Are you making financial decisions consciously, or being nudged by forces you do not see?

Ceres Chua, Money Psychologist and Financial Coach joined me on the Get Ready Before Life Happens Podcast to talk about the hidden psychology shaping our financial decisions. We explore how unconscious biases, money scripts, and marketing language influence the way we think about spending, saving, and sufficiency. 

Key Takeaways

🔹 Much of our financial decision-making happens at a subconscious level.

🔹 Marketing language often leverages unconscious biases to influence spending.

🔹 Anchoring bias causes us to rely heavily on the first number we see.

🔹 Understanding your money script helps you recognize how you think about money.

🔹 Before making a decision, ask whether emotion or outside influence is driving it.

🔹 A sufficiency mindset focuses on defining what is enough rather than chasing more.

🔹 Reflecting on your beliefs about money strengthens clarity, peace, and intention.

Tony’s Take: When we understand how our mindset, biases, and marketing influence shape our decisions, we gain the clarity to choose intentionally and define what “enough” truly means for us.

 🎥 Watch this episode below: 

🎧 Listen to the podcast below or on your favorite podcast app. 

Connect with Ceres Chua: 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cereschua/
• The Money Mindset Lab Website & Mind Over Money Newsletter: https://www.themoneymindsetlab.com

Resources mentioned: 

• The Soul of Money: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Life Reprint Edition by Lynne Twist (Amazon)

Bio: 

I became obsessed with personal finance when I realized $14K a year in graduate school had to stretch far beyond what it was designed to do. I was trying to crack the code of living well on very little. That experience sparked a lifelong interest in the psychology of money and how our habits, emotions, and past experiences shape the way we make financial decisions.

After 20 years in corporate, I took all those lessons—both professional and painfully personal—and was pulled toward the work behind the spreadsheets: helping women feel capable and calm about money. Along the way, it became crystal clear who I’m meant to serve: women who are thinking about starting a business or are in the messy early stages of building one—before things feel stable or predictable. Entrepreneurship is hard enough. It gets even harder when your finances feel confusing, reactive, or out of control.

Now, I am building a DIY personal finance community for women solopreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs. Inside, we focus on the real money questions that show up when you work for yourself—how much you actually need saved before you start, how to manage uneven cash flow and taxes, and how to plan for retirement when your income isn’t predictable. The goal is to create a community of women with confidence, clarity, and a calmer relationship with money—so money stops being a source of stress and starts to become a tool they know how to use to grow their business.

☕ Support the Get Ready Movement.

If these conversations help you think differently about money or prepare for life’s what-ifs, your support helps expand financial readiness education and keep this work accessible.

👉 Support (here)