Some people genuinely suffer from financial anxiety. But let’s be honest - most people love a diagnosis. It gives them an excuse, an identity, a reason why things are the way they are. But this isn’t inevitable. It’s a learned habit, passed down and reinforced by the narratives we absorb.
Why Do People Feel This Way?
1. Parental Conditioning
Many of our parents had it rough. They started working at 16, did backbreaking jobs with minimal career progression, and were expected to retire at 60 or 65 - often dying not long after. Struggle was the norm. Stability was the dream. That’s the model we saw growing up and for many, it’s hard to shake.
2. The Reality of Work
Most salaries aren’t tied to achievement; they’re tied to attendance. Deep down, many people know they’ve lucked out, coasted, and contributed little of real value. The terrifying part? The day that direct deposit stops, and you have to rely entirely on your own efforts. That fear drives extreme caution because, for years, they’ve been faking it.
3. The Younger Generation’s Manufactured Doom
The younger crowd is bombarded with a relentless narrative: “You’ll never own a home,” “Everything’s collapsing,” “There’s no future.” Clickbait nonsense. The truth? They have opportunities that previous generations couldn’t even dream of - portfolio careers, remote work, global mobility, monetised creativity and unprecedented flexibility.
The winners see this clearly. The losers cling to the past, longing for a world that no longer exists.
The Real Divide: Analogue vs Digital
It’s not about age. It’s about mindset.
Pre-2000 schooling was analogue - no laptops, no internet, no constant connectivity. The last 25 years? Fully digital. If you resist this shift or fail to adapt, you’re finished. The world is moving at breakneck speed, and those who can’t navigate it will sink.
Yes, there’s more noise than ever. Yes, the information overload is exhausting. But AI will filter that out in time. Until then, you control your inputs. Doomscrolling is a choice.
The Cost of Poor Thinking
Many people aren’t suffering from a financial crisis - they’re suffering from a thinking crisis.
They only see life month to month. They believe the stories they tell themselves. They feel their thinking as if it’s reality.
No amount of money will fix that. No amount of Google searches will rewire their mindset. They need a shift in thinking, someone to help them see a different perspective.
And yet, for £1,000 - roughly 39p per week over a lifetime - they could get the guidance to change their trajectory. That’s the cost of the extra toilet paper they mindlessly unroll each week.
The Myth of the “Cost of Living Crisis”
We are wealthier and healthier than ever. The idea that there’s a “cost of living crisis” is a convenient excuse, a media-fuelled panic designed to keep people feeling powerless.
This isn’t about money. It’s about thinking.
When we slap a label on our struggles, we absolve ourselves of responsibility. It’s like blaming biscuits for weight gain instead of owning the fact that we keep shoving them in our mouths.
The solution isn’t more budgeting tips or generic advice. Those never work. Real change happens when you challenge your own thinking, open your mind to new ideas, and take full ownership of your future.