By the time we’re financially independent, we’ve had or witnessed numerous testimonies to the stress-inducing nature of money. Memories of parents arguing over money or a lost job often give us deep, even subconscious, associations that cause us to act irrationally when it comes to money. Early life experiences form a negative thought process called the “critical inner voice,” which might be goading you into buying things to make you feel better and then making you feel guilty because of it. It’s not easy to shed the points of view you’ve unconsciously taken on from your primary caretakers, but it helps to seek out good role models for yourself.
Read the full article here: Money Stress: Why We Use Money to Feel Bad About Ourselves
Carrie Rattle is a Principal at BehavioralCents.com, a website for women focused on mind and money behaviors. She has worked in the financial services industry for 20+ years and hopes to inspire women to better prepare themselves for financial independence.