Why You Overspend, Procrastinate, and Compare: 6 Money Biases That Are Sabotaging Your Financial Goals

You’ve got the budget app. You’re reading the personal finance books. You know what you should be doing with your money—so why does it still feel so hard to follow through? In this episode of Everyone’s Talkin’ Money, Shari breaks down six sneaky psychological biases that shape your money decisions without you even realizing it. From anchoring to optimism bias, these aren’t personal flaws—they’re predictable brain glitches. But once you spot them, you can stop them. You’ll walk away understanding: What anchoring bias is and why it makes that $100 dress feel like a steal (when it’s not) Why the fear of losing money feels worse than actually losing it—and how that keeps you stuck How your brain protects old money stories through confirmation bias Why instant gratification keeps winning, even when your future self is begging you to chill How optimism bias tricks you into thinking “next month” will magically fix everything Why social proof bias is fueling lifestyle creep—and what to do instead This is the episode that will make you pause mid-scroll, mid-spend, or mid-self-doubt and say, “Ohhhh, that’s what’s going on.” If any of these biases hit home, share the episode with a friend and DM Shari @everyonestalkinmoney to keep the conversation going Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices