The Hidden Forces Shaping Your Finances: Discovering and Overcoming Your Moneyscripts
We’re on the cusp of spring and there’s a sense of newness in the air. This season is always associated with new things: baby animals, blooming flowers, and the peak of the season—Easter and the celebration of new life that God provided through Jesus’ death on the cross.
Is there anything in your life that needs to be made new? Do you have any thought patterns or habits that are holding you back that need to be put to death so that a new way of living may arise?
We all have default responses, pre-set perspectives, and deeply ingrained behavior patterns. Often, these stem from, or at least are set into motion during, our childhood. As children, our immature minds do their best to interpret and make sense of the world around us and we subconsciously develop models for how to approach things.
What is a Moneyscript?
In behavioral finance, these are called moneyscripts. A moneyscript is defined as a set of unconscious beliefs about money that shape a person’s financial behaviors and health. Moneyscripts are often learned in childhood based on a specific set of circumstances and then carried over into adulthood even when circumstances have changed.
For example, you may have grown up in a wealthy family where you could spend freely without consequence. You may have a moneyscript that there will always be plenty of money and no need to think before spending. If you find yourself as an adult with a limited income, continuing to follow that moneyscript could be dangerous.
Or perhaps you grew up in a home where it wasn’t safe to talk about money. If you did, Dad got angry, Mom started crying, and everything fell apart. You may have developed a moneyscript that says it's bad to talk about money. While that may have served you well during childhood, it will make it hard for you to get on the same page with your spouse about finances and teach your own children wise stewardship principles.
Growing up, my family never had enough money. My mom was a single mom with six kids in southern California, so it’s understandable. Accordingly, I developed the moneyscript that you need to work hard and save your money because there will always be a need for it. That doesn’t sound bad at all and it served me very well as a young adult. I worked hard and saved everything and didn’t end up in debt like most of my peers.
But my miserly ways didn’t carry over as positively into my marriage. I carried that moneyscript with me even when we were financially comfortable. You can imagine how my husband felt when he worked long hours in a challenging job and then his wife didn’t want to let him spend any of his hard-earned money. We have been married long enough now that we have each helped each other come to a healthy place and get on the same page financially, but it wasn’t easy in the beginning.
The Danger of Misapplied Moneyscripts
Moneyscripts can be harmful when we hang onto them past their season of usefulness and carry them into new situations where they are no longer appropriate, as I did in my marriage.
To see the impact clearly, let’s look at an example outside of the financial realm. When you’re 4 years old, blind trust and instantaneous obedience to your mother are necessary for your very survival. When mom screams “Stop!” you do exactly as she says or you may never see kindergarten.
But how well does that serve you as an adult? Blindly doing whatever your mother tells you will likely land you in marriage counseling! It’s easy to see the fallacy of carrying this behavior into adulthood, yet we do exactly that with many of our moneyscripts.
Uncovering your Moneyscripts
We all have moneyscripts, but most of us have never taken the time to recognize them, evaluate them, and make a conscious decision of whether to keep or discard them based on our current reality.
In this season of new beginnings, I would encourage you to take some time to reflect and pray about this. Ask God, “Do I have any moneyscripts that do not glorify you? Are there any mindsets or patterns that I’ve developed over the years that have become detrimental to my stewardship journey and my witness?”
Romans 12:2 tells us, “Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (NIV) God didn't issue that command and then sit back to wait for you to figure out how to do it on your own. He’s ready, willing, and able to help you. All you have to do is ask.
Seeking Help
Sometimes, overcoming your unhealthy moneyscripts involves getting outside help. At Guide Financial Planning, we are not mental health professionals or licensed counselors, but we offer holistic comprehensive financial planning. We care about you as a person, not just your investments or your net worth. For us, money is not the goal. Money is a tool to empower you to be the person that God created you to be and answer His call on your life. If you feel God is prompting you to address your financial life and stewardship journey, you can schedule a free introductory phone call with us to learn how we can help here.
About Amy Artiga
Amy Artiga is a Christian fee-only Certified Financial Planner® and Certified Kingdom Advisor®. She has a passion for helping people of all income levels make wise financial decisions and steward their resources from an eternal perspective using Biblical principles. Based in Atlanta, GA, she works with clients virtually throughout the country and abroad through Guide Financial Planning and serves pastors through Pastor’s Wallet. You can follow the links to learn more about Guide Financial Planning and our team and the services we offer.