Uncensored Money Season Five: Money Chats with MFAP Alumni: Angela's Story.
Melissa Browne: Ex-Accountant, Ex-Financial Advisor, Ex-Working Till I Drop, Now Serial Entrepreneur & Author, Financial Wellness Advocate, Living a Life by Design | 15/04/2024
Show Notes
Wish you could listen in as someone just like you chatted about money? That’s what our Money Chats are all about.
In this episode, Mel talks with My Financial Adulting Plan alumni, Angela (or Ferg's as she permitted Mel to call her). Angela's money story growing up revolved around 'Never Enough', scarcity and fear and discusses how the My Financial Adulting Plan helped her reject this scarcity mindset. Through this, Angela was able to shift her thinking, from constantly hoping for a windfall that would change things, into an understanding of money and how to manage it properly.
Books and resources mentioned in this episode
If you're on insta, come play over at @MelBrowne.Money and make sure you’re signed up to Mel's Money Musings for more tips, tricks and ideas on how to best work with your money.
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Transcript
Mel: Hey everyone. I'm Mel Brown. I'm an ex-accountant and ex-financial advisor, so I have the theory, but I also have the life experience. I'm now financially independent in my own right after coming back from less than nothing in my early thirties. I want this podcast to be like a chat with your girlfriends about money. My aim is to help you discover why you're behaving the way you are with money, to suggest new ways you might behave that are a better fit for you, and to increase your financial literacy and financial confidence. I hope it inspires challenges, educates and empowers you with how you do money. So let's get into it. Welcome to Uncensored Money.
Mel: Have you ever felt that you're not at the age and stage you should be? Or looked over at someone and thought, gosh, I wish I knew how they got there. I wish I knew where they were at with their finances or what they did to get there. I think we talk about a lot of things, but we're not necessarily sharing our money stories. And yes, Lawsie and I can share our stories and we do that a lot here, but not all of you will relate to where we've been. That's why I wanna share more stories. And inside the My Financial Adulting Plan, I have thousands of them, so I wanna start sharing them individually here. So today I'm sharing with you one of those stories. Enjoy.
Mel: Thank you so much for joining me today. And we just had a conversation around what's your nickname? And you gave me permission to call you Fergs, which can I just start by saying, I love <laugh>. As I was saying to you, as someone that played sate netball and calls Lawsie, Lawsie, calls my husband Larvin. Like just the I I think it's so Australian to call people by their last names, so
Angela Ferguson: Yeah, absolutely. And put an O on the end of it too. Oh
Mel: Yeah. I won't go to Fergo <laugh>. She said, please don't.
Mel: I wanna start by asking something that I ask a lot of people when, when they have a chat to them. And that is around money stories. Cause It's the first thing we look at in the My Financial Adulting Plan in season one of this podcast. I talk to a whole bunch of different women and it was the first question I asked them all as well. What was your money story growing up?
Angela Ferguson: Yeah, growing up I grew up with a single mother. She had four kids. I was the eldest of four. And there was never enough. It was a real story of scarcity and in so many different ways too and in silly ways. Like my mom used to say, don't eat all the fruit as soon as I brought it all home cause She needed food to last.
Mel: Yeah.
Angela Ferguson: But also like we had to stop playing softball because we couldn't afford the uniforms, that sort of stuff. So yeah, never enough a real story of scarcity as I had a lot of fear around money as well, that where it was gonna come from, where it was gonna get more. How do I actually kind of live the life that I want to live when this thing is kind of not really, I didn't feel it was like readily available for me.
Mel: Yeah. With that scarcity and fear and not enough story before you identified that as your money story, could you see that play out in how you behaved with money?
Angela Ferguson: Well, I sort of did the opposite really.
Mel: Like
Angela Ferguson: When I felt stressed and one of my girlfriends and I, we laugh about this, it's like I'm freaking out about money. So I've just gone and bought something online to make myself feel better. Yeah. It was just weird behavior. You take the opposite of what you think you should do. I don't know whether it's the buzz from shopping or whatever it is, but yeah, it was sort of very kind of incongruous behavior.
Mel: I wonder if it's, you didn't have it and so your stressor behavior is you actually go to that because you're so used to the lack that it's actually, I wanna fill that hole with something that I couldn't have.
Angela Ferguson: Yeah, exactly. Yeah.
Mel: What's your money story now? Like? What did you reject from that scarcity and not enough and what did you keep?
Angela Ferguson: I love that question because the thing that kind of clicked for me was, and this is the, might be a little bit strange, but I was watching that, you know, that Anna Delvy, the woman who was the shyster in New York, who was Oh
Mel: Yes. Mm-Hmm
Angela Ferguson: <Affirmative>. And she said something about, and this was just before I did the course, and she said something about how it's only money, there's more of it. Mm. It kind of made me realize, oh right, like she's a scammer, but she's Right. Yeah. I think that was the real start of like that turning around for me of that thinking around the scarcity of money. Mm. And I always had this idea in my head that one day there would be like a windfall somehow. Whether it was like selling my business or some sort of windfall or through a relationship or whatever that I'd be taken care of and looked after. And the thing that really kind of changed that thinking was actually getting more knowledge and more understanding and all of the things that I've learned in the last, I don't know, I reckon 10, eight years around there's been this kind of process of progression really, in terms of understanding that whole world of money, which I just, they don't teach you that at school. I went to catholic girls school, they taught us how to sew and cook. Yeah. <Laugh> and type.
Mel: Yes. Yeah. I didn't
Angela Ferguson: Be grateful for the typing skill because need that now then knowledge is what changed that thinking for me,
Mel: If I look at you, you as someone that I, I mean we are staring at one another now, but you always look so put together. Like if you walk past you in the street, I imagine it would be the women that would turn their heads as much of the blokes where they'd be going, huh. Wow. And I would be thinking what she wearing? What <laugh>, you just look so put together. I guess my question with that is, someone might look at you and go, why on earth do you need to do a financial adulting course? And I think we compare ourselves all the time by how we look. What would you say is behind that facade around, well this is why I needed it at that point.
Angela Ferguson: Yeah. Well first of all, thank you for that compliment. I'm very much appreciate that. Look, I've sort of suffered for a long time of that thinking of as long as the outsides are okay, the insides can be a mess. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. I've done a lot of work on matching my insides and my outsides. But the reason I needed the course and to learn more was because my story is like I had maybe nine years ago, my husband or ex-husband and I had this really difficult financial situation and we'd made some bad decisions. And because of where that ended up, you know, I had to take a much more proactive approach to our finances. Like I used to say to him things like, how much money can I spend? 'cause We had all our money pooled.
Mel: Yeah.
Angela Ferguson: Oh, don't worry about it. We'll just work it out later. And I'm like, that doesn't sit well with me. Mm. I actually got Kochie's budget, I downloaded Kochie's budget off the internet. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative> put a budget together, got rid of our credit cards, got a lot more clarity about where our money went and what we had left over to spend. I didn't realize I wasn't really in a great place though at the time because while I was organized, I still didn't have a plan. I had no idea how to plan for my future. And I think it sort of hit me just before Covid. It's like, you know, what's the plan here? I can't keep working forever. And just hoping for the windfall. Yeah. I've actually got, and I had no idea where to start. And for me, oh, and the other thing too, like the thing about being put together as well, it's like part of that is also having to have the latest thing. Yes. You know, I've always got a list. And on that list is I just need this handbag, this pair of shoes, this piece of jewellery and this outfit. And that will sort of theme me through the next season <laugh>. So that I'm, if I can have all that sorted, then I'll be okay. Yeah. I was so disorganized financially, so nothing was really matching what you would appear or what you would see. Never really matched kind of where I was at, what I was doing.
Mel: I really like that description of the inside matching the outside. 'cause I think having seen behind the finances of a lot of people behind the curtains, that's what I see a lot. Is it the inside doesn't match the outside. And I really like the phrasing of that. Yeah. Yeah,
Angela Ferguson: Definitely.
Mel: So what was your first steps? So you said that you downloaded Kochie's budget and went, you know what? I can get organized, but actually me being organized isn't enough. Which is kind of that you can't earn your way to wealth. Like that's not enough. Yeah. So when did that realize it? When did that realization come and what was your next step when you went? Okay, so I'm organized, but that's not enough.
Angela Ferguson: Yeah. Well the next step was then I actually then did so Barefoot Investor, I then read that and kind of got another layer of knowledge again. But still felt the thing for me was the confidence as well that confident in planning for the future. Again, I got more knowledge from Barefoot Investor and I love his approach, how it's really down to earth. Mm-Hmm. The thing that really empowered me, which is what I think I was really missing, honestly, it was the Financial Adulting Course
Angela Ferguson: Really, really did empower me because it's like, oh, investing that is on offer for you and shares you can do that, and all of that stuff that I just thought, oh, you have to be a financial genius or you have to be an accountant or you have to be a man. That was all the stuff I just really liked confidence in. And I run a business as well. And up until probably just over a year ago, I had other people, male people running the financial side of the business and I kind of left them to it because I thought that they were taking care of things. But it wasn't until I dug a bit deeper that they were taking care of things, but not in a way that was aligned with my values.
Mel: Yes.
Angela Ferguson: That was really important too, is like what are my values around finances and money? And I still don't do it perfectly and I'm still learning more and more every day. Mm. The empowerment piece has been the really important thing for me.
Mel: You are a creative person. Would you say that was part of the disconnect where their confidence didn't come in where it's like, no, no, no, I'm creative therefore I'm not, or therefore I can't. And when did that message come? Or do you think it's just a subliminal thing that we find?
Angela Ferguson: Yeah, I think it's probably a bit of both. Like I definitely thought, yeah, I'm creative and I can't and I'm creative and I shouldn't because if I focus on that stuff, it will take away my creativity by being too practical.
Mel: Ah, how interesting. Yeah.
Angela Ferguson: It's hard being a creative in Australia because we don't value it.
Mel: Yes. Yep.
Angela Ferguson: There's different levels of creativity, but they don't teach you anything about business at school. Everything I've learned is through making mistakes. I feel like I'm just, I can't think of a nice way to say it, but you know that blowing smoke expression.
Mel: Yeah. <Laugh>,
Angela Ferguson: The thing that really attracted me to what you have and what you offer is that it was the more money for shoes.
Mel: Yes. Oh my gosh. My very first book back in the day.
Angela Ferguson: Yep, that I want to know. Wanted more money for shoes.
Mel: Yeah.
Mel: And it's funny 'cause there was a group called Everyday Sexism that really pinged me for that. And what they didn't understand is that the reason I called it more money for shoes is 'cause women like yourself were generally working for groceries or for the essentials, not for the extras. So they weren't looking at their profits, they weren't looking at the numbers and weren't aware of everything their business could be. Yeah. So for me it was put it in a lighthearted way and actually have it make sense that's far more important
Angela Ferguson: And it's okay to desire those things as well.
Mel: Yes, absolutely. Oh my gosh, you're someone that loves shoes, definitely <laugh>. But if you think back to where you were before you joined up. So before you joined the My Financial Adulting plan, how long ago was it and what would you tell them? Like what have you done that you didn't think was possible or maybe you didn't think was for you?
Angela Ferguson: Yeah, I joined early last year and the reason I joined was because I didn't have a plan. I felt that I was organized and I felt that I knew a lot. Mm. But I didn't have any strategy around finances. Yeah. And as I've got, if I've got older and it's just become more and more apparent to me that I need a plan and I need a really good one. That was one of the big things that I got out of doing the financial adulting plan, was that I was able to see that all of those things that are involved, that are there, like having buffer accounts and having investment properties and investing in shares and having a really good super balance. When I finish, when I finish working, all of those things, I can actually be in control of that. Mm-Hmm. Like I might not want an investment property, but if I do, I can go for it.
Mel: Yes. And I love that. I might not want to. And isn't that the thing where I think certainly in Australia, but this is the path that we all take. You do this, you buy the home, then you have the property, yada yada. But it's like, well, I could, but actually I don't know if that's right for me and now I have choice.
Angela Ferguson: Yeah, yeah.
Mel: I don't know about you, but sometimes I wish there was an easy way, a silver bullet, a magical unicorn, a fairy godmother ready to grant me three wishes. I mean, think of all the miracle diets, fitness fads, promising a six pack in six weeks, or finance bros promising riches by following this easy formula. Do you believe a word of it?Well, the part that longs for a quick fix might be taken in, but you are smarter than that. Personally, what I believe in is consistency, educating myself, finding an expert to help me, surrounding myself with a community who are going to motivate me to keep going and make me feel like I can do it because they're doing it too or are further down the road than I am. That's exactly what we've created inside the My Financial Adulting Plan. If you feel like you're on top of your finances, you have a plan for this year that you're super comfortable with and have everything you need to make that happen, then just ignore this ad. But for the rest of you, make sure you check out my life-changing 12 week course or for less than the price of a cup of coffee a day. Head to the show notes to join the wait list for the next round. Or you might be lucky enough to find that the doors are open and you can join now.
Angela Ferguson: And also being, I'm a single woman now and I've got a child who is 18 later in the year. How do I take care of myself by myself
Mel: Yeah.
Angela Ferguson: The rest of my life. And because I plan to live to a hundred
Mel: Abso-froggin-loutley. Yeah. <laugh>, how to make it last <laugh> and live
Angela Ferguson: Well too. Right. I'm not gonna be living on the street till I'm that old. But yeah, I just wanna be in control of my life in a way that's really healthy and creative and beautiful and thriving rather than surviving.
Mel: You moved from organised to, what are you doing now where you are doing something a bit differently or where you are bringing that control back where you wanna look at your future self and go, I wanna look after that person?
Angela Ferguson: Yeah. So what I'm doing now is I'm sort of in a funny situation where I'm a settlement negotiation with my ex-husband and I, there's still a lot of things waiting to kind of fall and hopefully we're not too far away from that. So what I'm doing now is I'm getting on top of, because of my business owner, there's been a year or two where I haven't paid myself super. So I'm catching up with it and getting on top of the super. And once I've got on top of that, I'm gonna be paying my super fortnightly rather than every quarter. So then it's just
Mel: Nice
Angela Ferguson: Constant accrual. I've got a Pearler investment account where I'm mm-Hmm <affirmative> just putting a little bit in every fortnight. I don't quite understand how it all works just yet, but I'm just having a go at that and I'm looking at that. That's a long term thing. Once I do get my property settlement sorted, I'm actually not gonna buy anything straight away. I had a good chat to Lawsie about this actually. I'm going to look at whatever I get from the settlement, putting that into some different investment accounts for a few years before I then decide where I wanna live, what I wanna do, what kind of place I want. Because you know, I'm over a certain age where it's much harder to get a mortgage. So I don't wanna do that a few times. I just wanna do that once and do it well. Yeah. And then the other thing, so super, there's a lot of things I'm paying off my school fees. I pay off fortnightly. I've got a few other things like my body corporate levies. I pay off fortnightly so that I don't then get to the bill and go holy hell, what do I do? I cancelled my AfterPay.
Mel: Oh, Good job <laugh>.
Angela Ferguson: Yes. But I did look, I have to confess, I did open it again once over Christmas and then shut, shut it down again. That's all right.
Mel: Let me just shut it back down. I'm happy <laugh>.
Angela Ferguson: Oh, the other thing I need to do actually is unsubscribe from a lot of those email newsletters that you get. Mm. Because I get really distracted by the latest outfit or handbag or shoe or whatever. That is a real passion for me and yeah. Yeah. So I need to close a few of those emails. They're a bit distracting. And I think that's it for now. I'm so much more at ease about it all.
Mel: Mm.
Angela Ferguson: The fear of money and my whole mindset now is one of abundance rather than scarcity. So I feel like I've come that full 180 and I'm not scared of it. I feel so much more relaxed about it all,
Mel: Which to go from that money story around fear and not having enough to actually be, you know what? I can find money and I can plan for it. And I have that abundance mentality that's so good. That is a beautiful foundation to plan from. What's hard? Like what's the thing, I know you mentioned you've got a property settlement coming up and I know it's hard when you're pressing pauses with that sort of thing. What's the hard stuff that you've found or the things that were surprising maybe because they were hard?
Angela Ferguson: I think the hardest thing for me is as a creative person switching over into that other part of my brain.
Mel: Yeah.
Angela Ferguson: And I really have to set aside time to do that. And it does feel like a physical switch. Yeah. Even when I do that in the business, when I'm doing invoicing and looking at balance sheets and P&L's and things like that, I really have to carve out the time to go and I can't do it in the afternoon. I can't look at a spreadsheet after lunch.
Mel: Yeah, that's smart though. If you know, so do you quite literally put the time in the diary to go, this is the time I'm looking at my business financials or this is the time I'm looking at my personal financials 'cause it's gotta be the morning and I've gotta set time for it.
Angela Ferguson: Yeah, definitely. And often I'll do it on the weekend as well when distractions are out, I'll come into the office and do that sort of stuff on the weekend and I have everything I need kind of ready to go and then I can just sit down and work through it all. So yeah, I need to be quite structured about those sorts of things. Otherwise I will put it off because it's not my favorite thing to do.
Mel: Yes. Yep.
Angela Ferguson: I'd much rather be looking at fashion on Instagram.
Mel: <Laugh>, do you reward yourself after if you do it, do you go and have a nice lunch or a glass of wine or something to say, good job Ferg, I've done this.
Angela Ferguson: Yeah, I do. Usually I go for a walk and just get outside. Yeah. I'm not a drinker. I actually haven't had any chocolate for about three months.
Mel: Oh wow. That's bigger than not drinking. Wow. Yeah, I much <laugh>
Angela Ferguson: On a bit of a health kick. But the thing for me it is just getting outside, getting into the, I swim actually our ocean swim. Or not in the ocean, just at the iceberg pool.
Mel: Oh nice. Yeah,
Angela Ferguson: That cold water swimming. And that a big thing for me. That's sort of my happy place. Mm.
Mel: Love that. I'll talk to you during winter and see how you go that I Did you do it last winter? Yeah. Wow. I'm so impressed.
Angela Ferguson: The water gets down to like 12 to 14. I can't swim at 14, that's a bit too cold. But yeah, girlfriend stuff, she's hardcore.
Mel: That's so hardcore. We talked about hard. What are you most proud of?
Angela Ferguson: I think I'm most proud of my persistence in the whole thing because perfectionism is a real thing for me and, and I don't like to not do things perfectly or be perfect or you know, understand it all completely. Yep. And to just show up and go, right. I don't get this but I'm just gonna do a little bit and just understand kind of one thing at a time and then gradually get my head around it. Okay then I've nailed that and then I'll move on to the next thing. So I've still got so much more to learn. Like I said, my Pearler account, I don't really understand what's going on there. That's sort of the next thing to try and get my head around. Yeah. So I'm proud of just the persistence with this because it's not an easy thing for me to do. But I have come such a long way, such a long way.
Mel: But it's funny like I hear say that about you Pearler account, like you're doing it but you're still understanding it. I feel like that with my French male and female and us and them, like intellectually I know it but I don't really get it. And I feel like the more I practice it and I use it, I'll understand it. And it's probably the same with your investing.
Angela Ferguson: Yeah. It definitely is a perfect way to describe it.
Mel: Mm. Yeah. I guess what's something that maybe you're surprised that you've done something that wasn't necessarily hard but you look at it and go, that's something that I'm perhaps surprised that I've done or that has surprised you by either your reaction or your attitude towards it now?
Angela Ferguson: One of the things that did surprise me was some of my old ideas around women and money.
Mel: Oh, okay. Tell me more.
Angela Ferguson: I am pretty sure it was when I was doing the business part of the financial adulting plan, going through some of the old ideas and it was like, it was around how women with money unlikable and unlovable, I was like, oh my gosh.
Mel: Oh wow.
Angela Ferguson: Yeah. Just those old ideas around my father left when we were very young and she never repartnered and I saw her not be happy and I saw her work really hard to put the four of us through school and to take care of us. So I just had this really old thinking that women who are independent and who are kind of making their own money and taking care of themselves, lonely, unhappy, unlovable.
Mel: Yeah.
Angela Ferguson: And I felt like that's been really holding me back in the business thinking like if I'm too kind of wealthy or if I'm too financially comfortable or savvy, that means I will never, ever <laugh> need another man and no one will ever love me.
Mel: Which of course holds you back. That's such a common belief that I think that we absolutely are starting to turn around, but also it's those deep seeded values that you have to really pull out. That can be hard. Do you know, if you think to women around you, do you know any either single or financially independent women that you are like, oh yeah, but they're not that. Like have you ever put that connection together or do you not have those around you?
Angela Ferguson: There are a lot of good, good examples of women around me who've made it on their own and I just see the criticism that they get. Mm. And the like that they get, not from within their circle but from outside. And that's the sort of thing that kind of frightens me a little bit. That outside pressure and criticism and vitriol in some cases.
Mel: Yeah. So what are you doing to protect yourself from that now? Or is it just more of a, you know what, I'm just gonna bubble it and not listen to that?
Angela Ferguson: A lot of what I do is I do a lot of personal coaching and in that personal coaching we look at things like things, where does that thinking play out in my life? Yeah. And then how do I look at those old ideas, create some new ones and then stop doing the old behavior. So a lot of my personal development because how you do anything, how you do finances and how you do work and how you do whatever kind of plays out in all the other areas of your life as well.
Mel: So Absolutely. Yeah.
Angela Ferguson: Yeah. So I do do a lot of work around those sorts of things and as I become more kind of, not enlightened but just more aware as I get older, it helps a lot. Mm.
Mel: You've got an 18-year-old, do you think they'll have a different story and relationship with money and even a level of financial literacy because of what you've done? Have you had different conversations with them? Like can you see a spillover from your increased confidence?
Angela Ferguson: I can see he is picked up some of my bad habits.
Mel: <Laugh> <laugh>. Do you call him out on that?
Angela Ferguson: I have gentle conversations with him 'cause I'm pretty of wary of
Mel: Yeah.
Angela Ferguson: Of telling him what to do. So I–
Mel: In case they go woo more in that direction usually. Yeah. Yeah.
Angela Ferguson: So I pose ideas, like I ask him questions and there are some things that I do insist on, like if he gets a reasonable amount of money as a gift or something, I, there's no way you're spending that that going into the X type of account for long term
Mel: Yeah. Good
Angela Ferguson: Savings. But we did start off actually doing the jars with him. The mm-Hmm. <Affirmative> the whatever his name was.
Mel: Barefoot's jars. Yeah,
Angela Ferguson: Barefoot jars. Yeah. Donate. So I think we started about 12 with that, with him. And
Mel: In case anyone's listening and they dunno what that is. I think it's one for you spending, one for you saving, one for donating. Yes. Yeah. Which I love.
Angela Ferguson: And they decide how much they put in each. Yeah. I felt like that really empowered him as well. And when he was 14 he went and got a job at McDonald's, you know. Yeah. So great. I didn't suggest it, it was his idea because he wanted his own money and he spends all of his money on fashion as well. <Laugh>
Mel: Like mother like son. I love it. Yeah. Do you have conversations about investing or anything like that? Like if you've got the Perler account, have you said, Hey look at what I'm doing or That hasn't broached yet?
Angela Ferguson: It hasn't broached yet. I have suggested to him about having a long term compound interest savings account and I showed him a couple of graphs about how a hundred dollars invested now in X number of years, look what it turns into. And if you start saving now you can have a house deposit 25, 30, whatever. But I do wanna have a few more of those conversations with him because he is in his final year of school. And the thing that I like though about his approach is he appreciates the value of a dollar that he's been working because he knows how much he has to work to get his $20 an hour at Maccas. Yeah. He won't ask for things that are unreasonable. And I can say to him, this is really expensive. And he's like, yeah, I know. And he gets it.
Mel: He gets it. I must admit if a kid had McDonald's on their resume when I was an employer, they were almost as shoeing to be interviewed cause you just knew they had a good work ethic. They were usually working from a young age. Like it's just such a great thing to have. My last question for you, for someone else that maybe is where you have been where maybe they're a creative type and they've thought, you know what? I just don't think creatives and money are necessarily gonna align. Or maybe they're in the middle of their own separation and going, you know what? I don't know. It just feels a bit messy. Maybe I should just wait. What would you say to someone that was maybe contemplating doing the My Financial Adulting Plan or doing something else to increase their financial literacy?
Angela Ferguson: Yeah, look, I would just say it is no one else's responsibility but your own. And one of the things I had this business coach that used to say to me 10 or 15 years ago, like a man is not a plan and it's not a financial plan and, and I didn't necessarily think that, but I sort of did rely on somebody else to take care of the hard stuff. What I would say is that it starts more just do one thing. Even if it's just the first week of the course where you do that spreadsheet so you know where you stand even that's just a huge eye opener. So yeah, it's really about taking responsibility because nobody else will and just starting small and doing something so that you can go. For me it was gradually, gradually getting my power back. Mm.
Mel: Yeah. I think having that power back is such an important thing. And having that agency of our own, I don't care if you are married or not married, partnered up, not partnered up. I think it's so important to be able to stand, even if you are not the one earning, to have that bit of financial independence.
Angela Ferguson: Yeah. And just being able to make decisions financial that are aligned with my values and not somebody else's. That was a huge thing for me.
Mel: I know, I said that was the last question. Where was the disconnect there that you saw between when you started to have your voice heard?
Angela Ferguson: I think the disconnect for me was that we had been living beyond our means for a really long time and it was sort of living in ego. Yes. Like ego financially, rather than having that right sized approach to what I have, what I earn, what I'm worth.
Mel: Yeah.
Angela Ferguson: That was a big one.
Mel: And you were the one that came in and said No, we have to change this.
Angela Ferguson: Yeah. There's still a bit of a disconnect there
Mel: For me. That's why women need to be part of finances. We make better investors because we don't take the big risks necessarily. And I know that's a generalization, but that's the Warwick Business School study. I think we need to have our voices heard and often we are the one making the values-based decisions. So. Yeah.
Angela Ferguson: Well half the time too, the men in the room actually don't know what's going on. Yeah. And they do.
Mel: It's so true. Yeah, that's so true. I've seen that time and time again. Yeah.
Angela Ferguson: And they're too scared to say they don't know.
Mel: Mm-Hmm <affirmative>. Whereas we're not women in the financial literacy survey. We're the one that answers the most. We don't know to the five questions, whereas the blokes don't say that. Yeah. Folks, thank you so much. I so appreciate you having a chat to me. I know that talking about money, particularly in a public way is not something we've grown up saying is okay. So I so appreciate you chatting to me today. Was there any last thoughts that you wanted to add that I didn't talk to you about?
Angela Ferguson: No, I don't think so. Nothing else. But I guess the thing I just wanted to say is thank you because like, 'cause I know you talk a lot about being an introvert, but actually putting yourself out there in a way that's not comfortable for you has actually helped people like me and so many different people. So just to have someone out there who's talking about money, it's okay to love fashion. It's okay to be in control. I'm grateful for that. So I wanted to say thanks.
Mel: Yeah, thank you. I really appreciate that.
Mel: If you enjoyed this episode, we would love it if you subscribed and give us a review, then make sure you come and play with me on Insta. I'm at @melbrowne.money Remember there's an E on the end of Browne. I'm one of those fancy Browne's, and don't forget to check out the show notes for even more ways you can work with me to transform your finances.
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