We were told not to talk about money. I'm breaking that rule.

drdeb59
1 day ago
3 min read

When I was growing up, it was considered impolite to talk about money — as if it were something to be afraid of or ashamed of. But now, given so much economic uncertainty in the world, it seems unwise not to. Which got me thinking about the first time someone taught me that money wasn't something to be afraid or ashamed of — it was something to understand.

I was seven years old. Money was tight because my dad was still paying back his medical school loans. Really tight. But I went to a school where other girls had unlimited budgets for their clothes. They bought whatever they wanted. And I wanted what they had.

So my dad did something I'll never forget. He gave me a little spiral notebook that he kept it in a secret drawer of his old roll-top desk. Every month, he would pencil in a number and add it to the balance of whatever was left from the month before. That was my clothing allowance.

Seven years old, and he was teaching me to look at my numbers.

Every season when the Sears and Roebuck catalog would arrive at our house, I would pour through it and dog-ear every page of what I wanted. And then I would sit with the reality: I couldn't afford all of it. So I would put the catalog down and pick it up again the next day. Slowly, one by one, I'd un-dog-ear the pages I could live without — until finally I had narrowed it down to one thing I truly wanted, and a budget that could buy it.

That's when I learned something important: Numbers are power. Constraint teaches you what you actually value. And when you can look at your numbers honestly, you get to choose.

I carried that wisdom for a long time. But in 2004, the bottom fell out — and I forgot. (I'll share more about that another time.)

And that's why I'm writing to you today. Because something just opened up that I felt compelled to share. My dear friend Kate Northrup is offering a free three-day workshop called Good with Money — starting April 9th. I'm sending you this link because I attended this free event last year, and it was so helpful in bringing back the wisdom my dad instilled in me — getting me to look at my numbers again after years of not being able to. I'm going to attend again this year for sure!

Would you like to join me?

YES, PLEASE → Sign up for the free workshop here

With love,

Deb

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