I Love a quiz since teen magazine and eventually Cosmo had me circling answers to love and skincare quizzes every month.
12 horoscopes,
5 human design types,
archetypes for the feminine,
Myers Briggs combos for days,
leadership 360,
strength finder,
happiness scale from Lauri Santos….
Jon and I joke, well we don’t joke at all, about our personal opposing love languages. His, acts of services (wash his car, hang up his laundry-hell no!) and mine, gifts (he’s the worst gift giver ever).
Regardless of which language (love, Money, energy, blood type, astrology), we are all so different and so much the same.
My own clients and over 2 decades of Wall Street leadership has led me to understand money hiccups, fears, shame and lack of our ability to name what we feel around money. That brings us, finally, my researched (lived & studied) MONEY LANGUAGES.
These 4 types love varying degrees of details and spending.
If we are being honest with ourselves, money does not feel easy, even if you are in an abundance mindset.
Money isn’t just dollars, it’s memories of money, it’s modeling from our families, it’s our worth at its core.
We learned our money stories long before you ever had your own bank account. Money is one of the most emotional, triggering, and relationship-defining parts of our lives.
Long before you made your first financial decision, you were watching how your parents and Family:
Spent or saved
What they stressed about or avoided
What they rewarded or restricted
Generations carry their own money story but these imprints are:
Those raised by families shaped by the Great Depression often carry deep patterns of protection, saving, and “just in case.”
Those influenced by post-war Growth and the Post-World War II economic boom were exposed to opportunity, building, spending, and upward mobility.
Technology revolution where everyone thinks they are smarter than financial Experts, leaning on AI to make major life decisions.
Some households lived with scarcity, every dollar mattered, nothing was wasted, safety came first.
My grandfather used to eat the cheerios floating in my milk in the sink. He saved every penny, took the bus instead of his own car and would coast into parking spots in neutral (I forgot about that move until I started writing this article.) He grew up on a farm with 6 siblings, they worked for every bit of money and food.
Others lived in expansion cycles of spending, Investing, risking and doing that on repeat.
Our friend throws lavish parties, picks up every check after ordering the menu and then has to sell of his cars and wine collection he purchased at full price. He loves to shop Retail prices as a flex, but his kids see the ups and downs of it all.
Current generations believe they can do it all alone, not asking for help or advice from those with multiple seasons of economic cycles.
There is no judgment, just noticing what types of money styles there are.
Mantra: “Money creates experiences, connection, and growth.”
Expanders trust money will come and go in the way that stages of life occur. They use it as a tool to live without a focus on specifics.
High trust, higher risk tolerance
Believes in abundance and universe has their back
Spends on possibility, opportunities and Relationships
Doesn’t want to feel restricted
Shadow: avoiding structure, inconsistent planning
Mantra: “Money is a tool I direct toward outcomes.”
Directors are decision-makers. They don’t just spend willy-nilly they allocate with intention.
Decides where money goes and why to make the ‘best film’
Connects spending to a bigger vision like the set on a Hollywood studio
Action-oriented, outcome-driven, problem solver often with a team
Shadow: over-control, perfectionism, difficulty letting go
Mantra: “Money should make sense.”
Analysts are deep detailed thinkers. They want research, knowledge and they before making decisions.
Observes, evaluates, plans
Research-driven, not impulsive
Wants alignment and long-term Clarity
Shadow: analysis paralysis, delays, fearful, restrictive
Mantra: “Money keeps my plans for life’s goals on track.”
Pilots monitor and adjust on the way if there is weather forecasted or a shorter path. They know where everything is and make sure nothing goes off course.
Tracks, checks, protects
Detail-aware, steady, consistent
Mid to low risk tolerance
Shadow: tight control, difficulty seeing the bigger picture or changing course
Money awareness, like everything in midlife, becomes a tool to communicate with deep personal self awareness and compassion and empathy for your partner.
Take the Money Language Quiz.
Thank you for being here.
🎧 Have you listened to Visualization Vault for each money language?
✨ If you know of someone who would benefit from this article please send it to them NOW. That’s an order.
💬 If you feel stuck in your money patters, my wealthy and well sessions 1:1 sessions are where we unclog our future financial safety net.
