Lessons from my money & investing journey
My musings on what I’ve uncovered about money and investing over the past decade.
👋 Welcome to the latest issue of How To Money by Kate Campbell – the newsletter that talks about all those money things you wish you had learnt in high school.
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Dear Reader,
As we approach the end of the year, I’m starting to reflect on everything that has happened throughout the year and what I’d like 2025 to look like. And it got me thinking about the lessons I’ve uncovered about money and investing over the last few years that I can share with you.
👀 I’d really encourage you to spend some time reflecting on your own journey so far and some of the lessons you’ve learned after reading this.
So, without further ado, let’s jump into the importance of money conversations, writing down your investment plan and focusing on running your own race.
🗣️ Talking about money is important (but not everyone will learn, value or talk about money the way you do - and that’s okay!)
We’ve been taught from an early age that we shouldn’t talk about money, but that taboo does much more harm than good.
If you can afford me a Harry Potter reference here, “Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself”.
Talking openly about our finances helps remove the culture of fear and shame that can surround money.
So many Australians are struggling to get by, living paycheck to paycheck—maybe they’ve got buy-now-pay-later or credit card debt—and when we don’t talk about it, we don’t feel like we’ve got anyone in our lives to discuss it with or ask for help.
It’s become a lot more acceptable to get help for other issues we’re going through, but it still seems quite shameful if we’re in debt – we’re supposed to get through that alone.
Talking about money might feel hard right now, but not talking about it long-term will be harder.
Start looking for the places where these conversations are happening.
For example, kick off the conversation with friends and family, join online communities, listen to industry experts on podcasts, or get in touch with a free financial counsellor.
📝 Write down your investment plan and reason for making each purchase
One of my biggest suggestions for new investors is to write down a plan of attack before diving in. This gives you direction and keeps you focused, as it’s easy to get distracted by every new shiny thing you come across in the first few years.
I’d also encourage you to write down the reasons you make a particular investment. You can review them over time as you learn more (and revisit them during periods of market volatility).
Action Tip: Create a Google Doc to write down your investment decisions and outline your investment plan.
🧠 Your personal finances are just that, personal
We talk a lot on the Australian Finance Podcast about information that's aimed at helping a broad range of people, but at the end of the day, you need to figure out what works for you and your unique situation.
Just because there’s a common rule of thumb doesn’t mean you have to follow it.
Want a 12-month emergency fund (rather than 3-6 months) because you feel more secure? Go for it!
Starting a small business which means you can’t save or invest right now? That’s okay!
Investing in a way that looks different to your friends? Just make sure you do your homework.
The most important thing is that you’re taking small steps each day to improve your financial future, whatever that looks like for you! Don’t blindly copy someone else on the internet because your financial plan needs to be tailored to your life.
What are your most significant money and investing lessons? Let me know in the comments below ⬇️⬇️⬇️
Thanks for reading
Thanks for reading today’s issue of How To Money. If you enjoyed what you read, I’d really appreciate it if you could share it with a friend, family member, or colleague who you think might like it too.
✨ If you’d like to support my journey, the best ways are to:
Buy a copy of my book, Buying Happiness: Learn to invest your time and money better through Booktopia, Amazon or order it through your local library.
Subscribe to my podcast (The Australian Finance Podcast) and leave a review.
Lurveeeee this short and sweet 'shopping list' for a financially fit year ahead. You talking about 2025 has me A T T A C K E D Kate.