You, Me and Money: Preventing economic abuse in young adult relationships

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  • 2021

  • Social Impact

Designed By:

Commissioned By:

RMIT University School of Economics

YLab

Funded by the Ecstra Foundation in collaboration with YLab& Today.

Designed In:

Australia

You, Me & Money is a digital tool designed for and with young people to raise awareness of economic abuse and the behaviours associated with it.

Using the design language of a personality quiz, it helps young people understand their relationship to money, normalises talking about finances and provides helpful advice.


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  • CHALLENGE
  • SOLUTION
  • IMPACT
  • MORE

  • Economic abuse-or financial abuse-is a form of intimate partner abuse that involves a partner manipulating or controlling access to finances. Research from RMIT revealed that 15.7% of women and 7.1% of men had experienced economic abuse in their lifetimes. Young people, who are new to both the worlds of relationships and finance are particularly susceptible to this form of abuse. They may not even know that it's happening. Our challenge was to give young people-and the people who care about them-the tools to have better conversations about love and money.

  • You, Me & Money was developed by young people for young people and guided by research conducted at RMIT University. We worked with RMIT and YLab to co-design a digital toolkit to help young people have difficult conversations about finances and relationships. We worked in collaborative creative sprints, creating a variety of possible solutions and testing and building on them with young people. Working closely with our stakeholders and young people helped us translate the often dry and inaccessible language of economic abuse into an approachable and shareable tool.

  • Intimate relationships are based on love and trust. But relationships also involve money-an inescapable fact. While we might choose to live our lives differently, no one chooses to be abused, controlled-not physically, emotionally, verbally, sexually, or financially. But we can choose to learn more about what's healthy and what's not, and get help when needed. Young adults are struggling-some worse than others-and it is our responsibility to give them the tools to navigate their path to relationship-based financial wellbeing. We're hoping that You, Me & Money is one such tool.

  • "(Being involved in this project) has made me consider where money flows in my relationship. It has made me more confident to approach money conversations with my partner." - Co-design participant "Your ability to balance difficult topics with light-hearted humour is unique and so difficult to master...you've made something really difficult look effortless" - You, Me & Money Launch attendee