The 5 Most Common Money Mistakes — And How to Fix Them

Posted On December 1, 2025

There are five major money mistakes almost all of us make. And most of these mistakes have nothing to do with intelligence, discipline, or even income.

Most of us never learned a biblical framework for money.

But here’s the good news. Once you fix these five things, your stress drops, your confidence rises, and your marriage becomes more unified almost instantly.

In this article, we’re going to walk through the five mistakes and show you exactly how to fix each one.

I’m a certified financial coach who helps Christian men finally get clarity, direction, and confidence in their finances.

Let’s go through these five mistakes together — and more importantly, how to fix them.

MISTAKE #1 — NOT HAVING A WRITTEN PLAN

The biggest mistake Christian men make is not having a written financial plan.

Not a plan in your head.
Not a plan you make up on the fly.
Not a “loose idea” of what you want to do.

A written, clear, step-by-step plan. There’s an old saying to goes, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? ²⁹ For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, ³⁰ saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’” – Luke 14:28-30

“Write the vision, and make it plain.” – Habakkuk 2:2

If it’s not written down, it’s not a plan.

Have you ever found yourself knowing what needed to be done, but you didn’t take action?

Here’s what most men don’t want to admit: Your mental plan is not working.

Why is that? Because emotions override mental plans every time.

When you’re tired…
When you’re stressed…
When the kids need something unexpected…
When work drains you…
You don’t fall back on mental plans —
You fall back on habits.

In both the military and martial arts, we learned that we fight how we train. It doesn’t work if we merely concoct a plan in our minds. Because everything changes once you’re punched in the nose.

A written plan fights emotional spending.
A written plan strengthens discipline.
A written plan keeps your marriage aligned.

The moment you write your plan down, you go from wandering to building.

Most men don’t need more money. They need clarity.

MISTAKE #2 — TRUSTING MONEY INSTEAD OF GOD

This is a powerful mistake many of us easily make.

For many Christian men, money becomes a quiet savior.

Not intentionally.
Not out loud.
But internally.

Money becomes the measurement of security, the source of peace, and the hope for tomorrow.

But Scripture is clear:

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” – Matthew 6:24

Money makes a terrible god.
It cannot comfort or guide you.
It can’t sustain your heart.
Nor can it strengthen your marriage.

Money is a tool.
And God is the provider.

When you flip that order, everything breaks.

It’s very well known that some people with great wealth are incredibly lonely and even depressed. They often lack peace in their hearts.

It doesn’t matter how much is in your bank account, because stability is based on your spiritual belief, not your financial belief.

Here’s what I remind my clients:
You don’t honor God by being broke.
You honor God by being a faithful steward.

Today, put God first and make money your servant, not your master.

If you’re looking for some good Men’s Bible Study Material, consider checking out Christianbook.com using my affiliate link.

MISTAKE #3 — AVOIDING DIFFICULT FINANCIAL CONVERSATIONS

I know many marriages where one spouse manages all the finances. And oftentimes, the other knows little to nothing about it.

In relationships where the woman is in control of the money, the husbands often avoid looking at their finances until they absolutely have to.

One guy I knew in the Army told me his wife handles all their finances. Since she didn’t work, his only request was that there be money available for when he wanted to buy something for himself.

When you avoid your finances, you’re choosing to avoid bank statements, budgets, and talking to your wife about money. We even avoid confronting our personal spending.

When I was a kid, and I’d get scared at night, I’d pull my covers over my head. I believed that if I was safe under my blanket, then nothing scary could get me.

As much as we’d like to, we can’t simply avoid it or pull the proverbial covers over our heads. That will only cause stress to grow.

Avoidance is not peace; it’s pressure delayed.

When we don’t have a plan, we feel exposed.
When we feel exposed, we get defensive.
And that defensiveness damages the marriage.

But something amazing happens when we finally face our finances:

Our confidence increases.
Our communication improves.
And, as men, we stop feeling like the problem and start feeling like the leader again.

As clarity is the cure for fear. Conversation is the cure for conflict.

MISTAKE #4 — NOT HAVING A REPEATABLE PROCESS

Winning financially doesn’t happen by accident. It’s about having a consistent, repeatable plan.

Most men go through financial waves:

Good month
Bad month
Recover
Repeat

No consistency.
No rhythm.
No process.

But financially successful families don’t succeed because they’re smarter. They succeed because they have a process.

They have routines for:

• Giving
• Saving
• Paying bills
• Reviewing the budget
• Setting goals

Success is repeatable.

When I coach men, we build processes — not just budgets.

A process means you don’t have to think your way into discipline.
You follow the system.

Because:

• Systems are stronger than emotions.
• Systems protect you when you’re tired.
• Systems keep your future moving forward even on your worst weeks.

You don’t rise to your goals; you fall to your systems.

And if your system is broken or nonexistent, your results will be too.

MISTAKE #5 — TRYING TO DO IT ALONE

This is the mistake almost every Christian man makes.

We think needing help means weakness.
We think asking questions means failure.
We think getting guidance makes us less of a man.

After all, how many of us try to find our way when lost before asking for directions? Or, we try to put our child’s new play area together and only read the instructions if all else fails.

But Scripture says we all need help:

“In the multitude of counselors there is safety.” – Proverbs 11:14

God does not reward lone wolves. He blesses men who humble themselves enough to seek wisdom.

Think about it:

Pastors, athletes, and CEOs all have coaches and mentors. Even the greatest kings in Scripture surrounded themselves with wise counsel.

But we think we need to “figure it out” by ourselves.

Why?

• Pride.
• Shame.
• Fear.
• Perhaps embarrassment.

Then, once you get help, everything changes.

• You stop feeling stuck.
• You stop guessing.
• You stop repeating the same mistakes.
• You finally get a clear, biblical path to follow.

Guidance turns confusion into clarity.
And coaching turns pressure into progress.

So let me ask you:

Which of these five mistakes do you see in your life right now?

• No written plan?
• Trusting money instead of God’s structure?
• Avoiding financial conversations?
• No process?
• Perhaps you’re trying to do this alone?

If even one of these hit home for you, you’re not alone.

And you don’t have to stay stuck.

This is exactly why I became a certified financial coach. To help Christian husbands and fathers build simple, biblical, personalized financial plans that bring peace into their homes.

Click here if you’d like to book a free 15-minute consultation call with me. There will be no pressure and no judgment. So, be on the lookout for that.

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