Your Financial Friends: The Money Cheerleaders Every Woman Needs
Picture this: You just got promoted and received a significant raise. You're excited, but when you share the news, the responses vary wildly. Your colleague says, "Lucky you, I guess." Your sister mentions how you "always get breaks." But your best friend immediately says, "This is AMAZING! You've worked so hard for this. Let's celebrate!" and then asks about your plans for the extra money.
That best friend? She's part of your Financial Friends—and every woman needs one for her financial journey.
What Are Financial Friends?
Your Financial Friends consists of people who celebrate you without any competition. They're your loudest cheerleaders, your biggest supporters, and the people who genuinely get excited about your financial wins—no matter how big or small. They celebrate your progress, actions, and milestones with the same enthusiasm they'd show for major achievements.
Key characteristics of Financial Friends:
They celebrate you without feeling threatened by your success
They understand the significance of financial milestones
They speak your "short code" (more on this below)
They provide perspective when you're feeling down
They're genuinely excited about your money goals
Why Women Especially Need Financial Cheerleaders
Society Teaches Us to Minimize Our Success
Women are often socialized to downplay achievements, apologize for success, and worry about making others uncomfortable with our wins. This conditioning makes us less likely to celebrate financial milestones—which is detrimental to our long-term financial confidence.
Money Success Can Feel Isolating
As women achieve financial goals, they may find that friends or family members become uncomfortable with their success. Comments like "Must be nice to have that problem" or "Money doesn't buy happiness" can make women feel guilty about their achievements.
We Need Permission to Want More
Your Financial Friends gives you permission to want financial success, celebrate your wins, and keep pursuing bigger goals. They normalize ambition and wealth-building for women.
What Your Financial Friends Do
They Supply Ample Motivation
When you're feeling discouraged about a financial setback or overwhelmed by a big goal, your Financial Friends reminds you of how far you've come and cheers you toward the next step.
They Celebrate Everything
Emergency fund reached $500? They cheer.
Paid off a credit card? They cheer.
Started a side hustle that made $50 in the first month? They cheer.
Increased your 401(k) contribution by 1%? They cheer.
They understand that every financial action deserves recognition because it's building toward your bigger goals.
They Offer Perspective
When you're feeling down about money, they've often been there before. They can share their own experiences and remind you that setbacks are temporary and part of everyone's financial journey.
They Speak Your "Short Code"
Your Financial Friends understands your professional language, your industry challenges, and your specific financial situation. If you're a freelancer, they know about SOWs and RFPs. If you're an entrepreneur, they understand cash flow challenges. If you're in sales, they get commission fluctuations.
This shared understanding means you don't have to explain why certain financial wins are significant—they just get it.
The Cost of Not Having a Financial Friends
Over-Celebrating Through Spending
Without proper emotional support for financial achievements, women often celebrate through purchases instead of acknowledgment. You get a raise and buy a new car because people will congratulate you on the car—but they won't celebrate the raise itself. This leads to:
Lifestyle creep that eats up income increases
Reward spending that undermines financial goals
External validation through material possessions rather than achievement
Minimizing Achievements
Without cheerleaders, women tend to downplay their financial progress:
"It's just $1,000 in my emergency fund—not that much"
"I only increased my income by $5,000 this year"
"My investment gains were probably just luck"
This minimization reduces confidence and momentum toward bigger goals.
Isolation and Discouragement
Financial journeys have ups and downs. Without a supportive group, setbacks feel overwhelming and successes feel hollow. This can lead to:
Giving up on financial goals when challenges arise
Feeling like financial success isn't "for people like me"
Avoiding money conversations altogether
Types of Financial Friends
The Hype Girl
This is the friend who gets genuinely excited about everything you do. She's naturally enthusiastic and makes you feel like every achievement is worth celebrating. She might not understand all the financial details, but her energy is infectious.
The Fellow Goal-Getter
This person is also working on significant financial goals and understands the discipline required. You celebrate each other's progress and hold each other accountable without judgment.
The Experienced Cheerleader
This might be someone who's further along in her financial journey but remembers what each milestone felt like. She celebrates your wins while offering gentle guidance.
The Professional Peer
Someone in your industry or professional situation who understands the specific financial challenges and opportunities you face. They celebrate wins that others might not understand.
The Loyal Friend
This is your ride-or-die friend who may not be on the same financial path but loves you unconditionally and wants to see you succeed in whatever you choose to pursue.
Finding Your Financial Friends
Look for These Qualities:
Genuine excitement about others' success
No competitive edge when you share good news
Understanding of your professional/financial situation
Consistent support through ups and downs
Growth mindset about money and success
Where to Find Them:
Professional networks in your industry
Online communities focused on financial goals
Local meetups for entrepreneurs, investors, or professionals
Existing friendships that could deepen with more open money conversations
Alumni networks from school or previous jobs
Hobby groups where you've already established rapport
Red Flags to Avoid:
People who always one-up your achievements
Friends who make sarcastic comments about your success
Anyone who consistently brings negativity to money conversations
People who try to guilt you about wanting financial success
Those who only contact you when they need something
Building Your Financial Friends
Start With One Person
You don't need a huge group—start with one person who consistently celebrates your wins and genuinely supports your financial journey.
Be a Financial Friends First
The best way to attract cheerleaders is to become one:
Celebrate others' financial wins enthusiastically
Ask follow-up questions about their goals and progress
Remember important financial milestones they're working toward
Offer genuine congratulations without making it about you
Create Celebration Rituals
Establish ways to mark financial milestones:
Monthly check-ins to share progress
"Win Wednesday" text exchanges
Quarterly goal celebration dinners
Virtual happy hours to toast achievements
Share Both Struggles and Successes
A true Financial Friends supports you through challenges too. Share when you're struggling with motivation, facing setbacks, or feeling overwhelmed. They'll remind you of your strength and past successes.
How to Win With Financial Friends
Be Specific About Your Wins
Instead of "I did okay with money this month," try:
"I increased my emergency fund by $200 this month"
"I negotiated a 10% raise at work"
"I made $500 from my side hustle this month"
Specific celebrations feel more real and meaningful.
Ask for What You Need
Your Financial Friends want to support you, but they may not know how. Be clear:
"I'm feeling discouraged about my debt payoff—can you remind me how far I've come?"
"I achieved this goal—can we celebrate?"
"I'm nervous about this financial decision—can you help me think through it?"
Celebrate Others Enthusiastically
Make celebration a two-way street. When your Financial Friends share wins:
Ask questions to understand the significance
Acknowledge the work that went into the achievement
Suggest ways to celebrate together
Remember and follow up on their goals
Share Your "Why"
Help your Financial Friends understand why certain financial goals matter to you. When they understand your deeper motivations, they can provide more meaningful support and encouragement.
Maintaining Long-Distance Relationships
Your Financial Friends don't need to be local. Some of the best financial cheerleaders might be online friends, former colleagues, or long-distance relationships. Stay connected:
Regular video calls for deeper conversations
Text chains for quick celebration exchanges
Social media groups for ongoing support
Voice messages for personal connection
Celebrate wins is a topic in The Pledgettes Financial Community
The Ripple Effect of Celebration
When women celebrate each other's financial success:
Confidence increases across the group
Goals become more ambitious as success feels attainable
Money conversations normalize in social circles
Success strategies spread through shared experiences
Imposter syndrome decreases through peer validation
Your Financial Friends Evolution
Your group will change as you grow:
Some early supporters may not relate to your evolved goals
New people may enter your life who better understand your current situation
You may outgrow relationships that no longer serve your growth
Former mentees may become peers and Financial Friends
This evolution is natural and healthy. Maintain gratitude for past friends while being open to new relationships that align with your current journey.
Creating a High-Five Culture
Beyond your inner circle, you can help create a culture of financial celebration in your broader community (because life is better with Healthy Wealthy Friends):
Normalize money conversations by sharing your own financial news
Ask friends about their financial goals and follow up on progress
Celebrate publicly when appropriate (social media, work announcements)
Create group challenges around financial goals
Host gatherings focused on sharing wins and supporting goals (The Pledgettes host monthly Financial Friends social gatherings)
The Professional Impact
Your Financial Friends don't just support your personal financial goals—they can impact your professional success too:
They encourage you to negotiate salary increases
They celebrate promotions and new opportunities
They provide networking connections
They offer career advice and support
They remind you of your professional worth during challenging times
Remember: You Deserve Celebration
Many women struggle with accepting celebration, feeling like they need to downplay achievements or wait for "bigger" successes. Your Financial Friends helps you recognize that:
Every financial step forward deserves recognition
Your success doesn't diminish others
Celebration increases motivation for future goals
You don't need to earn the right to financial happiness
Your achievements inspire others to pursue their own goals
Building Your Financial Friends Action Steps
Identify one person in your current network who consistently supports your goals
Reach out to share a recent financial win and see how they respond
Be a cheerleader first by celebrating someone else's achievement
Join The Pledgettes Financial Community where financial success is celebrated
Practice sharing specific rather than general financial updates
Your financial journey shouldn't be a solo expedition. With the right Financial Friends cheering you on, celebrating your progress, and providing perspective during challenges, you'll have the emotional support needed to achieve your biggest money goals.
Remember: Your tribe wants to celebrate you—you just need to give them the opportunity by sharing your wins and being open about your financial journey.
Ready to find your Financial Friend? Connect with women who believe success should be celebrated, not hidden, and who understand that lifting each other up lifts everyone higher in The Pledgettes Financial Community. We have a Celebrate Win topic in our online community and host monthly Financial Friends social events.
