Anyone who knows me knows that I'm always up for talking about the personal and intimate details of my life. I've been sharing them to millions of strangers, via the wonderful world wide web, through blogging and podcasting, for the last ten years.

I'm open about my SAT score (I scored a 950 my first time), my credit score (it lingers around 700), and even how many first dates I went on in February 2016 (that would be 14) in hopes of meeting my soulmate (spoiler alert: I did).

But there's one topic, that if brought up at the dinner table or in an email will stop me dead in my tracks.

That topic is money.

More specifically, personal finances. Ask me how much money I make, how much debt I have, or what my savings account looks like and I will practically spit the water out of my mouth.

It turns out I'm not alone. According to a recent survey from Aspiration, a California-based financial services firm, about one in five Americans don’t tell anyone how much money they make, including their spouses or partners. Aspiration found that only 60 percent of women and 52 percent of men share their salaries with their significant others.

But recently, I did just that. I sat down with my boyfriend of two years and disclosed all my financial details to him, from my savings and checking accounts to my credit card statements. Immediately he eyeballed a huge mistake. The bank that held all the money to my name (AKA my savings account) was only giving me .01% interest every year. His bank was giving him 2.2% interest. In a matter of seconds I found I had been making a very expensive mistake for years.

Since my boyfriend's background isn't in finance (and since it can be hard to listen to a person that you love dearly rip apart your financial state without getting too defensive or frustrated), I turned to Google, typing in: "Finance help NYC that treats you like a therapist".

This is how I first heard of a place called The Financial Gym, which according to their website is a group of financial trainers looking to put you in control of your finances, one step at a time. (Financial trainers aren't certified financial planners, but trained by the company to help you get your finances in shape). My initial thought was that this place combined the two things I rolled my eyes at: going to the gym and dealing with finances. But I decided to give it a shot, especially because I was nearing 30-years-old and was eager to leave my money mistakes in my twenties (along with the cringe-worthy first dates and bad haircuts).

What happens when you work with a "financial trainer"

I booked myself what they call a "Financially Naked" session with a trainer who would compile a comprehensive financial report and help me establish money goals. All of this would be done in-person over the course of one hour, with a follow-up session a few weeks later. This all came as a part of a monthly membership, which is $85/month for one in-person meeting, an on-call financial adviser, and a financial fitness plan suited to my life goals. (For couples, monthly rates start at $145, and for students, it's $35 a month.)

Okay, I'll be honest. The idea of sitting across from a stranger — even one who was qualified to give me financial advice — and exposing my money mistakes (and paying for it nonetheless!) was so terrifying that I canceled this appointment and rescheduled it four times before I finally showed up at the office.

I was greeted by my financial trainer, Georgina, and I admitted how nervous I was to disclose my financial state. She reassured me I wasn't alone. "Most people never tell people about their finances," she said. "Even if it's good." She went on to explain that we’re okay telling friends that we’re on a diet and ditching carbs, but why aren’t we okay saying we’re on a financial diet and want to go somewhere inexpensive?