The only thing more exciting than a TED Talk is a group of TED Talks about money! Finance is such a complicated topic with so many different facets from our money mindset influencers through to the way our native language could potentially affect our approach to money.
These TED Talks about money explore these topics, as well as many others that will get you thinking about your finances and your stance on money.
Before you get into watching these talks, be sure to download our Free Mini Finance Planner to help you take control of your money:
1 – Saving For Tomorrow, Tomorrow – Shlomo Benartzi
We think about saving a lot, we know we should be saving, but there are more people without adequate savings than those who have access to their 401(k)k. As with so much in personal finance, this addresses the mental challenges of saving money, and how we see saving for our retirements as a loss.
A simple flip of savings as being an automatic default, vs an active decision you have to make, and by having you need to opt out rather than opt in could make a massive difference to how much you are able to save.
If your country doesn’t have mandatory contributions to your retirement savings, or if your employer doesn’t offer this as a part of your employment, you can do this yourself. It’s all about saving more tomorrow.
(BTW, the amount of money people spend on lottery tickets is incredible!!)
2 – Does Money Make You Mean – Paul Piff
Money mindset is a major issue for many people. A large number of people think that by being ‘rich’ you have to be a horrible person. It seems the numbers in this experiment back this idea up. However, the way you act with money is your choice.
These patterns of behaviour aren’t just for the wealthy, and the money mindset and self confidence mindset are complex and things we should be working on, aiming to be better and do better.
So what does this have to do with personal finance? Does it mean you shouldn’t strive to be wealthy in case you become a horrible person? Not at all!! It means that you need to keep your money mindset in check and be sure that as your wealth increases, your money mindset adjusts too.
3 – Less Stuff, More Happiness – Graham Hill
We’ve all heard the term ‘less is more’ but do we actually stop and think of how this applies to our personal finance situation? The more money we earn, the more we tend to spend, but perhaps the answer to happiness lies within having less stuff.
‘We need to think before we buy’ – just because we can buy it doesn’t mean we have to buy it. An interesting take on how to think more about what you buy and how it can fit into your home and think more about multifunctional furniture and living spaces.
4 – Programming Your Mind For Success – Carrie Green
Money + Success tend to go hand in hand, but are you sabotaging your ability to earn more money because of your fear or are you literally talking yourself out of being successful? It’s easy to fall into a negative mindset and tell yourself that you’re not going to succeed, once you’re in that mindset you can start to tell yourself that you don’t deserve to earn more money and that any prior success you’ve had was just luck, you didn’t deserve it.
But how do you get yourself out of that negative mindset? A great talk about how we think affects the life we live.
5 – Design Your Dream Life Through Passive Income – Alex Szepietowski
How long could you live for if your paycheck stopped coming in? Growing up we tend to learn that you go to school, you get a job, you work and then you retire. Your job pays you your income and you work hard and save for retirement. Seems pretty normal hey?
But that’s not the only way – and if anything, that’s a risky way to approach your income.
What happens if you lose your job? Or you can’t work? Or if you want to travel?
Passive income is something that is being spoken about more and more, and for good reason. Because it allows us to live an incredible life with far less stress and create wealth beyond living paycheck to paycheck.
This isn’t about getting rich quick overnight, it’s about taking action now to create an ongoing income for yourself.
6 – One Life-Changing Class You Never Took – Alexa von Tobel
Our lack of formal education about personal finance means we are learning through trial and error, no wonder we are getting it so wrong! It’s the number one thing young people stress out about and so, so many people feel like their personal finances are out of their control. We need more help, but where do we go?
The number of people living paycheck to paycheck is alarming. Our personal finance education needs to change.
This is an incredibly eye-opening talk that helps us realise how we got to where we are now.
7 – How to Retire by 20 – Kristen Hadeed
Despite the title, this isn’t going to give you a step by step plan on how to retire by 20, but it is going to give you a really big lesson in how to think outside of the box.
Sometimes the ‘logical’ choice isn’t always the right one and won’t always lead to the greatest financial gain. Following your curiosity and passions and listening to your inner child can take you so much further than you ever imagined.
8 – Know Your Worth And Ask For It – Casey Brown
When was the last time you asked for a pay rise? Did you negotiate your salary or was your salary determined for you? This is a great talk to get you thinking about how much money you earn and if it is a representation of what you think of yourself or if it has been set by someone else.
Even more interesting for those who work for themselves and set their own prices – so many people (women in particular) undervalue themselves and undercharge for their time/services.
9 – Could Your Language Affect Your Ability To Save Money? – Keith Chen
A fascinating talk about the differences in languages and how this can affect things in our life such as how we save money.
It’s really eye opening to how different languages are, and how simplifying our English language could result in us simplifying our spending habits and ability to save.
