Hello, my name's Santasha Nabananga Bamblet. I'm a proud yr the Order Kerni Whoalbury and a waddery woman. And before we get started on She's on the Money podcast, I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land of which this podcast is recorded on a wondery country, acknowledging the elders, the ancestors and the next generation coming through.
As this podcast is about connecting, empowering, knowledge sharing and the storytelling of you to make a difference for today and lasting impact for tomorrow.
Let's get into it.
She's on the Money, She's on the Money.
Hello, and welcome to She's on the Money, the cast with people who want financial freedom. Today's Friday, which means it's time to get the team together and celebrate you the incredible She's on the Money community. Today we'll be
sharing our favorite money wins. We'll be helping to answer a juicy money dilemma which this week is all about inclusive sizing and the varying prices, and we unpack something you slid into our dms about which this week is all about when you're traveling with a friend and you realize that your budgets may not align.
This one's gonna be juicy. I'm very excited for it.
I know, I can't wait, Beck And today is very exciting because we are joined by a very well loved friend of the show. You guys have probably heard from her before if you came to our book tour last last year.
I was gonna say, it's been longer than that.
Twenty twenty two, I think is when we realized we have the beautiful April joining us. You might know us as the Bodzilla April.
Hi. Hello, how are you voting?
Hi? I'm so excited to have you here because anyone who has listened to that episode, because we did record the podcast that you joined us for, knows that you are just such a ray of sunshine.
Oh thank you.
I think that was one of the most fun nights. We really just had the best time.
It was loose, lots of pass.
On and off stage.
I feel hundi of percent now. April.
Some of you may know her, she's a body acceptance and fat positive lady. In addition, she is a writer, she's a podcaster, she's a public speaker.
She works in corporate comm she doesn't she do all.
Literally, I can't think of a single thing, and she's one of the funniest humans I've ever met.
As well. Do you want to tell everyone a little bit about yourself?
Yeah?
Sure, absolutely, Well, I mean, aside from all of those things, I guess I would also say I'm a mum, and so that takes up, you know, a fair bit of time, and that's the stuff you kind of don't see. That's really you know, I suppose when you look at what people post online versus what is actually happening in their life, sometimes you don't have to share everything. And so for me, yeah,
being a mom is a big part of that. But I get to travel a lot and spend a lot of time doing cool things like this, and that's I think that's really fun because it lets my child see that parents also have a life outside of parenting, which is a really important thing for them to see. But yeah, so I definitely think I would. I'll take all those titles write up first, and why not. Absolutely, I'm here, I've got headphones on. I don't think you can really argue with that.
Now, is she in her money era?
This?
I am in my money era?
Very exciting. Before we get into it. How's everybody's week this week?
April you go first? Please?
Oh me?
How was my week? Well, it's been great. So I spent the weekend in Brisbane with a bunch of my gal pals. We were at a cute little pier event for a brand that we love, Yes, the Gordeous Inclusive clothing brand, and then.
Branded it Vagary. The label amazing by.
The beautiful Rachel.
Just honestly, it's floey, it's beautiful. I'm obsessed. And also it's fun because Rachel told U story about how she has people telling her that they thought the name was Vagerie.
I mean, not what you want to hear as a business from.
I had someone slide into my DMS and say because I tagged the label and say, oh, I thought it might have been like, you know, a.
Product for you who ha.
I said, well, the clothes a light and flowy and made from cotton type fabrics, so like it is kind of.
Va Yeah, absolutely, which was not where.
I expected any of those versations to go. So yeah, and then you know, back to work midweek and now I'm here on my day off because we love a part time work agreements, and here I am hanging out with you both.
Oh, I'm so excited, very very fun. Don't start Victoria the word.
She's not here, so someone's going to say, did she tell you to do this? Actually no, which is just yet more proof that we're all so perfectly.
Matched for each other.
Definitely definitely. How's your weet been back?
My week has been absolutely lovely, just basking in the sometimes sun. Still going to the gym is something that I never thought i'd stick to. But I also do want to speak too soon, because any second now I feel like I'm going to have one one minute break that will last an entire lifetime.
So I am worried about that. But otherwise honestly just chilling. What about you?
Yeah?
Same, I think, just working.
I've been enjoying all of the baby photos beginning from VD, just kind of plodding along. It's getting chilly now, which is, you know, not my fave. Starting to think about planning of AK hopefully Okay, we'll see somewhere warm, I think, because I'm not I'm not good with the cold, but TBC, you haven't figured it out.
Just sure we'll go nooser.
See, my week's been good, but I've got some really good money wins to share with you guys.
You can like to hear them no, thanks, I don't know.
I think, yeah, maybe, don't do it anyway, it was a rhetorical question.
My first money win this week comes from Lauren, who said money win. I finally made it to five K in my emergency fund, which I've been struggling to get to for two years. Now, money loss. We just found out we need to contribute an extra five k to my body corporate for an urgent repaint of the property due to flaking paint letting moisture in. But at least I have the emergency fund for it now.
Well, congratulations and sorry to hear real kick up the pants when that happens.
It's like exactly, yeah, exactly, that's exactly what it's there for.
But also very sad when you.
Have to use it.
But now you know you can do it, so you can just do it again.
Yes, absolutely.
Now I've got a money in from Maddie who said money win. I've been using the seven eleven app to score fifteen dollars off of fuel through the fuel lock function. Such a shame they're restricting the discount as of this week. I don't know what that's about.
So you can.
I think it's you can look at the app and see what the fuel price is and lock it in, which obviously you risk the biscuits because of what if.
It goes down?
True, But like any kind of thing, you're locking in interest rates, et cetera.
I think sometimes you just got to go, I'm going to jump in take it.
Then you can lock it in and then I don't really understand the actual process, but I did read about that because I remember there's lots of compos about fuel kind of over the last few years.
So EXPENSI if I paid like two dollars something this week, I really cried. And I remember when I used to think that it was like a dollar thirty. I'd be like, now, wait for it to go down.
Well, totally, I can't remember last time I was it all of thirty.
I was young enough to remember when fuel was under a dollar and they used to report it on the radio every morning and that it had gone to ninety five cents and everyone was in a funeral.
So, oh my goodness, Yeah, it's not so much worse.
Older than both of you buys quite some term.
You wouldn't know you wouldn't know it all.
Next, I've got a money win from Lucy who said I got two hundred dollars worth of ALSKD for eighteen dollars. I found a discount code for fifteen percent off, and then another eight point five percent return using shop back, and I had approximately one hundred and thirty dollars in cash back to withdraw, which I put towards the purchase.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, I love this.
I'm a shot back girly, same, yes, same, and yeah, this is.
I really, I said. I was in my money era the other day.
I looked at the direct Hotel booking website and how much it was, and then booking on booking to a come through shop back, and went like, do I actually save money if I think it's I'm going to get this much back?
Like I did a whole math. So there's lots of equations on my around. Imagine it.
Do you believe it one of those movies where they're looking at the board and there's like.
Yeah, was it Russell Crowe, Jeffrey roj I don't know it was someone.
I'm sure they've all staid at all.
I was actually thinking exact Galafanakis with the you know the.
That's what I was pure, Yes, that's me, big bids.
I've got a money riding here from Steph, who said her birthday is Friday, so she's been receiving all of the birthday emails and discounts and free coffees and free food from businesses, which we love.
And a big happy birthday to you, Steph, big happy birthday to you.
Then I've got one from Mia who said I standed, primed, and painted four pieces of dated furniture. The paint and equipment cost me about forty bucks, but the savings to get a new desk and coffee table and side table would have been well over five hundred.
Dollars and nothing going to landfill.
We laugh. We do love that. Good for you, sis.
And now that she knows she can do it when she's over.
That change it exactly. I love a DIY moment.
And then lastly this week, I've got a win from Kaylee, who said money win. I had one hundred and fifteen dollars in unpaid holls. This one's for you back, but I called them up and explained that I was on a holiday and didn't realize that they were all separate bills. I thought it was just additional letters that were being sent while I was gone, and they wiped all the admin fees. So now I only have to pay for thirty eight bucks.
Oh that's so good.
A little bit of a moment for calling instead of emailing, or just honestly, because I have so many friends who are like, oh, I'll just do you know what, I'll just pay it, I was like, oh no.
And also because I've worked on the other side of.
Being customer service, not in that particular scenario, but actually I quite like helping people. So if I have the ability to do it, why wouldn't I just be like, oh no, don't to worry.
Yeah, I want to make your day. And when you're nice to customer service people, they'll be nice to you. So true.
That is so true for everyone listening. If you're mean to customer service people, they probably are going out of their way to not help you.
So potentially, absolutely, as someone who worked in customer serfs, I can neither confirmin or tonight, me too.
Actually, did you have money win at all this week? April Ka?
Ch Yes, as I said, I've said a couple of times now, I'm in my money era. This week I opened a savings account, very exciting little online savings account moment. I have decided that I'm trying to say for a goal, and so I went online and I had actually had a look at a few accounts. Of course she's on the money girl means, and I was like, I won't
just open the first one I see love. It looked at what the actual account offered in terms of, you know, the intra straight but also the terms, so whether I could put money in take it out, because obviously I'm a flexible gal.
I want to be able to do what I need to do. And found the one that suited me.
Best and opened it and put money in it straight away. Much for you, MAB, I set up a direct debit so that it goes in everywhere with my payroll.
I was on a roll day.
Automation just makes me feel tingly.
That's a word that I will associate with you forever. Tingly but also automated but tingling now forever will be.
I don't know why I thought that was okay. Moving along, you get some ro tips.
I do have some ro tips, so one from the community, one for myself and I thought I would reserve the third place for yourself, April, if you have amazing okay, perfect. So the first one comes from KR, who says that adding a can of lentils and graded veggies to casserole meals spag bowl, shepherd's pie, past makes, et cetera. It
kind of like doubles the feed. So it's like, you know, spend like a dollar on a can of lentils chucking in that kind of doubles all quadruples in some cases, I mean, a bit crazy, but it can really extend the longevity of your food, and I think it's a great idea, especially if you're like kind of clutching at pennies and you can't afford feed like maybe a whole family or just yourself for the week.
You know, I totally love this one.
I'm I more of a like half mince, half red kidney beans curly when I do Mexican.
Yes, it's also like I feel like it's good protein getting some veggies in there. No one notices because it's all the same color.
Happy days, And totally it's like the cost of the meat versus you know that, and if you want it to go the whole way, you could just do it all beans, do you delicious?
So yeah.
And for vegetarian people, it's like when you have someone over, you don't have to be like, oh, you've got a separate plate eating a few less meat, few more veggie.
That's always good.
We love. Yeah, that's a win win win win.
I would say I have the idea of grating to get one of those odd bunch bags. If you know, you get like the one dollar whatever it coals where it's the misshapen carrots or that you couldn't necessarily easily chop up, but if you just grate it and chuck it in.
Yeah, totally.
And then the poor sad little fruits that everyone thinks are ugly.
Yeah, I really feel for them.
Fruits fruit positivity there.
Yeah, absolutely, we need an advocate for those guys.
Well that's me.
I'm there with my I've got zucchini's carrots and then also sometimes avocados.
I'm like, how can you you can't judge? Then you kind of.
Open and it's mostly see and you're like, okay, well I'll away with it this time.
Okay.
Yeah, ten of them for my bowl of cocaol totally for one table.
And my broke tip of this week.
I caught up with an old friend literally yesterday, and it was a bit awkward because I was making a joke. I was like, who in the world still uses group on and she was like I do. I said, oh,
I'm so sorry, but she really didn't lighten me. I was humbled stay because she said that she you can get anything on there and so much she but I forgot that this thing existed really, but she was like, you know, she gets ten dollars event movie tickets instead of going and paying like sometimes twenty eight dollars, like someplace they have paid that much. And so my break tip for this week is, do have a browse on groupon. I'm going to eat my words. I'm going to say,
go on, groupon have a look what's there. You might be surprised. You might find some cheap restaurant vouchers, some cheap movie tickets. Just have a browse, have a peruse.
I used to always love when I was younger the massages on there because they would usually do really cheap massages. I haven't looked at it in about ten thousand years, so.
I know because I don't live, so you know, obviously I live in Canberra, and so that means that for me, group on options are slightly limited because we definitely don't have the kind of metropolitan vibes that when I.
Lived in Sydney.
I found group on was more useful because I have all way more options. True, So group On, if you're listening, expand the options in camera.
Thanks, let us know, we'll work with you, will make it happen. Yeah, absolutely, Okay, that's it for me, April. I feel like maybe you have a good one, and I'm very excited to hear it.
I do have a good one. So I collect the cans at home. My son is nearly seven and he told me by a couple of weeks ago, Mum, I really want to go to Italy, which I was like, how do you even know it exists? It's called geography, and so he said, I really want to go to Italy and throw a coin in the pond.
And I was for a.
Second, also not knowing much about Italy going in the world.
Oh, and I said, do you mean the trivia fountain? He said, yep, the Trevia fountain.
Because children never quite say the thing that they're trying to say, and I said, okay, well, and I kind of looked and I went, what about if we save all of these cans and then we take them to the return and earn which I knew that he would just find that that, you know, whole process really automation.
Baby, love it.
We're back at that absolutely, and we'll save all your cans and then you get to keep the money. So it's your job to collect the cans from around the house where I'm alway leaving them after I finish drinking them. Collect the cans and we'll take them. So we did that, and we returned his first lot of cans and he got six dollars fee. So I've told him that it's going to take him approximately fifty years to return enough
cans to get a trip to Italy. What he doesn't know is that I'm basing that on a figure that includes airfares and accommodation for me and his dad as well, probably only twelve and a half years if he wants to go on his own. But given that he'll only be about nineteen, surely he wants to take his mum with him when he's nineteen to Europe. Mum, come on, let's go. And so hopefully yes, that will set him
on the right path to understand about saving. I put it into his account, showed him that I'd put it in there.
I was super easy.
Well, it went to my PayPal and I was like sure, I'm like, look, I'm putting that money in for you. And so that's his little fortnightly thing that he gets to do.
Very cute. I love that.
That is very sweet and what a great way to teach financial literacy at a young age.
Thank you, I must say.
The Italian to me is rolling at a triviy fountain being called the pond.
You're like, ah, it's not.
That is iconic.
I actually didn't know it was called that I until right now, so I'm seeing you laughing. But I'm also like, I totally get where he's coming from. Okay, let's go for a really quick break and on the other side, we will discuss money dilemma. The money dilemma.
Welcome back, everybody.
We're doing our special episode with our guest April Helene horton the vod Villa.
Let's take a listen to this week's money dilemma.
Hi, there, have you got a money dilemma you just can't solve the She's on the Money team is here to help. Every week, we tackle your dilemmas, both big and small, to answer your most burning money.
Career and life questions.
To get involved, simply head to our website and leave us a short voice recording and you might just find yourself on the show. Now, let's take a listen to this week's money dilemma.
Hey girls, for context, I'm a clusterized girlie, a very proud one at that. Recently, I went on a trip to Balley and noticed that the larger the size, the more expensive the item was. I tried not to overreact, but when I asked the lady why this was the case, she said, it's because they use more fabric. I know this isn't the case in Australia. In fact, I'm definitely happy with how inclusive sizing is, but the fact I had to pay more money purely for my size was
a concept I find myself fixated on. I went through the same cost of living crisis last year as my friends, but every time I complained about it, I feel like my friends are dismissing it and telling me to move on. I guess my dilemma is, how can I communicate the fact that this is unfair financially, but also diminishes my confidence a bit to my girlfriends.
Thanks, that would be awful if you were in a situation and somebody just said I just feel like, it wouldn't feel nice. But I do feel like, and I'm you know, I am straight sized, so I can't really speak from experience, but I do feel like a lot of the time plus sized clothing is priced at a higher price point.
I don't necessarily know it's.
Tip for tat in the same way that oh, I look at this stress and in a size eighteen, it's X dollars in the same way that this girl experienced in Bali. But I feel like, just as a general rule of thumb, often when I do brands, they are priceier. But I don't know if that's just my perception of it.
I mean I kind of feel that as well, because I don't know about you guys, But like I used to shop at, is it city cheek?
Is that what it's called? I never knew if it was chick or chic.
I believe it's chic, but then in brackets, except it's not.
Oh my gosh, that's so embarrassing. I've been telling everyone, doesn't they knew who you met? Okay, cool, I hope, so sorry everyone out there. But I think because it kind of felt a little bit more botique and I don't really don't really know how to use that word, so I might be saying it incorrectly, but it always felt more expensive. But I feel like it was kind of like, hey, this is our niche, and this is like we're charging more because we're allowed.
To because this is our niche.
And so I'd be like, okay, well I don't really have an option, so the options. It's the options thing, isn't it. It's like, well, if you don't have an option, then you kind of have to.
But I don't know. That's kind of like my experience.
I know that our listener is asking basically like how do we I guess, like portray that or kind of explain that to people who haven't had that same experience, But it's it's kind of like with everything, like if someone hasn't had that same experience as you, it can
be hard for people to empathize. And so all I would say is just literally, in this instance, it is a little bit better in you know, say you actually have some numbers, you can actually crunch numbers and be like, here is actual evidence, Here is actual proof that is things are more expensive for me. Sometimes I'm not sure if that's always a situation. She did say, it's a little bit EASi here in Australia, but if you've got the receipts, show them, babe.
I like that.
It's like mildly aggressive, but in a cute wait. So my experience of this is I have never had that experience. Now, what I would probably say is, in a situation where you're in valley buying clothes, is it possible you're having tailored items, and that you're potentially having a conversation with a person who's literally thinking about meters and material because you know, if you go to spotlight and you need this many, it's this much, and if you need this many,
it's as much. Now I fully understand the emotional thing because I remember there was a brand and I won't name them, but a brand that used to charge a surpless feet. So it was like, okay, the extra small, small medium life. As soon as there's have to be an ex involved in there, one two or three x's plus twenty dollars so yeah, there were some ballsy nonsense.
They don't do it anymore, which is why I'm not going to name them.
Yeah, i'll tell you I'm dying today.
But so they used to charge a different they were at a different price point, but like actively so when you would drop down the menu, it would change the price.
Were they like if you went to excess double excess? Were they dropping math?
So they had a base price and then it went up from someone so that the math is not mapping.
So that experience, I do relate to that experience.
However, that's not something I obviously didn't buy the thing, so it's like it's not an experience that I've had. I think in defense of the situation in Bali, and to reassure this listener that it's not a you problem. That is probably you experiencing a person who owns a tiny little business covering their costs based on what their costs actually are and perhaps not thinking about the broader problem of this makes this person feel so and that's
not great. But I think in the Australian landscape, we've got two things happening. You're totally right back that we've got limited options. City chic if it, if that is your.
Real name is at this point in the room with us.
You know, if you're in danger, and so I think they are.
They wanted to pass themselves off as boutique, and I think ten years ago when I was buying clothes from them for myself, I got a new corporate job and wanted to buy new clothes. I still have some of those items. The quality was much higher. Peplum tops they are forever.
They're laughing, but I'm not joking. It's one of the items.
I was like, I love this top and I don't care if other people it's not in fashion, yeah, but I like it and when I wear it, you're like, oh that's good.
I know.
And so I definitely think over time their quality has lowered, but their prices have not. And yes, we have more options now, you know, places like Big W and your other larger departments type stores are stocking a plus range now. Because I'm never looking at the size eight range. I don't know if I could go, like for like a white singlet top and a white singlet top from the whatever,
the straight sized range, who I don't know them. I don't know if I can compare, like for like you're something like, you know, a white singlet top or a basic from the straight size range, and then go to the other section of the store where the plus size stuff is because obviously they don't keep them together, wouldn't want us mixing, and go, oh, this is this much
and there's a difference. But the reality is that, yes, it's not just about the price point, although that's key and part of that feeling around when we're talking economically, this person's experiencing a more significant impact in a cost of living crisis, but also the fact that you're only limited because this person has the option for a white one of black on, a brown on, a gray one, a blue on, pink on, and yellow and you get.
White or black. Yeah, that's so true. And I'm kind of like, well, what if I want to be cute and colorful? Yeah, never mind, I guess.
And so I think there are some brands that are doing it better, some brands that are not doing it well at all. One of the other key things And I know I mentioned this brand earlier, Vagary is a really great brand who they really are super inclusive. But also I know that I've got a friend Katie full disclosure, she is my friend who earns Ecklestone the label, and she released her clothing range last year and she's been really great, like in conversations with girlies talking about costs
and all of that type of stuff. She's someone who I've learned a lot from about how it kind of works and about having a certain number of sizes to run before you can start. So we have lots of businesses who talk about the costs of keeping plus size clothing on their racks, and I think that the reality is that if you want to do it, you can.
If they wanted to, they would, yeah, And I think for this person, our listener who's having that experience, my recommendation really would be to look for those brands that want you there and try to focus on finding clothes that you love and that you're going to have in your wardrobe for a long time, because you will pay more for really great clothes and are made by brands that love all bodies and especially fat bodies, but the likelihood that they will last longer and be pieces that
you will look back on in your wardrobe over and over again.
I know that it's really hard.
It's not getting easier to be a fat person buying fashion because yes, we have more options, but we still have to face you know, we've reached the kind of end of the life cycle of the fashion body positivity season. I feel like it's going out.
Everyone's saying we spoke about it, We mentioned this at some point. I remember when it was on the show. The Kate Moss vibe is back.
Here the heroin aesthetic and as a person who didn't want to wear low rise Janes the first time. It's a hard note for me, I am, and so I think for our listener, big hugs, it is hard.
The size on the tag doesn't matter.
You are entitled to want to have fashion, and I think our focus really needs to change away from I suppose trying to fit clothes and finding clothes that fit us. If your friends can't get on board with that, get new friends.
That's what I was going to say.
Is the thing I think that I did mention is like the friend situation, and I feel like your friend should be empathetic to your situation.
I think not being able to relate to something isn't a good reason not to care about it.
And it's like, as you were saying back, like you have the receipts. You can literally say here's the difference, here's the issue. You can see it visually. I guess, as you were saying in the landscape in Australia, it's not just overseas. And if your friend is making you feel bad about that, I would say that they don't sound like a very good friend.
Ye, to be honest, agreed.
One of my other things that I've been doing is so I made I went on a no new fashion promise.
So one January.
I don't really do resolutions, but when I moved house and I saw how many clothes I've got, and I don't know if either of you have seen on my Insta when I posted those stories, it's literally it's literally a wardrobe that was built for two adults because it's in like I've got the main bedroom and it is a full walking room and it goes all the way Oh no, that's a winnow, all the way down, all the way down.
I've got stuff stored at the top in the drawers.
And here I have more clothes than any human person will ever need.
Yeah, And so I just was like, this is actually ridiculous.
And also what I got rid of that I was like, oh, I don't know if I love that, I've got more than ten bags of stuff that I'm going to I'm actually gonna say on consignment, which is exactly we love well, because I was just, you know, I thought, am I actually ever going to sell these in my own closet sale?
No I'm not.
But realistically speaking, if this person who has a business doing that, the lovely Maria from the Fat Section in the Southern Highlands in New South Wales, I was like, babe, you take them, you sell them, give me a little chuck a few dollars my way, because at this point it's literally zero dollars. It's worth zero to me in a bag in my wardrobe, in my garage. Yeah, and so I'm going to sell those, but I've also promised
myself I'm not buying any new fashion. So the only thing I'm purchasing from clothing and apparel stores is replacement basics like underwear, single it tops, that kind of stuff, and not buying anything new for the entire year.
I love that I saw.
I don't remember the exact details of where I saw it, and so this is probably not that helpful, but I remember seeing someone posting about the amount of water and electricity and stuff that it takes for somebody to add a new piece to their closet. Yes, and they're like, then multiply that by the fact that you're getting a new outfit for you know, every event or you dress,
go out or whatever it is. And then the amount of just resources that we're all taking by consuming and a lot of the time we're consuming fast fashion, which I am not judging because I know that, you know, price point is important to people, and not everyone can
afford to invest in expensive things at the moment. But the fact that like our default is I'll just go buy a ten dollar top, and the drain that that has on like our resources and the impact on our planet, Like we've had the hottest January on record in the history of the world. And like I know that you just go, oh, hot weather, like great, I love the things.
No, I don't. I way awake at not thinking about it, But yeah, you do, you do you.
Forget that that is actually a direct impact, Like when you think, oh my god, I'm so hot, I can't I'm sweating to death, that you actually look, does the consumer on an individual basis have the ability to completely change this, No, but do we all have the ability to slightly change our behavior to make a small impact.
Yeah, and also agree that we need.
To you know, I don't think we want to be shaming people about what they're able to afford, but also really changing people's perception of views around fast fashion because the amount of resources it consuues to create the fashion, the amount of landfill, the lack of ethics in the supply chain. I do think we need to be asking ourselves not so much whether they should reconsider spending more money.
That's the whole point.
We're trying to save money or not be spending money needlessly. Do I actually need to buy this? And so that's where I landed as someone who has pieces in my wardrobe from City Cheek, as I said, which they are technically fast.
Fashioned in terms of how it's produced in that kind of thing.
And yes, keeping it for a long time does increase the sustainability in the sense that it's not in landfill and I haven't bought new things to replace it. But at the same time, I just looked at my wardrobe and I thought, this is all amazing stuff. I can shot my wardrobe, And I mean, I know it's only what four months into the year, but the amount of times I've thought I might it o on a weight means that I was consuming at a rate that was
totally unnecessary. Yeah, And I think for me, that's something that I've been really happy to be able to curb. And I know that that's not for everyone, and some
people have really great habits around that stuff. But I think when we're talking about consuming fashion and our ability to buy clothes that are really beautiful and that fit us, that's why I care a lot about supporting brands that care about sustainability, brands that care about ethics, and brands that care about fat people because all of those demographics and all of those considerations have been left out of
fashion for such a long time. So I think we do have the ability to have a significant impact when it comes to the climate, which is a feminist issue because the people who are most heavily.
Impacted by the climate crisis are women.
It is our opportunity to push back brands that we know won't name them, but you know who they are, who are literally killing the planet. If we push back against purchasing from them and we see that they're reducing in terms of their production size because they're losing money. Then we can have a genuine impact. Our plastic straws being eliminated from every cafe on the street going to change the world, probably not, potentially causes more problems for
people with disabilities and things like that. So it's like, let's not rush to the individualist solution. Let's try to figure out how we actually can change something genuinely, tangibly change it with a mindset change.
Yeah.
Do you guys follow Emma Edwards the broke generation?
I think I do.
Yeah, she's in a finance space. She's great.
But she did a wardrobe pause challenge last year similar to you. She bought nothing new. She gave herself a few I think, you know, I can replace things if they break, you know, hygiene things, underwear, stuff like that. Obviously all on the awkward list, but like as a whole, no new fashion purchases, and she tracked it throughout the art. She succeeded, and it was really interesting because she now I believe she does like a challenge where she helps
other people do the same thing. But she spoke about the psychological impact of breaking that habit, kind of like what you were saying, and she was saying, it's so interesting, like now she thought when she started that she'd get to the last day of twenty twenty three and you know, Jan Verst be like, get me to the shops, But she didn't have that desire because she had broken the
psychological need to consume in that way. Yeah, which is really interesting because you're as you're saying, like it's almost a wiring and it's changed the way that you think about things. I know that she had an event to go to. I remember seeing and she sowd an outfit because she went and she got some fabric and she
made it. And I don't think she's a particularly experienced sower from what she said, But it was just really interesting to be like, there are other options to you than going out and just buying like a quick, easy solution, you know, Can you shop at secondhand? Can you do all of these things? So changing the mindset, I think
is such a big cornerstone. And if you do still, you know, at the end of this year, for you, April, if you go, oh, I do like I want to buy something new or I want to do that, I feel like the psychology of it will have changed. And you can do it more mindfully, which is awesome.
Yeah.
Absolutely, And I think also separately a bit related my ability to save money by not buying things.
Well, put it this way, my after pays at zero.
Queen amazing, delete it well unless you cash flow, which is fine I do.
But also that's my goal is to actually get to the point where I've built up my savings, so I feel comfortable to delete it feels like a bit of a safety net right now.
Because like I don't totally fair. Yeah, so my outter.
Pays at zero and I'm able to go, oh, I'm going to save so much money.
That's really great.
So that mindset shift around what I value. I think also because I get a little dope mean hit from looking at my savings account balance instead of from that order received notification. But at the same time buying something new, I think I'm not ruling it out. I'm just I think taking the year off because I genuinely have so many flip and clothes like I don't I don't actually need to buy anything, but also trying really hard not to push that onto other people.
When some's like I.
Want to buy something new, I heard myself say, you don't need anything to this person.
And then I was like, you are like one of those.
People who like that quit smoking in coughs at people, or you know, gives up gluten and then starts telling everyone that gluten's going to kill you, which like in some people's case it might, but like just relax, okay, So yeah, trying to not make it my whole personality. Yeah, but also being really like just really sticking to that value. And I think for me, I hope to say out the whole year and have stuck to it because I think also I never stick to anything.
So I'm just being really proud of myself being like I did that.
Are you a document on social I think a little bit.
I wanted to really get I think, get into it and be able to show a tangible difference, like so to be able to go, oh, I've actually I can tell you how much I saved based on I like data.
I know.
I was telling you a story right before we started recording about how I used to take I used to buy lunch at work all the time in coffees. Buying coffees is my favorite activity, and so I worked out that I was spending I spent thirteen hundred and nineteen dollars last year on coffees and lunches, and I don't even work full time in the office, Like, what is actually happening?
Does that make you feel crazy?
I was just like, oh my god, that would be in my savings account if I hadn't done that. And then I had a conversation with a friend and it was payday. So you're always feeling a little loosy. And I'd gone so far like that whole time, not buying a coffee, and she said to me, She's like, well, I'll buy you one because I made a joke. I was like, I didn't say I wasn't drinking coffee. I said I wasn't paying for it.
Very savvy.
But she said, well, I'll share your coffee because I've convinced you to come and stand in the coffee line with me. I'll buy your coffee, which I think is nice. It's the way I iced to do a nice thing. And she said, have you found it? I said, I do miss the ritual of coming to do it, but I've actually found it's been good. I've been drinking more water because I'm not drinking coffee. And then we had a conversation about this sort of all or nothing attitude towards stuff, and.
She said, well, what about if you bought a coffee like.
Only once a fortnight, which I think she was just angling towards the fact that we worked together in the office on the day that's usually pay day, which is once a fortnight. I was like, I say, were you go on strategic Queen? And I said, well, I did the mats on my phone. I'd worked out it was twenty seven dollars a week that I had wasted spent on lunches that I could have brought and coffees that I could have not drank because really, like it's.
Decaf, I'm not even getting caffeinated from it. What's the point it's hot milk? And I worked out it'd be one hundred and eighty two dollars for the whole year. Oh okay if I just bought one a fortnight.
And I thought, okay, so it's not a commitment that I go, Oh, I can never. I've sworn off this forever and if I do it, I have to go out the back and give myself an upper cut. It's now I can go. What's my limit I'm changing the way I'm doing this thing. So again, by that same token, if you've decided that you just kind of stopped buying fast fashion and you're only going to invest in sustainable fashion, that's a mindset shift that will over time save you money, and you forgot about it.
So it's like, hey, we love that. That actually was on my in's list op shopping, So thank you.
So much late.
Sorry.
Also, I think I pretty much talked ninety five percent of this whole episode, Pols.
I love it. It is very very very oh, thank you so much.
Well, it was about money, so at least it was on topic.
Absolutely, and I think the conversation around fashion and finance and the impact like it's very relevant to us, Like it's something that I genuinely like find so interesting.
Hopefully the people listening to you, Okay, guys, are we ready for a juicy DM?
Absolutely? Okay, here we go.
So from one listener they say, I'm going on a vak with my girlfriend in brackets euro summer. We love that, which is our winter? Isn't it so great? Get out of here? Escape? And as we get further into the planning, I can see we are financially going on too very different holidays. We were so keen on the idea of Europe. We kind of skipped talking about our budgets. I see, I have saved for a long time to go on this trip, but it seems like she wants hostels whereas
I want hotels are a bit nicer. She wants to go on to train for fifteen hours because it is cheap, but I'll happily spend more money to do a two hour flight to make it more convenient. I'm keen to book fancy dinners, but she wants to spend no more than forty dollars on dinner. That's still kind of expensive though. Yeah, I've luki got the ig from traveling with her now. There isn't anything wrong with the way she wants to
do it, It's just not where I'm at. How do I say to her that I want to enjoy myself and financially we won't be the best travel buddies. She's so keen on going together, but would rather go solo and not have to compromise my trip.
I want to say our listener has a very healthy perspective. I appreciate that she's not expecting her friend to come up to not being like she's a tired ass.
Why can't we spend sixty billion dollars on dinner?
Late?
Because I think we've spoken about this before in the sense that it's okay if you want to travel differently to your friends, like if you want to do it super budget and you just want the experience and you just want to see the place, that is so fine. If you think this is a once in a lifetime trip and I really want to spend money and I want to live it up and I that's a value
to me, is also fine. But I think it's not fine to expect people to change to suit you in that sense, Like you can't expect your friend who doesn't have a lot of money to spend a lot And if your friend with who doesn't want to spend a lot of money doesn't necessarily need to expect you to spend not a lot either. Yeah, so I think like
her perspective is very healthy. I think literally just say to her what you said to us, Like, I think it's as simple as that, just saying, hey, I think that it looks like we want to spend different amounts, which is totally fine. I really want them to feel like you're not shaming them for, you know, not wanting or having the money to spend, because that's not a good feeling for anybody, but just saying that I really want to live it up. I want to spend a
lot of money. It feels like maybe you want to do it more budget friendly. I think maybe we just kind of split off and do the trips the way we want to do the trips, and that's totally fine, and hopefully that's the end of the conversation.
I think also, and I obviously not knowing how old this person is, I don't have a good sense of where they are in terms of is this a long friendship?
Is is someone you've known your whole life, or someone.
That you don't feel comfortable having this conversation with because you don't know them as well as you know your oldest friend. It is a really important part of adolt
friendships learning to have hard conversations about things. And I say that as someone who has struggled but managed to have some really really difficult conversations with friends about you know, balancing time together when we're in the same city because we don't really live in the same city and about doing what I want to do rather than making time to do what she'd like to be doing, or that she would like to spend time with me, And I go, she just really want to have the night by myself. Yeah,
which you know past me would have really struggled. So I definitely relate to this. I agree that you should just have an upfront conversation about the fact that I've.
Saved a really long time.
One thing I was thinking as I was listening to this was, is the person who wants to spend less hoping that they're going to spend less still by sharing accommodation sharing, travel sharing through And if that's the case, like, are you impacting that person's ability to go on the trip at all if you don't share, Because if that's the case, that's still a conversation you need to have because maybe it's not your owsummer to.
Four for them.
Yes, because at the end of the day, it is your trip you've saved for, and it's exciting to share something with someone like that. I'd love the idea of going on a trip like that and being able to look back and go, oh my god, look remember when we went to the.
You know, the trivia fountain.
But if you're not traveling as a couple and so you have different ones and you have an agreed that you're going to share accommodation, because for me, that's that's actually a hard no. I really don't like the idea of traveling solo with just one other person and sharing
a room because you never have any space. I travel with girlfriends quite regularly, but there's a group of us, there's seven of us, and we'll often look for ways to save money by going, oh, if we share a room or a bed, depending we can save money, and we.
Look at you know, what's going to work better.
But on our most recent trip, I was like, sorry, it's hot, we're in brizzy. I actually don't want to share, so sorry, Well, I just know I won't have a good sleep, I won't have a good time trip ruin what's the point? And it wasn't a hard conversation because we're all really good friends, but also because we had been frank and been talking about the budget upfront, so
it wasn't a big deal. But I think for this person having that conversation first assessing what's going to be the outcome of this conversation, is this person going to be upset because I might have totally ruined their whole plan to go to Europe. If that's the case, and you want to be able to compromise a little bit, maybe you offer to do certain legs of the trip together and then you split off and then you come back. So, for example, that fifteen hours she's gonna be on the train,
you'd be there early. Do you think what you want to do and then say and then I will meet you. And so that person might spend one night on their own, in their own accommodation.
But then it's like, but then we can go.
We could go to a hotel, and so you get what you want, but you compromise will saying I'll share with you, we'll get a twin room, and that person has to just bump up a tiny bit and then you.
Come down a little bit.
It is about compromise, but also it's kind of not If you don't want to go with them, maybe just make that choice and think about if the outcome of this conversation is that I lose this friendship over.
This trip, that's not great. But is that a symptom or is that an.
Indication of a bigger problem that you don't feel like you can communicate you needs with your friend, because then actually that's an issue that's totally separate to your Europe trip.
Either way, I.
Hope that it's a really fun trip. I totally relate to being the person that wants to have the more bouge experience, although I am the person with the budget.
So anyway, that's a problem for next year.
When I try to go to Europe on my can money, and so I think definitely, I don't think that this person should compromise on the trip of their dreams. But if they can see their way to going, I can find some middle ground in some parts of it that won't ruin it for me but will help this person have a great time.
Then go with that, Go with what works. But at the end of the day, this is your dream. Do what you want to do.
Yes, yes, I was going to say a very very similar thing, but I do. I often get confused by this in like the regular world, where people say girlfriend. I don't know someone with a literal girlfriend. I'm like, are you actually talking about your girlfriend or you' talk about your friend? Because if they're talking about their girlfriend.
I'm like, this whole thing is like changing my lids, you know, So it could be their girlfriend, in which case I'd be like, you can if you've kind of planned this thing together, it's kind of like being to be a romantic thing. But let's say for the sake of this DM and this conversation, they're just regular friends. My mind is exactly where your mind is at, April, and I'm thinking, yeah, like a nice little hybrid or
just having this exact conversation with them. I'm a big fan of like thinking or like kind of not reading into but like seeing certain things that could be symptomatic exactly as you said, April, of something bigger. So if it is does seem like it's a conversation that's hard to have or it might literally ruin a friendship, that might be something that you'd have to consider as well.
I know it's separate to the travel thing, but if you're planning a trip with someone and you or your friend are not willing to compromise in any way, like you can see that you're both on different journeys and that's totally fine, no one's in the wrong here, then yeah, they might be if you are worried that it'll be uncomfortable, awkward, or someone will be mad or I can definitely see I guess it like depends you didn't really mention like how long they've been planning it for hay, so.
Yeah, but not having the conversation up front could ruin the trip. So then you've wasted you.
And there's nothing worse than being on a trip with someone and just hating your life as well, Like there's nothing worse, especially somewhere as expensive as Europe, that would be awful.
Yeah, I think what I would actively discourage is lying to this.
Person about it totally, totally.
So don't don't.
Suddenly say I've decided I'm not going to go and then secretly go or don't or my sister said she wants to come, so now like, don't don't do that. Have a frank conversation with this person if you respect them enough to reach out and ask for advice, and you know, if you if you have I think the opportunity to say to them like I really respect this and you know, yeah, maybe offering to say I want to do all of this and I know you can only for to do this.
I'll meet you in Greece. Yeah, shout you a drink.
Yeah, totally. I think that's a great, great, great idea.
Oh, so let's all go to Greece.
I love going somewhere warm iment Right, So what.
Time are we leaving time out? What did everybody else say?
Yes?
Also, the other thing is your summer is a little while away, so you still have plenty of time to make this not uncomfortable. Okay, So let's see what the community had to say. So the first question we asked was if you had a similar experience when traveling with a friend. Forty six percent of you said yes, and fifty four percent of you said no. It's a pretty close split. It's a pretty good split. Next question we asked,
if yes, what ended up happening. Twenty six percent of you said we traveled together and it was a disaster.
No, so many people to have a terrible time.
Yeah, that's a real shame.
Fifty four percent of you said we both compromised to make the trip work, and twenty one percent of you said we decided it was best we don't go together.
That's interesting and I think i'd be keen to find out from the fifty four percent. And how did that God, did you secretly feel yourself in the twenty six percent? You know, I think it would be really interesting to know that. But I think that's a really good indication of what we've just said in the three viewpoints that we've kind of had it, which is you should try to maybe compromise a little bit, but not too much.
So yes, exactly exactly. And the next thing we asked was, if you were traveling with a friend, what's the first thing you would decide on. Fifty eight percent of you said budget, and then pick location based off of that, and forty two percent of you said location, talk budget later on, which is interesting, chicken or egg?
Egg?
Exactly what would you do? What would you think?
I actually answered this question, and I'm a budget first. Yeah, but I learned that lesson the hard way by making plans, not specifically trouble plans, but in the past, making a plan that was all about what I wanted to happen at the end, and then reverse engineering a budget and realizing.
I didn't happen of money.
Yeah, And so I think that I've learned the lesson now that talk budget, because you immediately know whether you're traveling five kilometers fifty kmes a five thousand.
Clock Totally, totally, I absolutely agree with that. It's like saying let's go to Gimlet, which is a very expensive restaurant here in Melbourne for those who don't know, but only having twenty dollars on your person.
And this kind of reminds me of that TikTok I saw a few months back where that guy was saying he wanted to go to a friend's birthday thing and they were doing dinner then drinks, and he didn't want to go to the dinner because the entree was like forty dollars, so he said he'd agree and meet for drinks, and apparently it caused a big blow up with him
and his friend. And so I'm kind of like, yeah, I I aspire to be the person that only comes to drinks and doesn't spend forty dollars on it on trade, but yeah, I can't help myself because I get fomo, And so yeah, I definitely think that talking about like comparing restaurants and other types of experiences, what's the compromise. This person thought they were doing a great job of compromising by saying I'll just come for drinks, but sometimes that can cause an issue to having a conversation is
the only answer. Yeah, we got another question.
Well then we asked for your two cents. So someone said I would send this message to the girlfriend. She's understanding, she will understand, which I totally agree. And that's what you were saying, Jess, like basically say everything you said to us, but to her.
Yeah, see how that goes down. Someone else said, be straight up.
They might be embarrassed otherwise, which I can understand definitely, Like if you're like, you know, your budget is a bit low, it might come across as like maybe you're being shamed because you just don't have to travel, which it is definitely like a delicate one because having been there, and I feel like, you know, maybe the people in this room as well, have been in a situation where you can't really afford things and you kind of feel you shame yourself first, and to have that someone else
kind of come and say, hey, Bee, because you can't afford X y Z, I don't want to do this with you, it can be you know.
Yeah, I think maybe the approach is I'm worried that, like, you know, I think if you want to expand a little bit on the part where they said they're worried about this certain thing, use an actual experience. I'm worried that we might go to dinner and then I'm going to order a big meal and you you're not gonna want to order anything.
You're gonna order something small.
I don't want you to have a bad time, but I really don't want to have to not have something nice because I've saved for a really long time to
have this. So what I want to figure out with you is how can we maybe plan the trip that means that I can still do all the boogie things I want to do, and that maybe we meet up at the end, Like, I think, have a plan of what you think might work, because if you have a sense of this person's budget, you might actually know, and if you've also got an itinery kind of half cooked, you might know where you're planning to be and what places they're Like, I really want to go to Prague,
but I don't really care about going to insert the name of another European country.
I mean in Europe. Can't tell. And I think that I think actually come up with a solution.
Yeah, don't go with I don't want to I think be clear about what you do want and then what you think the solution might be. Because you've identified issue very corporatives.
Someone else said, don't did your friend find the compromise? Hostiles are an amazing way to meet people. That is so true, But some people.
I would not do a hofestyle. That's it. I personally I love a hostel.
Maybe we'll go together one day you can experience that.
I just it's a safe like I know that many Actually, when I went to the UK with f D, we stayed in a hostel.
We had a private room because it was five of us. So like that I'm fine with.
But I just I get very scared when I don't know people and say, like a hostel for me, it doesn't.
Worry whereas you can imagine, I'd just be rolling in hot and like everyone, I would run in the.
Hostel by the time.
And then lastly, someone else said, it's the girlfriend. I'd compromise, do a bit of both, or stay longer and do your stuff when they're gone, which I think is exactly what you're saying, April, and just really honestly, just be open, honest, try and find a way to work around it. Maybe create a hybrid of both holiday ideas and everyone will have a lovely time. But just make sure you all have fun and everything is open.
Honest end, what are we.
Talking about now? I mean these still.
Apply, still apply everywhere.
Make sure there's after care and informed consent for your own trips to inform consent exactly, enthusiastic consent, ideally.
Okay.
I think it's a really good place to leave it. Thank you so much April for joining us. I had so much fun.
Yes, And if we want to find you, where can they find you?
I am at the Mozilla on Instagram and I guess if you find me there, you can find me anywhere.
Incredible, amazing, all right, Victoria will see you guys on Monday for a money diary.
Until then, have a lovely weekend. See you later. Bye.
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