You’ve Been Trained To Be POOR! (10 Shocking Money Traps)

Most people don’t even realise it… But you’ve been trained to be poor.

Since childhood, from school to society, you’ve been conditioned to follow a system that keeps you broke, on purpose.

But today, we’re exposing the 10 hidden ways you’ve been trained to be poor—and, more importantly, how to break free from them!

If you feel like you’re working hard but still struggling financially, it’s NOT your fault.

The truth is, we’ve all been taught habits and beliefs that keep us poor.

We’ll be counting down from number 10, so do make sure you stay tuned until we reach number 1.

We’d also appreciate you taking a moment to share this post and help others begins to shift their mindsets.

 

You've Been Trained To Be POOR! (10 Shocking Money Traps)

Here are the 10 ways you were trained to be poor:

No. 10: You Were Taught That Hard Work Alone Leads to Wealth

From childhood, we’re told to work hard and success will follow.

But here’s the reality—hard work alone doesn’t create wealth.

The wealthy start with working harder but move on to working smarter.

They invest, optimise for tax efficiency, automate, and build systems that make money without trading time for it.

If you’re stuck in the mindset of only ‘working harder to earn more,' you’re trapped in the system.

No. 9: You Were Taught to Be a Consumer, Not an Owner

Since we were kids, we’ve been trained to spend money, not grow it.

Society pushes us to buy the latest phones, designer brands, and pay for everything via monthly direct debits.

But the wealthy don’t just consume—they invest.

Instead of just buying an iPhone, they buy Apple stock.

Instead of just streaming Netflix, they own a piece of the company.

The difference?

Owners build wealth, net consumers stay broke.

No. 8: You Were Taught to Obey, Not to Question

Think about school and work—both train you to follow orders instead of questioning the system.

But if you don’t question things like why you’re working 40+ years for a pension or why financial literacy isn’t taught in schools, you’ll stay stuck in the trap designed to keep you broke.

If you really want to break free from financial struggle, you need to start investing 📈long term—because saving alone won’t make you rich.

No. 7: You Were Taught That Debt Is Normal and Necessary

Student loans, car payments, credit cards—we’re told this is all just part of life.

But the wealthy don’t use debt like this.

They leverage debt to build wealth, while the poor take on bad debt that keeps them financially trapped.

No. 6: You Were Taught That Talking About Money is ‘Rude’

Ever been told, ‘Money isn’t polite to talk about'?

That’s a trap!

The wealthy openly discuss investments, business deals, and strategies.

The poor stay silent and miss opportunities.

No. 5: You Were Taught That Stability is More Important Than Freedom

Go to school, get a safe job, stay in your lane. Sound familiar?

But stability in a job is an illusion.

If your income comes from just one job, the truth is, you’re one bad day away from financial disaster.

No. 4: You Were Taught to Fear Investing, But Not Fear Wasting Time

People say, ‘Investing is too risky!' but never question the risk of working 40 years and retiring broke.

Time is your most valuable asset, but most people never leverage it for their money to work for them.

The stock market will experience crashes once in a while, as we've seen recently given the impact of the US tariffs.

But it’s all part of the game and shouldn’t be feared.

In fact, it actually presents opportunities for those who see it like that.

The key is to invest long-term.

In addition, invest in a variety of assets over time to stay diversified.

Gold is at an all-time high at the time of writing.

Property (UK or international) remains attractive depending on what strategy you focus on. For example, commercial property, Airbnb, HMO, etc, especially if done tax efficiently.

Starting a digital business that offers you location independence and diversifies your income stream is also something else we highly recommend.

No. 3: You Were Taught That Wealth is Only for “Special” People

Many believe rich people are just lucky or born into money.

As such, it’s easy to hate on people when you see they’ve built some wealth rather than celebrate them and ask how they’ve built wealth and what you can learn from their journey.

Wealth isn’t about luck—

it’s about learning the right strategies, and adopting the right money mindset and money habits while making sure your money is at work tax efficiently.

No. 2: You Were Taught That Saving Money is Enough

Inflation is killing your savings! Your money loses value every year if you’re not investing it.

Saving is good—but investing is how you build wealth.

No. 1: You Were Taught to Trade Time for Money

Most people spend their whole lives working for money instead of making money work for them.”

If you don’t build passive income or invest in assets, you’ll stay stuck working for every pound or dollar forever.

Join Financial Joy Academy, where we've created step-by-step Success Paths to help you become a confident investor, build a digital business and create multiple income streams.

It's not get get-rich-quick and will require taking action, shifting your habits/behaviours and being patient to see results. We'll be there to coach you on the journey.

Conclusion

If you recognise any of these 10 traps, now’s the time to break free.

Building wealth is possible, no matter how you define it.

Remember, wealth is just one aspect; your well-being matters too.

Strive for a balance between financial success and personal happiness.

The more you cultivate this balance, the more you’ll enjoy the fruits of your hard work.

Which of these 10 things have you been taught? Drop a comment or reflection below!

Please don’t forget to share this post with others.

And if you want to grow your wealth, here are some helpful resources:

• Follow the tailored Success Paths at Financial Joy Academy
• If You Have £5000 In The Bank, DO THESE 5 Things
• 10 Things I Quit to Regain My Freedoms!

Watch or share the video version of this blog post to help others on their wealth building journey:

As always, in all things, be thankful and seek joy.