There’s been a lot of talk lately about Facebook and it’s privacy settings (or lack of) and there’s been even more talk about people quitting the site en masse. Personally, I’m suprised whenever someone puts something online and expects it to remain private.

It seems that every year since the Internet has reached the masses people have dropped some inhibitions while others pick up some new ones. There was a time when you’d be called crazy for putting your picture online, or using an online dating service, or doing your banking online and yet all of these things have become the norm. What privacy barries are left to tear down?

How about the delicate topic of money? Would you put your finances online for the world to see? That’s exactly what Edina resident Stephanie Grant did and she’s not alone.

According to the NyTimes

Initially the idea of laying herself bare on a blog and on NetworthIQ caused a lot of anxiety. “You’re saying I have a secret and here it is for everyone to see,” she says. “But once it’s out there, and especially now that it’s not just a flat line saying ‘negative $23,000,’ and it is moving up a little bit, there’s a sense of pride and accomplishment that goes along with that. I know people are visiting, and it makes me want to pay something else off so I can post another entry that’s something good.” She’s currently putting a third of her monthly take-home pay from her job as a benefits analyst toward debt payments.

All of this has led to some odd reversals in her life. She looks forward to getting her bills in the mail, for instance, because it means it’s time to update her total debt. “Which might be a little bit sick,” she said. “But I know it’s lower than the last month. I know it for a fact.”

Grant often wonders about the people who are far ahead of her in the NetworthIQ standings. Did they get lucky? Are they lottery winners? Or did they get smart about money before she did? She tries not to beat herself up over it. “For people with the same income as me but higher net worth, it tells me that I can get there, too. It just takes discipline,” she says. “I know it has only been a couple of months now, but I kind of feel like I’ve made a life change.”

What do you think, Are you ready to put it all out there with networthiq?

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