Money Was Never the Problem; You Are the Problem
Here’s what happened to me. Without going into a rant.
One night my girlfriend said to me:
“Now I have a statistical representation of the behavior of my money in the account”.
And that’s when I saw that with different incomes, I always spent exactly 14% more than I earned.
In other words, as a young student, I thought:
“Ah, if only I had $400 more a month.”
So I would get the money anyway. But my expenses grew again. I was spending exactly 14% more than I had.
Then I thought, “Oh if I only had $500 more a month.”
I got the money quickly. The expenses grew again by the same percentage.
“Oh, if only I had $700 more a month.”
And so on.
So the problem with all the frustration with money was not the money, it was a pattern.
That pattern ensured that there was always a little bit less, reliably. No matter how much more came in.
I noticed this behavior with my brother as well.
Our family had to be very careful with money. My older brother was given a lot of responsibilities. He helped with babysitting and around the house. Eventually, he developed a defiant attitude towards money, which was simply “never there for him”. He was fed up with the deprivation. As a grown man, it was a liberating blow to simply spend money when he felt like it.
Money behaves according to what you believe.
So often we don’t have to work so hard to get more money. Instead, we just need to make more peace and develop financial skills.
First, it’s about freeing money from heavy imprints and old identities — for example, the defiant teenager who doesn’t want to be dictated to by boundaries.
Only when we look at our financial behavior with clarity and compassion can we see where the dog is.
I recommend that you see your desire for more money as a substitute for many deep desires that you are not yet aware of. Think about it — even if you are 100% convinced that more money will solve your problems.
If you recognize where the “too little” comes from, you can change your financial behavior in a sustainable way.
Ultimately, it is always about connecting money with our real and clearly stated goals and values.
Money serves life, not the other way around.
This article is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered Financial or Legal Advice. Not all information will be accurate. Consult a financial professional before making any major financial decisions.