Finding the love of your life can be hard, and this post has nothing to do with that.

If you want to increase your chance of making good financial decisions then I suggest you find yourself a decision partner. A decision partner is a trusted friend and advisor that helps you make good financial decisions. Peer pressure is one of the strongest influences to human behavior. People are more likely to listen to trusted friends than they are to family or sometimes even expert advisors. Instead of trying to deny the facts, I decided to just go with it. If peer pressure works, then let’s use it to our advantage!

In most cases, peer pressure=bad.

If you were to follow the financial habits of the majority you would find yourself in chaos. 68% of Americans say that they are living paycheck to paycheck and less than 1/3 of the population even has a budget. Thinking like an investor and not a consumer is a pretty revolutionary idea. Or at least uncommon.  Many of your friends, families, and colleagues will not understand your financial choices which could make you feel pressured to conform and be more like them.

Being a rebel can be hard…

And this is exactly why a decision partner is so critical. When you are feeling the pressure to do the things that everyone else is doing, your partner will remind you that even though you are sacrificing now, the reward is going to come. Even though you can’t eat out often right now, one day money won’t even be a concern. And even as you aspire to build wealth, living life on your own terms instead of trying to “keep up with Jones” will produce a financial liberation that money cannot buy.

I remember the first time I chose to say, “Sorry, I can’t make it, it’s not in my budget right now.” I felt humiliated. Not being able to spend money the way everyone else did made me feel ashamed of my financial situation. But while the people around me were partying it up, I still enjoyed my life…and bought my first investment property. Now I make money in my sleep. Choosing to say “no” gives you power over your future and it is nothing to be ashamed of. But be that as it may, it is still nice to have a partner in crime.

Choosing the right decision partner is pretty important. First and foremost, you want to pick someone who has discipline. You need someone who is going to give you a kick in the pants when you are struggling to make the right decision. You also want someone you trust with the details of your financial life. Lastly, I highly recommend that you choose someone who is older than you. They should certainly be in your age range so that they can understand your struggles, but you also want them to be able to give you insight from their personal experiences.

Once you have identified the right person, be bold and ask, ”Will you be my decision partner.” Now, whenever you need to make a big decision about a house or a car or if you are itching to buy something that you know you don’t need, you have someone in your ear encouraging you to do the right thing. I’m always here to help you reach financial freedom, but it is good to know that I have others backing up my efforts.

Latasha Kinnard

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