Money Script: Glossary

An unconscious belief about money (typically learned in childhood) that drives adult financial behavior.

The concept of money scripts comes from the work of psychologists Brad and Ted Klontz. They identify four primary scripts: money avoidance (money is bad/corrupting), money worship (money solves everything), money status (self-worth equals net worth), and money vigilance (money must be hoarded and hidden).

For couples, surfacing each partner's dominant money scripts is one of the most useful exercises possible. It explains why disagreements about specific purchases often go nowhere. The fight isn't about the purchase; it's about two different scripts colliding.

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