Why Budgeting Alone Will Never Fix Your Finances

Julie Murphy • September 11, 2025

When most people come to me for financial advice, they expect me to talk about budgets, investments, and strategies for building wealth. And while those tools have their place, they are not where true transformation begins. That’s why in my books and free workshops, I don’t just hand out financial tips, I guide people through the deeper emotional work, helping them uncover the hidden beliefs and patterns that shape their relationship with money.

Money is never just about money.
It’s about what’s happening inside of us.

In my book, The Emotion Behind Money, I share parts of my own story not because they’re perfect, but because they’re real. For years, I did everything “right” financially. I worked hard, earned the money, and hit the milestones. On the outside, it looked like I was thriving. But inside, I was exhausted. I was using money as a way to prove my worth, to feel safe, and to quiet the parts of myself that felt unseen.

Let me ask you:

Do you ever find yourself making financial choices you later regret and wondering, Why did I do that again?
Do you feel like no matter how much money you earn, it never feels like enough?
Or maybe you’re careful and disciplined with money, yet there’s always an undercurrent of fear, like it could all disappear tomorrow?

If so, you’re not alone. I’ve been there. And I’ve watched countless people walk through the same struggle.

Here’s what I eventually realized:
If we don’t face the emotions underneath our money choices, fear, guilt, shame, even pride, we stay stuck in cycles that no spreadsheet can fix.

I remember one powerful moment when I realized how much my financial decisions were tied to childhood patterns. Growing up, I learned to equate love and approval with achievement. So, as an adult, money became my measuring stick for “being enough.” Every bonus, every new client, every milestone gave me a temporary high, but it never lasted. The void always came back.

And I see this pattern again and again in the lives of people I work with. Some overspend to numb pain. Others save obsessively, afraid they’ll lose everything. Others give it all away because they’ve been taught their needs don’t matter. These are not money problems. They’re emotional wounds showing up in financial form.

What if your financial patterns are also connected to your deeper story? What might shift for you if you stopped seeing money as just numbers on a page and started seeing it as a mirror reflecting back where your soul is asking for healing?

Imagine this: instead of making choices out of fear, you feel grounded and confident about your decisions. Instead of carrying shame, you learn to meet yourself with compassion. Instead of feeling like money controls you, you use it as a tool to create the life you truly want.

This is possible for you. I’ve seen it happen again and again.

So how do we begin to heal?

Get curious about your patterns. Instead of beating yourself up for a “bad” decision, ask: What was I really feeling in that moment?
Connect your money story to your life story. Think about what you learned about money growing up. Was it scarcity, survival, abundance, or avoidance? These scripts still run the show until you rewrite them.
Lead with compassion. Money stirs up shame for so many of us. Healing begins when you soften the judgment and choose to see yourself with kindness.

When you begin to recognize the emotions behind money, something shifts. You stop seeing money as the enemy or as the savior. Instead, it becomes a mirror, reflecting back where your soul is asking for healing.

This journey isn’t about having a perfect budget. It’s about creating an authentic relationship with money that actually supports the life you want to live.

My hope in writing The Emotion Behind Money was to give people permission to finally tell the truth about what’s really going on beneath the surface. Because when you heal your relationship with money, you open the door to healing your relationship with yourself.

And that, to me, is true wealth.

If this message speaks to you and you’re ready to go deeper, I’d love to invite you to join my upcoming Emotions Behind Money free workshop personally.

In this live, interactive space, we’ll explore the emotions behind money together. Not just in theory, but in real time. You’ll have the opportunity to ask me your own questions, share what’s coming up for you, and be guided step-by-step through the process of uncovering your unique money story.

My intention is to help you see how these patterns affect not only your finances, but also your relationships, your career, and your sense of peace, so you can begin creating a path that truly aligns with who you are. Sign up here!

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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 ✨