I Was Scared to Even Check My Bank Balance
A deeply moving narrative of Shreya, a freelance designer paralyzed by money anxiety, who finds hope and empowerment through a human-first financial platform. This story shows how empathy-driven content (HEO) can transform not just perception—but lives. A must-read for brands that want to connect, not just convert.
HEO
Lekha
5/3/20253 min read


She stared at her banking app and froze for a moment. It felt like boulders landed on her back.
This was exactly why she used to get scared every time she thought of money. Her chest tightened.
Not because she was bad at it, but because life had happened. Slowly. All at once.
Shreya was a 29-year-old freelance Graphic Designer. Creative, quiet, and always putting her responsibilities first. She paid the bills on time, just barely. Took care of her mother. Skipped coffee dates when things were tight. And when they weren’t? She still carried the fear that they would be soon.
She wasn’t irresponsible, just overwhelmed. Money wasn’t just numbers for her. It was emotion.
It was the shame of not keeping track of where all her money went. It was the fear of waking up to an overdraft message. It was the guilt of not being able to join her friends for dinner. It was the panic of checking her account before buying groceries. So, she stopped checking at all.
She’d look away when payment reminders popped up. She’s stopped halfway while setting up the budgeting apps. She silenced her phone when an unknown number called.
Until that day, that Friday morning.
He landlord called. Rent was due.
She said confidently on the phone, “Of course, I’ll send it over today.”
Then she hung up. As tried making the payment online. It declined, saying, “Insufficient Balance”.
That was it.
It was exactly the moment she was running from, but couldn’t anymore. She had to face it. She cried.
But realising that it’s not the wayto fix the situation, wiped her face. She borrowed money for rent from a friend, promising that she would return as soon as she received payment from a client.
Thus, rent was somehow managed.
That night, she couldn’t sleep. She didn’t cry either.
She opened her laptop. Googled things like,
“How to budget if you’re broke,”
“How to save money as a freelancer,” and
“Why am I so scared of checking my bank balance?”
One link led to another, until she found a page that felt…. different.
Not judgmental. Not filled with complex jargon, numbers, and pie charts.
It just said:
“Don’t be scared, you are not alone. You are not bad with money either. You are just human with responsibilities.”
It was the tagline of Finora- A growing financial management platform made for people like Shreya.
No flashy Wall Street vibes. Not some Finance Bros.
Just a platform made for common people. People with fear. People with struggles.
Just like you and me.
She signed up. No credit card or monthly subscription trap. Just a simple onboarding process.
They asked questions like:
“What do you want to feel when you think about money?”
“What are you most afraid of right now?”
“How can we support you today?”
It didn’t give her numbers right away, but the understanding was much needed.
Every word on the site felt like a guiding hand. Within 10 minutes, she could see where all her money went, not in a guilt-inducing category but reflecting the reality of her life. The words were real:
Care for mom: Rs. 5500/-
Kept the lights on- Rs. 3000/-
Fed your creativity- Rs. 1150/-
It wasn’t perfect, but she felt like having ‘control’ after a long time.
Over the next month, Finora sends her the small nudges:
“You spent a little more on delivery this week—how can we tweak that?”
“Want to try a micro-saving challenge? Rs. 50 a day.”
“Need to vent about money shame? Here’s a story from someone like you.”
She even joined their community. It was anonymous, safe, and empathetic.
She once posted: “I felt like a failure today. But I checked my balance, and I’m still here.”
About 28 people replied. “Same.” “We can feel you.” “You go, girl.”
Changes don’t happen overnight. But Shreya started taking one step at a time, and in 3 months. She was saving at least Rs. 5000/- a month. She paid rent on time. Started planning a weekend trip. Opened a second account for emergencies. Sometimes, enjoying her latte without spiralling.
Most importantly, SHE NOW STARTED CHECKING HER BANK BALANCE MORE OFTEN.
Not with fear. With peace.
She knew she had power now.
And Finora gave that to her hands.
Your Brand Deserves to Be Remembered Like This.
Shreya’s story isn’t rare—it’s real.
It’s what happens when content speaks to the heart, not just to search engines.
At ViralVerb, we don’t just optimize for Google—we optimize for the human experience.
Because when your content sees people, they see you back.
That’s HEO—Human Experience Optimization.
It takes your SEO higher, makes your brand unforgettable, and turns silent readers into loyal believers.
If your audience feels unheard, it’s not your product—it’s your words.
Let’s write them right.
Reach out to ViralVerb. Let’s humanize your brand.
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