Your Money Habits Started Before You Had Any
There’s a story about two brothers who were raised in the same household, by the same parents, under the same circumstances. One brother grew up to be extremely successful—financially stable, disciplined, and intentional with his life. The other struggled with addiction, financial hardship, and instability. When asked what they attributed their lifestyles to, both gave the exact same answer: “You see, my father was an alcoholic.”
Same environment. Same upbringing. Two completely different outcomes.
What This Has to Do With Your Money
This story isn’t about the dad or their upbringing. It’s about their interpretation.
Because what shapes your financial life isn’t just what you were exposed to—it’s the meaning you gave those experiences.
Many of us were raised around:
Stress about bills
Living paycheck to paycheck
Not being taught about money
Overspending or financial instability
A lack of planning and saving
And without realizing it, those experiences become the blueprint we follow right into adulthood, simply because that's what we know.
The Two Money Mindsets
Just like the brothers, people tend to go one of two directions:
1. The Repeater
This person continues the patterns they were raised in.
They usually:
Avoid looking at their finances
Spend frivolously and spontaneously
Stay stuck in cycles
2. The Rewriter
This person is dialed into their environment and doesn’t let it define them.
They decide:
“I want something different.”
“I’m going to learn what I wasn’t taught.”
So, they:
Are intentional about their money habits
Learn about money management
Make sacrifices around spending even if uncomfortable
Here’s the Truth Those That Struggle With Money Management Need to Hear
Your past may explain your money habits but it does not have to define your financial future.
At some point, a shift has to happen.
From: “This is how I was raised”
To: “This is what I choose now.”
That is where change begins.
Why Change Feels So Hard
Let’s be real—this isn’t just about numbers. Money matters are emotional. They’re tied to:
Safety
Identity
Comfort
Survival
So, when you try to change your habits, it can feel like you’re going against everything you’ve known and who you are.
That’s why people often:
Start and stop
Avoid
Know what to do—but don’t follow through
It’s a pattern problem.
The Shift That Changes Everything
Real change begins when you decide to take that one powerful shift:
“I now choose to do it differently”
That changes everything because now you’re no longer working on autopilot and start moving forward.
A Simple Exercise to Start Rewriting Your Money Story
Take a moment and ask yourself:
What did I learn about money growing up?
Which of those habits am I still carrying today?
Are those habits helping me—or holding me back?
What is one new habit I want to start instead?
Don’t overthink it.
As I always say, awareness is the first step to change.
Final Thought
You don’t have to come from a “perfect” financial background to have financial security. You just have to make a choice. And that choice—made consistently over time—is what creates a completely different financial life.
Lana | Financial Coach | LWilliam, Personal Finance
www.lwilliamfinance.com
