Hello, my name's Santasha Nabananga Bamblet. I'm a proud yor
the Order Kerni Whaltbury 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 podcast that lets you be pervy about other people's money habits for educational purposes of course. Welcome back to Money Diaries, where we get to talk with one of our incredible She's on the Money community members all about their journey. So let's jump straight in because this week I got a message and it sounded like this, Dear, She's on the Money.
After finishing my degree and landing my first proper job, life took an unexpected turn when the COVID lockdowns hit In what felt like no time, I lost my job, went through a breakup, and moved back in with my parents, relying on job seeker to get by. Determined to make the most of my situation, I turned my love of op shopping into a side hustle. What started as a small project has grown into a legitimate business. I even
pay tax on it. This hustle allowed me to pay off my twenty five thousand dollars hec STET in one lump sum, and I'm now on track to buying my first home. I hope my story can inspire other side hush users. Money diarist, what the hell you just go? Oh, no worries. I think I'm just gonna turn my little side hustle of you know, just going off shopping into a legit business. How does that even happen?
Oh well, it happens over a period of time.
Definitely started during COVID lockdown, as I said in my submission, and kind of just went from there.
I love that. So let's start the way we always start. Money direst do I asked you to grade your money habits from A through to F. What money grade would you give them?
I would say, At the moment, I'm probably sitting pretty firmly at a b like I'm pretty happy with how I manage my money, but there's always room for improvement.
I guess I love that. Alright, let's get into it. Can you tell me a little bit more about your money story.
So I grew up very middle class, so my parents had money, but we didn't have excessive money, and with that they were able to give my sister and I are really good childhood. So as a family, we prioritize spending on things like lifestyle and experiences, so we'd go on interstate or overseas holidays, spend money on extracurricular activities,
that kind of thing. But we didn't have a lot of money for things like buying new clothes from the store, So it was very much like we'd kind of prioritize what was important to us, which is a really good lesson to learn as a kid. Definitely, I've taken that into adulthood. Learned a lot, I guess from my parents in terms of money and how to prioritize our spending. And as I said before, I had a really good childhood.
My sister and I got to do a lot of things and yeah, we used to do our clothes shopping at Savers.
Which I love Savers.
Yeah, I know, it's very love.
Yeah.
So when I was younger, I didn't love it.
I kind of was a bit like I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say brands, but I'm like, why can't we go to Target, you know, like everyone else does. And then I think, just as I grew up a bit more, I started to appreciate it a lot more and appreciate the treasure hunt of it and find you.
Oh my gosh, exactly. I feel like I went through that as well, because my mom still Savers Stan, like the biggest Savers near us recently shut down, and she was not a happy camper. She was like, what am I gonna do? Like this is not fair? And I remember going through a period of time and being like, oh,
why do we have to do this? And then it was like Mom had reframed it into like we can like go hunting for like some really cool stuff that other people won't have, and like we used to I don't know if you did this, but we used to look up after like the average price of like what we'd purchased when we got home and make Dad do a guessing game and be like, guess how much? Dad, guess how much? And he'd be like, oh, fifteen dollars and we'd be like nah na LEAs least less, Like it was the best.
I literally do that still with my partner now.
So oh my gosh, me too. If I get something, I'm like Steve, how much was this? And He'll be like fifty dollars and I'd be like, nah, you're an idiot, Like an idiot, of course I didn't spend fifty dollars on that, Like it's actually a game and if you've never done it, oh the joy, the joy it brings.
I know.
So yeah, that was pretty much my childhood, I will say as well for my parents we had in terms of speaking about money in my household, my parents were very encouraging with me, so whenever I kind of exhibited good behaviors with money, like not spending it as soon as I got it and saving up for something that I really wanted. I remember when I was like seven or eight, I really wanted a violin.
I don't know why. I did it for like a few months.
Oh you did play? I was like, this is rig I wanted.
To play a violin, Like I don't know why. I don't ask me now, like I have no idea why.
But back then I was like.
I went through the flute stage. It's okay, exactly.
We all, you know, we all have those kind of stages. So my parents, you know, were very much like encouraging me to save and reinforcing that kind of identity of like, well, you work hard for what you want, you're saving. So yeah, I ended up buying that violin and it was like one hundred and something dollars, which is a lot to say when you're that age.
Oh one hundred percent. Did your parents end up helping you out in any way or did they go, nah, you've got to do the whole thing yourself.
I'm sure they did, but like it wasn't like I said I wanted it and then they bought it for me. It was very much like I think I started saving pocket money or birthday money or something and like accruing that and then they probably helped me with the last bit. So it was very much like reinforcing this identity when I was young, that like I'm good with money, and
that's carried on into adulthood. I think for me, which I guess like I don't have kids myself, but for people with kids, I think that's very important to start young, like reinforcing those good behaviors.
Was that your first big purchase, I.
Would say, so, I can't remember anything else being that expensive at that age.
Probably yeah, for myself.
And like memorable, right maybe, yeah, exactly.
And the funny thing is, like I said before, once I got it, probably like went to lessons for a term or something, and then that was it.
You were done. You're like, this is actually really hard.
This isn't for me, Like it's very noisy and it's kind of difficult to play it well. But yeah, I think from that point onwards, at least a kind of rather than me getting a violin and getting to.
Do, you know, all the cool stuff that I wanted to do, like learn how to.
Play on it, it was more a lesson in terms of, like, well, if I want something that's you know, a bit pricey, I can save up and be patient and get it.
That's so cool though. I also really love that your parents were so supportive given listening to kids practice violin sounds awful, Like I'm.
One hundred percent, you know.
Unless you are a child prodigy, which most of us are not. Like, I can't imagine that being an enjoyable experience for anybody. Like your parents really did one for the team there.
I rate it very supportive. Yeah, they were both great. They are both great, sorry I should say, and yeah, they're both so. My mom, for example, she moved to Australia with her first husband and he unfortunately passed away. Oh yeah when I think they were both around twenty eight years old. So my mom had my half brother and from that point on she basically was able to you know, get a house by yourself here, get a mortgage,
working by yourself in a like foreign country. So she's set a very good example of being able to work for the things that you want.
Can you imagine how stressful that would have been, like coming to a foreign country as an immigrant and then your husband passes away? Like I need her money story as well.
Yeah I know, I know so, but yeah, it's like, just set a very good example for me at being pragmatic I guess with my money and taking a careful approach, but trusting yourself.
I love that. So tell me how that impacts you now as an adult, Like what does money look like today?
So for me at the moment, I think secure is the keyword, Like I definitely agree with the term like money doesn't buy happiness, but I think it buys you security. Yeah, So for me, I think my relationship with money as an adult is very much like tied to feeling secure with it. And I like to have a good buffer for myself for you know, anything, because I always think
like what could happen? Like you don't want to be dramatic, but you also think worst case scenario, like especially after we've been through COVID and everything, like what if I lose my job? What if I can't pay my bills? I like to be organized just in case any of that happens. So I've got a very big emergency fund.
I need to know. I need to know what does a very big emergency fund look like? Because you are twenty nine years old, and I feel like it's always different, Like people ask me this question all the time, like VI, how much do I need in an emergency fund? And like there's no answer. I always like for back to the default, like Okay, have you calculated like three months worth of expenses? I'd work towards that tell me how you worked out what you're comfy within your emergency fund.
I did look at the three months of expenses, which I guess yourself and other podcasts talk about, but I guess from there because I kind of when I hit that, I just kind of kept on letting it keep a cruing rather than transferring it out of that account. So I think I'm somewhere. I'd say a bit over fifteen thousand at the moment.
And how far would that get you? Like if tomorrow you unfortunately lost your role, would that get you through three months? Six months? Like what do you think? That looks like?
Oh, definitely several months, I think as well. The other thing is like if I really had to, like I've talked to my parents before just for like, you know, peace of mind, Like I can move back in with my parents if that ever had to happen.
But like, obviously I would prefer not to have to do that.
Of course, of course, I feel like we all do that, and like it's an absolute right, like I do not for a second take for granted that you know, I have a relationship with my parents where I would be welcome home, right, But I'm thirty three. I have a baby, I have a husband, I have my own mortgages, and I'm still like, so if I wanted to move home, could I move home? Mom and Dad are like, yeah, okay, cool. I just want to know. Thanks, And Mom's like, wait,
would you ever move home? I'm like, nah, never, never. I just want to know that option is there, and like it's totally a privilege, right, And a lot of people will be like, oh, well, at least you could move home. You're right, at least I could. Like, I am so privileged to be in that position, and I think that that has like sat with me and let me make and I don't know if you're like this, but let me make some riskier decisions knowing that I
do have that to fall back on. Whereas I have some friends who are not in that situation, and I've always said to them like, hey, I know you're not in the same situation, like you let me know if you need anything. I've got a spare room, like I can always be that landing place. And I think that
I've just become that friend. My husband says that Victoria is always collecting strays, and I kind of love it, so like I understand the privilege of being able to quoite go home, but I also want to be able to extend that so that, like none of my friends feel like they don't have a safe landing place. I've
just been thinking about this a lot recently. Do you find that has infiltrated the way that you interact with your friends and your family members and like partners and stuff like that where you've got a safe landing pad to kind of extend that out or is it something you've never thought about or like, I don't know, I just feel like it's so common.
Yeah.
No, I think that's really important, and it is something that I'm very lucky, I guess to know that I have there as an option if anything.
Like that happens.
I think I would like to also be that in the future for other people. So I guess, yeah, that's something I can, you know, work towards when I get my own house, hopefully sometime soon you will.
You will let's learn more about it, all right. I want to know. Tell me what you do for work and how much money you earn.
I currently have a government job. I've been working for a government for I think roughly four years now, and I'm earning about ninety five K years.
Ooh, that's pretty good at twenty nine Yeah, tell me, is that including super.
No, that's not including super soupers on top of that.
Oh okay, so like your total package is over one hundred and grand yeap, Yeah, that's very sexy. I like it. She's earning six figures. Tell me a little bit more. I want to know what are your big money goals. You've mentioned a couple of times, like you want to buy your first home, so I'm assuming that might be on the list, But like, what are your big money goals? What are we working towards?
For me, I would really like to get a bit more into investments. So I do have a raise account at the moment, but I'd like to start investing a bit more into the share market. Like the raise was definitely it's been really good to do so far and to watch how it grows, and I think that was me getting comfortable with investing a bit more. But I've kind of hit this point now with Rays where I'd
like to move into the next step. But I feel like I've been getting a little bit of analysis paralysis with it, so I start looking at different I guess platforms to invest and start listening to podcast episodes and then I get a little bit maybe overwhelmed at the moment, so.
Oh, I get it. Analysis paralysis is literally the worst. And why is it?
Us?
As women? We are always like, Oh, that looks really good, but I might go to bed now and I'll have another look tomorrow. And then for some reason, you wake up tomorrow and you've lost all your confidence and it feels like you have to start your research again. And so you start your research again and you come to a similar conclusion. But then you're like, surely there are other options out there, and like I don't want to make the wrong decision, and so you just keep putting
it off and off. I often refer to the microinvesting platforms as like the gateway drug of the investing world, because like it's easy to get you on them. It's really easy to get you comfy with it, and then you look for more, and like that's kind of what I want to do to you in the investing world. I want you to go, oh, that's actually not so bad. Are you saying that I could have like a proper investing platform, Because sometimes it's a little bit too hard
to like go straight in boots and all. So tell me when did you go, Oh, this isn't too bad. I want to move from micro investing to like bigger investing.
I think a couple of months ago, so I've been saving. Obviously I mentioned before about buying a house. I'm looking at buying one with my partner, and that would be my other big money goal at the moment. But I think when I got to a certain point where we've got our twenty percent, you know, and a little bit extra, and we're just more at the moment looking for the
right house rather than getting that deposit saved up. I think now I'm looking at, hopefully in the next couple of months, like starting that I guess more big girl investing.
Oh I love that. All right, let's go to a really quick break, because I was about to ask you a whole heap of questions about like your home buying journey, but I think I'm going to save them for after this, so guys stick around money dives. Do we are back? And I had to put a little break in there because I was like, we need to get a little coffee,
we need to have a break. But also I want to know tell me about this home buying journey you mentioned in your diary in like, hey they when COVID Lockdown's hit, like lost my job, went through a breakup, did all of this stuff. But in this episode you've mentioned that you have a partner, So tell me about that situation. How did you meet first? Because I love a love story and what does that look like because you're now trying to purchase property together.
I've actually known my partner since we were probably thirteen or so years old.
I'm so glad I asked I love love.
We used to get the train together to school, and I've been friends with them for a very long time. During COVID lockdown, we started hanging out a little bit more and one of my friends and I moved out out of home during COVID, so rented a place and he helped us move house because he's friends with both of us. And we said, hey, there's a third room. Would you like to move into that room? So he did, and Yeah, from that point onwards, we kind of started dating.
That's actually so funny. You were like, ah, I've moved a potential boyfriend in that could have ended so badly, Like you've probably thought about this, but that could have ended not so great.
Yeah, it was like it was definitely a bit of a slow process from going from being friends to in a relationship. It was over a period of time. But we've gotten to this point now, which is great. Like we're looking for a house. We're both very I think we're very on the same page with money, which is really important something that I've learned, I guess over the years.
So we're both saving probably a very similar amount. We're on a very similar amount both looking and kind of refining what kind of houses we want to buy.
Yeah, that's really fun and you need to know more about this love story though. Tell me about the housemate. When did they work out that his housemates were dating, because that could have been weird.
Her housemates were dating her housemates.
I think a couple of months in maybe, Yeah, we kept things a bit quiet, but it's kind of hard when we're in lockdown and you all live together. So yeah, happened relatively quickly that that's.
Actually so funny. So is this something obviously you've known
each other since you were thirteen? Is this something that when you started to tell like friends and family, they were like, of course or was this something that you were like, you know, I'm telling you now, And they were completely shocked because I feel like these like romances where you were thirteen and you like hung out together caught the train, feeling like you might have been really oblivious to the fact that he was in love with you the whole time.
Oh, he definitely wasn't. And I didn't feel that way for him at all. We were very different so growing up, Like if you stole photos of us in year seven, I would have been like, because you know, girls obviously grow quicker. I would have been like my height in year seven, like five foot eight, he was very fine.
Eight in seven, Oh my gosh, I was so teeny timey, and.
He is definitely a late developer.
And yeah, we were just like friends, Like we weren't even that great friends in school. I would say like, oh, just knew each other from getting the train and like, you know, you kind of sit in the same group because we were all going to the same station. And then as we got older, like just you know, in the same friendship group. So we were friends, but it wasn't really until COVID lockdown. We lived in the same suburbs, so we were within our five k radius to like go for walks and stuff.
Yeah, okay, it kind of like forced you together exactly. Yeah, okay, I like it.
Yeah.
That was at a point where we were probably we'd kind of grown up and developed a little bit more, and our personalities were more like how they're going.
To be, if that makes sense.
That makes so much sense. So I met my husband in like my mid twenties, right, And I remember a couple of years ago saying to my husband like, oh my god, like, would we have dated if we went to the same school, And then we saw photos of each other, and we're both like absolutely not. Like I looked in grade seven, like everyone I don't now, sadly, I wish people still said this about me, but I
just looked so young. So like in grade seven you would have been like not sure if she's in grade four or grade seven, And in grade ten, I was like trying to be really cool, but I looked like her grade seven. Like I just looked so young throughout the whole process. And then there was my husband who thought he was like a skater boy, Like, oh, just way back then, it wasn't gonna happen. We needed to
mature and become ourselves and now obviously inseparable. But like, na, we wouldn't have dated like those people that are like, yeah, we've been together since we were like twelve. I'm like, how you would have been completely different people?
I know.
Yeah, So it worked out so great. It was definitely not the plan when we invited him to move in with us. It was like a short term thing.
We were like, we need a housemate, cheaper rent money.
Win exactly.
Yeah, we've got a spare room and you're a nice dude. Yeah exactly, and Sadie was a really nice dude. All right, tell me a bit more. So I want to know more about this home buying journey because so many people in our community are on this. You earn ninety five thousand plus super, which is a really nice amount of money. Can I be pervy? What on average is your partner earning?
I think he's a little bit more than me, so I think he's probably probably just entering the six figures.
Let's say, yeah, okay, so let's just say semi equal, semi equal, like give or take, how did you decide what type of budget the two of you had for property? Because I feel like you know, it's an interesting conversation to go, oh, well, we should just buy a three hundred thousand dollar house because it's well within our means, or are you maxing out like what you can borrow? Like, tell me a bit more about that decision making process.
We definitely don't want to max out what we can borrow. We're both, I think a little bit more on the conservative side. So we've been looking because you know, looking at house prices at the moment, so that's technically they're going down, but they're still quite high. So we've been looking around. I think we're looking at about that eight to eight fifty mark, seeing what there is out there.
Hey, eight fifty is going to get you a nice place, though.
I know, fingers crossed and we have gone to a couple of options. We bid at one so far we didn't get that one, but I think it's all a good experience.
How did that feel, not winning at an auction you're bidding at, because like just even putting your little paddle up and bidding, Oh, I felt sick the first time I did it.
I know it was quite stressful. I was actually really proud.
Of myself for doing it because I was like talking to the like we had the real estate agent one of them come and stand with us, and he had like his little clipboard and was like showing me the prices and stuff, and like, I was really proud of myself for like kind of taking that on and being like yep, okay, we're going to do this and oh no, we're going to hold back and stand back there. My partner and I were very much on the same page going into that.
So and you had like a max out like if it goes over this, we're just not playing ball anymore.
Exactly, And like you know, we were kind of like he was doing like little gestures to me to like, you know, slow down, like hold it there, wait there.
Aha, I love this a little negotiating.
Yeah.
So the auction process is definitely quite stressful, but at the same time, I think it was a good experience, and we did go into it knowing. I think you got to go into it knowing that there's a good chance that you know, you might be out bid.
Yeah.
See, I have a very similar experience. I was bidding at an auction a couple of years ago for a property that we obviously really wanted to own, but I'm a bit de lulu, which you probably already know. So like, I'd already taken a photo of myself with the like for sale sign out the front of the house a couple of weeks before it went to auction, and I had superimposed a sold sticker on it, like I was
manifesting so hard. It is so different going to an option and bidding for yourselves, because as a financial advisor, I used to have clients who were like, oh, I'm not confident, Like I'm really worried, and I'd be like, mate, I'll go bid for you at this auction. That's fine. I'm so confident because I know my numbers and I know how to speak well, and like, you know, I'm
quite assertive. That all went out the window the second I was bidding in an option for myself, I was like shaky and scared and like it was actually insane. My husband took over and like, sorry, have you met me? Like my husband to take over talking for me. Anyway, we didn't win that, which ultimately i'm very glad for.
I thought my heart was set on it. But I'm genuinely a believer that when you lose an option, it's because something better is coming, like something more aligned is coming your way, because that's exactly what happened for us. I remember just being so heartbroken and being like, we're never going to get the house of our dreams, and then all of a sudden it turns up and I'm like, oh, well, that's what I was waiting for. Isn't it so easy? In hindsight though, Hey.
Yeah, And you have those thoughts definitely at the end of an auction, like, oh, this isn't going to happen for us, This is too hard, the prices are too high. But I think I've been looking at what's sold recently in the areas that we're looking, and you know, I'm realistic. I'm like, it is possible to get in. It might not be the perfect place, but it might be the perfect place for us.
No.
I love that, So tell me a bit more. You mentioned that you're micro investing right now. Do you have any other investments?
So in my race, I've got about five thousand in there at the moment, and I'm putting fifty dollars a fortnight in there. Definitely, when I start doing my big girl investing, want to do a little bit more than that. And then my Super I just checked it the other day. I don't know why I always get locked out of my Super account.
Because you forget your password or.
Something every time, because like you don't need it that often. So when you do, like I always forget it, always have to go through the whole like resetting everything.
That's me logging into my GUV every time. They're are like, what's you useer name? And I'm like, I don't know my user name. Why can't it just be my email address?
So I'm super from when I last checked it had just clocked over fifty thousand dollars, which I was really happy with. Yeah, especially I think in the last few years working for government, it's gone up heaps. Before that, I felt like I was quite behind in Super. So yep, that was very nice to see. And I think I have like one hundred dollars in crypto. I don't know my login for that because that was years ago. I put that in there, Like it definitely wasn't anything cool
like bitcoin. It was like, I don't know, someone told me to buy something, or rather I can't remember even what I bought.
I've just kind of given up on that.
We all know that crypto is really risky and whatnot. But back in the day, I had a boyfriend who bought crypto and I just remember being like, you're a loser. Obviously it didn't work out. I didn't marry him. It wasn't my current husband, unfortunately, because he's made like nearly a million bucks. Like last I heard like he'd cashed his bitcoin out or whatever it was a couple of years ago at like eight hundred grand, and I remember being like, well, that serves me right.
I know.
It's yeah, it's definitely a little bit of the wild West for me. Like I don't really understand it. Like I've tried watching VI and I just can't really get into it. So I'm happy just using I guess mainstream investing.
Yeah, let's go with something Favanilla. I feel like the risk of it it outweighs the benefit. Like this is way back in like I don't know if you know I've read it, but like way back in the day, he would like trill Reddit and this was like before it was even in the media being talked about, and
I was just like your d Lulu. But Okay, turns out he was definitely onto something and I should have just copied him because I think he turned like maybe five hundred dollars into eight hundred thousand dollars like wild, and you can't do that anymore, Like that's not replicable. So anyone who's listening, like, don't think, oh, I can go buy bitcoin because it's insane. I think a bitcoin nowadays is worth more than one hundred thousand dollars, Like
you can't just buy one. But yolo, anyway, tell me a bit more about debt. Do you have any debt? Have you ever been in debt?
So the only debt that I've ever had is my hex debt. I'm just like thinking back to make sure that I'm not missing anything, but no, I think it's just literally been my heck stead that got up to like twenty five k, and it was probably a little bit higher than it should have been for my degree because I did jump around degrees a couple of times.
Yeah, I mean twenty five grand is not that bad given you jumped around degrees a little bit.
Yeah, especially in the start, like I think I did one where I pulled out before the census date, so I didn't get charged for those classes, which is good.
And then I did like a couple.
Of because I was like, oh, I want to be a lawyer, you know, did law for six months and then was like, ah, not for me, that's fair. And those classes were expensive, so like yeah, I can just imagine how much a whole law degree would be. But so it was about twenty five K. And this is where during lockdown when I started doing my side hustle.
I was about to say, but we don't have that date anymore, tell me why, but you've segued into it yourself.
Yeah.
So basically started doing my like op shopping side hustle during COVID, And it started very organically. It wasn't like a conscious decision of like I'm going to do this, I'm going to make money, I'm going to pay off
my hex step. It just started like I don't know if you remember, during one of the lockdowns, you were allowed to go into stores, like you could go into clothing stores and you could go into op shops and stuff, but you couldn't try things on Oh yeah, yeah, So that's how it started for me.
Honestly, I've just blocked out so much of this. I've just i know, just like trauma, like when people remind me of things. I'm like, no, sorry, I don't want to talk about it.
I don't want to think about it exactly. It's funny doing this, Like I was writing down notes for myself and like that's how I got started. I forgot about that part of it. I think, Yeah, during lockdown, couldn't go into the change room. So I bought a few things, took them home. I got a pair of Camilla and Mark pants from Savers. Oh very nice, yeah, very nice.
Very pretty.
Loved them, took them home, tried them on, and I'm like, oh damn, Like they're a little bit too big for me, but they're so pretty. I can either like wait till I go back to the store and like see if I can exchange them.
Or I and popped them up for sale. So that's what I did.
That's so smart because so many people want Camilla and Mark but they don't want to like trawl through Savers on the off chance that they might go across it. But for people like you and I, it's a game. It's a fun game.
Exactly one hundred percent. So pop them up online and I reckon. They sold that night, like they sold really quick. What because everyone was like at home there wasn't anything to do, so I think everyone was either.
Like, yeah, that's true.
Online shopping or there wasn't much to do. So they sold that night.
And I don't think I sold them for like a super high price or anything.
I think I, like, you just like whacked them up for something reasonable and then realized maybe once they sold so quickly, you were like, I could probably have busked for twenty bucks more.
Yeah, exactly. I think I bought them for like ten and sold them for about thirty five dollars, and I'm like, oh, that was really easy. And there wasn't much else going on for me at the time, Like I think all my plans had been put on hold, so I've been technically I was stood down from my job.
What were you doing? Like, what was the type of role you were stood down from?
So I got my first entry level job after UNI, and that was doing background checks, so like when people get a new job, they do their background check, so it was processing that and I was only earning, like I say, only sorry. I was like it was okay for like someone who's just finished UNI. I think I was on about forty five thousand dollars a year. But I was casual, so.
Oh, you were one of the first to go.
Yeap, I was a week off being there for twelve months or something like that.
Yeah, okay, And they were like see y'all.
Yeah, and they stood down. I think something like seventy percent of you know, the workforce, which at the time, like, I can completely understand why they had to do it, but.
It's so stressful at the time as well. And I think that, you know, being stood down from any job sucks, but being stood down from your first job in the first twelve months at that pay level, you probably were in a switch where you were like is this me? Did they get rid of me because I'm not good enough? Even if I had put the facts on the table for you and been like, seventy percent of people are
just losing their job because of the economic conditions. This has got nothing to do with you, but you extrapolated out you think it's you. But then also on a forty five thousand dollars salary, you were probably like not making ends meet that tightly, like it was probably a massive stretch to do budgeting and you know, pay your rent and do everything else. So you were like, well, what am I going to do financially, because I don't
have that much in savings. Because to expect someone who's earning forty five grand to be able to save and invest and have like a really healthy emergency fund, like it's almost impossible, and so like, I think that would have been additionally super stressful. Did your employer help you by suggesting like job seeker or did you have to do that yourself for like what type of support was there for you when you got stood down?
I believe that we did get suggested to go onto job seeker. Everyone that had been there for more than twelve months went onto job keeper. We went onto job Seeker. So and I had a few other coworkers obviously in the same position as me, so we all kind of kept in touch and we all did the same thing, jumped onto that scheme. It was really great at the time, Like, I'm very thankful that we had that. That was such a great safety net for people like me who were
stood down. But also you have this kind of guilt, and I felt bad about having this guilt because it was unprecedented times. As we always say.
It's like the most triggering phrase I think that exists, right, I know it was unprecedented. You're like covid run, I.
Know exactly, but yeah, there was a bit of guilt for me because I felt like I've just finished UNI, like it had been only like a year and a little bit since I'd finished UNI. I had been working, I was at the very start of my career, and I just had to put everything on hold and felt guilty for like taking taxpayer money at the time because I'm like, I just felt, I don't know, like I was a little bit lost.
So yeah, that was really difficult.
I totally get it, though I had a heap of friends going through that at the same time. I feel like we were all stressed, like I was a business owner and or still am. But I remember being like, hey, guys, like, if you want, like you can take home your screens because it'll probably be like two weeks and I don't want you working at like your laptop for two weeks. This is crazy, Like see you. Then we all go home and it was literally twelve months. Like during that
period of time, I canceled, like my office lease. Like everything happened, and you're right, unprecedented, but you just never knew what was coming next. And I think when you look back, you're like, oh, that period of time that really sucked. But for me, I think the thing that sucked was not knowing when it was going to start or end. So like you got sent home, you probably lost your job, but you're like, am I going to be able to go out and get a job next week or next month or in a year, Like we
don't know what that looks like. And it's just like living in Limbo was probably the hardest thing. It wasn't like being cooped up at home. We're both from Melbourne, so that's really hard. Like I get it, but going is this a year worth of you know, one hour walks or is it like the next week. You'd always watch like the Telly and see the updates and be like, oh the numbers have gone down. Oh that's good, that's good.
And then I remember seeing them go back up and being like I'm never watching TV again, Like I'm just gonna live in my office like insane.
I just had so much free time, and I was looking for jobs at that point, but because of the lockdowns, like the job market was very oh it was crazy, I guess sporadic with its hiring. It was yeah, and there wasn't a lot of opportunities out there. And I also was a bit worried about going into an office because some of the jobs that were hiring you had to go into an office because they were they were
like essential worker jobs. And I didn't really also want to be because I was with my parents then and I didn't want to be exposing them in case I brought because this is when we didn't know what it was like getting COVID, Like you would barely know anyone that had had it. Now obviously we've you know, most of us have had it, so we know what it's like.
It's gross. Yeah, one out of ten cand of recommend.
Yeah, exactly. Yeah. So during that time, yeah, just feeling a little bit lost.
It was just a lot, wasn't it? All right? I want to go back on track and talk about your little side hustle. So you sold a pair of Camilla and Mark pants and someone bought them, and you were like, damn, that worked quite well. Was that then like the floodgates of you going off shopping all the time or was
it like what was next? How did this scale? How did you end up being able to pay twenty five thousand dollars off in a lump sum like there's a few things missing from the Camilla and Mark pants to Then.
I guess I wouldn't say that I go all the time, but I started probably going a little bit more than I had been at the time. So obviously in between lockdowns, I would go because it was something to do, and I would go for myself anyway. So I'd be going kind of going through the racks and everything, and if I found something where it wasn't for me, but it was a nice item or good quality or a good brand or hopefully like a combination of all those three criteria,
then I would pick that up take it home. Often like they need a little.
Bit of a hush your little steam exactly.
Oh they need like a wash, or they need like they've got a tiny mark on them and they just need a stain removed and then they're like perfect, like basically look brand new. So I would just kind of do that and that was a good way to fill in my time then as well.
Yeah, one hundred percent, I would have been like this is a great side hustle. It's also kind of fun.
It was so much fun for me, like it still is, like it's honestly just treasure hunting, like so good.
And you're making money from it. And if you know, like if you've got a good eye for fashion, which I sometimes don't have, I feel like you'd be able to go you know what, I wouldn't wear that, but that would sell well, Like you would start to get to know what does well and what doesn't do well.
Like yeah, and there's definitely like sleeper items that people like go past and then you'll suddenly see them and you're like, oh my god, how has no one picked us up yet?
Today?
You're there at the end of the day, like you know, they're probably an hour away from closing, and you're just like, is anyone else seeing this?
Like and you just like snap it up, runway.
One hundred percent, Like, oh, I tell anyone, don't tell anyone? How much does this work?
You're like, has someone put this down and not meant to? Like run?
I don't? I know?
I love it? So then you just scaled it. How have you managed to make obviously more than twenty five grand and having to pay tax on it? Like do you go every weekend? Do you do this every day? Like how much of your time does this take up.
For me, it's usually like probably i'd say I go two days a week, So usually I do like one day after work, I'll go for like a couple of hours, and then usually maybe on the weekend as well. And it depends so much on the week, Like you know, some weeks, I might buy one or two things. Other weeks I might buy like fifteen things. Definitely, it depends.
And I guess obviously when I wasn't working, like, I had a lot of flexibility, so I was able to like, you know, get out of bed, go do this, you know, in the morning, and then spend the afternoon like taking photos, putting them up online, working on my listings because I use predominantly eBay for it.
Why eBay tell us about that? Because I feel like there's the rise of d pop right and everybody is like, get on deepop, and like I've buy stuff on deepop, but like eBay's better, you reckon.
I guess it just depends. Like there's obviously different platforms to sell on, and some people are very into their Facebook marketplace, some people are very into Deepop.
I've tried both of those.
I think eBay are just like because I find I haven't had this issue so much with Deepop, but with Facebook Marketplace, I find it's a real pain sometimes, Like.
Oh I can't deal with Facebook Marketplace. If you follow me on Instagram, I've been on many a Facebook Marketplace rant like the people on their I swear they're crazy, Like people are unhinged on Facebook Marketplace.
Like it's the scams sometimes, like you'll get that and straight away pretty much I can pick up. I'm like, that's scam, Like I'm not an idiot. Oh, But it's more the ghosting is the thing that I find, like with Marketplace, because the thing is, I think people find something, they're all keen to buy it. You get like organized with the transaction details and everything, and then they just ghost you no I know.
And then on eBay I think it's a little bit different.
Where eBay is more like they're kind of locked in to buy, you know, and it's very rare that you won't get someone who's you know, committed to buy something and then they go back on that like it does happen, but nowhere near like it doesn't Marketplace.
Yeah.
No, I feel like eBay's just really transactional. People like understand it's an online like sales platform. I feel like deepop feels a bit more DIY even though it's not. And then Facebook Marketplace feels like the wild West.
One hundred percent, and I think with Marketplace as well, like I just find like people be like, oh, can you come to this suburb on a Tuesday at twelve and drop this off?
And I'm just like, oh my god.
Like absolutely, I can't. I gave away so much free stuff recently because I was having like a big clean out, and you know when you're like, I just wanted to go to a good home, Like I just don't want to spend like weeks negotiating with people to make money from this. I would actually just prefer some lucky person to see it for free and then come and get it.
I wish I never did that because the amount of people that were like, oh, can you deliver, and I'm like no, the listing literally says don't deliver, And they're like, I have three kids. Are you really gonna take this away from my children?
Yeah?
I think I might actually like what, like it's free and you should be paying for this normally, Like come and get it yourself.
I know it's Yeah, it is exhausting.
So that's why I've been sticking with eBay for quite a while. Yeah, and at the moment, I think I try to do like every probably second day, I'll try to do at least one listing. I'll do a couple usually, but I'll try to get at least one, just so it keeps triggering the algorithm to pick up my items.
Yes, smart, Smart, she's on top of it. And is that a thing that you've had to do a bit of research into, so not just like popping things up for sale, but like you said, algorithm before, I'd never even thought about that.
On eBay, there's a lot of YouTube videos, so like, I highly recommend checking out if this is something you're interested in or even just selling your own stuff like this is also I guess how I started back in the day, just selling my own things. So yeah, I did a bit of research on YouTube and there's a few things I guess that triggers your items to be shown up higher. And it definitely works, I think, because if I don't do anything on eBay for like a
few days, I definitely am not selling things. Where even if I do things like I'll jump on there and I'll leave some feedback or I'll you know, make sure that I ship my items quickly.
You just do something just like interact on your account every day.
Exactly one hundred percent. So that's what kind of keeps things like ticking over for me.
I love that.
Yeah, and it's been great. So since I started working full time again, like and this is a couple of years obviously ago now, so it's been a while, I've been just fitting this around my work and that's been like actually a lot easier than I kind of expected it to be. I think it's just because it's something that I find really interesting and I enjoy doing.
It's a literal hobby, Like it's something that you can do on the weekend that you enjoy. And I mean, you're making money from your hobby. I'm not making any money from my hobbies. All they do is pour money into them, and then I don't actually have the time to do the things, so I get quite literally nothing out of them. So kudos to you for actually doing it.
Yeah, And I think it's like, I don't know, I just recommend if anyone wants to take on a side hustle, I would be looking at your area of interest because that's when you invest the time and you don't feel
like you're investing it. So like if you love driving, for example, like if that's I don't know, something you enjoy, then I guess you could look into like Ube It's driving or that kind of thing, because like you're actually gonna enjoy what you're doing with I guess your downtime outside of work.
Yeah, No, I think that's so important. I always get asked like, oh, what's a good side hustle, And it's like one that you're interested in, like one that you know doesn't take all your mental energy. Like if you get carsick, Uberit's driving is probably not for you. I think it's making sure that you're into it. Or if you have the worst fashion sense in the entire world and you hate op shops, probably not flipping clothes on eBay. Like I feel like you've got to look into it.
But there are so many ways to make additional cash these days that it's so accessible, like and even stuff like what you're doing if you can't work full time or there's a reason like that you can't do, you know, a manual job like something like this could be like fit into what you are already doing to make some extra cash, or like even getting on Air Tasker, I find I've got a couple of friends who do that and they just take up random jobs and it works
so well and they actually make so much money from it because often people on air Tasker they want stuff now, so they're happy to pay a bit of a premium for it. And you're like, well why not? Yeah exactly, So tell me, do you think that's your best money habit? If not, what do you think is your best money habit.
I think my best money habit is that I'm very like when I have a budget, I stick to it. All my money when it comes in, like whether it's from my eBay or my job or you know, my interest from my back accounts, it all has a place to go.
So it's working for me.
And I never want to see my savings account go down, which obviously it's going to have to when I buy a house, but until that point.
But that feels like a value exchange, right, Like that feels like, well I got a house, Like I didn't want to see my savings account go down and I got nothing in exchange.
Yeah exactly.
So I think for me, just sticking to a budget and making sure that I don't see my money, like all of my money. That's there is something that I can use whenever I want.
Tell me about a budget, though, because I feel like so many times we say, oh, I stick to a budget. Does that mean that you are, you know, getting cash out of the bank every week and putting money in envelopes or does it mean that you have a spreadsheet or do you have an app? Like how do you budget? How does it work for you?
For me, I've got a couple of different bank accounts, so I've got like a holiday fund, I've got like a treat yourself fund, got obviously like my house deposit savings account. Every time I get paid from my job. I've got automated transfers, so they all go to their set accounts so they can all increase by you know,
whatever I deem to be appropriate at the time. So like I've kind of put my travel account on the back burner a little bit, Like I'm not putting in as much money at the moment, but I'm putting a little bit more into things like my emergency fund now, just to build that up before buying a house. So yeah, that's all automated, and then my eBay income is I don't even look at it. I don't treat it as like my money, if that makes sense, Like, oh I love that. Yeah, it's just kind of like a little
extra addition. Like at the moment now it goes onto my house deposit, and previously I just chucked it basically into a separate savings account, and that's where I kind of it wasn't intended to be.
To pay off my hex debt, but it worked. Yeah.
I know, we got to this point midyear last year. I believe it was where I think the indexation rate was going up by like seven percent or something.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you'd be pretty frustrated now having seen the discounts that are being replied, though, Hey, but you have no debts, so you're the real winner here.
Yeah.
I saw that, and I was just like, it feels a bit like pointless, Like I just you know, all this money was taken out of my paychecks for the last year, and like it's about to suddenly go up by like two thousand dollars. Well, I can't remember what it was, it was a bit and I just was looking at the money that i'd set aside from doing my side hustle, and I was like, oh, hold on, yeah, I might as well just chuck that in there.
Oh I love that. That makes me so happy that you were able to do that. What do you think is your worst money?
Have it? Though?
I feel like you're so good at money and is there a bad one?
I feel like I definitely have a couple. And that's why i'd say, like I'm in the B range. I would say probably for me. The worst thing that I do is like, I'm not great with checking my subscriptions.
Oh wait, none of us are. None of us are. I always see the notification pop up and it's like Apple charge and then all of a sudden, I forget that I was meant to check something and it's four months down the road.
To hundred percent. Yeah.
So that's something I've started putting down a list of I guess it's like my procrastination list of things that like I need to do but I really don't want to do. Like it's just things that I'm not looking forward to. But I love like a list and I love ticking things off a list.
She's type A exactly.
So I'm like, I'll put together this little list, and then I'm just going to work through it, like even if it's like one thing a week, and things like insurances, like checking and making sure I've got the best deal for all of those, because that's definitely.
Been on the back burner the last few months. I haven't been thinking about it.
So it'd be good just to kind of know that I'm in the best situation prior to actually buying the house.
Yep.
Smart Smart. That reminds me I do need to get my insurances updated again now that Harvey has arrived. Like I did it while I was pregnant. Now things have changed again, Like there's just a lot to do right money diarist, what would it take to get you from a B to an A plus? What does that actually look like in your life?
I think for me it's a education.
I can help. I can help there. Yeah, I've got you. I've got you. I feel like that is one thing that I do well. So you're on the right track, You're in the right place. But what about education, Because at the start of this episode, you said, I feel like I've done so much research when it comes to investing platforms, but I have analysis paralysis. So is education and confidence or is it like a particular part of educating, Like what do we need?
I think definitely the education and the confidence, like you mentioned, I think that would be really important for me to be able to make that step into you know, proper investing. I just feel like I understand investing, but it's just all the different platforms and the different ways people go about like setting it aside and you know, putting it into investments. I just get a little bit overwhelmed with that.
So, yeah, that's so fair. That is so fair money, Dirist. I feel like that's been a really relatable but also inspirational story. Like I love that you're like, yep, I get to go op shopping and like I just started by flipping some Camilla and Mark pants and then all of a sudden it was a gateway to paying off my entire hex step Like that is so exciting. And I just know that the community has loved hearing this money Dorry, so I really appreciate it. But unfortunately we've
run out of time. So thank you for joining me and doing your money, Dorry. You've been so generous with your time and your story. I just I love it. This is my favorite.
Thank you for having me.
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