Three Ways to Get Your Family On Board With Personal Finances

 

African American Family hugging and smiling

I still remember how excited I was after our second month living Broke on Purpose. It was working.

As the months went by and we continued to tackle our debt I felt myself becoming more and more pumped and even more motivated to get members of my family on board with me. I wanted them to experience this same feel high that I was feeling. I wanted them to be able to yell “in your face!” to the credit card companies as they paid off the balance.

It’s what I wanted, and I had to learn to accept that maybe it’s not what they wanted.

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Just because I had finally reached my breaking point when it came to debt doesn’t mean everyone else around me had reached theirs. The most important thing I had to teach myself was that everyone handles money differently. Like me, some may be natural spenders, or they’re natural savers or givers. No two people are going to manage money the same way.

Read This: How to Have a Successful Budget Meeting

So what do you do when you want your family to start winning with money and taking control of their finances, but they keep brushing you off every time you mention the word budget?

First, mind your business. Trust me, it’s a hard thing to do, especially when you know a person can’t afford the life choices they’re making. Remember that saying “Be the change you want to see in the world? Yea, do that. People aren’t going to change until they are ready, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t lead by example.

Second, work your plan. People are nosey by nature. Once they see you winning, and your life starts to change in marvelous ways they’re going to want to their lives to change also. They may not come out right and ask you what you’re doing, but I promise they’re watching. They may start secretly doing a budget, or might even throw some extra money at a credit card bill.

Just because they aren’t telling you about it doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. Work your plan and keep shouting out your success as you never know how a small status update can be just what someone needs to find the willpower to make a change.

Third, let them come to you. Make sure you’re ready for when they actually want to sit down and talk to you about finances. Instead of you saying “let me take a look at your budget” you can maybe offer another resource that can help them out. Ask them if they’ve read “The Broke on Purpose Ebook” or gift them with a set of Broke on Purpose Money Envelopes or the Mega Moves Financial Worksheets.

You can also suggest some awesome financial podcast for them to listen to. Ultimately what we’re trying to do is here not scare them away, but instead, build up a rapport so that they feel comfortable and don’t feel like they’re being judged. The last thing we want anyone to feel is like they’re being judged.

We’ve all made financial mistakes, and we all have a story to tell. Make sure that you’re using your story to motivate and build others instead of tearing them down.

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