How to stop feeling terrified of making financial mistakes
Growing up in a low-income household leaves a persistent fear of losing everything and constant panic over potential financial missteps. This lingering anxiety traps people in a scarcity mindset, making it difficult to feel secure even when their actual circumstances begin to improve.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1settling for a cheaper commuter college instead of dream school
- 2planning to walk 30 minutes to the nearest cafe for a job
- 3borrowing a family member's car while dealing with strings attached
- 4continuing years of therapy
- 5building a very large emergency fund
- 6taking psychiatric medication for anxiety and rumination
- 7avoiding major purchases like buying a home
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I keep worrying about the what ifs…what if I lose my job? What if I can’t get a new one? What if the market crashes? I just can’t seem to get myself out of this poverty mindset.”source ↗
“I deal with the same fear of losing it all.”source ↗
“We’re a couple multiples of your income and net worth numbers and still feel the same way. The feeling never goes away.”source ↗
“I've always had financial anxiety as most kids of low income homes do.”source ↗
“Im (18) now, in college and im terrified of making any kind of financial mistake.”source ↗
“I got accepted into my dream college but of course I didn't get to go because it was to expensive.”source ↗
“Im the only person in my house who's well enough to work and without a car to get to a potential job im nervous.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 6Why do I have financial anxiety even with stable savings?
- 3How to handle financial anxiety during major life transitions
- 4Why does everything feel so expensive and impossible to keep up with?
- 4Why do I feel so financially behind everyone else?
- 3How to survive a massive drop in income
- 6How to save money on a low income when expenses feel non-negotiable