Most decisions about money (or anything else for that matter) do not come from the mind alone. They rise from beliefs, memories, instincts, culture, education, the body... When you learn to spot the layers that shape your decisions, including the internal "ghosts" that still influence your thinking, life feels less random. You understand your reactions and regain more agency in each moment.
This matters whether you work with money, support clients through financial decisions, or are navigating your own relationship with wealth and abundance.
In November I presented at two very different conferences: the American Anthropological Association (AAA) and the Financial Transitionist Institute (FTI). One explored culture, meaning, and identity. The other centered on transitions and financial decisions.
Being in both spaces reminded me that money, identity, and culture are always in conversation. We feel this in small moments, like grabbing a coffee, and in larger ones, like shifting roles at work or at home.
The A Ha moments that follow grew out of those experiences, and my sense is that you'll recognize versions of these in your own daily life too.
Anthro A-Ha #1: Hidden stories shape everyday money moments
After presenting at AAA, I popped into a coffee shop and ordered a simple Americano. My chest tightened as I tapped my card. On the surface it felt like concern about the price. Underneath, it was an old belief that spending on coffee was frivolous. Too indulgent. A luxury that needed to be justified.
Anthropology mindset helps me get curious about the story behind that ick feeling. Once I named it and applied my inner work tools, the tension released and the moment softened.
(In the picture, I am in a workshop right after enjoying that coffee.)
For you:
Next time you make a small purchase and feel off, pause and ask:
Is this reaction about what is happening now, or about a story I learned years ago? One honest question can shift the whole moment.
Anthro A-Ha #2: We are all living in liminality, where money pressure follows cultural scripts
Modern life regularly places us in several transitions at once. Roles, responsibilities, identities, and money realities often shift at the same time. This stacked liminality is one reason you may feel stretched without a clear explanation.
Many of us feel as if we are crossing invisible thresholds with no guidebook. I often sense one chapter closing while another begins, and I am standing in between. It is uncomfortable, and human.
For you:
If you start to feel unsettled or unfocused, especially around financial questions, take a moment to name the transitions you are in. Liminality feels disorienting because it is the space between versions of you. Clarity begins the moment you recognize where you actually are.
Anthro A-Ha #3: Our nervous system has strings, and money can pluck them fast.
You can think the physical sensations in your body as the strings of your inner instrument, tuned by years of lived experience. Money can pluck those strings fast. A bill arrives. A notification pops up. A conversation about spending begins. The body responds before your words form.
In other words, I can be grounded one minute, then open a bank app and feel an old scarcity script move through my body. It feels like a tightening. Or numbness. A drop. A spike.
When I shift into my anthropologist mindset, I can trace the reaction to its source faster. Naming the string that got pulled softens the intensity. I can respond from the present instead of reacting from the past.
For you:
When your body sends you a strong signal around money, pause and ask:
Which string is being pulled? Responsibility, scarcity, perfectionism, belonging...? Money carries identity, safety, belonging, achievement, and childhood conditioning. You are likely bumping into old scripts such as:
- Work harder.
- Be responsible for everything.
- Do not fall behind.
- There is never enough.
Which one shows up the most for you?
So Why Anthropology for Financial Questions?
And Why Should This Matter to You?
Anthropology is uniquely suited for understanding money because money is cultural. Every belief you hold about earning, spending, saving, or deserving comes from the meanings, norms, hierarchies, and expectations you grew up within. Thinking like an anthropologist helps you uncover the stories your family and community attached to wealth and scarcity, see how class, gender, migration, and power shaped your sense of what is possible, and understand why certain financial moments hit your body so hard.
How to be your own anthropologist
A little awareness goes a long way.
Notice a reaction caused by something related to money.
Check out how I used these steps with my conference coffee moment.
1. Observe
What happened in your body when this reaction appeared?
When I tapped my card for the Americano, my chest tightened.
2. Ask
What story or belief might this be tied to?
What's going on here with this tightening; what belief is this tied to?
3. Trace
Where did I learn this? Family. Culture. Work. Survival.
I learned, early on, that buying myself something I enjoy but that I can easily make for myself was frivolous.
4. Name
Can I name the script in one clear sentence?
I do not deserve small luxuries.
5. Choose
What does the present version of me want to do here?
The present version of me chose to recognize the reality of the moment: while I did not enjoy the price, I could afford the simple coffee. It was not over the top in any way under my circumstances, especially after presenting. So I interrupted the guilt-tripping and enjoyed the yummy beverage without self-judgement. If I can do this, so can you 🙂
At AAA (American Anthropological Association) 2025 conference, I had the joy of meeting River Coello, the author of Hampi. Their work stopped me in my tracks. The book (featured in the photo above) is stunning. If you want to see anthropology expressed through beauty, presence, and creative rigor, River's work is worth exploring.