Normalize Talking About Money and Debt

Why Nobody Talks About Money (And Why That Needs to Change)

We celebrate promotions on LinkedIn. We post vacation photos on Instagram. We talk about career moves, new jobs, and side hustles. But the moment money gets hard, we go completely silent. Why is that?

Is it shame? Is it the need to look like we have it all together? Whatever the reason, most of us are walking around carrying financial stress that we never talk about with anyone. And that silence is costing us more than we realize.

Silence Keeps People Stuck

When nobody talks about money openly, most people assume they are the only ones struggling. You scroll through social media and see your friends buying new cars, going on trips, and eating at nice restaurants. It looks like everyone else has figured something out that you have not.

But social media only shows the highlight reel. It shows wins, not balances owed. It shows the new car, not the monthly payment that is stretching someone thin.

I went through this myself. I was making decent money and still felt stressed every month. After doing some research and actually talking to people around me, I realized I was far from alone. The problem was not my income. The problem was that nobody was being real about what their finances actually looked like.

When you never hear other people talk about their struggles, it is easy to feel like you are falling behind. But in most cases, you are not behind. You are just the only one being honest with yourself.

Talking About Money Is Not Bragging. It Is Education.

A lot of people avoid money conversations because they think it will come across as showing off, or because they worry it will create tension. And sure, money can be a sensitive topic. It can make someone feel underpaid when they find out a coworker earns more. It can bring up feelings of jealousy or insecurity.

But it can also light a fire under you.

Dave Ramsey, who is well known for talking about debt, saving, and investing, has been a big influence on how I think about money. After listening to some of his clips, I noticed there are a great number of people who have far greater debt than me and are even in worse situations than I am. That motivated me to pay off my student debt faster, because I realized I could potentially end up like some of the people he features on his show if I wasn’t careful.

When I found out what other people in my field were earning or how they were managing their debt, it pushed me to think bigger. It made me ask questions like, “What are they doing that I am not?” and “How can I get there?” That kind of transparency does not hurt people. It helps them grow.

Debt Is Not a Moral Failure

This is probably the most important thing to say out loud: debt does not mean you made bad choices. Debt is a financial tool. Most people have it because they were trying to build something, pursue a dream, or just get through life.

Student loans are one of the most common examples. For me, I had to get over 100k in student loans to do get pharmacy degree. Some of my colleagues had to take even more! Plenty of people take on debt to earn a degree that opens doors for them. That is not irresponsible. That is an investment.

Car loans are another example. Most people need a vehicle to get to work. Some jobs require long commutes or travel. Taking out a loan for a reliable car is not a luxury decision for a lot of people. It is a necessity.

Now, there is a difference between debt that builds toward something and debt that comes from spending money before you have it. Sometimes people use credit for things they could have waited on, and that can create real financial pressure. There is no judgment in saying that because most people have been there at some point.

There are two types of people when it comes to money: the spender or the saver. I’m the saver. Every time I spend money, I always feel bad about it. I almost think of purchases in terms of how many hours I worked. For example, getting a perm is like two and a half hours of work for me, and getting dinner is like half an hour of work. Because I think that way, I constantly ask myself how many hours I would need to work just to make that money back. It keeps me grounded and makes me think twice before swiping my card on anything that isn’t a necessity.

The emotional weight attached to debt is real. Nobody wants to admit they owe money. It feels like proof that you are not doing as well as you want to be. So instead of talking about it, people do the opposite. They post the nice outfits, show off the new furniture, and keep the credit card statements private. But that cycle of hiding only makes the shame grow.

What Happens When We Start Being Honest

Here is the thing. Debt is incredibly common. According to most financial surveys, the majority of Americans carry some form of debt, whether it is student loans, car loans, credit cards, or mortgages. You are not the exception. You are part of a very large group of people who are figuring it out one payment at a time.

When we start talking about money more openly, a few things happen. People stop feeling isolated in their struggles. Better decisions get made because people have real information instead of assumptions. And the shame that keeps so many people stuck starts to lose its grip.

My brother I opening talked about our student loans. We talk about many strategies and ways to try to pay it all off. it made is motivated in attempt to eliminate it. We also then talked about our dreams of financial freedom on what we can do with the money once debt is gone. The possibilities were endless

My brother and I have openly talked about our student loans on more than one occasion. We discuss many strategies and ways to try to pay it all off, and those conversations have left both of us feeling motivated to eliminate the debt as soon as possible. We also talked about our dreams of financial freedom and what we could do with the money once the debt is gone. The possibilities felt endless, and having someone close to me who shares the same goal makes the journey feel a lot less lonely.

Money Does Not Define Your Worth

Your bank account balance is not a reflection of your value as a person. But pretending that money does not matter, or that everything is fine when it is not, keeps you stuck in a way that is hard to climb out of.

Think about how much stress would disappear if people felt free to talk about what they actually owe, what they actually earn, and what they are actually working toward. Not to compare or compete, but to support each other and make smarter decisions together.

The conversation has to start somewhere. It might as well start with you.