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How to Change Your Budgeting Habits In 2022

Julie Murphy • January 6, 2022

If you’re ready to make financial changes in your life this year, it’s crucial that you address not only the practical side of how you manage your money, but the emotional too. 


In this article, I’m going to share some key tips on growing your financial wealth and how to improve your cashflow from a place of financial empowerment - no matter where you’re starting from. 


Understand That Money Is Energy 

Absolutely everything is energy. Our thoughts, words, actions, our physical bodies - everything. This has been proven by Quantum science and it’s at heart of how I teach and what leads to real wealth financially and emotionally. You can hear me talk more about this on my YouTube channel


From my extensive work with hundreds of clients with greatly varying financial situations, it’s usually not useful to head straight into a heavy assessment of their budgeting habits and draw up a fancy spreadsheet from the get-go. We have to delve far deeper in order to make those desired tangible changes. 


How Does the Word ‘Budget’ Make You Feel?

When you think about the word ‘budget’, really tune in and notice how it makes you feel. Does it deflate you and make you feel restricted? If so you’re certainly not alone as the pattern I generally see is that most people feel limited and disempowered. It’s similar to going on a strict diet where all your favorite treats are suddenly forbidden and 3 weeks later you’re devouring an entire packet of Oreos! 


That feeling and energy of restriction often has a snap-back effect and regardless of whether you make $40K or $600K annually, it’s the same emotional patterning when it comes to how you handle your cash flow. 


Budgets in the traditional sense can only serve to fuel this feeling and debt instruments implemented by the financial industry certainly haven’t helped, making us feel like we’re shackled to the system. 


It’s time to reclaim your power! So, let’s start by removing the word ‘budget’ out of our vocabulary and think about it in a different way. 


We need to shift our thoughts, words and feelings around the cash that gets deposited into our accounts and what is going out. Again, the amount is insignificant as it’s all about the energy that you approach it from that will really move the needle on improving your cash flow. 


How Do You Want Your Money to Flow?

Think about how you want your money to flow. How do you want to feel about what you have coming in and then what’s going out? Perhaps you want more visibility on it, be more conscious about where it’s going, to feel good about where you’re choosing to spend or save your money as opposed to it being a little haphazard and unplanned?


To do this though, you need to get grounded. Maybe you’re experiencing a spending hangover, which is totally common at this time of year. So please don’t judge yourself in any way. The only thing you can do is come from a place of empowerment based on your financial reality
right now. It’s important that you acknowledge and accept where you are and how your past financial choices have led you to this point.


Write Down Your Outgoings

I’d like you to write down all your outgoings and where your payments go. Check all your direct debits, standing orders, credit cards, day to day expenses and subscriptions to ensure nothing is missed. Then I want you to look down the list.


What one choice do you no longer resonate with? Is there an outgoing that doesn’t feel like a safe container? Is there something that’s triggering shame, blame, guilt or judgement or just an underlying sense of unease? 


You can then consider if that expense can be eliminated or if there’s a better alternative. For example, if you know your cable bill is more than what you truly feel comfortable with, changing to a streaming service could get you the same benefit at a fraction of the cost. How would it make you feel to then be able to use the saving every month towards something that’s fully aligned?


Keep working down the list to see if you can make more of these tweaks and changes. 


Create Financial Intentions

What are your goals for your finances? Where do you want to contribute more of your money? Name the financial intention, for example ‘My Rich Retirement’. Most banks now enable you to name your online accounts and I assure you when you see that new account building up, it’s only going to create more of those feel-good emotions, generating a ripple effect on other parts of your finances and life too. 


By taking this new approach, you are
choosing how your cash flows from a place of self-love, worth and alignment. It’s an opportunity to redesign your cash flow according to what truly speaks to your heart and soul. This is the essence of building your wealth from the inside out. 

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