Money avoidance
Money feels a little shameful, and it leaves faster than it comes.
Want to know your money script? Twenty statements, about four minutes.
In this script, money is tied to something uncomfortable: greed, risk, conflict, other people's envy. Out loud you may want more, but something inside resists: naming your price is awkward, opening a bank statement is frightening, and spare money always finds a way out. Brad Klontz's research links this script to lower income and financial self-sabotage, not because people can't earn, but because big money feels unsafe to them.
How it sounds inside
- “Rich people are greedy”
- “Money corrupts people”
- “Less, but calmer”
- “I don't need that much”
- “It feels wrong to take money for work I enjoy”
Where it helps
- You are generous and don't measure people by money
- You are hard to buy: values matter more to you than gain
- You can live modestly, and that gives you freedom
Where it gets in the way
- You undervalue your work and settle for less
- You avoid the numbers until the problem gets big
- You spend or give away extra money to get back to the familiar
- You feel guilty when you finally earn more
Where it comes from
This script often comes from a family where money caused quarrels or shame, where the rich were spoken of with contempt, or where someone was hurt because of money. In constellations I often see loyalty to one's own behind it: not living better than your parents, so as not to drift away from them. It is not your choice but an inheritance, and it can be worked through.
What to try
- Once a week, look at your balance and say the number out loud, without judging it.
- Ask yourself: what bad thing would happen if I had more money? The first answer is usually the script itself.
- Name a price 10% higher than usual and notice what happens inside.
In a couple
A partner with a “status” or “worship” script may seem too focused on money to you, and you may seem careless to them. Shared goals help: money not as a measure, but as a tool for what matters to you both.
Work through your script
Money is one of the themes I work with most often, including through financial constellations. If you want to understand where your script comes from and how to stop obeying it, message me.
This questionnaire is based on Brad Klontz's research on money scripts (Klontz et al., 2011). It is not the official Klontz Money Script Inventory and not a scientifically validated test, but a tool for self-reflection. A script is not a sentence: it formed once, and it can change.