Money with Alpha

Budgeting is something that many of us avoid, but know we really should do. It's a bit like exercise, only exercising you can make somewhat fun (think Zumba!)...

Being aware of what is coming in and what is going out each month is part of it. Forecasting is important also. Many accounting systems will try and help you with this, however, the budgeting side doesn't connect in with your personal budget.

This episode takes you through the principles behind how I do this.

To watch this episode on YouTube: Click here.

Money is something we are not taught about - neither personal finances nor business finances. And yet, we feel so much shame and guilt around our ability to manage money.

This episode is me delving into the "why" of this, and also to give you some strategies to help yourself move beyond it and head towards confidence and financial empowerment.

Manifestation and Money Strategy might seem like a odd combination, but in order to make anything real (which is what manifestation essentially is), you first need to be super clear.

Strategy gives you direction and is a way to condense your "wish list" into a structure that you can make plans and then tasks lists on.

Alignment between your strategy, plans and tasks are important. Think about making a meal, or organising and holiday, or renovating a house. Without first knowing what you want to do (or where you want to go, or what you want to eat), it makes everything else completely random and even more difficult.

Here are the 5 elements I go through in this episode:

1. What do you want?
2. Why do you want it?
3. How will you do it? (what action step(s) will create movement towares what you want)
4. Money audit (knowing where your money is coming and going)
5. Visualisation.

Now is the time to get clear and be strategic about your money and finances!

If you want some help with this, here is what I mention in the episode - Money Makeover (money-madesimple.com.au)

What better way to reach retirement faster than to pay off your debts and invest more!

Debt is not a fun topic, so the best thing to do is talk about how to get rid of it as quickly as possible! Especially debt that has a high interest rate.

In this episode I go through how to pay down debt faster, including your mortgage, and why it's important to invest while you're doing this.

Also important to consider is how much you need in retirement, so you can make decisions about how to get there faster.

Here are some resources mentioned in the episode:

• If you want to watch this on Youtube (where I also have some visuals) - https://youtu.be/UM0xr1qHdL4
• a good calculator to help you figure out how much you need for the retirement lifestyle you want - https://www.australianretirementtrust.com.au/learn/tools/retirement-calculator#/personal-details/about-you

Habits have the power to help us and hold us back. Are you happy with your money habits and how they are influencing your finances?

These habits apply to both your business finances and your personal finances.

Here are the 5 Money Habits I go through in this episode:

1. Get Clear on Your Vision/Purpose
2. Watch your Money Monthly
3. Streamline Your Spending
4. Use Savings Instead of Credit
5. Invest on a Monthly or Quarterly Basis

Here are some resources that I mention during the episode as well:

• Money & Lifestyle Vision - guide and meditation
• Money Habits Reset - mini-program waitlist

Think of the different areas of your life, and what happens if you don't pay them enough attention:

• Relationship with your partner - this doesn't get better with less communication (especially if you avoid talking about money)
• Relationship with your kids - they want to be seen and heard, and that means paying them focused attention
• Your garden - it won't be beautiful or healthy if you complete ignore it!
• Your relationship with money - it will deteriorate the more you ignore it, and the issues that are there now will just get bigger.

I could go on, but I think you get my point.

I could go on, but I think you get my point. The more attention you pay something, the healthier it becomes.

This was inspired by my recent gardening endeavours and how much better my vege patch is after paying it some decent attention!

Money brings up all sorts of emotions in us - overwhelm, fear, shame, guilt, anger, confusion.

Wouldn't it be great if instead of these emotions, it make us feel - joy, excitement, determined, clear, confident.

How then, do you shift from one end of the scale to the other?

In this episode I go through:

1. Challenging Your Beliefs around Money
2. Get Clear on What You Want Money For
3. Look at or Prepare a Workable Budget
4. See Where You Can Make Better Decisions
5. Take Action

This week, Emma Gilmour from Hope Rising talks about her experiences with alcohol and how quitting back in 2020 has changed her life for the better. She now works with other women to help them develop a better sense of self, without alcohol.

Here are the FREE Awareness Worksheets mentioned - Preparing for a break from booze or just wanting to get intentional with your drinking https://www.hoperisingcoaching.com/awareness-worksheets-opt-in

Her 5 day virtual retreat is starting on 19 Feb. To find out more - https://www.hoperisingcoaching.com/5dayvrfeb2024

To connect with Emma:

• Midlife AF Podcast: https://www.hoperisingcoaching.com/podcast
• Website: www.hoperisingcoaching.com
• Social handles: @hoperisingcoaching

In this week's podcast episode I go through the 5 financial game changers that have influenced where I am today. It's been a 10 year long journey, so hopefully some of this might help you shorten your journey!

You can now also watch this episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/cbwlCbVaDN4

It's a New Year - yay! So much excitement goes into thinking about and planning for another year. What happens if something happens and this all falls flat?

That's what happened to me, and I go through my experience and what I'm learning from it (it's still an active process). Some of this may help you too.