Have you ever noticed how the way we talk about money reflects how we feel about it? The words we use—like “budget,” “save,” or “spend”—carry emotions, beliefs, and habits shaped by our upbringing and culture. For many Filipinos, money isn’t just about numbers; it’s tied to family values, sacrifices, and dreams for a better life. Understanding the psychology behind your money language helps you recognize how mindset affects your financial choices—whether you tend to save, spend, or invest. By becoming more aware of how you think and talk about money, you can start reshaping your mindset toward financial confidence and abundance.
The Psychology Behind Money
According to the article written by Prudy Gourguechon published on the Forbes website, we make decisions on money that affect our emotions and the way we behave in the future. Have you decided on money recently which brought you great joy? Or perhaps your decision has caused you greater stress or even shame. Research has shown that the words used when talking about our finances affect the decisions we make.
If you are a fan of the law of attraction, you probably know that our words hold power. The way we think about our finances affects our mindset and behaviour. If you think about terms like “debt” and “bills,” it can cause you anxiety and stress. On the other hand, think about words like “savings” and “investments,” it powers your growth mindset and positive financial planning.
Does Money Language Affect Wealth?
A study conducted by Keith Chen of Yale University entitled, ‘ The Effect of Language on Economic Behavior: Evidence from Savings Rates, Health Behaviours, and Retirement Assets, suggests that language affects our decision for future and long-term decisions. In addition, language also has an impact on our perception of value. How do you feel when you see the words such as sale, discounts, and free? It makes us feel good, right? It’s as if we are getting some value with the money we are about to spend. In an article published by Yoast, discounts connote some urgency in wanting something you don’t want to miss out on.
On the other hand, try hearing the word investment. You may have the sense of wanting to take extra addition and value it more.
Furthermore, our choice of words when talking with other people about money also affects our financial decision. If you are with a group of friends, hearing words such as future investment encourages you to save up. Meanwhile, if you hear the words such as, I don’t have money for that or not pa
rt of our financial priority, it might discourage the people around you from spending.
To sum it up, our financial decision is impacted by our psychology of money language. The words we spoke and heard power. We should be mindful of the things we speak and listen to. To build a strong foundation on money language, we should be mindful of how we use our words. The mission is to create positive relationship psychology on money language for better life decisions.
Top books on the psychology of money
- Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
- The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness by Morgan Housel
- The Automatic Millionaire by David Bachs
- Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez
- The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness by Dave Ramsey
- The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko
- I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi
- The Simple Path to Wealth: Your road map to financial independence and a rich, free life by JL Collins
- The One-Page Financial Plan by Carl Richards
- Clever Girl Finance by Bola Sonkubi
- The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason
- Spend Shift: How the Post-Crisis Values Revolution Is Changing the Way We Buy, Sell, and Live by John Gerzema and Michael D’Antonio
- Mindful Money: Simple Practices for Reaching Your Financial Goals and Increasing Happiness by Jonathan K. DeYoe
- Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals by Tom Corley
- The Behavioral Investor: An Investor’s Guide to Better Decisions by Daniel Crosby.
Read these books and gain insights into the psychology of money language. It talks about different factors that influence how you deal with money, including spending habits, saving strategies, and investment strategies. Thanks to these authors, readers are provided with practical tips and advice on how to improve their relationship with money and develop a healthier, more mindful approach to finance.
Top Podcasts
- Listen to Money Matters – which covers personal finance and investing.
- The Psychology of Money – explores the relationship between psychology and money.
- Stacking Benjamin – mixes humor in providing financial education
- So Money – talks about business and how to improve yourself financially
- Smart Passive Income – focuses on building wealth and passive income through online business and investments.
- The Dave Ramsey Show – a daily radio show that provides financial advice based on Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover philosophy.
- ChooseFI – educates about financial independence and early retirement through frugal living and smart investing.
- Afford Anything – explores the intersection of money, lifestyle, and personal growth.
- BiggerPockets Money Podcast – talks about personal finance, investing, and real estate.
- The Fairer Cents – is designed for women’s financial empowerment and provides advice on budgeting, saving, investing, and entrepreneurship.
- Money for the Rest of Us – provides advice on personal finance and investing.
- The Financial Independence Podcast – explores the FIRE (financial independence, retire early) movement.
- Listen, Money Matters – talks about basic personal finance and financial challenges
- What works – talks about business tips and strategies
Listen to these podcasts and gain a wealth of information. There are financial insights to help improve your psychology of money language.
Understanding the psychology of money language is more than just learning about finances. It’s also about uncovering how your beliefs, emotions, and words shape your financial reality. For many Filipinos, shifting from a mindset of “kayang-kaya basta sipag at tiyaga” to one of abundance and smart decision-making can open new doors to financial freedom. The first step is becoming aware of how you talk about money. Then slowly changing that language into one that empowers rather than limits you. Remember, your words create your mindset, and your mindset shapes your future. Speak wealth, think abundance, and act with purpose—because how you talk about money can truly transform how you live.
