Why Your Unique Money Journey Needs More Than Standard Advice
Advice That Sees The Real You
When I was searching for financial advice, there was no one I connected to.
No one’s story before their financial success resonated with mine.
I’d scroll through podcasts, read books, and binge videos, trying to find something that clicked. But the voices I kept hearing sounded like they had it all figured out before they ever struggled. I felt disconnected, like no one understood me.
My problems weren’t just about budgeting or debt. They were deeper.
They were the kinds of problems that don’t show up in a spreadsheet. Like the shame I felt for not being “better” with money. Or the guilt of spending to soothe myself after a hard week, then resenting it later. Or the quiet fear that maybe I just wasn’t cut out for financial success because I couldn’t seem to follow the same rules everyone else swore by.
It wasn’t just about money. It was about me.
The battles I was fighting were internal.
There was a fire under me, burning for more. But I didn’t know what that “more” looked like. I wanted freedom. Peace. Security. But I was stuck in cycles of emotional spending and self-judgment. And standard advice? It didn’t touch any of that.
What No One Tells You About "Good" Financial Advice
You are not alone if you have ever tried to follow the common financial advice that is out there, such as "just stop spending," "automate everything," or "cut the lattes," and still felt stuck.
That kind of advice misses something big.
It assumes we’re all starting from the same place.
But we’re not.
We have different upbringings, traumas, responsibilities, coping mechanisms, beliefs, and lived experiences that shape how we relate to money. And when advice ignores those things, it becomes hollow. Even harmful.
Here’s what I found hard about traditional advice:
It Gives Me Anxiety Trying to Keep Up
When every voice talks about maxing out retirement accounts or hitting a six-figure emergency fund, I feel like I’m already behind before I even start. It makes progress feel out of reach, like if I can’t do it “perfectly,” it’s not worth trying.
It Feels Impossible to Reach Those Mainstream Goals
The goals often feel disconnected from my current reality. I want to build wealth, yes, but right now, I also need to get through the week without overdrafting. Where’s the advice for that?
It Focuses Too Much on the Future
It tells you to sacrifice now for a better later. But what if “now” already feels like a battlefield? What if I’m just trying to survive emotionally, not just financially?
It Doesn’t Speak to My Present
I needed help navigating the now, not just creating a 30-year plan. I needed to understand why I kept spending when I was stressed, why I froze when it was time to open my bank app, why I associated “budget” with “punishment.”
I Couldn’t Resonate With the Advisors
No shade, but many of the financial experts I found didn’t look like me. Didn’t grow up like me. Didn’t wrestle with the emotional knots I was tangled in. Their advice felt like it was coming from another planet.
What If It’s Not About the Numbers?
You don’t need more advice.
You need the right support for your actual life.
You need to understand how your mindset, emotions, and environment are shaping your decisions, not just the decisions themselves.
That’s where the psychology of money comes in. It’s not about what you “should” do. It’s about what’s happening underneath what you do. It helps you understand:
Why you impulse shop even when you swear you won’t
Why “budget” feels restrictive, not empowering
Why money triggers shame, anger, or anxiety
Why certain habits keep repeating, even when you want to change
When you start exploring those emotional roots, you realize something powerful.
You’re not ruined. You’re human.
And your relationship with money is not just about dollars and cents. It’s about trust, safety, power, identity, and healing.
The Things That Finally Moved Me Forward
Here’s what actually started to help me move forward:
1. Letting Go of Shame
I had to stop treating myself like a failure just because I didn’t fit the popular opinion mold. Emotional spending wasn’t a flaw. It was a clue. A message from my inner world. Once I started listening instead of judging, I could begin to shift it.
2. Making Space for My Story
My financial journey isn’t a straight line, and that’s okay. My past experiences, the scarcity, the pressure, the survival-mode habits, were valid. But I didn’t have to stay stuck in them. I gave myself permission to rewrite the narrative.
3. Taking Micro-Steps
Instead of aiming for “financial freedom” in a year, I started with getting through the week without emotional spending. I started checking my accounts without spiraling. I celebrated small wins. Those steps added up more than I realized.
4. Focusing on the Present
I didn’t have to have the next 30 years mapped out. I just needed a better relationship with money today. I learned how to pause before spending, how to soothe myself without shopping, and how to create systems that felt kind, not punishing.
Read 9 Financial Practices That Helped Me Understand What I Really Want From Life
What If Your Path Isn’t Supposed to Look Like Theirs?
Your financial path doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.
You don’t need to follow advice that makes you feel ashamed or behind.
You can build a money journey that’s based on your emotional truth, your lived experience, and your values. You can create goals that feel good to you, not just ones that look good on a graph.
So if you’ve ever felt like the standard financial world doesn’t speak to you, I see you.
You’re not failing. You’re just walking a path that hasn’t been fully acknowledged yet.
And you’re not alone.
What Money Healing Really Looks Like
Financial healing isn’t just about how much you save or invest.
It’s about how safe, seen, and steady you feel with your money.
So if no one’s story has ever felt like yours, maybe it’s time to tell your own.
And build your financial life around that truth.
You deserve more than one-size-fits-all advice.
You deserve a money journey that fits you.
❤️ If you find this helpful, leave a heart and share to support my work!
Keep more money and start spending in alignment with who you are, what you value, and the life you’re actually building.
The Psychology of Your Spending guide shows you how. Coming September 22nd, 2025.
Cervante Burrell, M.Ed., CFEI®, is the founder of Money Tips Money Hacks, a financial wellness educator, husband, and proud father dedicated to helping others thrive financially from the inside out.
I love your perspective… it’s different and refreshing and like you said, people rarely go deeper. Great job!
If people internalize and understand what you've laid out in this post, it would be a huge leap forward for them. Redefining your personal relationship with--and attitude towards--money is the only way for someone to truly get off the paycheck-to-paycheck treadmill. The spreadsheet is fine, but you need to get a grip on your behavioral shortcomings around money. Your money journey is long, and if done right, it can be a richer, happier trip.