Your brain is secretly sabotaging your investments, your savings, and all your money goals – and it’s doing it on autopilot. But fixing it is way easier than you think!
I’ve helped millions improve their finances, and I’ll share powerful brain tricks to instantly stop your worst financial habits.
Infographic: Click Here to Download
Your Money Scripts – The Childhood Programming You Didn’t Know You Had
Think about this: By the time you were 7 years old, your brain had already formed key beliefs about money.
Yep – before you even knew what a paycheck was, you were soaking-in money lessons like a sponge, just by watching how adults around you talked, spent, and saved.
Maybe you saw your parents argue about bills. Maybe payday felt like a big celebration in your home – or a big stress fest.
Even if no one ever sat you down to explain money, you were learning. And those early lessons became what experts call money scripts – little programs running in the background of your brain.
Here are a few examples:
- Money Avoidance: You feel super stressed thinking about money, so you just… don’t. Bills pile up because it’s too overwhelming.
- Money Worship: You believe more money = all problems solved. But no matter how much you earn, it never feels like enough.
- Money Status: You tie your self-worth to expensive stuff. Like, if you don’t have a fancy car, you don’t feel successful.
- Money Vigilance: You save like crazy, but you’re scared to spend any money – even when you have plenty.
Let me know in the comments which one you relate to the most.
These scripts are sneaky because they happen automatically. But here’s the good news: once you spot them, you can change them.
Next time you’re about to spend (or not spend) money, ask yourself: “What is actually running my decision?” Naming it gives you the power to edit your money story – like rewriting a bad first draft.
Infographic: Click Here to Download
The Caveman Brain vs. Your Future Goals
Alright, let’s dig even deeper. Your brain actually has two systems battling it out all the time.
System 1: The Caveman Brain – which is fast, emotional, and impulsive.
System 2: The Planner Brain – which is slow, logical, and careful.
The problem is, your caveman brain evolved to survive the Stone Age – not to manage 401(k)s. It’s wired to say, “Get what you can NOW! Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed!”
That’s why you get a rush when you buy something new, even if you know you should save the money instead. Your caveman brain just LOVES immediate rewards.
This is called present bias – where we care way more about today than 20 years from now. It’s also why saving for retirement feels so boring compared to getting new shoes.
Here’s a trick to beat your caveman brain: use the 24-Hour Rule. When you want to buy something on impulse, wait one day. Give your Planner Brain time to catch up!
Also, automate savings by moving 10% of every paycheck into a separate account. That way saving happens before your caveman brain even knows the money’s there.
Infographic: Click Here to Download
Why Losing Money Hurts So Much
Now, let’s talk about another brain glitch: loss aversion.
The pain of losing $100 feels way worse than the joy of finding $200. We’re wired to hate losing money way more than we love gaining it.
Imagine this: You invest in two stocks. One goes up a little – you sell it right away to lock in your “win.” One goes down – and even if you know you should sell it, you still hold on, hoping it’ll bounce back.
Infographic: Click Here to Download
This is super common. But often, by holding onto bad investments too long, people lose even more money.
Studies show that because of loss aversion, the average investor earns way less than the stock market’s average returns! All because we’re scared to take small losses.
Here’s a tip: Before you invest, set a clear rule for when you’ll sell – like if the investment drops by a certain percentage.
That way, you’re making decisions based on strategy, not emotions. Also, try thinking about small losses as “paying for better opportunities” instead of as “failing.”
Infographic: Click Here to Download
Why ‘Enough’ Never Feels Like Enough
Ever feel good about your life… until you open Instagram? Suddenly, your car feels old. Your home feels tiny. Your job feels lame.
That’s social comparison – another brain trap.
Our brains didn’t evolve to compare ourselves to millions of strangers showing off online. Back in the day, your “status” in the tribe mattered for survival. Today, it just leads to overspending and feeling “less than.”
It’s why people upgrade their lives with every raise: fancier cars, bigger houses, and flashier vacations. Instead of saving or investing, they just spend more – trying to keep up with everyone else.
Real wealth is often invisible. The person driving a modest car could have a million dollars in investments. And the person showing off their flashy car on Instagram might be drowning in debt.
So don’t believe everything you see on social media.
Remember: Focus on YOUR goals, not your neighbor’s. Practice “financial gratitude” – be thankful for what you have. And remind yourself: True wealth isn’t what people see. It’s what you keep.
Infographic: Click Here to Download
Conclusion
Now that you know how your brain is wired, you can work with it – not against it.
A guaranteed way to achieve your money goals is to start investing today. Check out 80% of investing basics in under 8 minutes.