finances

So when is it ok to ask somebody about their finances? Obviously there are situations where it's ok. Namely, when it's volunteered. But presumably, most of the time, for varying reasons it's considered impolite or worse still, a terrible faux pas, to ask somebody about their income or expenditures. I mean sure, there are some people I will freely discuss my finances with. Some, for example, because they are underwriting my life, that is, obviously my parents can and do feel free to inquire about my spending habits, because much of it is their money. Some people get to ask because I told them about some grand scheme or they're collaborating with me or are simply close enough to me that I had already volunteered it at some point. I guess then you've got the people who might have been privy once, but are no longer welcome to it. But short of overstating it, bluntly, it's hard to convey as much to them.

And so I guess it's probably convenient that it's usually not something people ask, because it can sometimes be uncomfortable denying somebody an answer, and worse still if they press for why not. It'd be easier if they stuck with the guidelines, silly though they may think them, and didn't ask at all.