Starting in private practice is exciting and expensive. There are so many choices about what to spend on and what to skip. From shiny new tech to endless training courses, it can be easy to waste money before you’ve even found your feet.

In this episode, Ashton and I talk about where you can actually save money when you’re just starting out, the investments that are worth it, and our biggest money blunders (spoiler: ring lights and training we never finished).

We cover:

• Why systems are the best early investment
• How to avoid wasting money on unused tech or subscriptions
• The hidden savings in group supervision and training bundles
• The importance of cancellation policies to protect your income
• Balancing “just getting started” with optimising as you grow
• Our own biggest money mistakes (and what we’d do differently)

This conversation is about being strategic. Spend where it counts, cut back where you can, and don’t let shiny distractions eat into your income.

Resources

Listen to the previous episodes in this series:

• Why we became social workers (and why we stayed)
• How our social work practice has grown
• The careers we built that our younger selves wouldn’t believe
• The moments self-doubt almost stopped us
• The hardest parts of social work and what we love about it
• Why do social workers feel guilty charging our worth?

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Mentioned in this episode:

5 Days to Career Clarity in Social Work

Reflect, plan, and take your next step with confidence.

5 Days to Career Clarity in Social Work

Reflect, plan, and take your next step with confidence.