Ep.060 Adding Up - What It Looks Like When You’re Having A Budget Reset

This week I was on the ABC’s program 7.30 Report. Quite fittingly to talk about the rising cost of living. Having the cost of groceries increase from $100 on average to now between $140 - $150 is quite gobsmacking and in last week’s episode I talked about how to do you cope with the rising cost of groceries. Over this past week I started looking at our whole budget, not just groceries and noticed how much everything is going up. To stop my blood pressure going up too, I have decided to have a budget reset and in this episode take you through what that looks like. I’m determined to not fall into the trap of working more to finance our budget and debt. So this leads to creativity with what we have.

1. My Best Saving - Ordering online $9 delivery! Cheaper than driving

2. My Best Learning - Have boundaries

3. Money Bravery - Scheduling a date night to talk money

This episode includes:

- Budget Meeting with significant other

- Listing all expenses including insurance renewals

- Removing nice to haves from shopping

- Going back to baking - Banana Bread

- Pausing any more renovations

Useful episodes to listen to if you're having a budget reset:

Ep. 044 Adding Up - Preparing the Family Finance In A Pandemic 27/03/2020

Ep.042 Adding Up - Financial Certainty In Times Of Uncertainty 13/03/2020

Ep.029 Adding Up - What Empowered Financial Education Look Like 13/12/2019

Ep.021 Adding Up - The 1% Difference That Stopped Debt In Its Tracks 18/10/2019

Ep.018 Adding Up - Coping With Routine Changes 27/09/2019

Ep.016 Adding Up - When Creativity Helps Budgeting 13/09/2019

I can’t recall the exact date my grocery bill started getting more expensive. But it was this week I suddenly noticed fuel at $2.19 a litre, I started feeling nauseous. My Accountant mentioned lifestyle creep at our last in person meeting. It was as a cautionary tale just after I had completed paying off the credit cards. This episode I share my experiences with changing my habits with grocery shopping, how I've had success and how I'm revisiting the habits to save money again and exploring new habits and opportunities to save money when grocery shopping.

This episode starts with 3 amazing things I have achieved this week:

1. My Best Saving - A $12 Mirror instead of $49.

2. My Best Learning - Saying No. This week I resigned from a role. It was an important reminder I’m not Wonder Woman.

3. Money Bravery - I immediately followed up a non-payment notice.

Quality without compromise. It's an underlying theme of this personal finance podcast. Another way to say this is, making the most of what you have. We shouldn't have to sacrifice time or money to have the life we want, but what if we looked at this differently. What if we were unnecessarily spending money?

This episode starts with 3 amazing things I have achieved this week:

1. My Best Saving - $5 Gumboots from Kmart (you won't believe how I discovered them)

2. My Best Learning - Done is better than perfect. Yes this is a popular saying, but seriously so true, overcoming this is a game changer.

3. Money Bravery - I share how I have tackled a bad habit of non-confrontation and ended up being better financially for it.

PLUS: In this episode I share how the process I went through that changed what I thought about spending money on fashion and in the process saved $4,362!!

Mentioned in this episode:

Op Shop Personal Stylist

The Red Cross Shop Newtown

Time flies when you're having fun and the funny thing is it also flies even if you're not having fun too. I had every intention of this podcast being weekly until I didn't. Little did I know a temporary pause in podcast episodes in June 2020 would extend to March 2022.

It wasn't until I received a message today asking me to confirm if I was still a podcaster that I realised it was time to start weekly podcast episodes again. 

On Tuesday 8th March 2022 it is International Women's Day. I see this as timely to recommence the podcast episodes. After all financial literacy is something I see as equally important for women but often seen as being a male dominated arena. I feel it's important for my voice and perspective on financial literacy to be heard.

The fact is, incredibly, since June 2020, my financial education has grown exponentially. I have had challenges I didn't think were possible and believe it or not I have had to work hard at not letting history of bad money mistakes repeat themselves.

In 2020, life got busy. When home learning kicked in on top of family responsibilities and running my business, I found myself pondering, do I sleep or record a podcast episode? It was in that moment of exhaustion I made the decision to stop the Adding Up Podcast weekly episodes. The initial relief was and still is mixed with a feeling of failure. It's interesting though as I was working out what intro to put on this episode I heard myself talk about learning and we don't fail if we learn from our mistakes. It is with this in mind I am proud to recommence this podcast weekly. I have so much news and learning to share too!

In the new episodes of the Adding Up podcast I will be sharing these lessons and what I have gained from them.

Successfully Saving Money, When You Don't Have Savings

Welcome to another episode of Adding Up the podcast where I, Serena Dot Ryan am sharing my experiences with money as I become debt free.

In this episode:

Savings Tip of The Week - How do you start saving when you're not used to it? Inspired by Mike Michalowicz author of  Profit First , this week's tip is to hide money from your biggest obstacle, yourself! I show how I have created a hidden savings account to protect my money from me!

Book Of The Week - Debt by David Graeber.

My Weekly Money Challenge - This week I tackle the challenge of the viability of re-starting to pay my mortgage. Should I do it? What are the pros and cons. How do I break my old habits of ignoring tough decisions when faced with so many unknowns.

How Much Does Appreciation Cost?

Welcome to another episode of Adding Up the podcast where I, Serena Dot Ryan am sharing my experiences with money as I become debt free.

In this episode:

Savings Tip of The Week - October 2018 I decided to audit my expenses, one of the casualties of this was to stop having a cleaner every 2 weeks and no longer have a gym membership. Interestingly enough I discovered great unexpected benefits to this. Cleaning the house is great exercise!

Book Of The Week - Profit First by Mike Michalowicz whilst written for Entrepreneurs for better money management, in this episode I share why I believe this book is for everyone and what you can gain from it.

My Weekly Money Challenge - This week I tackle the challenge of buying gifts and the relationship between how much the gift costs and how much you love someone.

Can You Really Live Without That?

Welcome to Episode 54 of Adding Up. 

In this episode:

Savings Tip of The Week - My curiousity led me to have my first coffee at 15 years old, in this episode I share how this lead to a very expensive daily habit and how I changed this habit without compromising quality and saving myself and my family thousands in the process.

Book Of The Week - I read this book first in 2017, but it took a full 12 months before I took action, or so I thought. The Barefoot Investor by Scott Pape.

My Weekly Money Challenge - This week, just when I thought I wasn't thinking about money or being challenged by it, I discovered I was. It's funny how when you spend so much time learning about money management consistently for almost 2 years it starts to be absorbed into your life you don't even see it. For that I am grateful.

Starting Where You Are, Again

Welcome to another episode of Adding Up, the podcast with Serena Dot Ryan. Happy New Year! This is the moment the podcast is entering its 2nd year and with that comes a refresh and a new format. This episode details the reflection and thinking behind this.

Each episode will now include, a spotlight on a book or podcast, a savings tip that can be easily actioned and a documentation and reflection on my weekly challenges with money.

Mentioned in Episode 53, Adding Up:

Book: Your Money Or Your Life - Vicki Robin

Savings Tip: Write a grocery list with a set budget including the amount of each item. If you're not sure where to start, go to the grocery store online and look up the cost of each item.

Money Challenge: Are My Financial Decisions Racist? How Can I Do Better?

Also mentioned: Sway Them In Color Podcast Hosted by Christina Blacken.

When Stopping Debt Payments Messes With Your Head

Welcome to another episode of Adding Up. 

One year ago this week I decided to push the button and start publicly sharing my challenges with money and learning from my money mistakes, how I'm gaining financial education and most importantly, re-writing my financial future.

In this episode I share one of my hardest challenges at the moment, dealing with being in a pandemic and not paying down debt. This is a challenged I never even considered I would ever have. yet, here we are. I am determined to stay on track even though progress on my journey to become debt free is currently paused. I also reflect on the importance of remembering savings and wealth creation.

Mentioned in this episode:

Dr John Demartini

Ep.023 Adding Up - Financial Freedom, Is Debt Or Wealth The Answer?

What's The Point Of Money Anyway?

Welcome to another episode of Adding Up, the podcast I am Serena Dorothy 'aka' Dot Ryan. In this episode I'm reminded by Instagram Memories that a year ago this week I published the very first episode of Adding Up the podcast.

A lot sure can happen in a year and I'm grateful for the opportunity to reflect on how far I have come. Small, consistent changes, positively moving towards my goal of becoming debt free, really have added up to being $18,000 less in debt. If I hadn't publicly taken the step to become accountable for moving towards the goal of becoming debt free I doubt I would be this far ahead.

In this episode I give my 20 something self advice I wish I had taken sooner. You don't have to have it all figured out, but you do need to be clear on what you are aiming for. After all, earning money and saving money, what's the point of it anyway?