It’s easy to get swept up in the allure of potential money. Maybe it’s the raise your boss hinted at during the last performance review. Or the inheritance your relatives whispered about at Thanksgiving. Or that tax refund you’re sure will be the biggest one yet. It feels safe to assume this money is as good as yours, and maybe you’ve even started planning how you’ll spend it.
But here’s the thing: Money you don’t have isn’t real. It’s a story, not a fact. And as with any story, it can change—often in ways you don’t expect.
The Problem With Counting on “Soon” Money
When you count on future money, you’re treating uncertainty as certainty. You’re assuming the stars will align, the promises will hold, and life won’t throw you a curveball. But life doesn’t work like that.
- That raise? Maybe your company tightens its budget.
- The inheritance? It could get eaten up by taxes, legal disputes, or unexpected medical bills.
- The “sure thing” investment? Markets don’t care about your plans.
The result is the same: You build your financial house on a foundation of “maybe,” and when “maybe” becomes “not happening,” the whole thing collapses.
Why We Fall For It
Humans are hardwired to believe in future outcomes. It’s optimism mixed with a little overconfidence. We want to believe that tomorrow will go exactly as planned, that the numbers we’ve penciled into our mental ledgers will come to fruition. And let’s be honest—it’s fun to think about what you’ll do with that money once it arrives.
But this mindset has a cost. When you spend time (and, worse, money) based on what might happen, you risk losing control of what is happening right now.
The Financial Illusion of Control
Here’s where it gets tricky: counting on future money often leads to decisions that make your present financial situation worse. You commit to spending you can’t afford yet because you’re sure that bonus or windfall will cover it. You stretch yourself thin, thinking relief is just around the corner.
But if that money never materializes, you’re left scrambling. And even if it does show up, you’ve already spent it mentally, so you’re no better off.
How To Avoid the Trap
The solution isn’t pessimism—it’s discipline. Here’s how to build your financial life on certainty, not speculation:
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Base Decisions on What You Have Now
Make spending and saving choices based on the money you currently have, not what you think is coming. If the bonus or refund shows up, great—that’s a cherry on top. -
Create a Cushion
An emergency fund protects you from needing future money to cover today’s problems. When life throws a curveball—and it will—you won’t be forced to rely on “maybe” income. -
Separate Wishes from Reality
It’s okay to hope for good things in the future. Just don’t let that hope dictate your present. Treat future money as a possibility, not a guarantee. -
Be Patient With Growth
Wealth is built slowly, through consistent effort and careful decisions. Waiting for a windfall or banking on a big break isn’t a strategy—it’s a gamble.
The Beauty of Grounded Financial Thinking
When you stop counting on money that isn’t in your hand, you stop chasing shadows. You make decisions based on reality, not hope. This doesn’t just make you more financially stable—it makes you calmer, less stressed, and better prepared for whatever life throws your way.
The truth is, financial security isn’t about how much you might have tomorrow. It’s about what you do with what you have today. Focus on that, and the rest will take care of itself.