Is getting better with money on your resolution list again this year? Maybe you've already downloaded a budgeting app, promised yourself you're going to track every penny, or sworn that this is the year you finally get it together. Well, here's what no one actually tells you - budgets don't work. If they actually did work, you wouldn't need to keep making the same resolution year after year.

Welcome to the first episode in my Money Myths series, where I'm busting the myths and beliefs that keep you stuck and stressed.

Today, we're tackling one of the most persistent money myths: "I just need a strict budget to stop overspending." Let me tell you as a recovered emotional overspender, this does not work. Budgets are built on willpower and they ignore the real reasons we overspend - they can actually trigger a response to restriction, create money shame when we don't stick to them, and treat the behaviour of spending rather than how you feel in that moment before you spend.

Instead, I'm sharing why a values-based approach works when traditional budgeting fails, plus practical tips for neurodivergent money management and permission to align your spending with what actually matters to you.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Money Myths

02:48 The Budgeting Myth: Why Budgets Fail

06:04 Reframing Financial Language

08:51 Emotional Spending and Impulse Control

12:13 Values-Based Spending Plans

15:02 Tracking Money Emotions

17:51 The Power of Permission in Financial Decisions

Resources:

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Check out other episodes focusing on ADHD:

How my ADHD diagnosis shifted my identity

My ADHD Diagnosis & How to Manage Money When You Have ADHD

How to Manage Money in Business When You Have ADHD

The best way to plan your finances if you have adult ADHD