Forget happy hour. 'Money parties' are having a moment.

By Genna Contino

I heard about a trend of friends getting together to talk about their finances, so I tried it at my apartment. We'll now be making it a regular thing.

Want to talk more openly about finances with your friends? Consider hosting a money party.

I've been hearing something really interesting from my personal-finance sources recently: Several said they've been attending "money parties." These hangouts combine viral admin nights, where friends get together to complete tasks they've been putting off, with loud budgeting, the concept of declaring your financial limits out loud to your friends and family.

MarketWatch's Beth Pinsker has written about similar "click the button" parties that financial coach Amanda Holden hosts for her clients. They get together to make money moves like trading stocks, raising their retirement-account contributions or setting up accounts for emergency funds.

This feels tailor-made for members of Gen Z, who are now roughly 14 to 29 years old, since we are "remarkably open about finances" compared with older generations, according to an annual Bank of America survey with more than 2,000 respondents. It found that 60% of Gen Z-ers discuss things like salary, debt, expenses and financial stress with friends. And of course, we love an excuse to get together to yap over a few bottles of wine.

Sign up to get Don't Short Yourself in your inbox weekly.

There's evidence showing that talking about finances with your friends can help you save money, too. People who got financial advice from a trusted friend said they saved an estimated $482 on average, according to a recent survey from TaxSlayer Pro, a tax-software platform that surveyed 2,000 Americans. They said friends had helped them file taxes, invest and choose the best savings accounts and credit cards.

So I had to check this out for myself and report back to you, Don't Short Yourself readers. Here's what I learned by throwing a "money party" - and my tips for how you can host one, too.

How to throw a 'money party'

Planning the party was easy - and, most importantly, cheap. (You don't want to overspend on a party that's all about being financially savvy.) I just created a free evite on Partiful for my inaugural "Bottles and Budgeting" event. (I'm still workshopping that name, so send me your ideas! I've kicked around "Netflix and Bills" and "Wine and Finance" with my editor.) I spent $36 on three bottles of wine and set out some chips and salsa I already had in the pantry. Simple.

Here's a look at the setup for my first "money party."

One key ground rule was agreeing that we were in a judgment-free zone, and that we would only share as much as we were comfortable with.

The scariest part for me, actually, was leading the conversation. So I armed myself with some fun icebreakers on the advice of Berna Anat, head of creative education for the budgeting app Monarch, who hosts similar events twice a month via Zoom. She told me it's a good idea to prepare some warm-up prompts or questions to get things going.

"You can even start off with a lightweight, fun question like, 'What's the last thing you bought that brought you joy?'" said Anat, who is also an author and finfluencer. "Or, what was your last 'Wow, I'm so glad my purchase history isn't public' purchase?"

I tried those out on my friends, and the responses really brought home how complicated and emotional our relationship with money can be. Some of the same people who said that the convenience of Ubers and grocery delivery were worth paying for felt guilty about spending money on housecleaning or laundry services, because they felt they should do those chores themselves. One friend said she was pleased with her new Equinox membership, which costs more than $235 a month, while another canceled hers because she said it wasn't worth the money.

I had prepared even more questions to guide the conversation (How do you handle expensive group dinners or trips? What's your favorite money app or budgeting trick? Which money tasks do you need to tackle this week?) but found that our discussion flowed naturally.

What we learned

The biggest surprise was how excited my friends were about this "money party" - and how much they were willing to share.

"What's magical is there are so many hyperspecific financial tips hidden right in your own community, and they come attached to a real human you can relate to," said Anat. "You just have to create the space for that exchange to happen."

When Anat hosts these events, she said most of her friends don't consider themselves super financially savvy - at first. But once they start working through their money issues out loud, "there is always someone in the circle who can offer help based on their personal experiences," she said. And many people realize they know more than they think.

Here are a few of my friends' favorite takeaways from our inaugural "Bottles and Budgeting" party. Savings and investing strategies, and breaking down the differences in retirement accounts, were especially popular.

My friends share their takeaways from my inaugural "Bottles and Budgeting" party.

Taking 'Bottles and Budgeting' to the next level

Going forward, we plan to have themes for our "money party" nights. Some topics we've already decided on for future meetings include budgeting for travel, setting up workplace benefits and a portfolio show-and-tell to share our investing strategies.

As I was picking up the wine glasses after the party ended, I realized we had just created a financial support system. I feel a sense of accountability to stay on top of my budgeting and financial goals, and to be honest about my inevitable mistakes, now that I've agreed to be open with these friends about my money habits. Better yet, I also feel closer to my friends after hearing them talk about their financial values and how they're working to reach their goals. I hope their enthusiasm about scheduling the next few parties means they feel the same way.

Key money reads

🏡 A record number of first-time home buyers now pay in cash. Here's where they get the money.

🧾ICYMI last week: Here are the 2027 capital-gains tax rates for each income level and here's what the standard deduction and SALT tax breaks will be.

🗳? How do Americans feel about the midterm results? It depends on how much money they make.

? In other post-election news, here's how the midterm results are redrawing the map for AI data centers.

Lunch hacks

For next week's edition of Don't Short Yourself, I want to hear what you eat for lunch during the workweek, and how much you spend on it. Do you prepare those meals, or do you keep finding yourself buying overpriced salad bowls? (Guilty!) Let me know by emailing dontshortyourself@marketwatch.com.

About Genna

I'm Genna Contino, an award-winning journalist on MarketWatch's personal finance team. I'm 28 years old, originally from South Carolina, and currently splitting the rent on an overpriced apartment in New York City with my fiancé. When I'm not writing about my hack for saving hundreds of dollars on airfare, or the four must-have money conversations before moving in with your partner, you can find me reading a celebrity memoir, overanalyzing reality TV, junk journaling, borrowing DVDs from the library or getting thoroughly humbled in an adult ballet class after a 10-year hiatus.

-Genna Contino

This content was created by MarketWatch, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. MarketWatch is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

11-10-26 0958ET