Most people don’t have a “money problem.” They have an identity problem. In my work, I see three common money identities show up again and again: spender, saver, and investor. None of them are bad. None of them are permanent. But each one shapes how you think, feel, and act with money. Spenders live in the present. Money is emotional. It’s how relief, connection, validation, and reward show up. Spending often happens fast and feels justified in the moment — and heavy afterward. Savers live in protection mode. Money equals safety. There’s discipline, restraint, and structure — but also hesitation. Savers know how to hold money, but often struggle to let it grow. Investors live in the future. Money is a tool. Decisions are slower, intentional, and aligned with long-term goals. Investors understand that comfort now isn’t the goal — freedom later is. Here’s the key truth:👉 Most people don’t choose these stages. They grow through them. The work isn’t about shame. It’s about awareness. If you know where you are, you can move forward with intention. So ask yourself honestly: Where am I reacting? Where am I protecting? Where am I building? That’s the beginning of real financial confidence.

We have been conditioned to be consumers, to act in a reactionary manner when it comes to money, to survive by overspending. I like this Joe, yes, a pattern becomes a habit and a habit can become an identity.

Whether we realize it or not, self-identity is the operating system of our lives. It shapes how we make decisions, what we believe is possible for us, and how we respond to pressure, opportunity, and uncertainty. Long before we think about strategy or tactics, we are acting from a story about who we are. Money is no exception. In fact, money is one of the clearest mirrors of identity. How we earn, spend, save, avoid, or obsess over money is often less about math and more about meaning. It reflects what we believe we deserve, what we fear losing, and what we think people like us are “supposed” to do. For many people—especially those who have experienced trauma, instability, or incarceration—identity has often been shaped in survival mode. When survival is the priority, money becomes reactive. It’s something to manage in the moment, not something to plan with confidence. Spending may feel urgent. Saving may feel unrealistic. Investing may feel like it’s “for other people.” None of that is a personal failure. It’s an identity shaped by experience. The challenge is that we can’t build new financial behaviors while holding on to old identities. If someone still sees themselves as “bad with money,” “behind,” or “not the investing type,” their actions will eventually align with that belief—no matter how many tools or tips they’re given. That’s why so much financial advice falls flat. It speaks to behavior without addressing identity. Real change begins when identity shifts first: - From survivor to architect - From reactive to intentional - From excluded to capable When identity changes, behavior follows naturally. Spending becomes a choice, not a compulsion. Saving becomes an act of self-respect. Investing becomes a statement of belief in one’s future. This is why, in this community and across the Think Outside the Cell ecosystem, we talk about mindset and identity alongside money. Not because it’s trendy—but because it’s honest. Numbers matter, but the person behind the numbers matters more.

Before you build wealth, you build a self-image. Most of us were taught to see money as something we survive, fear, or react to. That shapes how we move. If you see yourself as “bad with money,” you’ll avoid it, or waste it. If you see yourself as “just getting by,” you’ll make decisions that keep you there. An ownership mindset starts with a different identity: I am someone who plans. I am someone who learns. I am someone who builds. When you change how you see yourself, your behavior follows. Budgets stop feeling like punishment. Saving becomes protection. Investing becomes a vote for your future. You don’t become disciplined and then change your indentity. You change your identity—and discipline grows naturally. This is the work: Not just learning what to do with money, but becoming the kind of person who does it.

Good morning brothers just want to shout the community out and show what i been up to with my (weoutside) movement to help the homeless that wont commit to shelter just yet. W!- Welcoming E! - Empowering O!- Our U! - Unsheltered T!- THROUGH S!- skills I! - impactful D! - Direct E! - engagement