Why We Still Believe in Money Scarcity—Even When There’s More Cash Than Ever
The economy has never been richer, so why does your wallet feel lighter?
I was standing in line at my local coffee shop, listening to a guy in front of me complain about how broke everyone is these days. “It’s impossible to get ahead,” he told his friend. “There’s just no money out there.”
As he said this, he pulled out his brand-new iPhone 15 Pro, tapped his Visa, and grabbed his $7 oat milk latte.
If money is so scarce, how are people still spending like this?
It turns out, the problem isn’t how much money exists—it’s how we think about it. And in reality, there’s more money floating around today than ever before.
More Money Than Ever (And We’re Still Panicking)
Let’s start with a number that might break your brain: If all the money in the world was divided evenly, every single person—babies included—would have around $260,000 per year.
That’s not some economic fairy tale. Right now, the global money supply is four times larger than it was before the pandemic. Central banks have been printing money like a kid who just discovered a color copier.
Yet, if you ask the average person, they’ll tell you the opposite:
The economy is tight.
You have to work harder than ever to get by.
There’s just not enough to go around.
Why does this belief persist, even when the numbers tell a different story?
The Psychology of Scarcity: Why Your Brain Lies to You
Money scarcity isn’t just a financial issue—it’s a psychological one. The human brain is wired to focus on what’s missing, not what’s available.
This is known as scarcity mindset, and it does some weird things:
It makes you blind to opportunities. You see bills, not potential. You notice prices rising, but not your own earning potential.
It forces you into survival mode. Instead of thinking expansively, you start playing defense—cutting back, stressing out, and missing bigger chances to make more.
It distorts your perception of reality. If you feel broke, it doesn’t matter how much money actually exists—you’ll believe you’re broke.
Combine this with a constant media cycle about recessions, layoffs, and financial doom, and suddenly, you’ve got a world where everyone feels poor, even as the economy balloons.
Who Profits from a Scarcity Mindset?
Here’s the twist: Some people benefit from you believing money is hard to get.
Employers love it because it keeps wages lower. If you believe good-paying jobs are rare, you’ll settle for less.
Banks love it because it makes you dependent on credit. If you think you’ll never earn enough, you’ll borrow instead.
Marketers love it because it triggers fear-based spending. If you’re constantly worried about money running out, you’ll hoard things you don’t need.
Scarcity keeps the system running. But it doesn’t have to keep you trapped.
So, How Do You Escape the Money Scarcity Trap?
Here’s the real secret to wealth: It’s not about how much money exists—it’s about how much you allow yourself to make.
I’ve seen it firsthand:
A single mom who was drowning in debt made $101 million in two years.
A struggling father who could barely cover rent signed a $37 million contract.
A woman who never made more than $40k a year started earning six figures monthly.
None of them won the lottery. They just stopped capping their own income.
The Steps to Shift from Scarcity to Abundance
Decide how much money you want to make. Sounds obvious, but most people never set a real number. Be specific. “More” isn’t a goal.
Act like it’s already available to you. Not in a “manifest a Ferrari” kind of way—just in a money is abundant and flowing kind of way.
Find people who are already making that kind of money. Your income is usually the average of the people you spend the most time with.
Focus on expanding your income, not just saving money. Cutting lattes won’t make you rich. Thinking bigger will.
Detach from the belief that making money requires suffering. Hard work is necessary, but grinding yourself into exhaustion isn’t.
The Bottom Line: Money Is Not the Problem. Your Perspective Might Be.
Most people are chasing money as if there’s only one seat left on the plane. But money isn’t a finite resource—it’s a tool, constantly being created and circulated.
You don’t have to fight for scraps. You just have to stop believing scraps are all there are.
So, the real question is: How much do you actually want? Because once you stop putting limits on yourself, the money is already there—waiting for you to claim it.