A review by sarabrickwall
We Need to Talk About Money by Otegha Uwagba

informative reflective fast-paced

4.0

I picked this book up thinking it was going to be a typical financial self-help book full of useful tips for saving and getting your foot on the property ladder – the perfect read to kickstart a brand-new year. 

 

We Need to Talk About Money (WNTTAM) is excellently written and a really valuable read. Whilst it does not offer a step-by-step guide on how to better manage your finances, it does provide insightful commentary about the effects of capitalism on women and women of colour specifically. 

 

From generational wealth and entering the world of work, to navigating the housing market for the first time and how our money scripts are influenced by our parents, Uwagba beautifully articulates these commonly discussed themes by intertwining them with the taboo subject of money and for the reader, it is truly enlightening. 

 

Statistics around the gender pay gap, the amount of ‘unpaid work’ women do in comparison to men alongside their jobs, and the ‘pink tax’, were not surprising to me, but something I’d never previously considered was the other emotional labour women are often faced with (in and outside of the workplace), as well as the time (not just the cost) spent each month to look a certain way. 

 

Uwagba’s personal anecdotes and analysis of modern money woes, will no doubt resonate with many but for me, this book made me feel more consciously aware of my own relationship with money and my approach moving forward. I’d say this is a must read for any millennial wanting a somewhat candid and non-judgmental discussion around money, but also some food for thought on the barriers presented by class and race when it comes to changing your financial situation.