$20K in Debt With No Clue About Money… Now I'm Raising Money-Smart Kids

Hello.

My name is Satasha Nabananga Bamblet. I'm a proud or

Let's get into it.

She's on the Money. She's on the Money.

Hello, and welcome to She's on the Money podcast that lets you be pervy about other people's money habits for educational purposes, of course. Welcome back to another one of our Money Diary's episodes where I get the absolute privilege of sitting down with one of our She's on the Money community members and asking them a million questions about their money story. Let's jump straight into it, because this week I got a message and it sounded exactly like this.

I get that was so exciting listening to you.

To read that back yeah, because I mean, like me telling it, yeah, it's okay, but then having you read it back to me, I was like, WHOA, that's.

Right, and I won't say I argue, but it's why I'm always like to people tell me about your money like grade, and then you go through their whole story and you're like, girlfriend, like, that does not feel right. Like it feels like you are probably being a little bit self critical. But aren't women always self critical of themselves?

I'm going to go with B B.

All right, you tell me a little bit more about your money story.

Yes, So, growing up, my first money memory was I was probably about three, and I remember waking up on Christmas morning and opening these presents and it was this really amazing fairy wings and tiara.

And a wand oh that's really sweet, it was.

And it wasn't until a couple of years ago I actually found out that my mom had made those because we had no money because my dad couldn't keep down the job.

And so this said, that's so wholesome, Oh it.

Is, honestly, And I was just my mum's such a legend. I just think back in like she just made something out of nothing for us.

You didn't even know the difference.

I had no idea. I had no idea. I just thought it was the coolest thing ever. And growing up, so my mum was a stay at her mum from when she had me. I've got three younger siblings, and so money was always tight. And my dad is the kind of person that would walk into a job think that he could do.

It better than the boss. It would then all blow up and then he would leave within six months.

Oh good, that's a very positive attitude to have.

So I'm positive.

And so we were never taught financial literacy or anything like that, So I grew up with a huge scarcity mindset. So I was always under the assumption that whenever money came in, it would just leave. And so I got a job as soon as I turned fourteen. I got my first job and I started working, and every single dollar that I made I spent. I had no money and I could never work out why I had no money.

But like you don't know what you don't know, right, Like if no one sat you down and said money dirist you actually need to put some of this aside. You'll be like, well, why would I do that. I've

Totally, And I'm sure I still use that now.

I cannot give an example right now of how I use that, and I literally work in finance, but okay either.

And then yes, I had my first job at fourteen, spent on my money, and then I got to eighteen and I was approved for a credit card and.

Worst obviously Hindsight's twenty twenty.

But I wish that had never happened, because then I ended up in all this credit card debt because obviously no financial literacy plus a credit card does not eat more good time.

I mean it did at the time, though I can almost guarantee that you had leg Let's be honest here, like we didn't get into debt, and it was a bad time getting into the debt. Often it's a fun ride.

Oh it was great. It was great free money, right, yeah, totally.

And I met my ex partner and he was really good with money, and he would save and.

Save, and he taught me a couple of things.

I'll give him that, But then he was quite emotionally abusive and verbally abusive, and so I just hit a point where I was like, I need to get out of this.

Just about six months prior.

To that, we had bought a new car and we did it in my name because at the time I worked for an insurance company and I got half price insurance if it was in my name. So we did that, and then when we broke up, it was just so much easier on my mental health if I just I'm going to sign the Regiro papers.

Just take it. I don't even care anymore. I just need to get out, isn't it wild?

Like I totally respect that, And so many people who haven't been in that situation might just be like, that's so silly, why would you do that? And you're just like, I don't think you understand the mental strain that I'm under and the fact that literally being in significant debt financially is much better, and I'm very happy with that completely.

I just to give you some context.

So I have always been maybe a size twelve to fourteen. In that relationship, I was under that much mental anxiety and anguish that I dropped down to a size eight.

My goodness, but if that's not where your body sits naturally, like you would have looked sick. Yeah, you would have been not well.

It was so awful, and the relief I felt even just signing those red Rock papers over, even though I was in a huge amount of.

Debt, now it was so worth it. It was worth every dollar. And then we had a joint account which we split down the middle when we.

Split up, And so then I booked a return ticket to the UK and I did a top deck tour over there and I lived my best life and it was great, but it actually put me into a little bit more debt, which I don't regret at all, because I had the absolute time of my life. And then I came back and I got together with my now husband. We'd worked together for a couple of years by that point, but I had changed offices, so we weren't working directly together. And then we found out quite soon after we got

That's really sad, but also like so embowering, Like yeah, totally.

So that was twenty twenty one, and so I like had sort of started thinking about it, and then last year I found the broke generations.

I fent Emma and then.

Yeah, she's gorge isn't she.

Oh she's so beautiful.

And she's just so relatable, like you just go yes, queen.

She's so relatable.

And then through Emma, I actually found she's on the money and yourself. And then I binged from August last year up until maybe three ways ago.

I binged the whole entire She's on the money.

Oh, Like, I'm so proud of you, because that's like if I take a step back, that's like such an epic step towards like creating financial freedom. But my lord, that's like seven hundred episodes of my voice. I'm so sorry.

Don't apologize.

You absolutely changed my life. I listened to it one and a half speed. I will throw that out there.

Oh.

I listened to all podcasts on two time speed like everyone in my head. Yap's real quick too.

And then I read your book.

Oh cool, Yeah, our local library had it as an ebook.

So I smashed that down.

And then I sat down and I created with help of some YouTube videos, I created a avalanche spreadsheet tracker to smash it on my debt, and so between i'd already started paying. I think I'd paid off about half of it by this point, but then I sat down in August, and between August and September, so beginning of August, at the end of September, I had paid off nearly all of it.

I think I had maybe three thousand dollars left.

And then I actually I came into some money unexpectedly in the beginning of October, and I paid off the rest of that debt.

And so ah, but like even your money mindset, right, So, like you said, I came into some money unexpectedly. Like I'm just going to make some assumptions. We don't know each other well yet, but I'm assuming that historical you would have just spent that money, not paid off the debt. And the fact that you came into some unexpected money and was like, okay, cool, that's going to pay off

Yeah, my celebration actually came not long after that, so we took a family holiday up to the Gold Coast with the kids for my birthday and yeah, so cute.

Yeah.

I remember walking through SeaWorld and we went into the Nickelodeon shop and I was standing in line and the lady in front of me got her phone up to pay and she paid with after pay at the counter, and I remember just having this It was like someone had thrown water in my face. I just had this realization like, oh my god, that was me not long ago, and I don't have to do that anymore. We have cash to spend on this holiday. We're not going into debt for it. And I just like I started tearing up.

I did it.

You did do it. That's making me like a little bit, I don't know, like I hate the fact that we can't just scoop people up like I'm such a and maybe that's me with my like really frustrating like savior complex, like I just want to scoop people up and be like, hey, I saw you using after pain and I was just wondering, like is there anything I can do? And like that's inappropriate,

Totally agree.

I completely agree, And I look at them now and because my husband and I work full time, so we are away from them quite a bit, so they go to daycare before and after school. Kit and I know, like seeing their faces when they get a new toy versus seeing their faces when we sit down and play with them and actually spend time with them. It's just absolutely priceless. And I know a lot of people say that, but it really is. Like the time you give them is so incomparable to like buying them things.

It's just yeah, Oh, I love this. I love this so much. It sounds like you've changed your entire story. Now tell me a bit more. You said, my husband and I work full time. What do you do for work? And how much money do you want?

So I'm a revenue operations specialist.

What does that mean?

So I work under our sails manager, and so I do all.

Of the forecasting and contracts and numbers for her.

So I work with numbers, not directly in the finance space, but I pulled together costing and all that sort of stuff.

That's very cool.

Yeah, I absolutely love it.

But the more that I've gone into this personal finance journey, I've thought maybe I should have gotten into finance instead, because I am obsessed with spreadsheets.

I've learned in the last six months.

I love spreadsheet me too.

You'll approciate this from Valentine's Day, I got my husband a card and had an Excel spreadsheet on the front that said freak in the Sheets, because he's.

Obsessed with them too.

I love that. I actually have a coffee mug that says freaking the ship.

Yeah.

Sometimes I give it to my dad when he's over for coffee and tea, and I just think it's funny, so funny.

And I earn one hundred and twenty five thousand a year plus sooper, Oh.

My god, that's such a good income. And you're like a baby, not a baby, but like you're in your early thirties, right, yeah, I am.

Can I tell you something else that makes me extra proud of that?

Please do?

I never went to UNI.

I've worked my way up and I got a Diploma of Business last year while juggling full time work, my husband and my two kids.

No you didn't, I did.

I did it.

Honestly seeing that number on my paycheck everyport and I'm like, hell, yeah I did that.

Yeah you did, queen, Like that is so much money, Like that is life changing. And don't get me wrong, lots of people are going to listen to this and be like, no, it's not all people are going to be like, oh my god, that's like double what I earn, and like we're all in different spaces and on different journeys.

Yeah, So I worked for a car rental company when I was early twenties. I got made Redana from them. I then moved to the insurance company and I worked for them. I was actually being underpaid, I found out at the car rental company. Rude, yeah, yeah, I was on forty five K and I was managing two people.

Excuse me, that's not management rates.

No, it wasn't, And it was absolute insanity. And then I moved over to the insurance company and I started as a team assistant and they almost doubled my salary again.

Oh yeah, that would have been so exciting. You would have been like, I don't know what to do with myself, and was less.

Work and more money issues. That's always a.

Good combine, honestly, I'll take it.

Yeah.

And then I was there for my seven years. My salary didn't go up much when I was there, but that was fine. I worked with really good people, had some really good managers, so it's completely fine.

I then got made redundant from there. So before thirty i'd been redundant twice.

Oh did you get a good payout?

I did for that one.

I did because almost seven years it was and because it was under the tax thresholder actually didn't pay a tax at any of that redundancy pay so that was straight in my pocket, which was amazing. And then I just madly scrambled. I got maybe done in at thirty weeks pregnant.

Oh my goodness, that would have been so stressful. Was that with your daughter or your son?

My son?

So that was during the COVID lockdown. I remember my manager crying as she had the conversation with me. She's like, I'm so sorry. I'm like, yeah, nothing to be so bad. It's fine, I know how this goes. I've done this before.

It's really find that would have stressed me out. And I mean you shared earlier that when you had had your baby, you were in the hospital like looking down at him and just feeling like you can't do this, So you're already in a financial pickle, like and I know that. It's it's funny because like, obviously your manager has to deliver that news, but it was probably not their decision, like they would have just had to deliver.

It to you.

But you just go, this sucks, like this is the worst, and like, what are you going to do? Start a new job at thirty weeks pregnant? What did you do?

So, yeah, it was a departmental wide thing, so there was a few of them.

My husband and I were in the same department.

But because he so he's quite a bit older than me, he had been there for a really long time, so they kept him because it would have cost them too much to get rid of so they kept him, which was it actually worked out really well for us because there was that constant of his income coming in which we really needed.

So that was fine.

So they what had happened was their redundancy process is a really long time.

It's like thirteen weeks in total.

It's enormous, and so they paused it while they went to maternity leave, and so I went on maternity leave and then I wasn't due to return. So that was in the September August September. I wasn't due to return until Dune the following year, but they had taken the redundancy of someone else because one of the guys had quit, and so they took the redundancy of someone else and said, you can do this job. And I was due to

And because I had already worked out how much we were getting in. It was quite Oh, it was life changing. The sun.

Yeah, you've probably done your budget and worked it out and been like okay, cool, Like I have two kids and like my husband's inconsistent work, Like you get so comfortable with an idea and like obviously you would have worked it out again, but like, oh my goodness, like the stress, yeah, completely.

And so I ended up going back when he was four months old, which.

Was never my plan.

What was that like?

Oh, it was stressful.

So I interviewed and interviewed and interviewed, and I got the job that i'man now, which has changed since I got it. But I then had to go back to full time work and it was three days in the office. So going from being at home during COVID every single day to then the kids, both kids being in daycare full time, it was a huge adjustment, but I did it,

And then so I.

Had signed up the year before us to do the diploma when the government had started doing the free courses trying to get more people to do diplomas and certificates. Master yeah, and so I was like, I'll do a set for and then I was like, no, what stuff?

It's funny how we think these things, right, Like it's so funny how we like do our justifications and like, yeah, like obviously, like there's probably some weight to it, like don't get me wrong, like one is technically more educated than the other, but like you're in this role already and you probably would have got it with or without, And I don't know, it just makes you feel like you've got a little bit more weight if you wanted to move around or do something later in your career.

Exactly right, exactly right. And so I started here early twenty twenty two, and then I was on one hundred K almost from the get go, and so I did the diploma. Just before I was finishing, I sat down with my work best here was also the finance team, and she's such an advocate for herself and everyone else else. She's like, you need to go in there and ask her at pay rat.

Yes, I love her already.

Yeah, she's so great.

And so I was like, oh god, I can't do that, and she's like, yes, you can.

And so before I'd even had a chance, to my manager of Porbia side and she's like, can we have a quick chat? And I was like, oh.

God, oh no, anyone who says that illegal? Can we have a quick chat?

I don't know?

Am I losing my job?

Yeah? I'm always like, am I in trouble? She was like no, dot know. And somebody walked in.

She sat down and she's like, so I want to do a little bit of a performance review because we're giving.

Your caras and I was like, oh, amazing.

And she's like, we're going to give you twenty five thousand dollars extra and I'm like, sorry, what, Yeah, it gets better.

It gets better.

He also then said and also, I'm going to give you some kpies and if you can hit them in the next twelve months, we're going to give you another twenty five the hours to fill with kries.

And so I was like, oh my god, I don't even know what to say right now.

My Jewey is on the floor. So are you going to go out to one fifty soon if you hit your KPIs June.

Should be June.

Oh you are iconic. So obviously there's some good cash coming in. And can I make an assumption that your husband earns something similar at the moment he.

Does, I'm going to earn him when I get the pay rise.

On coen behavior.

I actually said to him when I told him what happened, I'm like, does that bother you?

And he's like, hell no. He's like, if that means I can retire early, go for it.

But also, what the hell if any man is intimidated by what a woman earns? Like just walk? Just walk like one out of ten.

Totally, That's what I was kind of like, this could go one of two ways this question.

You've got to test the waters because I never thought this would be a reality totally. Oh my goodness. So what are your money goals? What are you currently working towards? You obviously had the big money goal of getting out of debt and you smashed that out. So what do the big money goals now look like?

So have straight I wrote them down? So the first one is we are going to buy a house? Is she I actually reached out to Zella last month and we've got oh my.

God, good idea.

We've got our first meeting with Solicity the week after next, so I'm very excited.

Oh my gosh, Flick is gorgeous. You're gonna love her. She's new to their team, but I've gotten her because she's come back as a broker after Matt Leaf. Oh she's a mum. I think you two will get on. I think you too will get on. And she's just you know those people that like just get it like she just gets it, like she pulls it all together so quickly. I'm so excited. Anyway, I won't keep talking about Flick because I know that she'll probably listen to this.

And we're actually doing the big move. So we're moving from Sydney up to the Blue Mountains.

A little bit of a tree change, yeah, totally.

And my husband and I are on really good salaries, but because we haven't bought before, it is so hard to get into the market in city, even on the salaries on and people like I said that to someone before and like, but you earn so much money, and I'm like, it doesn't matter.

We would only just be able to service alone.

And that would be cutting everything back to basics, So no extras for the kids, no swimming lessons.

I yeah, it's not possible.

So we're going to move to the Blue Mountains because we love it up there. We go for quite a few like day trips up there, we spend a lot of time up there, and it's where we feel home when we get up there, and so we're super excited.

Oh yeah, that feeling.

I love that.

And also, I just don't think people understand how genuinely hard it is to get into your first home. Like and obviously, like not everyone's going to go on a property investing journey, but like the first property is the hardest to get into because you not only need like a complete deposit, but like it's the first time that

Yeah, I'm excited too, And speaking of the house things, So it took me a really long time to get to the point of being okay with buying house because my husband.

And I grew up quite differently.

His family quite well off, so he always had everything he needed UNTI a really good school, and so he's never bought either. So it's really it was similar to what you were saying with you and your husband. It was never a goal of mine, but it's a goal of his. And so I was like, I'm not sure. I don't think we can do this. When we're talking about living in Sydney, I just kept saying to him, we're not going to be able to service. We literally like I worked in numbers and like you don't.

Want that stress. And don't get me wrong, Historically that's been so like right of passage, but now it's like that quote rite of passage actually becomes an entire burden and I'd actually prefer to rent. Like I remember when I didn't think it would be a reality for me, and I was trying to like way up what that would look like. I was like, that just feels like too much, Like I don't actually want to do that.

Hey, totally, totally.

And so I'm actually reading your property book at the moment.

I hope that's a good book, great author, it's right.

It's so good.

I'm about halfway through, and there's so many things in there that I just didn't even like process or no that was part of the process, and I was like, oh gosh, okay, but it's good to know. I'm one of those people that likes to have all of the facts upfront. I like to know everything about everything that I'm going into.

That's what I wrote that book for. Like, literally, here is everything here, all of the things that you need to look at. Here's a checklist of what I want you to take to your first home inspection. Like it's literally the book that if I could hold your hand

Yes, totally. And then my second one is we are going on.

A big holiday to the USA in twenty thirty one. My husband's turning fifty and my auntie's turning seventy and one of my cousins is turning forty.

So we're doing a big fairly holiday.

Over the Oh my goodness, Yeah, I'm so excited.

We're going to go on.

So my husband's dream has always been to go skiing in Colorado, when he turns.

And so we're going.

To go over just after Christmas of twenty thirty and go skiing and then go and meet my family in Florida and we're all doing a big Disney cruise together, at a big Disney trip.

That will be so fun. Ms Ters Gorici would be so jealous.

I'm so excited.

Oh my goodness, how old will your kids be?

Well, my daughter's going to be turning twelve like two weeks later and starting high school, and my son will be ten, not none younger.

Yeah.

Yeah, that's an age where they're not going to forget it either. Like if you took them when they were so young, they'd be like, oh maybe I remember it if you show me pictures. But like those ages, they're going to remember it and they get.

To go with other cousins and everything. I'm so excited. I'm so excited.

Oh my goodness, I know it's far away that like that is so fun. And to be honest, you're going to go into that holiday because I can see your mindset and how you're planning for it already. You're going into that holiday and you're not going to have any financial stress. I'm assuming the whole thing's going to be completely paid off by the time you get to that holiday. Yeah, my husband and I sat down into the numbers and worked at how much we need to save each fortnite,

And then I actually, when I got all my finances in order last year, I started with fifty dollars a fortnight, and then I worked my numbers again and changed it to one hundred and fifty. And then by taking money off the money that I allow myself to spend on discussionary stuff each fortnite, I took the money from there and pulled it into my investing one. And then I also did that again recently to so I'm doing two hundred a fortnite.

Who are you? Four hundred bucks a month? You found four hundred dollars a month to invest? Excuse me?

Who are you?

I'm going to go back to previous goo and tap you on the shoulder and be like, hey, I know you just took on your shitty ex boyfriend's twenty thousand dollar alone. But let me just give you a peek into the future, because it's looking sick.

It is, And I have already said to my husband at once that pay rise come through and we've put away for the mortgage and everything like that, I'm going to put all that extra money into investing because the way the world is right now, I'm a bit nervous about how everything's going.

So look at you. You are going to be so financially secure.

Yeah.

The most important thing for me with that is to be able to pass on a legacy to my kids and their kids if they decide to have kids one day. And just creating that generational wealth that we have had.

Oh my god, you deserve it and so much more. I am so obsessed, like I adore that you get to do. It makes me a little bit teary when people are literally changing their entire lives. All right, I have a lot of questions. Let's go to a really quick break and on the flip side, we'll jump straight back in. All right, money diarist, we are back. And before you told me that you've managed to find four hundred bucks a month to invest which is so cool

Okay, I wrote all this town. So I have a little bit in crypto that.

Was more of an Instagram ad popped up, and it was for one of the platforms that it was like, if you invest, we'll give you thirty dollars a bitcoin.

So I was like, I'll put thirty bucks in.

So currently that's sitting at forty five dollars seventeen because it's just absolutely gone down and I'm so glad that I don't have any.

More in that.

I wish I was as impactful as Instagram ads could be. But in how Instagram ads like they just get you sometime, and TikTok ads they get me. There's stuff that I have purchased from a TikTok ad. I'm like, hold on, how do I harness this sense of urgency and then get people to get out of debt? It just doesn't work the same, does it.

No? I wish it did. I really wish it did.

I'm going to keep trying though.

And then I've also got so at the moment, I've got one thousand and eighty dollars in shares, and so that's made up of I've got three ets to rate, so the real estate Investment Trust, one direct share, and then my super sitting at in this, I'm really proud of almost one hundred and twenty five k.

Excuse me?

What? Yeah?

How what is that? Because you worked from birth or like, what's going on there?

No, So the insurance company actually paid above ward super, so they paid when it was sitting at the nine percent, they were paying thirteen.

So for all those years, that is so good.

Yeah, even though my salary was average, because they were paying that above awards super, it's huge.

Like my husband's super. I'm not going to say what it is because it doesn't want me to, but.

My husband's one because they've been paying that for so long is enormous as well.

So even if we didn't have.

Oh you guys, I'm so excited for you. That's literally the bloody best.

Yeah. So we set up for retirement.

We did one of those forecasters and it's just to see that number, it's it's unbelievable.

Yeah, you just go actually, life's going to work out for me.

Yeah.

But isn't it funny because like when you're younger, I think you just assume these things happen. And I was doing a talk the other day, like one of these International Women's Day talk presentation things that I do, and I was like, I used to just think that things would just work out, like things would just happen and fall into place. Like when I was eighteen and I'd started full time work and I looked at all these thirty year olds, I thought that they had their stuff together.

I don't have that anxiety inducing waking up in the middle of the night, go oh my god, how am I going.

To pay this off?

It's life changing, isn't it. It's so cool. So talk to me about debt. I'm assuming you don't have any debt, but you're planning to go into debt when you purchase a property.

Correct, So I have no debt.

That's so sexy. It should there should be like a sound effect which is like balloons popping and champagne and people cheering.

Yes, in my head that happens when I say that. So I've got that there.

But yeah, So we're looking to take on a mortgage, and so our mortgage will be between.

Eight hundred and nine hundred and fifty depending on what we end up with.

I don't want to spend any more than about nine hundred, which is doable where we're going to move to. Because with that, I've done a couple of the online calculators and the average of that we will be able to comfortably live and the kids are still be able to do the extracurriculars and all that sort of stuff.

So yeah, gorgeous. It's so important to remember that, and it feels like you've got your heads growed on because sometimes you'll go and just go, what can we borrow? Like what can we borrow up to? And then you see that as like a spend limit. And don't get me wrong, some people do that and it works out for them. But it's so important to go, actually, what's going to give me the best work life balance? Because actually the mortgage I'm signing up for is for thirty years,

That look like?

Are you happy with that? How do we work with a number that gives you work life or work mortgage balance or life mortgage balance or whatever we want to call it. The places around where we are now, like we ideally we'd love to stay there, but they're like one point four upwards. And I just said to my husband, we literally cannot afford that.

And I refuse.

I'm like, I know we're going to buy a house, but I put my foot down at that. I'm not giving up what we have now just to be able to get into a house.

It's their own.

Yeah, looking at your income and knowing that your husband's semi on the same link, you could be approved for up to that depending on the deposit that you have, But that doesn't mean And it's funny, right you said we cannot afford that, but the reality is technically you could, but we will not be affording that is a different story, and that's such an empowering position to be in. It's like no, no, no, Like it's not because we don't

Totally.

I have to stop myself as well, because I'm still in that habit of saying I can't afford that, and I catch myself saying that to the kids and I'm like, oh, I have to really reel myself in and go we can afford it. And we're teaching that. So we've been teaching our daughter about money as well. And I'm taking full credit for this because my husband just went along for the ride.

I saw a TikTok.

He's in the backseat.

Yeah, he is. He just agrees with it. He's just that you go for it.

So it's similar to what the barefoot investor does. But she gets four jars and one of them is a spender, one's a savior, one's an investor, then one's a gift ja. And so she gets twelve dollars pocket money a week.

We do two dollars based on how old she is per year. But she's been alive.

Oh my goodness, I love that when I was little, and obviously times have changed. Mine was fifty cents per year. Now that inflation's pretty good. I'm not going to lie so good.

So we've told her our only rule with that is she has to split it evenly across the four jars, and so she has three dollars in each jar. If she hasn't touched her savee jar that week, she gets fifty cents in interest.

Trying to teach her about interest.

Working obsessed. Yeah, And so her investor and her give jar. We let her decide what amount she wants to bank that at. So last time she decided thirty and so she takes her jars down to the bank and takes them to the teller and puts them in there. She counts the money out and she deposits it, and then we come home and she jumps on my computer and.

She does the transfers herself.

But she with the give jar. We said to her, you have to donate this money. You get to choose who you want to donate it too. So the first time she did it, she donated to the Sydneyturechildren's Hospital.

And then she ended up spending a night at the.

Children's hospital over Christmas, and so my husband stayed with her and told them about it. So they gave her this toy. And then the Starlight Foundation came around and played with her and.

Kept her calm.

And so this time when she thanked it, she did a donation to the Starlight Foundation.

And so she but she's learning so much through that, she is, and she was.

Able to see that because she had donated that money, like that's what they do with their money.

They go to the hospitals and stuff, and it's.

Just no, no, that's just who whole So you're going to make me cry. And you did that for her.

I did.

I did, and so even her saved her. So she'd been saving. She's obsessed with Gabby's dollhouse. And so we're at my mum's the other week and she's like, Mom, I really really want to get the dollhouse. I've been saving all my money. And I said, okay, call dad. Check with dad. It's fine with me if it's fine with dad. And so she gets my husband on the phone and she's like, Daddy, please, I've been saying all my money, I've got this much saved, I'm going to have this much and left.

If I spend it, it's not all my money.

And he was like, to know what, dlse you do that all your money, you go and do that, And so we went to the shops. She took her money and then it ended up being almost half the grass anyway.

So she's like, mom, it was a money win.

She's like, I spent.

Less money, and I'm like, that is what we call a mommy win. Babe.

Yes, Queen, I adore that so much, And like, I love how you're teaching your kids about money. Adore adore this. You are literally the mummy and the parent that you didn't have.

I was who I needed at her age.

I get to be that person and it's like, think, she's so similar to me in personality. So it's what I imagine it would have been like had I had been afforded that opportunity.

Kind of like you're feeding your inner child at the same time. Yeah, totally exactly, And I've hated I feel like I've almost completely haled my inn a child for me able to do this stuff for my kids, and so it's just I.

Feel like I've just got this bubble of joy inside. Over time I think about this stuff.

Oh, I'm obsessed. So obviously that is a fantast stick money habit. What do you think your best money habit is?

So I have three. I don't think about straight. I've got three.

My first one is I created a budget and cash slow spreadsheet that has so many tabs to it. So I've created a forward thought and created a mortgage tracker. I've got my credit card tracker. We now I do have a credit card, but it doesn't have any debt, so I use it like a debit card for the points because we often go to visit family up north of New South Wales and.

That's so we're using the points for that.

And so I've got my credit card tracker to track on my expenses. I've got all my sinking fun tracking, I've got everyday accounts.

Who are you? I love this? You don't even need those, she's on the money one. I'll gift it to you so you can have a play with it and you can see how it all works. And there's a whole heap of like videos on like money, mindset and stuff, which I think that you'll really enjoy. But I'll give that to you. But it sounds like you don't even need it, but like I hope that you like it.

Still, I'm sure I will love it. Thank you so much so.

And I actually am at the point now where i've my brother and his girlfriend just moved out a week or so ago, and I sat down and did a budget with them for their expenses to work out what they've got coming in and that, Oh.

How fun.

You're becoming me like anyone who wants to sit down with me in my personal life. And I'll do your budget like say less, bab say less. I'll even pay for brunch if you let me.

Do that my mum, Like I said, she's such a legend, but she has had no financial literacy. So I'm slowly sitting down with her and teaching her stuff.

Like being like, okay, mom, let's do this together.

Yeah.

And I looked over her super and I got her super changed, and I've split up her bank accounts as well now so she's not spending and becoming at the same one.

And isn't it cool? Like and you're the perfect example of this of when we can teach one woman about financial literacy what she does for the rest of her community. Like, because you've learned about it, your kids have financial literacy, because you've done it, Your mom is going to have

Completely.

I totally totally gre My second good habit is shot back.

I use shot back and top cash back.

Now I have the browser extensions and go for which everyone's got the most cash back, but.

My shot back lifetime earnings.

I've been on shot back for I think four years now, four six hundred and fifty seven dollars.

Yes, thank you, And that's like literally just free cash totally is it sitting there if you pulled it out?

I pulled it.

I pulled it out every time I can, and so I've been putting it into my agency fund when I pull it out, straight into the emergency fund. And then I actually because Beck had mentioned the games that you can get paid for the games, I have made like fifty bucks from playing the games in there too.

Oh. I love that.

I didn't even know they existed until Beck was like, did you know you can play games on shotbag And I'm like, sorry, what?

And it was such a good break too. I was like, oh, and.

I mean I like playing games and doing mindless things on my phone while I watched maths say less. I just got paid to watch maths exactly.

And then my third one is I never paid full plus for anything I refuse.

I just think everything's always on sale at some point, I will get it when it's on sale.

I love that. So do you have any bad money habits?

So twelve months ago, it definitely would have been impulse spending. I was horrific for impulse spending because I've done a lot of work on myself.

Now it's not I've actually gone the opposite direction.

So my bad, my worst money have it now is feeling guilty every time I spend money on myself. I can spend money on other people like my kids or my husband, I'm more than happy to spend money on them, But spending money on myself, I just it takes a lot to talk me into it. And my husband's always like, just do it, like you've come so far, just spend the money, and I'm like, I just I'm steal in that. I guess scarcity mindset.

So I'm trying to work my way.

Out of that and that sometimes it takes a bit, but that's okay, and I'm glad you're aware of it, because that can be like the hardest part right, So

I'm going to change my grade after you've just ad to go for an A minus to get to an A class. I think it'll just be trying to sort out the investing side of stuff, Like I know that I'm on track to with my investments, but I need to do more research and learn more in that space and not just But that's a journey in itself totally. And I think once we get into the house, that's when.

You'll feel secure.

Yeah. I feel like that's my personally last big hurdle.

I think once we get into the house and like I can actually in my brain be like, oh my god, Okay, we actually got into the house. Like I know, we've got journey use a mortgage repayments sort but like, yeah, we we're in it.

Yeah, I adore that. I love that so much, Money, Dirice, this has been beautiful. I have so loved getting to know you and sharing everything. Like, I'm so excited that you're going to have a meeting with Felicity. It's Ella Money soon. You're going to love her. She is She's a pocket rocket. Like there's a lot that you two will get along over. I am so excited to be on this journey, please let me know. I'm actually just

Thank you so much for having me and letting me share my story.

Of course, anytime did By shared on She's on the Money is general in nature and does not consider your individual circumstances. She's on the Money exists purely for educational purposes and should not be relied upon to make an investment or financial decision. If you do choose to buy a financial product, read the PDS TMD and obtain appropriate financial advice tailored towards your needs. Victoria Divine and She's