Money with Alpha

In this joyful and eye-opening episode, Alpha is joined by the vibrant Sammy Barnett—nutritionist, speaker, and soon-to-be author—who shares her powerful journey from childhood panic attacks to helping others reconnect with their bodies through food, fun, and self-awareness. Together, they explore the deep links between nutrition, anxiety, and financial wellbeing—and how slowing down, creating space, and aligning with your values can shift everything.

We talk about:

• Why stress affects your body's ability to absorb nutrients (even when you're eating "right")

• How nervous system overwhelm impacts your money habits

• The role of values, boundaries, and delegation in building a thriving life

• Reframing anxiety and fear as fuel for growth and confidence

• How to budget not just your money, but your energy and time

Whether you're navigating perimenopause, parenting, or entrepreneurship, this episode will inspire you to pause, breathe, and listen to what your body—and your bank account—are trying to tell you.

✨ Pre-order Sammy's upcoming book here: https://www.nutritionwithsammy.com.au/anxietythebestteacher

🎤 Learn more about Sammy's workshops and speaking gigs at: https://www.nutritionwithsammy.com.au

• https://www.instagram.com/nutritionwithsammy/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammy-barnett-nutritionist/
• https://www.facebook.com/iam.sammybarnett

What do you like to do for fun?

If this isn't a question you've asked yourself for a while, then you're OVERDUE to schedule in some fun.

If your fun requires funds (money), then make sure your cashflow/budget has money being put aside for you to enjoy your fun without financial regret.

It's vital to enjoy fun - it's prioritising you (and let's face it, you're probably holding the world/family around you together), our mental health, physical health and emotional health needs it!

This episode is about reminding you of the importance of fun, and how to make sure your finances support it too!

In this episode I talk about that (distant, or not so distant) goal of... retirement!

When lifes slows down and we can finally relax and enjoy life... Well, that's so long as there is enough money to support the lifestyle you want.

A few questions and concerns that I hear a lot are:

1. How much do I need to retire?
2. How much will I need to live on in retirement?
3. What can I do now to help me get to where I want to go?

I touch on each of these.

A rough calculation for your Retirement Number to give you an idea of the number you need when you retire (assuming you won't be working anymore at all, and you have paid off all the debt you have by the time you retire, and you want to live a modest retirement) is - 25 (years) x $50,000 (if you're single), or $75,000 (if you're a couple). These amounts - $1,250,000 if you're single, or $1,875,000 if you're a couple are based on suggested annual incomes.

You may need more than this in retirement each year, and if so, up that annual number.

Next, calculate what you have now in terms of your Current Net Worth (what you own minus what you owe).

Then, calculate what you are likely to have over time in terms of savings growth, investment growth and retirement savings (i.e. superannuation) growth. Here are some calculators to help you:

• Compound interest calculator - Moneysmart.gov.au
• Superannuation calculator - Moneysmart.gov.au

Using these calculators, calculate what you could have in 5, 10 15, or more years' time, to see what you're Projected Net Worth is.

Take your Retirement Number and minus your Projected Net Worth at the time you want to retire, to see what your gap is.

To help you see how to pay your home loan off faster, here is a helpful calculator - Mortgage Extra Repayment Calculator | Canstar

Beliefs are powerful and have the ability to either derail us or empower us. This week's topic was triggered by a realisation that I client of mine had about her beliefs around money. It was both emotional, heartbreaking and empowering to see her remember what caused one of her core beliefs around money.

I wanted to share some of the work I do around money beliefs, so in this episode I go through:

• What are Beliefs?
• Why are Beliefs important?
• What are your Beliefs around money?
• Where did your Beliefs come from?
• Test to see if your results match your Beliefs
• If they do or don't, what you can do about it.

It's important to become consciously aware of your Beliefs, so you can start to rewire them!

Micro-investing should form part of everyone's investing strategy, I believe. It's also a great way to get started on your investing journey, and it's a great way to get kids started too!

Here are the areas I cover in this episode:

• Why do you want to invest?
• What is your timeframe for investing?
• What is the difference between passive and active investing
• What is Asset Allocation and why is it important
• What is Micro-investing
• What are some providers out there who offer micro-investing
• How to get kids involved in micro-investing.

If you would like a guide that covers most of this, here is a link to a free guide I've put together.

Enjoy!

When it comes to investing, many women feel hesitant, unsure, or even fearful—and that's completely understandable. We've worked hard for our money and naturally want to protect it. But what if the key to investing confidently isn't about doing more, but rather doing what aligns with who you are?

In this episode I go through some areas to help you understand this better, including:

• Start simple - wisdom from Warren Buffet
• Know your risk appetite (for debt and investing)
• Trading v investing - understand the difference
• Trust yourself.

Investing is not about being fearless. It's about being informed and aligned. Take the time to understand your personality, trust your instincts, and choose the path that supports the future you want to build.

If you're experiencing indecision and a lack of confidence managing money and growing wealth, this episode can help you understand why and move past it. Here are the 5 elements I go through:

1. Vision and Values - be clear on what lifestyle you want and why
2. Learn - where you have knowledge gaps, find books and potentially courses to help you find out more
3. Listen - to people who have done what you want to do and listen to how they got where they are. Then, very importantly, listen to your own intuition in terms of what is right for you!
4. Take Action - linking back to the last 3 elements, write down what your goals are and the action steps you want to take. Keep this list and look over it at the end of a year, so you can see how far you've come
5. Test and Measure - not everything you do will be a financial success. See "failures" as a lesson, rather than something that defines your sense of identity.

Enjoy!

Uncertainty is part of life. The dial on this is pretty high at the moment though - structures are being challenged around the world, and money market charts are looking like a rollercoaster.

How does that impact how you think about money, and also how you manage your money?

That's what I cover in this week's episode - there are 3 elements that I take you through.

It is simple, but not always easy.

Living day to day it can seem difficult to break out of this and make changes. Habits can feel difficult to break.

So, what are 3 simple ways to get some momentum when it comes to your money? Have a listen to this episode to find out!

In summary, I go through:

1. Invest regularly (and how)
2. Develop a savings habit (and how)
3. Review your insurances (you can find hundreds of dollars!)

As women striving for financial empowerment, we often think we can manage everything ourselves—or that one advisor will do the trick. But true financial clarity and confidence come from building a team of professionals who each bring a unique skill set to the table.

In this episode, I'm joined by Nicola, a passionate tax accountant, and Cassie, a finance broker with a knack for helping clients turn dreams into doable financial goals.

The conversation revealed a powerful truth: your business and personal finances are deeply connected, and navigating them with confidence requires strategic support, not just compliance.

If you want to come along to our in-person workshop on Tuesday 13 May 2025, check out the details here - Practical Money Workshop for Entrepreneurs