financial nudity; financial modesty
PF bloggers have varying levels of comfort with fiscal disclosure. Some of us are willing to throw all of our numbers out to the world while others prefer to give a more generalized representation of their finances. It is great having this variety of information available, and I especially enjoy those that do share the “open wallet” approach. However, for the PF bloggers that like to bare all, they may have partners that prefer a little more modesty with their exhibition.
I often get excited about some of my posts (yes, I enjoy my own writing as much as other’s) and sometimes like to share them with the partner. I was very energetic about the recent post on credit card numbers and couldn’t wait to show the partner. I bring up the page, all accomplished-smiles, and he says “you put all my numbers online?”
There was that tone, discomfort, uncertainty, disbelief that I’d put information like that out to the world. For a brief moment, I felt like I’d been a little too naked, that I’d crossed a line, because not only was I strutting my stuff in the streets, but I’d suddenly dragged him, unwillingly and unknowingly, out with me.
Then the moment passed as my enthusiasm began to clothe the numbers, placing them in an externalized perspective, and creatively shifted the focus from the public display to the impressive recent accomplishments. The tone was gone, the numbers remained, and it probably got filed away as yet another comfort level I’ve stretched.