Kat Stickler on How Her Relationship with Jason Tartick Got 'Super Intimate' When Discussing This Tricky Topic (Exclusive)

09/20/2024 01:31 PM

"This relationship is the first one I've been in where there's been such a candid discussion about money," Kat Stickler says of boyfriend Jason Tartick

Kat Stickler is prioritizing the important conversations.

When speaking with PEOPLE about her feature on Northwestern Mutual's Better Way to Money podcast, the content creator revealed that she and her boyfriend Jason Tartick are at the point in their relationship where they can comfortably talk about finances.

This is a topic of conversation that Stickler appreciates, telling PEOPLE exclusively that she finds it "empowering," and that it "helps you think through things" when discussing with a partner.

She adds, "This relationship is the first one I've been in where there's been such a candid discussion about money."

Stickler, 29, was previously married, but going through a divorce influenced how she views money and life as a whole. "I think [it] changed the way I looked at finances," she says, especially as a mother raising her 5-year-old daughter, MK.

"All of a sudden that plan became very important," Stickler says of MK "counting on" her mom to raise her and give her the support she needs amid the change. "It was me and her ... It was this different kind of responsibility."

Related: Jason Tartick Feels 'Beyond Grateful' for Kat Stickler Relationship as He Introduces Her to His Parents

That's why she values Tartick's willingness to discuss the topic of finances, which she considers a "taboo thing" to talk about in society's eyes today. "I think he definitely pushes the conversation. He initiates it," she says of the Bachelor alumnus.

Stickler says that discussing finances is more than "just talking about numbers," noting that "it's also talking about values and alignment," two factors she believes are important for couples to consider in a relationship. It makes you question "what is important" to each person when it comes spending, she adds.

"Do you want to get the new designer bag or would you rather get this instead? Where do you splurge? What do you want to save? What do you want to spend on in the future?" the social media influencer puts forth as examples.

Stickler also finds that discussing finances "makes you super intimate" with your partner and helps you "align in a totally different way that I think is great for the relationship," she adds.

Related: Mom Slams Parent Who Denied Her Daughter Cake After Welcoming Her to Playground Birthday Party

Prior to making their romance Instagram official in June 2024, Stickler and Tartick, 35, confirmed they were dating two months prior — ironically, during Tartick's wrap party for his book Talk Money to Me.

Just as Stickler showed her support for Tartick at the finance-focused event, he showed up for her when she filmed the Better Way to Money podcast. "I love having his support," she tells PEOPLE exclusively.

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"He is very passionate about this as well — but he's also very vocal and knowledgeable about it," she adds. "He literally wrote a book about it!"

While Stickler says "it did mean a lot" to have Tartick at the podcast taping, she recalls being "super nervous when he was there." She admits, "You don't want to sound dumb to the guy that literally speaks in abbreviations I don't know about money!"

Related: The Bachelorette's Jason Tartick Goes Instagram Official with Kat Stickler After Ending Engagement to Kaitlyn Bristowe

This, in fact, is the exact reason that Stickler chose to team up with Northwestern Mutual and have that conversation on the Better Way to Money podcast. "You got to sound dumb sometimes because that's how you get better. It's okay, it doesn't mean you're dumb — at least you're trying," she says.

Stickler is featured on episode 2 of the eight-episode podcast, and discusses her financial future amid navigating life as a single mom and entrepreneur while also entering a new relationship.

The social media sensation tells PEOPLE she's especially "excited" to be featured because she didn't feel like she'd "be the ideal pick for Northwestern to choose," but committed because she "wanted to show a different perspective."

Stickler adds, "It made me feel like I had a voice on a platform where I normally wouldn't think I had a voice on ... It was super fun."

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Read the original article on People.