Talking to Friends About Money: Mia Brabham Nolan

Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship

Episode #108: Talking to friends about money has always been a taboo topic. What if, instead, discussing money with friends could deepen a friendship?

Money can be an enormous issue between friends, which is why I'm revisiting my conversation with Shondaland.com staff writer, Mia Brabham Nolan. We discussed ways to make talking about finances with friends less awkward. Some of the solutions apply to any topic that's normally private and therefore tough to handle in friendships. Keeping so many topics taboo in a friendship can make the relationship feel surface and lacking in many ways. It might be worth making finances an "approved" topic.

We discussed:

• Our nostalgia about spending time with friends in less expensive ways
• Splitting the bill with friends (or not)
• The expense of being in a friend's wedding or traveling to a friend's event
• The expectations around baby showers and other events
• Planning group trips and the budget issues involved
• The awkwardness in talking about money, but also the opportunity. These honest discussions can deepen a friendship and encourage openness about other topics, too.

The two pieces of Mia's in Shondaland.com we specifically discussed in depth:

"How Much Are Your Friendships Costing You"

"The Art of Friendship: How to Open Up About Money"

Meet Mia Brabham Nolan

Mia Brabham Nolan is currently a staff writer at Shondaland.com. She pens the series "Joy Makers" and "The Art of Friendship." Her debut book, Note to Self, which is a short collection of life lessons, is in the hands of readers all over the world.

Instagram, Twitter, bymiabrabham.com

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