Your Money Story Didn’t Start With You—But You Can Rewrite It

What if your struggles with money... weren’t really about money?

What if they were about survival? About safety, shame, approval, identity?

What if your budgeting stress, your avoidance, your scarcity fears, or your guilt around spending weren’t character flaws—but inherited stories?

Because here’s the truth:

🧬 Money is generational. It’s inherited. It’s learned. It’s emotional.

It’s not just about spreadsheets and savings goals—it’s about the stories we absorbed long before we ever had a paycheck.

We all have a money story.

Some of us grew up with silence around money. Some of us witnessed scarcity, hustle, debt, or control. Some of us were praised for saving—and some punished for needing. Some watched wealth be lost overnight. Others saw it weaponized.

Maybe your grandparent always kept receipts, because one accusation nearly cost him everything. Maybe your parent equated frugality with morality. Maybe your nervous system tenses every time a bill arrives, even if you have the funds to cover it.

These aren’t just quirks. These are intergenerational money stories.

And they’re powerful.

Money is never just numbers. It’s nervous system. It’s narrative.

Your current relationship with money—how you spend, save, earn, avoid, or obsess—isn’t just about logic or willpower.

It's shaped by what you witnessed, what you were taught, what your family survived.

It's shaped by who had power, who didn’t, and how that power was tied to money.

It’s shaped by race, culture, gender, and generations of policy and experiences. Yes, even the history you didn’t live through personally still shows up in your bank account, your job negotiations, your spending choices.

We carry money anxiety that doesn’t belong to us—and we call it “being bad with money.”

But what if it’s not your fault?What if it’s just your story so far?

So, now what?

🛠️ Here’s the empowering part: You can change the story.

But not by skipping to the "financial fix."

You change it by pausing. By getting curious. By tracing the origin of those old money beliefs and patterns. By separating your values from your inheritance.

One of the most powerful tools we use in financial therapy is the Money Timeline—a simple but revealing exercise where you map key memories, messages, and experiences that shaped your view of money.

(Heads up: It can bring up big feelings. That’s okay. That’s part of the healing.)

The things that get passed down aren’t just money.

They’re stories.They’re fears.They’re patterns of silence or control.

They’re beliefs about what you deserve.

But they’re also opportunities—for growth, for awareness, for breaking cycles.

If you’re a therapist or coach, this is your reminder: Money is never just math. It’s trauma.

It’s culture. It’s nervous system. And yes, it’s something we can help clients heal.

Wherever you're at with money, you're not broken. You’re just human. With a money story worth understanding—and maybe, rewriting.✨

So here’s your invitation: Start noticing. Start naming. Start getting curious.

What part of your money story didn’t start with you?

And what part are you ready to change?