Money Talks February 2021 | Christian Cintron

Your Forever Relationship

It’s Valentine’s day. Whether you’re boo-ed up or livin la vida sol@ it’s a good time to focus on one relationship in your life that will last forever: your relationship with money. You might be thinking, “Pero what does romance have to do with money?” Mij@, they’re exactly the same. Your relationship with love and money are about your ability to give and receive in a healthy way. Both relationships reflect how you see your worth and your values. Plus, they both take work.

You wouldn’t ignore your boo. But how often are you ignoring where your money is going? Do you even spend “quality time” looking over your finances? When you love your money, it loves you back. So how do we healthily grow our love affair with money? Here’s our V-Day gift just for you. 5 tips that work for el dinero y el amor.

Open & Honest Communication

Obviously you can’t talk to your money. But you still need to check-in with your finances regularly. You need to look over debt, see where your money is going (cash flow), and have a system for managing it. If you don’t know where every single dollar is going, your money could be cheating on you. If your money is having an affair with the Amazon Prime account you forgot to cancel then you are not in a healthy relationship. This doesn’t mean you treat money like a paranoid lover. You just have to be honest. You need to be able to openly say, “Yes, I did just blow 100 dollars at la Ross. And, yes, I may regret that decision later.” That level of honesty helps you grow to a place where you can say, “I want to buy a house. I can’t be spending money como loco if I want to do that. So maybe I skip those cute shoes.”

Start off Slow

You wouldn’t get on your knees to propose after a first date. That would be insane. But many of our financial goals can cause frustration. When we don’t wake up millionaires or only salary or savings grow un poquititititito we get frustrated. Building a healthy relationship takes time. It’s the same with money. You have to be happy making 10 dollars more this month than last month. After a year that’s $120 bucks. Then what if you invest that $120 and turn it into $240. It takes time to build intimacy, trust, and a true connection. Y lo mismo with money.

Find a System that Works for You

It’s important to figure out how you work best before you add another person to the mix. Only then, can you learn how to work together. Think about your relationships. Do you prefer texting or talking on the phone? Do you like going out or staying in? It’s the same with money. You need to find a financial system that works for you. Step one, try new budgeting systems and see what you like.Don’t be afraid to go on some “bad dates” and have some messy relationships with new systems. The trick is to keep learning. Check out our IG (@wearesuma) for a ton of daily great money tips and tricks to try.

Get Real About your Goals

Part of the reason why there aren’t a ton of millionaires is that that’s not always the goal. I forget if it was Pablo Neruda or a meme on Instagram that said, “Shoot for the moon and land among the stars.” We need to dream big to win big. If you want kids and date someone who doesn’t, how long will that last? Similarly, we need to know our financial goals to make them actually happen. You make rent each month because that’s a financial goal. What if your goal was 2 times that? Could you do that? Like with your boo, you and your money grow together.

Support Each Other

If you are a J Lo looking for an A-Rod you have to be able to support your partner’s goals, too. Lin-Manuel doesn’t just have one of the biggest careers of the moment and a ton of awards thanks to Hamilton, he’s also married to lawyer Vanessa Nadal and has 2 kids, how do they manage that? He told Us Weekly, “You want to grow in the same direction.” And that direction should be up. This works for your money, too. If you want more money you have to be smart with the money you have. If you neglect your money, it’ll just leave. Boom, bye!

If you want a good relationship you take the time. Give it that TLC and check in, just like when you call your boo at the end of the day. The same is true for your money. A little love and tenderness can go a long way. And one day soon maybe you’ll be the next “J-Rod”