The Hidden Cost of Money: Why the System Feels Broken
Episode 8 Summary — Featuring Seb Bunney (author of The Hidden Cost of Money)
In this episode, Jim and Cade sit down with author and thinker Seb Bunney for a conversation that digs beneath the surface of everyday financial stress. While many people feel like they’re doing “all the right things,” they’re still falling behind—and this episode explains why. Together, they explore how the structure of our money system shapes the way we think, behave, save, and even relate to each other.
This summary breaks down the core themes of the conversation and why they matter for individuals and families trying to build meaningful, stable lives in an unstable financial environment.
Understanding Money as a Communication Tool
One of the foundational ideas in this discussion is that money is a language—a medium for communicating value, priorities, and intention. How we spend and save reflects what we care about.
But when the money system itself is unstable, the “language” becomes distorted:
Inflation alters incentives
Purchasing power becomes unpredictable
Regulations and monetary intervention shift behavior
People are forced into short-term thinking rather than long-term planning
The result: even thoughtful, disciplined people end up feeling misaligned with their own goals.
How Inflation Changes Human Behavior
Seb introduces three psychological and behavioral impacts of a system where money does not retain value:
1. Shifting Time Preference
When money loses purchasing power, people are incentivized to:
Consume now rather than save
Focus on immediate needs instead of long-term goals
Make reactive financial choices rather than intentional ones
This high time preference behavior becomes a societal pattern.
2. Rising Meaninglessness and Frustration
When goals become moving targets—especially large goals like buying a home—people naturally feel discouraged.
Seb explains that many of the feelings associated with financial stress (hopelessness, anxiety, constant worry) are not personal failures but rational responses to a system that continually moves the finish line.
3. Reduced Capacity for Compassion
Inflation pushes people toward survival mode, shrinking their emotional and relational bandwidth.
Maslow’s hierarchy plays out in real time: when stability at the base layers is threatened, higher-level capacities—generosity, creativity, patience—become harder to access.
Why Essential Goods Become Investment Assets
A major theme in the conversation is how broken money causes the monetization of essential goods.
When cash cannot store value, people store value in assets like:
Real estate
Land
Commodities
Hard goods
This converts things people need to live into things others need to hedge against inflation.
And when individual families compete with institutions and investors for the same assets, prices skyrocket.
This explains why:
Housing prices rise faster than wages
More properties sit empty in desirable areas
Young families feel locked out of ownership
Real estate markets behave irrationally
It is not a moral failing of individuals—it is a structural response to a failing money system.
The Emotional Weight of a Broken System
Jim and Cade highlight something essential:
Most people blame themselves for what is, in reality, a systemic issue.
People feel behind because:
Savings don’t go as far
Wages lag behind inflation
Major purchases feel out of reach
Goals must constantly be recalibrated
Planning becomes guesswork
This emotional burden compounds daily stress, making logical financial decisions even harder.
The Power of Curiosity in Financial Clarity
Despite the heavy themes, the episode closes with a hopeful, empowering takeaway:
Curiosity is the counterweight to confusion.
Asking simple questions—What is money? What shapes my financial behavior? Why does the system work this way?—opens the door to clarity. And clarity allows individuals and families to move from reaction to intention.
Curiosity doesn’t fix the system, but it does restore confidence, agency, and perspective.
Why This Conversation Matters
This episode offers language for what many people feel but struggle to articulate:
that modern financial life feels harder than it should.
By exploring the root causes—instead of blaming individuals—Jim, Cade, and Seb give listeners a framework that makes sense of the chaos and provides a path toward more grounded, intentional financial living.
At Intentional Living FP, we believe that finances don’t have to be confusing. Let us guide you to a life you can love.
🎧 Listen to the full episode of “The Hidden Cost of Money” on our podcast to hear the complete discussion, or download the readable transcript here.
Visit Intentional Living FP to start your own intentional conversation about life and money today.
