One of the famous lines in Top Gun the movie with Tom Cruise (aka Maverick) is “I’m not leaving my wingman.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen that movie but it’s one of my all time favorites. What does a wingman have to do with finances, FI, or FIRE? Having a financial wingman is like having a support buddy/system helping you.

I’m surrounded by wingmen, my family specifically. We talk about finances all the time whether it’s about opening bank accounts, what to do with extra money, how to pay for college, real estate investing, impulse buying, and many more topics. So, it’s no wonder that I always have someone I can talk to or have someone make me accountable.

Every time I tell my family I’m going to Costco, they start scrambling because they’re worried that I’m going to overspend and buy things we don’t need (which is most of the time). My daughter, who just opened her own bank account, has been very savvy on not spending her own money that she’s earned and always tags along with me when I do go to Costco. She says she needs to keep an eye on what I buy.

Ever feel like someone’s looking at every move you make? When I say, “Hey, that looks like something we can use.” My daughter just grabs me and keeps me moving past those items to what we originally planned to buy. She is my Wingman! Always backing me up.

Do I mind having someone always looking out on my spending? Not at all! I actually encourage it and recommend to have a wingman yourself. When I think I need something, my wingman looks at it from a different perspective and asks do we really need that? Don’t get offended when someone questions why you bought something. They’re asking so that we can truly ask ourselves that same question.

I see myself many times trying to justify what I bought is a good thing. Many times I convince myself the justification is enough. And many times my decisions weren’t the best. That’s why I love having my wingman. It’s a reminder that even the best of us will have those spending moments. If you are interested in following my journey, email subscribe to get alerts of latest posts or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

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