How do you build a healthier relationship with money? Today, we will explore how to rethink the way you see money.
Welcome to the 21th FLA Guest Blog Post! Thank you to Jenna from Parent-Leaders for sharing this helpful article.
Jenna Sherman is the creator of Parent Leaders. Parent-Leaders is all about us – the parents, and what we can do to make sure our children grow up to be strong, independent, successful adults. By providing a collection of valuable, up-to-date, authoritative resources, they hope to help other parents acquire the skills they need to accomplish this.
Parent-Leaders will help your kids with financial advice. This piece will offer practical advice on home buying and relocation, including tips on finding a family-friendly home, managing a budget, and helping kids adjust smoothly.
Money touches everything, but no one really teaches you how to have a relationship with it that doesn’t feel loaded. We inherit ideas about money from our families, friends, culture, and experiences—often without realizing it—and we carry those stories into adulthood. Some people are afraid to look at their bank account. Others feel guilty every time they spend. No matter where you fall, one thing’s true: a healthier relationship with money doesn’t mean having more of it. It means feeling less anxious, more aware, and in control of the decisions you’re making with what you’ve got.
Get Honest About the Story You’re Telling Yourself
You might think you’re “bad with money,” or that you’ll never have enough, or that wealth is only for certain kinds of people. Those thoughts don’t just come out of nowhere—they’re often shaped by what you saw growing up or the pressure you feel now. Maybe your family struggled, or maybe they never talked about money at all.
Either way, if you’re walking around with old beliefs that no longer serve you, it’s worth taking a step back to figure out where those ideas came from. When you name the story, you finally get to change the ending.
Use a Budget as a Mirror, Not a Restriction
Let’s just say it: most budgeting advice sounds like it’s coming from someone who’s never had to choose between groceries and the electric bill. But a budget doesn’t have to be about cutting yourself off—it’s really just a tool to show you what’s coming in, what’s going out, and where it’s all actually going.
That kind of visibility can be empowering once you stop seeing it as a chore. If the word “budget” makes your shoulders tense up, call it something else. It’s your money map. You get to decide where it leads.

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Have the Conversations You’ve Been Avoiding
Talking about money with people—your partner, your friends, your family—can be weird. But not talking about it? That’s where problems grow. It’s okay to not have all the answers.
What matters is being willing to talk things through, whether it’s splitting rent, figuring out how to pay down debt, or setting shared goals. You don’t have to be perfect with money to be honest about it. And when you let people in, you realize you’re not the only one trying to figure this stuff out in real time.

Let Your Spending Reflect What Actually Matters to You
Have you ever looked at your bank statement and wondered why half your money disappears into stuff that doesn’t even feel good? It happens. And it’s usually not about the amount—it’s about alignment.
The trick isn’t to stop spending altogether, it’s to spend like you mean it. When you stop buying out of boredom, pressure, or habit, and start spending on the things that actually light you up or support your goals, your money becomes a tool—not a trap.
Save Without Turning Into a Monk
People love to talk about saving like it means never going out, canceling every streaming service, and brewing sad coffee at home forever. But saving isn’t about deprivation—it’s about options.
Even small, steady savings give you breathing room when life throws something unexpected your way. And when you think of it as paying your future self—who, let’s be real, will definitely appreciate the help—it stops feeling like a punishment and starts feeling like care.
Acknowledge That Money Is Emotional—Because It Is
Here’s the truth: money is never just about math. It brings up fear, shame, pride, envy, hope—all of it. And if you don’t acknowledge that, you’ll end up making decisions based on feelings you haven’t dealt with.
Buying something to feel better, ignoring bills because they stress you out, putting off planning because it’s overwhelming—it’s all emotional. The more aware you are of what’s driving your choices, the more space you create to respond differently next time.
Learn Just Enough to Feel Steady
You don’t have to become a finance bro to get your footing. You just need to understand the basics well enough to stop feeling like you’re always behind or in the dark. That might mean learning how credit works, understanding how to ask for a raise, or finally figuring out how to open a retirement account. Financial literacy isn’t about mastering Wall Street—it’s about not feeling powerless when it comes to your own money. Knowledge is leverage, and you deserve to have some.
Chasing more money will never be the answer if your relationship with it is still full of stress, shame, or confusion. But when you learn to work with your money instead of against it, everything changes. You feel more grounded. You start making choices based on what you actually want, not what you’re trying to escape. A healthy relationship with money doesn’t mean having it all—it just means finally feeling like you’re enough, whether you’re holding a hundred bucks or a hundred thousand.
Disclosure: Fresh Life Advice is an opinion-based website. I am not a financial advisor, and the opinions on this site should not be considered financial advice.
What are your thoughts on How to Build a Healthier Relationship With Money? Let me know in the comments below.
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