Financial wellness: money habits that build freedom at any age
You can earn well and still feel anxious every time you open your banking app. You can save regularly and still wonder whether it will ever be enough. Financial wellness begins with understanding that gap between the money you have and the security you feel.
In this episode of ConnectForHealth, Scott Armstrong and Maissa Al Khafajy welcome Carol Glynn of Conscious Finance Coaching and Ben Pritchard, founder of FinQuest, to explore money habits that build freedom at any age. The monthly webinar and podcast from Cigna Healthcare Middle East and Africa, produced with mentl, brings together the adult and family perspectives on financial confidence.
From lifestyle creep and saving while repaying debt to pocket money and retirement worries, the conversation asks a practical question: how can we use money to support the life we actually want?
What does financial wellness really mean?
Carol starts with values. A bigger salary may create more options, but it does not automatically change the habits or expectations that shape our spending. Without that awareness, a pay rise can simply fund a more expensive version of the same worries.
Her starting point comes before the spreadsheet: what matters to you? One person may value travel and choose a smaller home. Another may prioritise space to bring family together. Understanding those choices helps give money a purpose beyond keeping up with someone else’s idea of success.
Money habits start with honest conversations
Our relationship with money is personal. Carol challenges the assumption that growing up wealthy necessarily creates confidence, or that a less affluent childhood inevitably leads to fear. People can share a household and still interpret money very differently.
That matters when partners disagree about spending or when someone has a financial plan but still feels unsafe. Alongside checking the numbers, the episode explores the experiences and expectations behind those feelings. Being careful with money, Carol points out, is not automatically a scarcity mindset; it can also reflect clear priorities.
Teaching children about money without creating fear
Ben’s message is to begin with needs, wants and value. The best football boots are not necessarily what makes a child happy. The chance to play with friends may be what matters most. A worn family photograph can carry more value than something with a much higher price tag.
Everyday decisions create opportunities to learn. A school spending card, pocket money or a subscription can open a conversation about limits and choices. Repeatedly topping up without talking about what happened misses that opportunity.
Both guests stress the importance of involving children without burdening them. If a family is cutting back, explain the change calmly, offer alternatives and make clear that the adults are handling it. A film and homemade pizza can still mean time together. The aim is understanding, not blame.
Saving, debt and the value of a cash cushion
An audience question asks whether it is wrong to save while still in debt. Carol explains why, where circumstances allow, building a cash cushion alongside repayments can help prevent an unexpected expense from creating another round of borrowing.
She also emphasises comparing repayment approaches, including the interest cost, the time involved and whether the plan is sustainable. The discussion is about finding a workable route and a motivating goal beyond becoming debt-free, rather than prescribing one solution for everyone.
What would financial freedom look like for you?
“How much is enough?” runs through the conversation. Carol encourages people to describe the life they want, understand its costs and connect today’s choices with that picture. A vague instruction to save for retirement can feel very different from a clear vision of future freedom.
For UAE-based listeners, that includes questions about where they might live later and the commitments they will need to plan for. The episode also explores why practical financial education matters: knowing the terminology and feeling confident enough to act are different steps.
One money habit to notice today
Carol’s closing invitation is simple: notice how you feel each time you spend. Ben asks parents to include children in money conversations while keeping responsibility for the bigger decisions with the adults. Both bring the discussion back to awareness, openness and choices that reflect what matters.
Watch the full conversation above, listen below, or explore more podcast conversations on mentl.
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Listen to Financial Wellness: Money Habits That Build Freedom at Any Age on Apple Podcasts.
Episode chapters
02:10 What financial wellness means
05:24 Children, spending and the meaning of value
10:25 Talking about money without creating fear
22:03 Pocket money, subscriptions and boundaries
28:00 Saving while repaying debt
33:34 How much money is enough?
37:41 Understanding your money mindset
42:25 Financial literacy and children’s values
50:39 Building confidence through practical learning
57:08 Planning for future healthcare costs
59:58 The guests’ closing takeaways
This episode offers general education and awareness, not personalised financial, investment, tax or legal advice. Speak to an appropriately qualified professional about your own circumstances.
