Money Scripts: The Hidden Stories Controlling You Wallet | Money School with Prof. Stephen Heath

Growing Money with Sean Trace

In this episode of Growing Money with Sean Trace, I sit down with my friend Stephen Heath to talk about something a little different, but incredibly important—the psychology behind how we think about money. We explore a concept called “money scripts,” which are the unconscious beliefs we form early in life that shape our financial decisions as adults.

We share some pretty funny and personal stories, from finding a Rolex at the bottom of a pool to the heartbreak of giving back a money clip full of cash. Stephen opens up about his family’s legacy of wealth and how one decision led to generations of financial difference. I talk about my own upbringing, the influence of conservative views on money, and how those beliefs still show up in my life today.

We break down the four core money scripts: money avoidance, money worship, money status, and money vigilance. And as we talked, we realized something was missing, so we introduced a fifth one—money balance. Because the truth is, most of us carry a mix of all these scripts, and the goal should not be perfection, but awareness and balance.

This conversation is part financial therapy, part storytelling, and part good old-fashioned real talk. If you have ever felt weird about money, struggled to spend it, save it, or make peace with it, I think this episode will really hit home.