money scripts

They’re kind of like an actor’s script in a movie. We just continue to read the lines in our heads or out loud to our family and friends, and believe that they’re true! When in fact, they are often quite distorted, and can limit our success or even hurt us. For most of us, our money scripts are unconscious, but they drive all of our financial behaviors.

As I thought about it, I realized that my dad, a sensible and frugal role model, passed on some rules that have served me very well. There was no decree posted to my bedroom door; it was the way he lived and spoke about money, which rubbed off on me.

If I am poor and don’t have money, it doesn’t help anyone else; it only serves to make me feel less guilty about my privilege.