Money with Alpha

Money can have a huge impact on a relationship, particularly where there are differing expectations between you and your partner. Being open and honest, and having regular discussions to make sure you're on the same page, is very important.

The 7 areas that I go through in this episode are:

1. Values & Lifestyle
2. Beliefs & Habits
3. Timing (when you want something)
4. Spending / Budgeting
5. Saving
6. Investing
7. Retirement.

It's important for you to be clear on each of these areas, and then to discuss these with your partner, in a non-confrontational or judgmental way. You are both on a journey together, where you chose one another. Remember that, and come from a place of love.

Budgeting is something that not many of us like the thought of, let alone actually doing it.

Budgets also are difficult to stick to, especially when you don't know:

• What lifestyle you're budgeting for
• Why you want the things you want
• What kind of a spender you are
• How you like to manage your spending - what level of detail you want to go to.

How you want to manage your spending (or budgeting) is as individual as you are. So, understanding this will help you stick with what you will end up doing.

In this episode I go through these apps and how they could help you:

1. Frollo
2. Raiz
3. WeMoney
4. GoodBudget

The day to day of life can become mundane, repetitive and downright boring. As a mum, we are often prioritising everyone else's needs and wants, above our own.

Money is a tool to support the lifestyle we want. Figuring out what that lifestyle is goes a long way to understanding how fun and joy show up in our life.

This episode is a reminder to tap into your inner child and rekindle (or rediscover) what brings you joy and lights you up. Then to actually DO those things. Schedule them in if you need to. Whatever you need to do to make them happen.

This is one of the reasons I encourage everyone to have a "Fun Fund".

So, go out and have some fun!

Time is something we all wish we had more of!

As a parent, your time is often not really your own - there are so many interruptions and changes of plan and things that don't go to plan... There are 3 fundamental ways that I look at time and how I manage it:

1. Plan
2. Prioritise
3. Combine.

They are simple and basic, but then, we don't need to overcomplicate this. Life is complex enough!

Here is the download link for my new FREE Video Guide, which I mention:

FREE GUIDE: 5 Ways YOU Can Improve Your Finances (money-madesimple.com.au)

There is a lot in the news at the moment about inflation and rising interest rates.

Something that I do on an annual basis, regardless of what is happening in the ecomomy, is an Expenses Diet :-)

In this episode I give you a taste of what I do, and 8 Ways you can cut your own expenses.

Here are the 8 areas I focus on in this episode:

1. Interest rates
2. Insurances
3. Groceries
4. Phone and Internet
5. Selling stuff (this is an outlier, as it's about making money)
6. Buy secondhand
7. Family cooking nights, with lunch leftovers
8. Picnics to eat out

It feels good to trim the financial fat, and it's something that you can do every year. It's amazing how spend creep happens.

An important part of this is also looking for the benefits in what this gives you (beyond just the financial benefit) - it could be spending more quality time with family, supporting local businesses, etc. The energy and mindset around this will also feel better, where you are helping both yourself and others.

In this episode, I interview Kirsty Foster - founder of Social Mums Club, which is a Brisbane Bayside and Redlands group created to help mums feel more connected and supported.

Kirsty tells us the story of her journey and how doing something she loved (connecting mums) turned into a business that is thriving and that she loves.

We also talk about money mindset and stories that we tell ourselves, and things that could potentially hold us back. They exist in all of us, and having support and encouragement from the right network is vital to getting through these limiting beliefs, so we can do what we love.

Here are ways to connect with Kirsty and the Social Mums Club:

• Home | Social Mums Club
• (1) Social Mums Club - Queensland | Facebook
• Podcast - Car Chats for Busy Mums (available wherever you listen to podcasts).

When you want to make changes to your money and finances, where do you start?

In this episode I take you through some of my story and the money journey I've been on. Including what I actually focused on first.

Here is an overview:

1. Salary sacrificed into Super
2. Started micro-investing (which I still do to this day)
3. Sorted out my Estate Plan
4. Set up my Money Pie (aka buckets)
5. Paid off my credit card debt.

Here is a link to the FREE guide I put together, to show you what micro-investing is, and what I do - https://www.money-madesimple.com.au/investwith$1

Enjoy!

Looking at your finances can feel overwhelming, and questions like "where do I start?", "what do I do first?", and/or "but, how?" are extremely common (even for me!).

In this episode I break down the Top 5 things I believe are the most important money things to do, in order of priority.

Here is a summary:

1. Set up your Emergency Fund, with 6 to 12 months of living expenses in there
2. Pay off debt with the highest interest rate first, and then move down until what's left is your mortgage
3. Increase your superannuation contributions (preferrably through salary sacrifice)
4. Get into the habit of saving (automate it!)
5. Sort out your Estate Plan (Will, Enduring Power of Attorney, etc.).

More detail in the episode to help you with the how.

When it comes to money, it's important to understand WHY you want money. To do this, you also need to understand yourSELF. This sense of self becomes extremely important when it comes to figuring out what lifestyle you want (and why), and then setting goals to help you get to that lifestyle - step by step.

This episode looks at why the concept of SELF is shunned and how as a society we dissuade people from figuring out who they are, for fear of not fitting in, or being seen as selfish.

The best way to get ahead and to help others, is to focus first on yourself!

Join me for an interesting conversation.

Happy New Year!! It's incredible to realise that one year is over and another is starting. It didn't feel that long ago that 2022 began. 2022 was a year of the opening and life somewhat returning more to a state of "normal" after a tumultuous few years.

There was still quite a bit of uncertainty, and then before you knew it, half the year was gone.

So, rather than that happening again, this episode is to help you be intentional and more focused in 2023 - my word for this year is "Courageous", and I want to make a bigger impact with the work that I do. It's a big thing to write and say this, as I used to keep things very close to my chest and not reveal things about myself. Personal growth is a great (and sometimes scary) thing!

The 5 areas this episode will cover in terms of wealth building are:

1. YOU - what are your Core Values? What does money means to you? Why do you want money? What is the lifestyle you want money to help you achieve? Clarity in this area is the basis for the remaining areas.
2. MIND - how your Beliefs and Stories are either supporting your journey or holding you back. We are often prisoners of our past, and it's time to break loose of those shackles!
3. HABITS - what repetitive behaviours (i.e. Habits) do you need to support the lifestyle you want? Part of habits is being disciplined and consistent. Not sexy, but they'll get you where you want to go (which is why you have to figure that part our beforehand - even if it changes along the way)!
4. MONEY - now this is where the money side kicks in. This looks at Income, Expenses, Debt (so basically, Budgeting), and Investing.
5. REVIEW & either REPEAT or ADJUST - because life is cyclical and things change around you, it's important to look back to make sure what you are doing (for the most part) are aligned with your Values and Vision. If there is misalignment you may need to make some adjustments at the areas above. Or, you just keep doing more of what you are doing.

Enjoy and have a wonderfully wealthy 2023!