“Money is always assumed to be a man’s topic. But it really isn’t. I think we all need to make an effort to get there and while some of us do, some of us don’t. My family is no exception. Each of us had to make that effort to know more, invest smarter and make better choices about money.”

“I have been financially independent since I was 20. I really didn’t depend on my family post that decision. I took a loan to fund my higher studies abroad, to later buy a car and so forth. In my mind, this was important and I knew that when I decided to settle down, I’d want my partner to also be financially independent.”

“As fate would have it, I did meet someone who was just that. But that’s the thing about relationships. The money talk takes time and effort. Financial compatibility is super important. It took some time for us to get comfortable making ‘my money’ ‘our money’. This was and always will be work in progress. Something that I appreciate and want to nurture. We have a lot of common friends today and I am surprised to see that out of around 10 friends, hardly 2 would be financially independent. Most others would either have never dealt with money, or left it to their other half to figure out.”

“Our saving habits within marriage are so different. Sometimes I think my wife over saves (if there is such a thing) but yet again, maybe I am allowed to be a slight spendthrift because she is careful. That’s a perfect balance, isn’t it? It’s just a part of different personalities and this has helped us find that perfect space to accept each other and grow with each other.”

“I suppose true confidence comes from being financially secure with your own money. I have noticed this first hand. Whether it is my wife or my sister-in-law, who both run businesses, make decisions on their own and are capable of solving problems independently, I believe money has such a crucial role to play in all this. Even in the way we perceive success. It all ties down together.”

“I am no know-it-all, but I believe that we as men play a large part in nurturing that trust and independence in our partner’s lives. I try to do my bit too, be it as a friend, as a son, as a brother, there is a large support system that we play in bringing forth conversations about money in the house.”

“I think the air is changing. It is our choices to close our eyes to this change, or to embrace it and participate in it, celebrate it with pride. My wife knows way more than me about finance and money and I am happy she does. My mother is getting a little more independent each day and I am proud she is getting there. Change happens to each one of us when we choose to be catalysts in that. Today, I am a participant of this change and there is nowhere else I’d rather be!”