Four Financial Topics You Can Safely Discuss at Thanksgiving Dinner
Forget politics! Holidays offer families a valuable opportunity to talk about their shared financial interests.


The holidays provide a cozy time to discuss your family's financial future while everyone is together for a few days. It's an opportunity to share stories, to pass down lessons learned in hard times and to convey the connection and resilience of family. You may not want to talk about estate planning and inheritances around the table, but arrange for some time over the break to have these conversations.
Studies show that families often avoid or put off talking about their finances. Money talk remains taboo across almost every aspect of modern society: economically, educationally and culturally, according to Money Talks, a study by Empower. Most of those surveyed by Empower (61%) say they never learned about personal finance in school, and over half (52%) say that money wasn’t discussed at home or growing up.
On the bright side, 66% of survey respondents believe that open money conversations can help more people achieve financial freedom and can help build generational wealth. That's why having these conversations is important, and Thanksgiving is the perfect time to start. Consider bringing up the following financial topics at this year’s Thanksgiving table.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
1. Financial gratitude
First things first. The relationship between gratitude and Thanksgiving is deeply ingrained in the holiday. Some of us grew up going around the table and sharing something we’re thankful for each year. A focus on family financial gratitude can help your loved ones feel more content with what they have and not stress as much about what they’re lacking.
Start the conversation by sharing what you are grateful to be able to look forward to and ask your family to share as well. Gratitude reduces envy and jealousy. And being envious or jealous of someone can lead to resentment. Practicing gratitude can help shift the focus away from other people’s possessions and to what you have that you can be thankful for, according to research.com.
2. Financial accomplishments
Take a moment to celebrate each other’s financial wins. Recognizing these accomplishments can serve as a positive example for the younger generation.
You can start the conversation by posing positive questions: Did anyone adopt a positive money habit? Did anyone hold off buying an item you may not need? Did anyone reprioritize spending or tighten their budget to accomplish a goal?
Noting the positives can help people acknowledge the good things they're doing and foster mindful money management. Mindfulness helps you pause and assess whether a spending decision aligns with what matters, leading to better saving and spending choices.
"Gratitude turns what we have into enough."
- Author Unknown
3. Luxury vs necessity
"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough," is a quote attributed to Oprah Winfrey. It eloquently emphasizes that gratitude for what you have is more fulfilling than what we may long for.
In an age of hyper-consumerism, it's important to teach younger generations to recognize the difference between need and want. Advertisements and influencers often emphasize needing items that are often not necessary. Trying to keep up with the Jones has taken on new connotations in the age of social media. In the past, people might have just envied their neighbors, but now we can compare ourselves with everyone worldwide.
4. Setting financial goals
Having a financial goal provides a clear direction for your financial journey. It helps prioritize spending and saving, ensuring financial decisions align with objectives. Financial goals promote financial discipline, reduce stress, and facilitate better decision-making.
It can sometimes seem like an overwhelming task to save for the future. Discuss how to prioritize goals, create a budget and adjust goals and plans as needed. If you are financially able, offer to match a savings goal. It doesn't have to be a dollar-for-dollar match.
Share stories of delayed gratification and how that impacted your life positively. For instance, saving for a home takes consistent saving and budgeting. Explain how the sustained sacrifice needed to save leads to realizing goals, such as buying your first home, and builds confidence to tackle other life challenges.
Bottom line
Ultimately, the best way for you to teach younger generations about personal finance is to be a good role model. Talk to them about your own goals and your progress in reaching them. Share your setbacks and how you overcame them. And think back to when you were a child at the holiday table. What financial lessons did your parents or grandparents pass down to you that you'd like to see carry forward?
Read More
Get Kiplinger Today newsletter — free
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

Donna joined Kiplinger as a personal finance writer in 2023. She spent more than a decade as the contributing editor of J.K.Lasser's Your Income Tax Guide and edited state specific legal treatises at ALM Media. She has shared her expertise as a guest on Bloomberg, CNN, Fox, NPR, CNBC and many other media outlets around the nation. She is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School and the University at Buffalo.
-
Americans Worry More About Going Broke in Retirement Than Dying, Study Shows. Here's What to Do.
Inflation, taxes and Social Security are the three top concerns for retirees, according to the 2025 Allianz Annual Retirement Study
By Kathryn Pomroy
-
Doing This With Your 401(k) Could Cost You $18,000
Your old 401(k) accounts may be slowly bleeding money — because the power of compounding can work against you, too.
By Christy Bieber
-
Americans Worry More About Going Broke in Retirement Than Dying, Study Shows
Inflation, taxes and Social Security are the three top concerns for retirees, according to the 2025 Allianz Annual Retirement Study
By Kathryn Pomroy
-
Doing This With Your 401(k) Could Cost You $18,000
Your old 401(k) accounts may be slowly bleeding money — because the power of compounding can work against you, too.
By Christy Bieber
-
Three Options for Retirees With Concentrated Stock Positions
If a significant chunk of your portfolio is tied up in a single stock, you'll need to make sure it won't disrupt your retirement and legacy goals. Here's how.
By Evan T. Beach, CFP®, AWMA®
-
Before You Remarry: 10 Important Things to Consider
Remarry carefully, because love gets complicated the second time around.
By Jennifer Waters
-
Despite Economic Uncertainty, Americans Remain Confident About Retirement, Survey Shows
Saving and spending is a concern but most workers and retirees think they are on track based on a new survey.
By Donna Fuscaldo
-
My Advice for Enrolling in Medicare Part B — Based on Experience
Enrolling in Medicare is notoriously complicated and can result in penalties if you get the timing wrong. Here are some valuable tips for first-timers.
By Sandra Block
-
Before You Invest Like a Politician, Consider This Dilemma
As apps that track congressional stock trading become more popular, investors need to take into consideration some caveats.
By Ryan K. Snover, Investment Adviser Representative
-
How to Put Together Your Personal Net Worth Statement
Now that tax season is over for most of us, it's the perfect time to organize your assets and liabilities to assess your financial wellness.
By Denise McClain, JD, CPA