Season 1 Episode 1: Uplift your Financial Wellbeing with The Money Collective
IN THIS FIRST EPISODE
Get to know Mel and Darlene and understand more about their passion for financial wellbeing. You'll hear why they're talking about money, listen to their discussion on the importance of knowing your number, and introducing some key financial wellbeing concepts.
RESOURCES DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE
Grab the Spending Review template to get you started finding ‘your number’ by knowing your Expenses versus your Income.
KEY QUESTION IN THIS EPISODE
How can I stop my partner spending so much money?
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0:00
Welcome to the Money Collective Podcast. We're here to uplift your financial wellbeing. Your hosts are me, Mel Pearce and Darlene Neu. We are the cofounders of The Money Collective and together we have over 50 years of finance and banking experience. We provide the tools, information and guidance to better understand your money and feel confident making money decisions.
0:22
Welcome to episode one, season one of the Uplifting Financial Wellbeing Podcast by the Money Collective. Yeah. And I'm Darlene. Hi, Darlene. And I'm Mel. Yeah, Mel's my co-founder. We're the cofounders of the Money Collective. Yeah. So the Money Collective is a business that we've been running for four years, and we're just super excited to get started on our very first podcast. So today's topic is going to be about why we're doing this, what we're all about. So you can learn about what we're passionate about
0:54
and get to know us today. Exactly. And so to begin with we're going to add a little, we're gonna call it ‘Our Truth’. We kick off each podcast with. Yeah. And so it's a weekly truth. Yep. And it's a true story from us. So I'm going to share one. You're gonna share one. We are. And yeah, before we hop into the topic today. OK, because it's important to hear what we what we truly think about money
1:26
is. The whole point is and you know and it's really never about money. I'm gonna put that out there now, it's really about our lives and our vulnerabilities. So they're very connected. Yeah. Alrighty. So we've got a team of eight and we get together every, this is my truth get just getting jumping straight in. Right. And every Tuesday we eat lunch together. So we put the time aside and we talk about our financial wellbeing. So we don't do that every single Tuesday. We
1:57
certainly have lunch together and talk about something very relevant every single Tuesday and we like to very regularly talk about our own financial wellbeing. Our wellbeing is how we feel about our money and so
2:12
and we hold each other accountable in these meetings as well
2:15
and, so I've been saying over the last few months about what I wanted to be doing. So I really wanted to be tracking and categorising my expenses and, you know, basically doing
2:30
a review of all my expenses to make sure that all my accounts are set up and I know where my money is going. And I have not been doing it right. I just haven't been doing it and I felt really bad. So I got to the meeting this week and I'm driving to work and I'm thinking, I'm gonna lie, I'm gonna say that I've done it.
2:50
Yep, just that was my tax, right. And I'm gonna go and just say at least I've gotten started on doing my numbers anyway, sat down in front of everyone and there's no way that I could do that. And I just said I haven't. I was gonna actually said I I was gonna lie to you all.
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I've done my numbers and I just couldn't do it. Like I just said I was gonna lie; and the girls and the team really held me accountable and basically helped me like so much with
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compassion. And making me feel like
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like it's hard for everyone, doing this, for everyone. Money is hard for everybody. And nobody I know is perfect at it. Like looking at my numbers, there's a block there. Why don't I wanna be looking at my numbers? Yeah, I talk about this all day, everyday. With the work we do. And yeah, and addressing it ourselves, we all, we all have those barriers. We all wanna make it sound better than what it is.
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But yeah, having a good support group around is pretty cool. Yeah. And they just made me feel like it was OK like that. It's hard. It's all good. And Angela in our team, she showed me later. She goes, no, I'm going to give you some inspo. This is my spreadsheet, what I've been doing. And it did. It was like massive inspiration. So if I didn't have all of you around me, then I wouldn't do it and I would ignore it. That's my innate
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personality. I have that fear. So I'm just so thankful for everybody. And I did the work. So I've been putting it off for months and months and I did it. So it's a good news story for me this week. I don't know if it's always gonna be, but from turning it around, from lying to doing the work to feeling awesome and feeling I had to hide and now sharing. Yeah. So thank you, team. Love you, girls. Look, there's so many key messages out of that. And
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as we continue through some podcasts and hopefully we get some listeners, yeah, yeah, we'll, yeah, continue to talk about, you know, the messages. But out of that, I really heard,
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gosh, you need, you know, you need a good group and a supportive group around you to help you, you know, continually work on your money story. So that's really cool. So my truth, my very first truth is I don't have an outcome for it yet.
5:32
We talk about money stories in the work that we do and I've actually gone quite deep going into my money story of late and I do think, you know, it happens for reason, you know, sometimes we know part of it, but actually have been digging a bit deeper because I feel like that I've had a ceiling that I can't break through and feel like I haven't, my voice isn't worthy of listening to. So we are going to talk about this shortly in the topic of the day and while we're doing this podcast,
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but so I decided that I would start writing down my money story. And so I'm partly been doing that and it's been really triggering for me. And I grew up in a family that really talked a lot about money and money was the centre of our of the daily conversations. So I always felt I had to do well, what was perceived as well. And we'll getting to that too because there is no right or wrong with money.
6:37
Always perceived. I had to be really good with money and to show that I, you know, lived up to the family expectation. Maybe. So, yeah, so, but unpacking that story,
6:52
actually working through all the causes and effects that's caused me through and what I've done in life, that is very connected to that belief and that story and really trying to work through learning some of that go. So yeah, as you get to know us a bit more, I'll unpack that further, I'm sure. Yeah, no, that's been so powerful and it's led you to make some really big decisions and come to massive realisations, which even though we've been talking about this for four years, our money story, why it's important.
7:23
It's funny how you get a little, another goodie. Yeah. If you're prepared to do the work and it comes at unexpected times, yeah, it it, it is the work that keeps on giving. That is for sure. And it's never ending work. You can't you can't just, you know, set up your budget and system and follow it and think that's your money, money sorted. And for life it, it is much more holistic and bigger than that. It certainly is
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ongoing. I think it's ongoing growth. And yeah, if you're willing to really put the work and be honest with it, that's it.
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And keep going with it. So that brings us to today's topic. So the main point for today's podcast is to tell you why we started the podcast, what we're all about.
8:14
So it's a scary thing for us, very, I think that we've always, when we started this business four years ago, we really knew that we needed to connect with people and our community on a wider scale. But why has it taking us four years to get here? Like, and that's some of that work that you mentioned and we're kind of on that journey together
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and it's good to do it with somebody. That's for sure. I'm, I'm very grateful. Gosh, if I hadn't met the lovely Mel and that's a story for another day. Yeah. I don't think I'd be anywhere, you know, near this path of how life changing this is. Yeah. So we're now ready to turn the microphone on and the cameras on and to share our experiences because we've been in finance for 50 years, right. And it's a very male dominated
9:09
in very masculine right finances, masculine. The way we talk about it, how we engage in products, how the systems built and to be in that our entire adult lives. How old were you when you started? I I, joined a local bank when I was 16 years old and I'm 52.
9:31
Wonder what that math is. I didn't finish year 12. So. And my dad was a mortgage broker. He was a career banker and he said if you're not gonna go to school, then get a real job or work for me. I'm like, I don't want a real job. I'll work for you. And so here. Yeah, I was a mortgage broker in Launceston. I did that when, I don't know, I was 17 or 18 and I'm 40. So yeah, it's been a few years. Yeah. And and it's a really key point, so
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in finance it is predominantly male dominated. So Mel and I, you know, coming together definitely think, you know, it’s a bigger reason than us. And
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we have been women, female in this industry trying to push through for that period of time. We have, and it has been a push like literally pushing, pushing, pushing, pushing. But you know, we don't even know we were doing it. No, no, not at all. No, you know, over recent years, I think like our, like the environment in our societies starting to understand that. And it's made it easier for us to unpack because as a community,
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we're getting to this point of understanding how hard or. Yeah, what we're up against as women. Yeah, exactly. And you, you don't know and you become so conditioned in just going to work everyday and how it's done and not, you know, critically thinking about, you know, maybe even those impacts that has on you over time. But yeah, but what we do know, we know our stuff. I'm gonna put that out there right now. We know a lot about finance. We wanna bring something very different to the market
11:19
and that's what we're already doing. We'll talk about that. But we wanna grow that and scale that so people can think differently about money. That's it. That's it exactly. Because well, first of all, do you want to talk about how we are currently thinking about money? So like the traditional ways. So like I always explain it as that BBQ conversation. You know you're with groups of friends and people are talking about what they do with their money and
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now it's working or not working. And they're really talking on that product level like of and what they're investing in and how they're doing it or like that real tangible like the stuff, it's very cold, like how much their house is worth or the stats and the figures and the and then we think how my investments doing or you know everyone big notes themselves too at the BBQ. Can I say? Like who actually says I'm I'm really struggling with money and I need help, Who says that? Yes. Or if you do do that
12:19
and you know there's a power play sometimes that comes into effective. Yeah. Whereas we that vulnerability is so hard to come by. Yeah. Honesty and vulnerability. Yeah, so we do. We take data and stats. We How much do we love data and stats? I do, Mel maybe not so much, but I do. I know they’re important.
12:44
But like we from the groups of people that we're working in and also the research that's done by research bodies in Australia is saying that people aren't feeling good about their money. They don't have optimism for their future when it comes to money. So if like the most recent group of people that we took data off and they were executives, only 6% of them felt good about their money and their higher income earners. Yeah, but we know that it doesn't matter how much money you're earning and we're all feeling a very similar
13:14
by about our money. Whether it's not just the people on the low incomes, it is definitely middle Australia and higher income earners are feeling not great. Definitely very, very few people think they're good with money internally. Internally they may say something different, but we find through we do coaching one on one with people and a lot of the time it's you can
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can start there, but then when you unpack really what's because we can see on the surface all the things they've got, the holiday house and the house and the cars and the kids and the education, it's all happening. But what stress does that really cause us? That's right. I need a bigger, you know, more accountable job that might take me away for more hours. And I say I want to do I really. Because I need to keep up with what I've got about, with the need to keep up with the Joneses and keep up with what I've got.
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Like when we overcommitted, how do we stay overcommitted without changing our life? Hmm. Cause social comparison. Right? We wanna keep up with what we think we need to look like rather than really
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you know staying in your own lane. We being truly honest and vulnerable and running your own race, you know, Yeah so that's what the data shows us that if we don't have our own goals and aspirations we not very clear on our own values in life and that race that we want to be running for ourselves like there's nobody else in our race. It's only us maybe your immediate family and what's important to you. So knowing what's important in your life,
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it's important obviously to creating that vision for ourselves. But if that's not strong
15:06
and what we don't hold on to it or we let it go, then we start this social comparison. We start, I start looking at what Darlene has. I start looking at what car you're driving, what your home looks like, hmm. What you're doing on the weekend, the material things, what we see on the surface. And obviously marketing's really good at making us buy stuff. So it's in our face all the time, right. Yeah. But yeah. Yeah. No. So it's. Yeah, the studies and financial wellbeing. Oh, look, it's definitely
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the number one thing that I hear from people all the time is I'm bad about money. And you know, I put it out there. Who thinks about that in their own mind, all the time? So bad with money! Gee, they might not say it out loud or they might. But yeah, it it's definitely the most common thing that we hear. And you know, we want to
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help change that feeling that a society in that thinking, yeah, that's absolutely what we're about. And a broader scale, it it's you can start with your own money and understanding and how it does and then you feel better about it. But then it's actually breaking down that stigma of money and be courageous in all your environments. Yeah. To say you've got this. Yeah. I think too because like emotions come into play with money. Right. So we get
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very emotional about money. And So what I talked about in my truth earlier was that fear that I have and shame that I hold because I'm not doing it well enough and I'm too scared to look.
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Yeah, and I don't wanna share.
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Yeah. So we have those emotions all the time around money. Hmm. And then we get overwhelmed with it and we don't know how to move forward.
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Yeah, exactly. And women, again, it's that masculine and feminine cause. Mel's talking about the feeling of money and women really bring that
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you know more so. But haven't we, all need to be more in touch with that feeling and be honest and truthful and peel back the onion layers and really talk about how it's impacting our lives. Because the fear and the shame and the guilt is what's holding me back. It what's holding everyone back. There was emotions are stopping us from moving forward. So when we say we're no good with money, we it's easy just to stop there and
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close ourselves off to like the next step that we should be taking. So that's why accountability is so good and having people around you. So that's what we want to provide in this podcast is to say, hey, we've got you how your feeling is normal. Yeah, I think that's we're all feeling the same thing. That's right. And there's you know, so that's that's the big, you know, the big change that we need to make. And you can do that by addressing your behaviours as we've talked about. But there's lots of practical
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components and there's lots of things out there. We'll certainly talk about that as well. You know, we have a programme that takes you through the practical, but the practical things help you then address really the underlying what's really going on. Yeah, to make change. That's right. So there's that emotional side to your money. But then there's the absolutely practical side to money, which is what we're used to. So that is what, when we think about money, it's like, well, how are you budgeting? How are your accounts set up? All of that stuff, which is super important,
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super important. So but we get fixated there. But what's stopping us from getting there is those emotions that we have. So we need to just acknowledge them, get people around us who are supporting us and be able to step into doing the work because the work is important. And what you're going to hear us talk about is knowing your number. Oh yes. What is your number? OK, you. This is
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gonna be that if we can impart one thing in every single podcast. Know your number. And what does that mean, Mel? Whoa, what is your number? I'm sure we're gonna do a whole podcast on knowing your number, but essentially your number is the amount of money you've got left over after you've done all your spending. So you have your money come in and then you do all your spending and you're spending is your mandatory living expenses that keep life going. Yes, that you have to spend on so life can't keep going if you don't make
19:37
those expenses happen and then your everyday living or your fun money type stuff. So what are we doing every coffee that we buy our going out, eating out fun life and then how much is left over after we do our normal stuff, You know, because that's what we've got to play with to make decisions with to impact our financial future. That's it. And you can do spend some of it for now, some of it in the longer term like if you're save for a rainy day, then you've got choice later.
20:09
Yeah. So it really is knowing your number is everything cause that's how you can plan for what you do with it. Yeah. Yeah, which buys your choice and like we can look at the number. So my number annually is do you know what your number is? So mines about $22,000. OK, Mines 30. OK,
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But I know that if I **** ** a little bit, I don't know if you have to beep that out,
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then I'm not going to get to $22,000. Yeah, like what I do every single day. So knowing those underlying numbers and how I'm behaving is also super important.
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And that's where my account structures make sense. And understanding what my spending behaviours are, my money, personality, these are all podcasts, people! Yeah, we'll break it all down for you. That's it. But like all of that is going to determine whether because I can do a spreadsheet now, it says I'm gonna have 22,000, but what I do every single day will determine whether I've got that or not exactly. Yeah, So, but knowing what that number is and then, you know, measuring it, tracking it,
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doing all those things, am I meeting it? Is it realistic? Do I need to change it? What does that mean to my goal is, yeah, is really important, But you cannot do it unless you know your number and you know some people's number is not going to be positive. No, you know you it, it's, it could be break even or negative, it could be. But it's a really good starting point to understand what actions you would take next, no matter what your number is. Negative, positive,
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nothing, you know, because it's a way to start evaluating where you are going on, what everyday, what you need to do. Yeah. And what levers have you got around you. So it's really about understanding that broad picture of your finances. It's way more than just your bank account. It's who the people are you've got around you. What supports are there? Oh my gosh, there's so much in this what your assets and liabilities are. Yeah. So, yeah, So but to start with
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understanding in number and it becomes a very powerful
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decision point that you can actually start to address
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what it is and how it works for you. Yeah. No matter what it is Positive. Negative. Yeah. And that's a first step to financial wellbeing because you need to understand your number. Yeah, can't stress enough. Understand your number. If you don't understand your number, do an exercise. Grab a spreadsheet. Income minus expenses. Net income minus expenses, net income. What's net income? Net income is what actually goes into your bank account each pay. If you're you know
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have a job, a PAYG paid job. Yep. And self employed is a little bit different cause you have to put aside some tax but it's what's left over, your net income to live on, less those personal expenses. Yeah awesome. So just for today's podcast, is there anything else about us Darlene would like to say that we'd like to say to the world, look this is how we roll. So we are very excited to start
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the podcast. Um and really unpack the stigma around money and but also give value to our audience of you know, things we can do and how we can really uplift our financial wellbeing. Yeah, So. And I can promise everybody that you're only gonna get real Mel and Darlene. That's right. Really great. It Mel and I, what you hear today is how we are everyday with every with all the people around us, our family,
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friends, out, you know, our team at work, our clients, everybody, the CEOs at big banks, we’ll tell you what we think. That's right. We are definitely not your corporate attire. You know, and we're very conscious about this and it's important to us that we're like this because this is the problem with money about the pretences. You're just not going to get them from us and no judgement either. Yeah, it's
24:27
a really good one. So there is no judgement around money. So to break that down, money is just a means to do what we wanna do or not. That is it. And the numbers are the numbers. Yeah, that's right. And so when we dig down, you might be super scared to look at your numbers, but like people like us, they're just numbers. Yeah. And we'll help you with the way forward and through. Yeah, that's the idea. I think so too. So yeah, if. Yeah, walk away that is. That is you know something you know that we will definitely bring and also
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I'd say we've really walking into our own courage and being more courageous even you know with working for people cause the hard questions need to be asked they need to be addressed. We can't just assume everything about it you know that works around us is the way it should be because it's not and you know we wanna make change for good. We do yeah. So the last thing we'd like to leave you with is a, and each week, a segment about,
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a question, a thought provoking question, Mel, yes, we can leave the audience to have a think about and we would really do we wanna before we do that. Yes, I've forgotten the step we have. I'll do this. So before we jump in and actually wind up, we want to tackle a question from the audience every single week. So question that you have, before we but we are also going to leave you with the thought provoking question. Come back to that as well.
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But a question from you we would love to answer weekly. So
26:05
yeah, we would like to start receiving those, but in the meantime, we have just come with our own question and it's a question that we get asked all the time, right. So when we say what we do, Yep, we've given you the long version.
26:20
But when we say what we do with financial wellbeing so often, people say, Oh my gosh, that is so good, I need that. And you need to tell my partner how to stop spending money. How can I make my partner stop spending money, Darlene? Oh my gosh Mel, how triggering is that? So
26:45
not me. But after they can, I've got it all under control. OK, Yeah, sure. Yeah, I'm good. Yeah. But they. Yep. So we see more often than not in those circumstances when we work with people it's I would say never the case. I don't think there's one
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that's never the reason peoples financial wellbeing is where it is it it, it's just not even relevant they go to that and that would be my answer to that question. You just you just need to understand your numbers,
27:23
And
27:25
you know, understand money, personalities we haven't talked about yet, but understand and all things about your money. So your relationship with money individually, so that's your money story, your values. Your partner will have different personalities and values and stories, so understanding a bit about them would be really helped. Because the communication is the issue, right? I think, OK, so we meet because there's judgement going on when this happens. Yeah, so somebody's saying I'm good, you're bad, you need to fix it.
27:56
No wonder somebody's feeling bad in this relationship and there's no thinks that they're no good about with money. That's right. Cause I'm good, you're bad, I'm managing this. You're probably telling get your **** together. OK, right. So is that encouraging? So what you're saying is understand where they're coming from because there's things and issues going on beyond this communication which is hindering this perpetuation of behaviour Totally. And also, can I say that when this happens
28:26
that the person who's saying this usually doesn't know the numbers and cannot say how much is being spent other than it's way too much. That's right. They wouldn't have to give you their number and often they are doing more of the spending. So when we go, OK, then let's dig into this a little bit more and there's some massive purchases going on over here and this person is just being shamed. Yep. The absolutely You've got to understand, and really that's the beginning of understanding
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financial wellbeing, is understand how you behave with money, the why which is your money story and the stories that you're telling yourself every single day, your beliefs, your values and really Mel’s hit the nail on the head, it’s communication right? It's just actually understanding and listening to each other. I feel like sometimes we’re counsellors, but really it is understanding all perspectives and how our
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unit, if you wanna call it that, actually works together with money or not. And what needs to change maybe from doing those exercises and being kind and considerate and just stepping back a little bit circling out and just seeing you know what's going on. And the other thing is that these things don't change overnight. So if you feel like there's fundamental problems, there probably is, more than what you know. And we know that money causes breakdowns in relationships. So it's a very important piece
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of work to do. And we've dedicated our whole entire lives to it. Yep. Other than we also care for our families and children and feed them and pick them up from classes, we do those things too. The other thing, and you know we'll talk about this a lot too, what it does if, if you're talking like that with your partner, right, or in your family environment and you've got children, for example, what message are you giving to your children about money?
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So I'd really like to think about that question. That's a thought provoking question, not today is that we have, but for another time, because it's really important to think about what you want to embed, you know what messages or you know, do you want to around money that you want to leave with your children and their future life, everything they are. And our money stories come from our life so far. And the majority of that is how we grew up with our families, with money.
30:54
Yeah. So we need to change the messaging and how we behave with money in our households and talk about money, if nothing else, for our young people around us. Yeah. So that they can be different with money and don't feel and fear it and think they're bad, you know, silly and bad.
31:17
Yeah. And the only other way to do that, so it's having that care and consideration. It's also knowing your numbers as well to being informed in a in a relationship. So it's not one person's responsibility to know numbers.
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To really get this working is for both people to know the numbers and this is the number that we were talking about. What is the number? Do you both know it? Do you know how you're getting there and where you're going? So that's the type of conversation that needs to be happening. And there is no quick fix
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to that question of how do I stop my partner spending money. So if you just stop saying that question, yeah, don't, don't say that anymore and actually say, well, why am I asking the question and actually go back and do the work. Yes, love it. Awesome. So let's wrap up today and our last question that we want to leave you with, the thought provoking one. Yes.
32:17
OK, I've written it down. So you know, do you, it's around gender pay gap, right? So do you have a story that's linked to the gender pay gap? So do you hold on to a story about this gender pay gap? We know what that is. It means that females are end up and retire with less money and a paid less, have less superannuation. But it's generally that they're being there's a disparity in pay and wages for women. But do you have a story for that personally
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or, you know, is there a woman close to you that you have a story that is impacting your life around the gender pay gap? Yeah, We'd love to hear your questions or your stories. Yeah. About that. And then. Yeah. But next time we'll. Yeah, we'll talk about the gender pay gap. Yeah. I'll break it down. Awesome. So we'll leave you with that thought. Thanks so much for joining us on our very first podcast, episode one. I don't know. It might get looser after this.
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We have had fun today. Did I did too. I can't. Yeah. I'm really looking forward. Yeah, just to, you know, keep talking. Mel and I love to talk. We love our conversation. So please join it with us. Yep. Alright. Thanks for joining us. Will talk to you next time. See ya
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At The Money collectively provide financial wellbeing, premium coaching, mortgage broking and workplace financial wellbeing programs which we couldn't do without the seamless support of our fabulous team. If you'd like to find out more, head to themoneycollective.com.au or our socials to take action and engage our services. In our Facebook group, join the conversation and help us break down the taboo around money. All content in this podcast is for educational purposes only and is generally nature. For tailored personal advice, please seek out a professional.
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Podcast by:
MEL PEARCE & DARLENE NEU
Co-Founders, Financial Wellbeing Coaches and Mortgage Brokers
The Money Collective
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