What Your Relationship With Money Says About You

Money can come and go easily for some people, and they don’t really think about it. For others, it can be a big issue, whether they’re worried about spending too much or not having enough of it saved for an emergency. In any case, how you see and manage money doesn’t just reflect your financial situation. It might also reveal something about your personality. For example, what fears you have.

We at Bright Side think our relationship with money can say a lot about who we are. Here’s what it can tell us!

It can remind you about your past.

Some families aren’t able to afford to buy the things their child wants. Maybe you saw a pretty dress at the mall when you were little and wanted to have it, but your parents didn’t have enough money to buy it. Or you really wanted to learn how to play the piano, but there wasn’t enough money for a tutor.

These kinds of situations can leave emotional scars and make you feel insecure, because you probably saw that your peers had all those things. And you might carry that insecurity into your adult life. So when you grow up and become financially stable, you might start to compulsively buy things you were denied in the past, even if you don’t really need them.

It may show you what you think of yourself.

If you feel competent at handling financial matters, you’re probably a confident person in general. You aren’t scared of making investments, starting business ventures, or dealing with certain financial challenges that might appear along the way.

In contrast, if you’re always afraid of losing money and prefer to keep it in one place, it might mean you aren’t sure of yourself. If you can’t trust yourself with more complex financial matters, you’re probably hesitant in your everyday life too.

It can reveal your fears.

We all sometimes think about how our lives would change if we suddenly lost all our money. And trying to imagine this situation can reveal our greatest fears. Maybe you’re concerned about your health, and losing money would mean not being able to pay for a certain treatment. Or you want your kids to go to a good college and you want to support them, which you won’t be able to do in the worst case scenario.

Or maybe you’ve always wanted to make your parents proud, and you’re afraid of being a disappointment to them because of your financial troubles. Money reveals what you value and what you don’t want to lose under any circumstances.

It might give you a clue about your future.

What you do with your money can reveal your aspirations, and it’s also connected with your past. If you dreamed of getting a toy or going to an amusement park when you were a child, but your parents couldn’t afford it, you might start to think you’ll never be able to get what you want.

Someone who didn’t worry about money and whose parents could afford to buy anything they wanted might be more ambitious. In their childhood, their dreams always came true, so now they are sure they’ll be able to achieve whatever they want.

In contrast, someone whose dreams rarely came true might grow up to think they’ll never be successful in areas they’re interested in, even though this might not be true. Earlier financial limitations might be holding them back from taking a step toward making their dream a reality.

It can help you understand your mindset.

Money might not be a big issue in your life. You have a stable job with a good salary, and it satisfies all your needs. For some, this can be enough to feel financially secure. Others, who are in the same situation or those who do have financial troubles, might have a different attitude toward money.

If you always feel there’s never enough money and too many expenses, you might have a “scarcity mindset.” Even if there’s nothing to worry about, you might obsess over every tiny expense you make. And it can be especially frustrating for you to pay unexpected bills, like a burst pipe or medication you need to buy because you got sick.

What’s your attitude toward money? Do you spend it easily or do you prefer to save as much as possible? Do you agree that your relationship with money reflects your personality in general? Please share your thoughts in the comments!