Top 5 ways we as women sabotage our relationship with money

Julie Murphy • January 11, 2011

I’ve come to believe that most unhealthy financial behaviors result from emotional conflict or unrest within the individual. Now is the perfect time to understand how you might be sabotaging your relationship with money. Knowing why you’re spending will help you get in touch with your heart’s desires. And it’ll create a vibration of harmony and abundance in your life.

First, let’s look at a few reasons we sabotage one of our most important relationships in life.

• We put other’s needs before our own
How many times have we bought something our husband or kids didn’t need, “just because”?

• We spend on what we think we need
It’s easy to get caught up in the “keeping up with the Jones’” mentality, so we rationalize those expensive briefcases or luxury cars as fitting in with our circles.

• We’ve convinced ourselves it’s a treat
We work hard, so we deserve that high-end handbag. But when it comes at the expense of what what’s really in our hearts, how much of a ‘treat’ is it really?

• We listen to what the “crabs” say
We want the ones closest to us to accept what we want, and we’re devastated when they don’t.

• And one of the biggest ways we sabotage our money situation is to ignore our dreams and desires for the sake of taking care of the “necessities.”

So many of us are just going through the motions in our lives, pushing down our true passions in lieu of what we think life should be. But there’s no better time than now to take the leap.

Here’s an exercise: Sit quietly and listen to your own heartbeat. Ask yourself, “What do I need? What do I want?” Maybe you want more time alone or need a creative outlet or more physical activity. Maybe you need to end a relationship that’s making you miserable or move overseas.

Remember, there are no right or wrong answers. So don’t judge your needs and desires; they have merit and deserve to be taken seriously. Let them flow out onto a piece of paper, and look over what you wrote.

Now choose one of the items on your list and describe some specific, practical ways you might begin to meet it. Do you need fifteen minutes alone each day when you get home from work? Do you need to open a “Europe” savings account and put ten dollars into it each month? What’s the first step, and when can you get it done?

Acknowledge how powerful it feels to funnel your energy toward your own needs and desires. Make a pledge to take at least a few minutes each day to accept who you really are and think of concrete ways to honor the authentic you. Feel the harmonious vibration from one simple act hum through every aspect of your life!

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How to End the Year Like the Wealthy Do

By Julie Murphy • December 10, 2025

Reset Your Money Energy for 2026 Every December, we all feel that pull, the desire to “be better with money next year.” But here’s the secret I’ve seen again and again after nearly three decades of walking alongside people from all walks of life: Financially wealthy people don’t just plan their next year — they energetically complete the one they’re leaving. They close loops. They clear emotional residue. They realign their energy field before they set a single goal. And you can absolutely do the same. As I share in The Emotion Behind Money , wealth is never created by logic alone. It comes from managing the emotions behind your money and understanding that money itself is energy. And in Awaken Your Wealth , I remind readers that energetic shifts begin when you consciously picture yourself stepping into a new reality, while compassionately acknowledging the one you’re standing in now. So let’s walk through the simple year-end process I teach my clients — one that spiritually, emotionally, and financially resets your money field for a powerful 2026. 1. Review Your 2025 Wins & Losses With Compassion Before you step into the new year, look back with the most loving, nonjudgmental eyes possible. I call it neutral observation . Wealthy people don’t spiral into shame when something didn’t go perfectly. They get curious. Ask yourself: Where did I expand financially this year? Where did I contract emotionally or economically? What choices were truly aligned with my values? Which ones came from fear, scarcity, or old patterns? In Awaken Your Wealth , the “Accepting Reality and Awakening” step of PACT teaches that awareness without judgment is how we break old money patterns for good. So breathe. Notice. Write it down. No shame. No spiral. Just truth. 2. Forgive Any Money Mistakes Here’s a truth most people never consider: Every financial mistake carries emotional weight and emotional weight blocks money flow. From my work in The 4 Spiritual Laws of Money , we know that your heart’s energy is more powerful than your brain’s logic, and intention is what redirects energy back into alignment. Forgiveness, of yourself, your past self, or others involved, releases stagnant money energy. Try this: Write down any money decisions from 2025 that still feel heavy. Place your hand on your heart. Say: "I forgive the version of me who made this choice. She/he did the best they could with what they knew at the time.” Forgiveness isn’t about letting mistakes slide. It’s about resetting your emotional money field so you can co-create something new. 3. Create an Energetic Closing Ceremony for the Year This is where wealthy people truly separate themselves; they honor the transition. You can create your own year-end ceremony using whatever resonates from your spiritual toolkit. Here are a few ideas inspired by the intention-setting and clearing practices throughout my work: Light a candle Symbolize releasing the old year and calling in the new. Write a “completion list” Include everything you’re ready to release: debts you’re no longer carrying shame over, relationships you’re energetically cutting cords from, patterns you’re finished reenacting. Burn or bury the list This physical act tells the Universe: “I’m done living from this version of myself.” In The Emotion Behind Money , we explore how inherited beliefs and emotional patterns repeat until they are consciously released. This ceremony is your line in the sand. End with intention Close with one powerful intention for 2026, aligned from your heart: “I choose a new flow of abundance.” “I trust that money comes to me with ease.” “I allow myself to receive the wealth I’ve been working toward.” As The 4 Spiritual Laws of Money reminds us: “The Universe responds to action.” Your ceremony is your spiritual action. Ready to Step Into 2026 Aligned, Clear & Empowered? If you’re craving deeper support with your financial reset, join me for my Emotions Behind Money Workshop in January. If you’ve been feeling the nudge to recalibrate your relationship with money, this is your moment. Let’s make 2026 the year your inner wealth and your financial reality finally match. You deserve abundance and you’re closer than you think. With love, alignment & a whole lot of possibility, Julie ✨