This is my journey to apply the book, Unf*ck your finances. The book is about personal finances but I’ve added actions specific to working for myself.

If you want a bit more context, the prelude pieces are Hope can be scary, Why do we never talk about personal finance?, and Getting my shit together: the plan for the next quarter.

The first thing I’m doing from the plan I made a few days ago is to understand how I’m spending. I started by listing all of my fixed costs and interrogating them one-by-one.

Up until this point, I’ve been able to reduce my monthly costs by $372.64 (AUD)

In doing this exercise, I’ve discovered a problem category: personal and professional development.

Today I’ve taken the time to delve deeper into everything in this category. This category totals around $420 (AUD) per month. That’s one high ticket course or a new macbook in seven months. That’s half my rent.

But it’s also more than that. When I participate in a community or program, I’m paying with my time and attention as well. I have to be comfortable with the opportunity cost.

Questions I’ve asked myself include: