I still feel poor in places where no one knows my numbers

Dear Delyara, Standing in a shop and mentally cutting things out before they even reach the basket. Hearing people talk casually about costs that would change my whole month. Smiling through conversations about holidays or renovations or “just getting it sorted” while doing quiet arithmetic in the background like my life depends on it — because sometimes it does. No one sees that. That’s what makes it so lonely. You can look perfectly normal while feeling financially cornered inside your own skin. And I hate how quickly that feeling becomes shame instead of simply information. I don’t want money to decide my emotional size. It still does too often.