Overcoming money fears isn’t about perfection. Learn how to build financial safety with grace, starting small and finding steady ground.
Facing Money Fears: Building Financial Safety with Grace
Introduction – Naming the Fear
Can I be honest? Money scares me. For years—decades even—I’ve avoided financial conversations like an ostrich with its head in the sand. “La la la…” I’d distract myself, hoping things would somehow work out.
I often told myself, I’m just bad with money. But the truth is, I’m not lacking intelligence. What I’ve lacked is safety in this area. I’ve lived in survival mode: moving from one emergency to the next, putting out fires, sacrificing, rewarding myself, and then stumbling into another disaster. To admit this publicly is humbling. But maybe you’ve been there too.
Facing My Money Fears Through Books
This month, I picked up two books that many people had recommended:
1. The Psychology of Money – Morgan Housel
This book emphasizes that financial success is not about IQ—it’s about behavior. Our habits, decisions, and emotions shape our financial outcomes more than our knowledge.
Takeaway: Even when I didn’t know where to start, I learned that I don’t have to be perfect to make progress.
2. Rich Dad Poor Dad – Robert Kiyosaki
At first, this book discouraged me. I’m not in a position to buy assets that generate income. But two lessons stood out:
- Responsibility vs. Blame: If I make my struggles someone else’s fault, I also make the solution their responsibility. But if I say, “This is my problem,” I empower myself to be part of the solution.
- Shift the Question: Instead of saying, “I can’t afford it,” try asking, “How can I?” This mindset opens doors instead of closing them.
Financial Safety Isn’t Perfection—It’s a Starting Place
What I realized is that financial safety isn’t about getting everything right. It’s about creating a steady foundation that allows me to grow. For me, this looks like:
- Admitting the truth of where I am today.
- Giving myself grace for what I didn’t know before.
- Taking one small step forward, instead of waiting for the “perfect” solution.
Financial safety, like relational safety or personal safety, begins with feeling secure enough to start.
Practical Next Steps You Can Try
If you want to begin building financial safety alongside me, here are a few gentle ways to start:
- 📚 Pick up a book on money mindset (The Psychology of Money or Rich Dad Poor Dad are good starts).
- ✍️ Write down one financial truth about your current reality—without judgment.
- 💡 Replace one “I can’t afford it” with “How can I…?” this week.
- 🎉 Celebrate even one small financial decision that helped you feel more secure.
Closing Thought
This journey toward financial safety is new for me. It feels awkward, humbling, and sometimes even embarrassing—but also hopeful.
I’m not aiming for perfection. I’m aiming for a safer, steadier path forward. Maybe that’s the best place to begin: one step, one choice, one “how can I?” at a time.
-Laura