Thrifty Thinking: Your Relationship With Money

By Susan Alpert

Should I buy it, or shouldn’t I? Do I have enough; how much is enough? Should I conserve or risk? Are my partner and I in sync?

These are just some of the questions that bounce around our heads, sometimes consciously, sometimes lurking beneath the surface. Do you ever wonder why? The answer isn’t always logical, but it’s worth exploring.

We know that we’re a product of all our experiences, and money is right up there with the biggies. Regress for a moment. This is an opportunity to explore your evolution and perhaps consider why you take the actions you do today. Maybe this insight will help you accept or adjust your present direction.

Privately answer these questions: What’s your earliest recollection about money? Did you get an allowance as a child? Were you told how to spend it? Were you encouraged to save for a rainy day? Did your family argue about money? Did you feel there was a lack in your household? Were you influenced by your peers who had more? As you grew, did you have high aspirations, or were you content? Did you set goals involving money? Were you successful or did you face setbacks? Do you feel pressured to provide for others?  If so, do you resent the pressure and why?

In a perfect world, how would you pass your wisdom on to the next generation to encourage them to have a healthy relationship with money? Why not absorb that wisdom into your life right now?

Susan Alpert (susanalpertconsulting.com) is author of “Later is Too Late: Hard Questions That Can't Wait” and “Driving Solo: Dealing with Grief and the Business of Financial Survival” She also is a speaker, entrepreneur, and frequent guest on national radio and television shows.