“I’m just not good with money.”

“For me, saving is impossible anyway.”

“Investing is only for people who have a lot of money.”

Do any of these thoughts sound familiar?

Then you are definitely not alone. And no, you don't have to immediately turn your entire life around, open an ETF savings plan and get up at 5 a.m. to become financially successful. 😅

Because before we deal with saving, investing or financial freedom, it's worth taking a look at something that is often underestimated: our money mindset.

To put it simply, this means our personal attitude towards money. In other words, what we think, feel and believe about money – and how these thoughts can influence our behavior.

And this is exactly where things get exciting.

What exactly is a money mindset?

Money Mindset means nothing more than your personal attitude towards money.

These include, for example, thoughts such as:

• Money gives me security.
• Money is hard to make.
• People don't talk about money.
• I have to spend every cent.
• Rich people are different than me.
• I can't save much anyway.
• Investing is far too complicated.
• I would like to be financially independent at some point.

Such thoughts don't just appear out of nowhere.

Our attitude to money is shaped, among other things, by our family, experiences, our environment and our own experiences.

Maybe you often heard as a child:

“We don’t have the money for that.”

Or:

“After all, money doesn’t grow on trees.”

Actually completely normal sentences.

But if we hear them over and over again, they can influence our ideas about money.

Of course, this doesn't mean that a single sentence automatically determines your future financial behavior. But it might be interesting to take a closer look:

What thoughts do I actually have about money?

7 typical money beliefs that can slow you down

Sometimes we don't even realize what beliefs lie behind our behavior.

Here are seven typical examples.

1. “I just can’t handle money.”

At first this sounds like a fact.

But it's not necessarily.

Maybe you just haven't learned how to structure your income and expenses or create a budget yet.

Finance is not a talent that you either have or don't have.

Many things can be learned.

2. “I don’t have enough money to save.”

This idea is also understandable.

When there is hardly anything left at the end of the month, saving naturally feels difficult.

But instead of thinking directly:

“I can’t save.”

another question may be more helpful:

“Is there a small sum I could start with?”

It doesn't have to be several hundred euros straight away.

Even small amounts can be a start.

3. “Investing is only for rich people.”

This idea prevents many people from even thinking about investing.

You can first look at the basics independently of specific investment products:

What are ETFs?

What does risk mean?

What is a savings plan?

What does long-term wealth creation mean?

After all, knowledge comes before decisions.

4. “I have to earn more first.”

Of course, more income can help.

But even with a higher income, money can quickly disappear again if your own expenses grow just as quickly.

Therefore belong Income and handling money together.

Earning more is one possibility.

Dealing better with the money you have is another.

5. “I can’t treat myself to anything.”

By the way, the opposite of a bad money mindset is not:

“I’m never allowed to spend money.”

Financial freedom doesn't automatically mean that you have to forego every little joy.

A healthy approach to money can also leave room for things that are important to you.

It's more about making conscious decisions:

What is my money really worth to me?

6. “Others can do it, but I can’t.”

This is probably one of the nastiest thoughts ever.

You see someone who seems to have everything under control:

Investments are running, the account looks good, your own business is running and you can also do yoga in a relaxed manner.

And you sit there and think:

"Yeah, great. And I just forgot to check my expenses again."

Welcome to real life. 😂

Comparisons also usually only show a section.

The question makes much more sense:

What can I learn today that I didn't know yesterday?

7. “Financial freedom is unrealistic anyway.”

Financial freedom can mean completely different things to different people.

For some people it means no longer being dependent on a single income.

For someone else, it means having savings and feeling less financial worry.

And for someone else it means that at some point they will be able to decide for themselves how and how much they work.

So you don’t have to immediately aim to become “rich”.

Maybe you just want more financial flexibility at first.

That is also a sensible goal.

Changing your money mindset: Where can you start?

Now comes the part where it actually gets practical.

Because thinking about money is all well and good – but at some point you also want to change something.

1. Observe your thoughts

Try to spend a week paying attention to what thoughts come to mind when it comes to money.

For example:

“I can’t afford that.”

“I’m bad at saving money.”

“I always have to buy everything straight away.”

“I’m worried there won’t be enough left at the end of the month.”

Write down such thoughts.

Not to criticize you for it.

But to make them visible in the first place.

2. Question your money beliefs

Take a thought and ask yourself three questions:

Where does this thought come from?

Is it really always true?

Will it help me achieve my financial goals?

Example:

“I can’t save.”

Maybe the reality is actually:

“I haven’t yet found a method that allows me to save regularly.”

That sounds completely different.

And suddenly there is an opportunity to try something out.

3. Set specific financial goals

“I want to have more money” is pretty vague.

For example, it would be better:

• I want to build an emergency fund.
• I would like to save a certain amount every month.
• I would like to get to know my expenses better.
• I would like to deal with the topic of investing.
• I would like to build additional income in the long term.
• I want to become more independent of a single income.

Having a specific goal makes it much easier to identify next steps.

Money Mindset does not mean: “Think yourself rich”

And here I would like to make an important point.

When it comes to the topic of money mindset, you can sometimes quickly find statements like:

“Think rich and you will become rich.”

Of course, reality doesn't work that simply.

A positive attitude alone doesn't pay the bills.

If you want financial changes, this also includes very practical things:

Know income.
Know expenses.
Save.
Build financial knowledge.
Explore options for additional income.
And – depending on your personal situation – understand long-term wealth creation.

The mindset can help you deal with these topics in the first place.

But it does not replace concrete financial decisions.

From the money mindset to financial freedom

And this is exactly where the topic becomes particularly interesting for me.

Because money mindset can be the first step.

Additional areas can then be added.

Step 1: Understand your attitude towards money

What thoughts and beliefs do you have?

Step 2: Get to know your finances

How much money comes in every month?

How much are you spending?

Where does your money actually go?

Step 3: Build a financial buffer

An emergency fund can help you better cover unexpected expenses.

Step 4: Develop income

Maybe you want to develop professionally or generate additional income.

For example, there are options online such as affiliate marketing, digital products, a blog or other online business models.

However, you should always check carefully which method suits you and which promises are realistic.

Step 5: Understand wealth creation

If the basics are right, you can explore long-term investing and various types of investments.

The following applies: informing comes before investing.

Your money mindset doesn’t have to become perfect overnight

As you read, you may have realized that you recognize some of these ideas.

Then you don't have to think now:

“Oh my God, my money mindset is completely wrong.”

Please don't. 😄

We all have certain experiences and ideas about money.

It's not about suddenly standing in front of the mirror every morning and saying to yourself:

“I’m a financial genius!”

It's more about being more conscious with money.

Maybe your change starts with a single question:

“What relationship do I want to have with my money in the future?”

Do you want to constantly worry that there will be nothing left at the end of the month?

Or would you like to learn step by step to better understand your finances and handle your money more consciously?

You don't have to know today what your financial life will look like in ten years.

You don't have to get rich straight away either.

You can just start.

With a small financial goal.

With a budget.

With a book about finances.

With a savings rate.

With research on the topic of investing.

Or simply by honestly writing down your own thoughts about money.

Because financial change doesn't always start with a large sum of money.

Sometimes it starts with a new thought.

And that's exactly what can grow into something bigger over time. 🧠💰