Feel rich when you give money: How to cultivate an abundance mindset in 2026

Financial freedom often feels like a numbers game: Earn more, save more, invest more. Yet for many, it can start to feel like an endless chase with no real point of arrival.

Increasingly, financial experts and psychologists say that the fulfilment we associate with abundance is rooted less in accumulation, and more in mindset. Giving sounds simple, but many people hesitate even when they are financially stable.

In Singapore, where costs rise quickly and comparison is constant, it’s easy to fall into a subtle sense of “never enough”. Jaslyn Ng, financial services director at Prudential Assurance Singapore, sees this often in her work.

“People who are doing comfortably well struggle to spend on themselves. I really think it has a lot to do with our Asian culture and values that were instilled in us from young,” she explains.

“A lot of Asians grew up with the belief that we never have enough because our parents struggled. Even as incomes rise, the instinct to save for a rainy day is so strong that the proportion we spend on ourselves actually decreases.”

Real-world pressures can also reinforce a scarcity mindset. It is shaped by personal history, cultural expectations and life’s uncertainties, not just income. Often, it is strengthened by the fear that security depends on holding tightly to whatever we have.

“Young people, especially younger working professionals, really struggle,” Jaslyn adds. “The rate of salary increment versus the rate of property price inflation is not comparable anymore. Property prices keep increasing 5 to 10 per cent every year. And for parents, there’s always the worry that if they don’t send their kids for tuition, they’ll fall behind in school.”

Generosity reduces money anxiety

Psychologists describe an abundance mindset as a cognitive frame in which people believe resources can grow, solutions to scarcity exist, and sharing does not diminish personal security. Research from Harvard’s Human Flourishing Program shows that prosocial behaviour, including giving, consistently increases emotional well-being and reduces anxiety.

One of the most influential studies in this area comes from psychologists Elizabeth Dunn, Lara Aknin and Michael Norton. Their landmark 2008 paper in Science demonstrated that spending money on others reliably boosts happiness.

Follow-up cross-cultural research in 2013 found the same effect across countries and income levels, reinforcing the idea that generosity shapes our sense of sufficiency at a deep, primal level.

Positive psychology research further shows that generosity activates neural pathways linked to reward and trust, helping the brain associate sharing with safety.

Economists studying behavioural decision-making have also found that people who give regularly tend to exhibit lower loss aversion, making them less prone to fear-driven financial choices. These findings align with the work of psychologist Carol Dweck, whose studies on growth mindsets show that individuals who approach challenges with openness develop stronger resilience.

Applied to money, an abundance mindset encourages flexibility, creativity and long-term thinking rather than vigilance or fear. In essence, generosity creates a feedback loop.

When we give, the brain learns that we are safe – and that sense of safety supports calmer, more grounded financial decisions. Giving also signals to the brain that we have enough to share, reducing the stress responses that fuel hoarding, rigid budgeting and anxious spending patterns.

Over time, this rewires how we engage with money. People who practise intentional giving tend to negotiate more confidently, plan further ahead and stay consistent with their financial goals, because their decisions are guided by clarity instead of fear.

Jaslyn has seen first-hand how intentional giving can transform emotional well-being. During Covid, while navigating a divorce and significant stress, she began hosting charity coffee chats to raise funds for underprivileged communities.

Fellow financial advisers would donate in exchange for the chance to ask her questions – a simple practice that created a meaningful rhythm of giving, and shifted her focus away from anxiety towards connection and purpose.

Over the years, this approach has allowed her to raise $60,000 for those in need. “People become happier when they realise happiness may not come from buying things,” she reflects. “Happiness may come not from material wealth, but from the spirit of giving.”

She adds that the mindset shift is deeply grounding: “There is this saying, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ What it means is that when you are the giver, you gain blessings that go beyond material value.

Intentional philanthropy shapes abundance

Sissi Goh, an expert in intergenerational wealth succession planning and family office services, works closely with highnet-worth families – and even she notices that many begin their philanthropic journey with caution.

Their instinct is to protect what they have built rather than to release any part of it, driven by fears of losing wealth, and a desire to ensure long-term stability for future generations.

“There is usually a strong focus on accumulation and preservation. Families worry about losing what they have built, so philanthropy can feel risky at first,” she explains.

But as families gain clarity about the impact they want to make, giving starts to shift from fear to purpose. Sissi notes that many eventually embrace donor-advised funds, private foundations or structured giving vehicles, once they realise that intentional philanthropy allows them to align wealth with identity and values.

She shares an example of a family office that prioritised education, and set up a $10 million annuity to support schools in underserved communities.

“This decision aligned their wealth with their values. It transformed their giving into something perpetual and meaningful.” Sissi adds that generosity can also strengthen emotional security and family identity. “When people see their wealth making a difference, it shifts them from scarcity to abundance. It reinforces identity and strengthens family unity.”

Importantly, these insights aren’t just for wealthy families. Sissi emphasises that intentional giving is accessible to anyone. “Start with your values. Set clear goals. Even small acts of giving can create a ripple effect. When your giving is aligned with who you are, it becomes fulfilling and sustainable,” she says.

She also notes that structured giving often supports clearer financial decision-making. “Having a plan brings focus. Families think long-term, make intentional choices, and align their resources with what matters most.”

Giving naturally encourages structure. Once people choose to give consistently, they tend to start tracking expenses, reviewing budgets and clarifying priorities – habits that support long-term financial stability. Jaslyn sees this in her own life, and in the lives of her clients.

“For example, if I’m walking down the street and see peddlers, uncles or those with mobility challenges selling tissue paper, I’ll give $10 and maybe take a pack of tissues. And what is that compared to my monthly income? A very tiny percentage,” she says.

“With proper cash-flow planning, you will never overspend on giving. When you allocate 30 per cent to needs, 10 per cent to wants and so on, generosity never compromises long-term goals.”

Ultimately, building a giving habit is about bringing an abundance mindset into everyday life. When generosity becomes something you practise intentionally rather than occasionally, it begins to shape how you make decisions, how you relate to money, and how grounded you feel about the future.

Start giving with these simple steps

• Start with intention. Giving that aligns with your values reduces guilt and increases fulfilment – a point both interviewees emphasise.

• Keep it small and consistent. $5 a week or a modest monthly sum is enough to shift your mindset – consistency matters more than size.

• Include giving in your financial plan. Jaslyn recommends treating generosity like any other recurring category. Structured planning, she explains, ensures that giving never compromises long-term goals.

• Review and adjust. During lean seasons, scale back; during stronger seasons, expand. What matters is keeping the habit alive, not maintaining a fixed amount.

Daniel Yap is the former global lead for Binance Academy and HTX Learn. His teams helped guide and educate hundreds and thousands of crypto users on topics ranging from technology to trading.