Money idioms and money cliches are usually negative. Stories about scarcity and lack can interfere with your quest for wealth. What you say to yourself about money can greatly influence your actions or behavior. Since most goals are met by taking “action steps,” having a negative attitude about money can prevent you from reaching your financial goals.
Some people unconsciously fear making more money than their parents. Other people have grown up with parents or grandparents with a “scarcity and lack” mentality.
Here are the five cliches about money that influenced me, and how I reinvented the money saying to my advantage:
Money Is The Root Of All Evil
Some people misquote the Bible by saying, “Money is the root of all evil.” The Bible really says, “The love of money is the root of all evil.” There is a big difference in the two. Money can be used to help others, to help someone receive an education, to pay for travel. Loving money or things without caring about other people is, of course, evil. In my life, I try to remember to love people first and use money as a way of helping people I love, including myself, achieve goals.
The Rich Keep Getting Richer
It’s true the rich keep getting richer when the rich are prudent investors. If you have more money invested, you will make a greater return. Unfortunately, some people spout this money saying in a state of jealously and resentment, instead of seeing the opportunity. To learn from this money cliche, you have to be willing to save and invest so you experience the benefit of compounded interest. On the other hand, don’t borrow money with high interest rates as you are just helping the rich get richer.
If money doesn’t grow on trees, where does money grow? Most parents tell their children this money cliche because they don’t want to buy them something. A more positive way to communicate the sentiment would be to say, “It’s not in the budget this month, but let’s mark it down for next month. Let’s look at what we have to do to have the money to purchase that item.”
Money Makes The World Go Round
Money makes the world go round because bartering with goods and services is too much of an annoyance. A positive way to view this money saying is to realize shopping and spending money is not bad. Every time you purchase something you are helping to pay an employee’s salary. You are keeping businesses and companies open. You are fueling the economy even when you purchase an iced coffee.
Time Is Money
Time is money can be negative when it means people don’t have as much time to spend together because everyone is always working. A lot of “workaholics” use this phrase as an excuse for whey they don’t have more time for family. Although a person’s time is valuable, it can be managed wisely so there is a balance between business and family. I don’t view time as money as much as I view time as a space for daily rituals that can lead to more financial and personal fulfillment.
Because money is so demonized in our culture, I have found it helpful to repeat positive affirmations about money. By doing so, I’m more productive and more pleasant to the people around me.
More from this contributor:
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Five Money Savers You Already Own
