Hello, my name's Santasha Nabananga Bamblet. I'm a proud yr
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 the pod. But let's you get delightfully pervy on other people's finance stories for educational purposes, of course. I am Victoria Devine, a retired financial advisor breaking down money to boost one juicy money diary at a time. Today is a very special episode because we're doing something I absolutely adore. We're going to be looking back at the lessons we have
learned from this year's money diaries. If you know me, you know I am a massive believer in the power of storytelling. Hearing everyone else's wins, their challenges, and even their mistakes can inspire us. It can teach us, and sometimes it can even give us that a heart moment that we've been waiting for. In this episode, together, you and I are going to spotlight some of our biggest
learnings from twenty twenty four. They're those moments that remind us that we're not alone in our struggles and that transformation is always possible. Whether it's turning debt into financial freedom, or negotiating like a pro, or simply mastering the art of patience with your money. These stories are packed with insights that help you level up your finances, and I
wanted to start with this very relatable lesson. In twenty twenty four, we are living in the age of instant gratification, whether it's binge watching an entire season of your favorite show the day it drops, having dinner delivered to your door in under thirty minutes, or getting same day shipping on that impulse by We're getting used to getting what we want exactly when we want it. But when it comes to our finances, that mindset can be well a
bit dangerous. Those spur of the movement purchases and those treat yourself moments can really add up, and before you know it, you're surrounded by unopened packages, empty oat lattes, and an empty bank account. Our first diarist realized this firsthand. She took a hard look at her spending habits. She saw the impact of instant gratification, and she decided to flip the script by mastering the art of delayed gratification. She saved herself thousands and made her money work for
her instead of the other way around. Hear her story and her strategy for making patience her finance superpower.
And I think the most important thing as well too that I realized and I learned as well, is that once you get out of debt, it doesn't mean that you're fully fully out of debt, because if your mindset is still the same as before when you were in debt, you'll continue to go back to that cycle and it'll be like a rotating door of getting out of debt, going back into debt, getting out of debt, and going
back into debt. And I think the most important thing to also, you know, keep yourself motivated to get out of debt is to really think about your goal and your why as to why you want to be out of debt and why you're working so hard to you know, be out of debt is because I finally paid off my zip pay. There was a time where I was sitting down on the couch and I.
Was so bored, just so easy, right, Yeah, I.
Was so bored, and I you know, I'm like, oh, I want to I want to.
Buy this pair of shoes.
But I only had like what twenty dollars in my account after paying off all of my bills, And I was like, do you know what, I'll just apply on zipay. I'll just spend one hundred dollars on zip pay and then pay it off and then close it again. And you know, I had to catch myself really quickly, like no, because.
That's not where we are able.
To Yeah, that's not who we are we are anymore. So it takes a lot of discipline to not go back to that after just coming out of that situation one hundred percent.
And because we are humans, humans inherently do not like change. So going back to a cycle that you know, even though you don't love it, you know it. You go, that's predictable, I know, exactly what will happen? I can you know, work with that outcome. It's hard to go from there to a completely different mindset of going, well, what do you mean? And this layer of instant gratification versus delayed gratification comes to it. You've been an instant
gratification gally for your whole life. You're always used to just getting it, and now you've got to wait, like what do you mean? Like I'm not used to that, Like that doesn't feel I don't know why we're here. So it can be so hard to slip back into the cycle. I know that you've changed your money story over the last few years, gotten out of debt, but what do you reckon your best money habit is?
I would say that my best money habit is I've mastered the art of delayed gratification.
Unless I absolutely need somethow can you please teach me because I have not? Did you just see me? For those of you playing along, I had to have a brief intermission because someone offered me a donut. That's different because that's free. So yeah, it's true.
It's true.
It was a money wan. I'm not buying money.
We there you go?
Yeah, thank you for reframing that for me, But tell me more about how to work into this delayed gratification. I actually learned that from my partner.
Unless I absolutely need something, then I give you myself a few days, if not a week to really think about if I want something or not, and more often than.
Not, I actually forget about it.
So I like to think that, you know, I'm saving myself so much money from not going crazy berserk on shopping spree if I don't really need it.
I love that, But what was the first step in I guess actually practicing delayed gratification because I think that so many of us would be like, oh my gosh, this money dirist is so right. I need to, you know, think about what I'm spending. I'm going to put twenty four hours between me and my spending. I'm going to listen to V like V is very do as I say, not as I do, just for the record, But I think we need to know what was the first time
that that was really pressed. Because I feel like we can make all the biggest plans in the entire world, and I think we all do, but then you have to actually implement them.
I think for me, I guess when I realized that I didn't really need a lot of things was when I was decluttering my bedroom and my bathroom. I had so many unopened skincare products. I had so many clothes that still had tags on them, and I thought, I actually don't need any of these. Why did I even
buy them? And so I think that made me realize that, like, I better start practicing delayed gratification, otherwise I'm going to be stuck with all these you know products close everything that I actually never needed in the first place.
And it could have had some cash in my bank.
Exactly, could have had cash in my bank. And now I can't even sell them because they're had a trend, but I'm still keeping them. Never know, because trends always come back around.
That's true. That's true. Give it ten years that it is an investment, give it ten years. This was an amazing story of growth and discipline. I think what I love the most about this is how real it feels, because honestly, which one of us hasn't been tempted by the ease of buy now, pay later or the thrill of an impulse purchase. Definitely me. But the truth is falling into those habits over and over can keep us stuck in a cycle that is so hard to break.
This diarist is proof that getting out of debt isn't just about paying it all off. It's about staying out of it, and that takes real mindset shifts. She didn't just stop spending, She's rewired how she thought about money and her decisions. If you take one thing away from this episode, let it be this. Your future self will thank you for every thoughtful, intentional decision that you make today.
Whether it's resisting the urge to apply for another buy now, pay later account or letting that cut sit unpurchased for a few days, these little habits build up to create a much bigger picture of financial freedom for yourself. This next lesson comes from one of our most downloaded episodes of the year, and honestly, it's not hard to see why. I mean, who wouldn't click on an episode titled forty
K Salary to four hundred thousand dollars Side Hustle. It's the kind of story that's not just wildly appealing, but also packed with practical insights and a big dose of inspiration. In this episode, our Dira shared how a necessary purchase something they initially needed just to get their home sorted, ended up becoming the foundation for a booming side hustle. Let's dive into how she turned something they needed for
themselves into a booming business opportunity. So tell me more about this business, because you mentioned we have a machine and it has some debt on it. Obviously, when you were building your home you realized that the machinery was necessary. Why not purchase it? Why not then lease it out after? Is this like, you know, a twenty dollar wheelbarrow from Buddings Or is this like, you know, a whole digger?
Is this a crane? I don't know. You've got to tell me more about how this works and then how you worked out that you could lease it out.
Yep. So when we first started designing the house and obviously a big block, we were like, well, there's a lot of landscaping that's going to need to be done, and we were.
Like, well, we'll do that ourselves.
At the time, his brother and his wife were also building on a large block, and his parents were all so building on a large block.
O God, so much construction you wouldn't be short for conversation at family dinner, would you. Oh, yeah, we will be shortly.
We actually joke about what we're all going to talk about in six months time when everyone's done.
Building, you guys will find another project. I can almost guarantee it, Yes, definitely.
So yeah, we looked at it and we thought, you know, were between just the three of us building and you know, needing to hire a digger to do some earthworks or a skid steer to do something else. We were like, hang on, this is really really expensive in town, and if we do that and say we need it. We worked it out over a certain number of weekends and what it would come to, and we were like, why
don't we just buy one? So again, there was some money from the sale of my partner's house, so we actually paid cash for our first machine.
How much does a machine cost?
So that was a mini excavator, so a brand new Caterpillar excavator and that at the time I believe was forty thousand, and then it was about eleven thousand. Then for the.
Trailer, yeah, okay, and so you need the trailer of the UC to move the excavator, yes, so.
To move it around. We did buy a more expensive trailer because you could just buy a plant trailer where you can just drive your machine on and that's.
All its purpose is.
However, we went for a different trailer that was, say, a tiper trailer, so that people can also use it for soil, which you offer.
She's a smart cookie, so you can move the stuff that you excavated.
Correct, And you can also hire that trailer out as its own asset, whereas no one really needs to just borrow a plant trailer on its own, but someone wanting to do some gardening can hire a trailer.
I see the vision.
I get it.
So you've essentially invested fifty one thousand dollars in this trailer and this excavator, and I'm assuming you've used it partner's parents, have you that other family members have used it, and now you're hiring it out. What does that look like? Do you advertise it online or is this a word of mouthing or like? How does that work? How does it go from we bought this fancy thing to other people are paying you for it?
Yeah?
So I did you start out with social media advertising?
Locally?
We've put some signage on the trailer and on the machine, and it just kind of went from there. We've actually stopped advertising for it at the moment because the second part of the business is labor higher, which we've got my partner employed through, so he's out of town a lot with that. So we've actually stopped advertising the equipment higher because we're getting enough with it to cover the repayments on our second machine.
Okay, I love this. How incredible was that? This story is such a powerful reminder that sometimes the biggest opportunities come from the most practical decisions. What I love most about this episode was how intentional they were, not just about solving their immediate problem, but about thinking bigger. They didn't just buy a piece of machinery for personal use. They looked at how they could create value beyond their
own household. By investing strategically and tapping into local demand, they turned what could have been just another expense into a thriving income stream. The takeaway here is this, ask yourself if your next big purchase could be more than just something you need. Could it be an asset that starts working for you. Whether it's renting out equipment, leveraging a skill, or spotting a gap in the market, there's always an opportunity to turn every decision into a financial win.
This diarist didn't just build their home, They've built a legacy. How good is that? Now, don't go anywhere, because after the break we're going to be diving into one of the most important lessons for women everywhere. Welcome back, my friends. If you're going through a breakup or you know someone who is, this is the episode to send them. It can feel like such an overwhelming and intimidating process, especially when emotions are high, but the stakes are even higher.
But this direst story is a powerful example of how preparation, confidence and advocating for yourself can lead to outcomes that protect you and your family's future. This was a master class in standing up for yourself and walking away with a fair settlement. Let's hear how she did it.
I got a lawyer, which not cheap obviously, and got myself with as much info as I could. I actually spoke to a really amazing lawyer and she was like, look, there's all these different ways to do this. The best way to do it, if you guys are amicable enough, is to do it through mediation. So you're not having lawyers represent in so you're not like waste that money.
And I was so nice of you to say that, Yeah, thank you, also an iconic queen.
Yeah, and she was just like, I'm the one who does these invoices of these clients, and I invoice them for like thirty grand and I just think to myself, that's money that could have gone towards the pozard or the kids. And I'm like, you know, So we did that. A couple of weeks ago, we did the mediation, which is like a one day thing to deal with property and family. I'd also in the meantime had quite a
few meetings with my financial advisor. He has been amazing helping me with negotiations and stuff, and so I came out of that pretty well. I went in probably over prepared, but I think that's a better way to be. And he went in completely underprepared.
And so that's a very media and com middle aged white man behavior exactly.
So why should I prepare for this? You know the world will work for me, So I.
Want to know, let's get into some nitty gritty questions. So I'm sure it will come back up. But now that you are getting back into your career, what do you do for it? How much money do you earn?
So I'm a communications manager, I am on one hundred and three per year plus super.
Oh how good is that? I mean, at the moment, you're probably like, oh, everything's so expensive, but like that is a great career trajectory. Yeah, I feel like there's a lot of room for growth, which is awesome. Where Like, and this is probably not a question that's like a kind question to us, but like, where do you think you would have been had you not, you know, put the brakes on your career back when you were making sacrifices so that he could earn three times more than you.
Well, I know exactly where I would be because this is part of the research I did with going into my mediation. So my best friend and I graduated from the same degree at the same time. She's just recently had her first child, which, by the way, having kids in your thirties is a way better idea for so many reasons.
But anyway, when I'm still not getting sleep and I'm tired, and you get to climb into your bed and no toddler is going to be in the middle, you'll be saying.
Ha, try having an eight year old and a five year old in bed every night.
It's that's right, you know what. I feel like you're living my dream.
So she had an amazing stuff with her career. Not to take anything away from her, like she's brilliant what she does, but we had very similar you know, I would say work ethics and all that kind of stuff. She is currently on two hundred and ten. Yeah, okay, you know, so that's the sacrifice I made in terms of being the one at home raising the children. And when I said that to him, he said, well, I didn't ask you to do that.
I'm going to literally bunch you in the face. So weird. My hand just slipped and fell into your nose.
Oh the milk coming out of your boobies wasn't that good? And your two days of paternity leave would not have gotten us very far.
Oh, that's so weird that we had kids when it suited you and I was twenty seven and didn't think it was going to work, but we did. Yeah, so obviously that is actually a fantastic benchmark to have. And having these money conversations with your friend really empowered you to have a successful mediation, right, So, like, what were those conversations, Like, did you sit down with your friend and go hey, cool, like you are basically like we
split off. It's like the superannuation ad where they're going up the escalators and that's really powerful. But like, what was that conversation like with your friend? Were you like, can you just tell me what you earn? WI wash you open to that? What did that looklag?
Yeah? So she's obviously been there for me during this whole massive life change, and she knew that I was going to mediation and I literally just ragged her and I was like, hey, can you, like we all as women need to get better at talking about money and talking about this stuff. Can you tell me what you've earned in your last like three or four jobs? And she's like, Yep, when I was at this job, I earned this. When I was at this, I only at this. When I was at this, I owned this and I
love that. And she's very similarly minded to me in terms of like we need to change this narrative for women, especially like let's not be like weird about money or weird about sex whatever, like let's just normalize everything. And so she was fully just like, Yep, anything else you need to know, you let me know.
I can send you a pay slip for an example, I love her. Certainly tell me how that played into mediation, Like, what was that conversation? Like, I obviously thankfully haven't been through this process, but I know that it can be quite fick. Or is that something that you've said, well, actually i'd be here yep.
So I said I would be there, and I said, to make up for that, I believe I deserve x amount. Unfortunately, because we are both bad with money, we didn't really have much of a property pool to split. So I negotiated really hard for a good monthly payment because in Australia, unfortunately, this is another thing they don't teach you. They don't give you alimony, so you have to do it as
child support. So that's what I negotiated for. So I negotiated for four thousand dollars a month from him, which I think for me puts me in a much better position in terms of lending capabilities and things like that. So I went in really armed with all that information. I also went in armed with what he is. Don't over that time, what you know when they'd break down those calculations of how much a woman like it's not just the amount of time that you spent out of
the workforce. It's also the slower career progression because in the time that I was home with the kids. He progressed really rapidly in his career because he had the time and space to do that.
When you're in mediation, did you talk about superannuation? Did you go she ate for any what did that look like?
Yes? We did. This was again where he came in very unprepared.
Get it, queen, I love this so much. I'm like deserved deserved.
Yeah, well, I mean yeah, if you understood how like Beta I had been in my relationship, you would be like, who is this person? Like, I'm just like, let's take control of our life now.
Oh no, he was shocked too, Yeah, exactly, that's what we want. We want to blindside him.
Yeah. So when the subject of super was brought up, he was kind of like, what why do you get my super? Ah?
I love this so much, and you're like, well, actually, here is the research, here.
Is the reason why. Well and I didn't even have to say it. The mediator said it, which was even better, And I was like, you know, I took nine years out of full time work. My earning capacity, my earning potential, blah blah blah. And then he's like, yeah, but I'm eight years older, so I'm closer to retirement than you. And it was like, irrelevant.
We had eight years more to think about this terrible decision, didn't you also, And.
As the mediator pointed out, but you also still earn triple what she earns.
I love this mediator, this mediator we know in the background. This mediator was like money darist, I'm on your team or.
He was recommended by my lawyer for that reason.
Iconic.
Yeah. And so in the end, part of my negotiating was I negotiated for a higher figure for the monthly payment and said I want fifty percent of your super and he was like absolutely not to both. And I was like, okay, fine, what about an equalization of super. He was like, what does that even mean. I was like, silly boy, it means we join them together and then we split them in half. And he was like, okay, fine,
we'll do that. But then the mediator said, well, actually, I don't think the call will sign off on that because that's not a fair division. So in the end, I've gotten sixty percent of you super.
That's not a fair division. You asked for half and now you've got sixty percent of you super. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't laugh at this because obviously, like you know, there's two sides, or there's actually three sides to every story. But like you know, he deserves to be financially secure as well, of course, but like not going in prepared saying that fifty percent is not okay, continuing the conversation, ending up with forty percent. Oh, I love this. So you got sixty percent of your super.
Yep, and now I need to work with my financial advisor about where we put that and how we put that in some super aggressive accounts to make sure that that's doing the most it can do.
Yeah, oh my gosh, Like that is probably my favorite thing I've heard all day. So where does that put you in relation to the average superannuation balance.
For your age? What is the average balance? I don't know. I think it will end me with about one hundred and eighty five thousand in super.
Yah, So that puts you way above and beyond for your age because you're thirty five, So that means that you are doing really well. Ten out of ten this was an incredible story of resilience, preparation, and self advocacy. This diarist didn't just walk into mediation. She walked in ready to fight for what she deserved, and she didn't settle for less. The big takeaway here preparation is power.
By taking the time to understand her worth financially and personally, and backing it up with facts, she turned what could have been a stressful, one sided process into a win for herself and her kids. It's also a really good reminder of the importance of surrounding yourself with a solid support system, whether that's a financial advisor or a trusted friend, or even both. Having people in your corner can help you build your case and boost your confidence, which makes
all the difference. So if you're going through something similar, take a page from this Diarist's book. Know your worth, do your homework, and don't be afraid to advocate for yourself even when it is hard. You've got this and your future self is going to thank you for it. This next story is one that many of us need to hear, because, let's be honest, when it comes to
financial planning, we don't always prepare for the unexpected. Our dire shares the tough reality of losing her mum and the challenges that followed despite her parents having a will in place. So if you've ever said, oh, my partner handles all the money stuff, or if you've avoided conversations about what happens when things might go wrong, this is the moment to lean in and listen.
Mum kind of ran like all of our household finances, and my dad pretty much like wasn't really across any of it. He was just really focused.
On making the money bringing it home. Mum will manage it.
Yeah, exactly, Mum will look after it, and so he trusted her completely. And I feel like it's often the way around, Like I talk to friends who's like Dad's handled all the finances, but in my family, it was like my mum, which was kind of great that she was across it all. But when she passed away suddenly last year, it meant that Dad had a bit of
a rude awakening. He had access to some of their accounts, or Mum thought she'd see everything up in a joint account structure, but after she died we realized that Dad had access to about three of the like ten accounts.
Yeah, okay, and then that's a really big process of like applying for it to be released and like that's not what you need when you're buried in grief.
No, it was quite a lot. And I think like because the amount of money and those accounts was substantially less than the other accounts. I mean, like we were fine because Dad was still earning, but it just put like unnecessary pressure on him, particularly around funeral expenses and everything else.
Oh yeah, and especially being really unexpected. You don't get that grace period of going, let's get our ducks in a row. We know this, you know awful thing is coming. We can you know, line everything up, Like when it's really sudden. You go from being absolutely fine one day to being not around and you can't even ask questions like, oh hey, Mum, is there anything like that we need to know, Like, you just don't get that grace.
Probably not a good practice to She was quite good in the sense that she had this little read book of passwords.
Oh my gosh, geniuses don't recommend that. I feel like that's the generation though I can almost guarantee my mum has one.
Yes, Thank God for Mum's right with little passo books.
You're like safety first, Yeah, exactly.
So that was definitely quite helpful because it meant temporarily we could kind of see what was going on, but then we went into probate, so all those extra accounts that Dad doesn't have, it's.
All been locked up.
It's been a bit of a rollercoaster of like Dad having to learn how to Internet bank and understanding how directivets work, and just like he kind of knew roughly what was coming in and going out, but he just felt like in a few months after mum died, he had been really like slammed with payments that he wasn't anticipating, so like, yeah, funeral costs and everything else, and then other big regular payments he didn't kind of know they
were coming. So yeah, I think that's been like a massive learning curve for him, but also like a big eye opener for me.
As like, yeah, his daughter just I don't know.
I think it's so important that, I don't know, if you have a parent who doesn't know have it Internet bank, like make sure that they know what they're doing. It's so important not to have all the control with one party because you just don't know what life's going.
To throw at you.
That was such an eye opener. This story is a powerful reminder that financial preparedness isn't just about having a will or trusting one partner to handle the money. It's about making sure everyone involved knows how things work and where everything is. What's the big takeaway here. Preparation is about setting up your finances so that if the unexpected happens, your loved ones aren't left dealing with unnecessary stress or confusion.
That means making sure your accounts are set out correctly, passwords are shared securely, and both partners are across the household, budget and finance systems. It's not an easy conversation to have, I promise, but it is worth it because when you're grieving or navigating a major life change, the last thing you want to do is figure out internet banking or dealing with probate red tape. So take this as a sign to sit down with your partner or your family
and have those conversations. Make a plan. It's not about being morbid, It's about creating freedom and security for the people you love. My friends. That wraps us up to the end of our episode. What I love most about money diaries is how they show us that no matter where you're starting from, there is always, always, always a way forward, whether it's overcoming a financial struggle, building some resilience,
or simply learning to take the next step. These stories remind us that financial empowerment is never a one size fits all journey. It's yours to define. And if you are hungry for more money stories and looking for a holiday read I heard that Money Diaries with Shees on the Money is the perfect book for you. It's packed with even more inspiring, jaw dropping and relatable stories from
people just like you. Whether you're lounging by the beach or you're curled up at home, it'll keep you entertained, inspired, and maybe even just a little bit nosy and my friends With that. That is our last episode for twenty twenty four. Thank you so much for tuning in, for sharing the love and being part of this incredible community. I'm going to be back in the new year with even more stories, more tips, and more ways to help you take control of your money and live your best life.
I'll see you then, my loves. The advice shared on She's on the Money is general in nature and does not consider your individual circumstances. She's on the Money exists purely for educational purposes and should not be relied upon to make an investment or financial decision. If you do choose to buy a financial product, read the PDS TMD
and obtain appropriate financial advice tailored towards your needs. Victoria Divine and She's on the Money are all authorized representatives of money sherper P T y L t D A b N three two one six four nine two seven seven zero eight a F s L four five one two eight nine