Mommy, why does it take you and Daddy so long to get me new toys after I ask for them?”
I started to explain that we don’t always get new things right away, that it is
good to think about things for a while before you make a purchase and that a lot of times we have to wait until we have the money to buy something new.This was probably more information than he was looking for.He responded by saying,
“I’m not talking about money, I’m talking about toys.”Obviously I have some work to do…
Asking the Hard Questions
This conversation got me thinking though. Money is such an integral part of our lives. It’s woven into the fabric of nearly everything we do and almost every decision we make. Even when we are talking about something else entirely, we are almost always talking about money, aren’t we?Obviously it shouldn’t be the most important thing in our lives and there are many instances where factors much more important than money influence our decisions.But it’s always the elephant in the room. At some point we have to face the money part of the equation and ask the hard questions:
Do I have enough? Am I going to run out? Can I afford it? Can I send my children to college and still retire when I want to ?These are the
kinds of questions that keep many people awake at night.
Use Money To Teach
In many cases we find that anxiety about money can stem from a fear of the unknown-living your daily life and getting by, but not really knowing the answers to these questions.This is where we can help.
Related: 5 Critical Questions You Need to Ask a Potential Financial Advisor Constructing a financial plan and facing these questions head on can help you come up with a strategy to meet your goals and feel more confident when making even small day to day decisions.We also find that meeting with a financial planner is something people put off until they are faced with a major life change or decision.The conversation with my son made me realize that I had been putting off some basic money discussions and teaching opportunities. The time is now to address these money issues and start
teaching him good habits that will set him on a secure path.
