Chelsea Q&A: Wedding Spending, Side Hustles, And Friends Who Suck At Money

In our season finale, Chelsea reflects on this season of The Financial Confessions and answers audience questions about money, relationships, her writing career and more.

Join this channel to get access to perks:

[sophiaazevedo]

Happy to report that during my performance review at work, I negotiated for the first time and it worked! I almost doubled my raise and it also increased a few of my colleagues’ raises, which I didn’t even consider as a possible benefit

[alexisnicholson]

The $700 Sprite is my new Roman Empire

[sharaineroberts]

What I really appreciated was the professional was the interviews were handled. There, just like when you interview professionally known people, you let the average people speak openly and honestly with a measure of respect. Thank you.

[RobertGorin]

Appreciate your videos! I’m 54 and younger generations should know there’s no shortcut to acquiring wealth, but there are ways to go about it. Fellow millionaires don’t tell the poor/middle class they need the knowledge of finance coaches to help build their wealth. If anyone here needs a good coach, here’s it..

[lisad]

I appreciate your comment on cancel culture. I know somebody who constantly talks about celebrities from the lens of morality and when I mentioned to them The Beatles are my favorite band, they were like 'aren't they problematic?' I've been a Beatles fan since I was a kid and it was annoying having someone who doesn't know my relationship to their music shame for me for other people's actions. We need to give celebrities less of a platform. They're just people who make art. That's it.

[anyssareads]

thank you!!! so much!! for talking about anxiety and not wanting it to be an integral part of your personality. i feel like so much anxiety rep online is about it being a “superpower” or its like the first thing someone knows about someone. i don’t LIKE my anxiety. i don’t WANT to have it, and its been years of continuous work to realize i am not my thoughts and they don’t define me, so its helpful to see other people feeling that way too.

[Boahemaa]

I didn't know about the audience comments but I have enjoyed this season immensely.

[JODura]

I can 100% percent relate to finding it triggering and anxiety inducing to be friends with women that 100% give over their financial life to their partners... This has come up several times in friendships over the years and I honestly have such a difficult time going deeper in the friendship.

[starbrite]

I love doing things alone. You only have yourself to be accountable for and if you don't do what you had initially planned to do, at you don't beat yourself up about it, you can just make a mental note to go again and do that thing first.

[NoelleTakestheSky]

Something I’ve never understood about weddings is modern gift-giving. Once upon a time, couples didn’t have the basics yet for a home, and gifts helped them set up. But now, couples use registries to ask for upgraded items so expensive that they wouldn’t buy it for themselves, and they’re asking others who wouldn’t buy it for themselves, or for pricy “honeymoon experiences, ” things of that nature. Established couples spending five figures for one party, asking for hundreds of dollars from people already spending money to be there. Registry info with a wedding invitation gets a decline from me.  

For my own wedding, we explicitly stated no gifts, and we had pretty broke friends tell us that that was the only reason they felt comfortable coming—they couldn’t afford gifts and wouldn’t feel comfortable showing up empty-handed, but us saying NO GIFTS made it okay to them. And that’s sad.  They mattered to us, and had to be told that because fucking gift culture told then they matter less than things,

It’s truly sad that so many people expect gifts so much that friends will miss weddings because they can’t afford it. What matters more, that people run themselves into a hole to buy you a Shark blender or else miss being there if they can’t, or to have your friends there?

[cgfutyv]

i think you should interview oh stephco, she recently moved to a smaller city in state for cost purposes and i think she has so much to say and share.

[joykinser]

I just can't imagine expecting people to pay $3000 for my wedding. I think this is very much a class difference. $3000 is a once per year or 2 vacation that is saved for for most people I know. This blows my mind that is a common expectation people have for their friends and family now.

[EmblaDK]

Chelsea Q&A's are always my favorite episodes

[jescampbell]

Hugs to you and Mona! Sending you all the positive thoughts ❤️

[Moundfreek]

Wishing you and Mona the best. I too go through it whenever my cat has a health upset. Take care of yourselves ❤❤❤

[k.mitchelsims]

OMG my favorite books as a kid were the same!! Red Wall and the Phantom Tollbooth!! I cheered when you said that!

[mattlangwrites]

Re:art - a really helpful line to draw is when an artist (like the TERF) is claiming the money she's getting and the numbers of people in her fandom is proof that her very harmful views are right and widely accepted.

Lindsay Ellis had a very good video on the topic back in the day. Basically death of the author stops working when the author weaponises their audience in defence of their awfulness

[KHBogWitch]

I have never known of another person in real life who loved Angus, Thongs & FFS! I’ve got the first 5 books packed away in storage somewhere 🤣 absolutely iconic!

[kuebby]

I loved The Phantom Tollbooth! That was my favorite book as a kid too.

[rtothec]

I would not pay $700 for a Sprite unless it saved a life I care about.