Is it time for a money makeover?
This post is sponsored by 10thousandgirl which is a not for profit organisation focused on financial literacy for women.
Financial literacy is a real passion of mine and I write a lot about budgeting and personal finance on the blog. Today I’m partnering with 10thousandgirl to spread the word about an awesome scholarship they have available for their 6 Week Money Makeover program, which will see 100 women able to complete the program for just $30 (instead of $149).
Before I give you all the details on the scholarship, I wanted to share a bit about where my journey to financial literacy started, the challenges I’ve faced and the role understanding money, budgeting and finances has played in my life.
When my husband and I got married we were both 20 and studying at Uni full time. We had never lived out of home and had next to no income. We had a small amount of savings and a very carefully budgeted plan, but many people thought we couldn’t do it.
During the first year of our marriage we were both studying full time and living on very little. This year taught me so much about money and I learnt the value of budgeting carefully. I accounted for everything, setting aside money for every expense on a fortnightly basis, even those that were months away. Living on a small income taught us to get the most out of every dollar. I checked for the best deals on everything, and this is a habit that has continued even as our income has grown.
We lived for a year on about $1200 a fortnight, paying nearly $600 of that in rent and petrol alone! We then did two more years on a minimal income while I was doing my masters degree. During that time, we managed not to get into any debt, maintain two cars, keep up our private health insurance and even take two overseas holidays! Understanding money, especially budgeting, was essential and the lessons I learnt in that period really did set me up for life.
Visiting Paris (even as a poor student) was amazing and unforgettable.
Since then we’ve always lived on a modest income, and even now live on significantly less than the average Australian household income due to me being at home full time and only earning a small income from the blog. Despite that, I’ve never felt like we’ve gone without. By working out a budget and avoiding getting into debt we have been able to budget for everything we’ve needed and many things we’ve had on our “want” list.
I’ve come to realise that your income and expenses don’t really dictate how well you manage to live day to day. Having worked with many families to help them budget better I have realised that many families with what I would consider to be significant incomes, still struggle to manage day to day spending and stay out of debt. Mostly it comes down to a lack of budgeting and unplanned spending, often without even realising it. Many people think a budget will be restrictive but in actual fact, once most people get started they find a budget actually gives them freedom.
Managing money, budgeting and general financial principles can seem hugely overwhelming if you’ve not been taught these skills. Saving for your goals, be they big or small, or even moving beyond living pay to pay can be a big change and it is a learnt skill. Financial literacy is something I was fortunate to have instilled in me from a young age (my mum is an accountant!), but not all women are this lucky. 10thousandgirl is a non profit organisation focused on financial literacy for women. They’re all about helping women understand financial basics, plan for the future, set goals and see them come to life.
What is the 6 Week Money Makeover?
Their 6 Week Money Makeover program is a first of it’s kind in Australia. It is a fun and light-hearted step by step program that encourages women to come together to reach their goals. The aim is to make life planning and personal finance fun, social and totally life-changing. It’s all about learning the life and finance skills we all need to know but so often didn’t learn at home or at school. The program is designed for women to feel set for a financially secure future, to find peace of mind, support and empowerment during, and after, the transformational 6-week program.
The program is normally $149 (which is super cheap anyway!) but 10thousandgirl is offering 100 scholarships to women who’d like to take the program. With the scholarship, participants will pay just $30 for the entire 6-week program!
It is super easy to apply for the scholarship.
- Click here and share your greatest life aspirations and your financial challenges that prevent you from achieving them.
- Share this post with other women who’d love to do the course with the help of a scholarship.
- Share your money dreams or hints and tips in the comments below. I’d LOVE to share in this together.
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