Get Money Savvy

Make 2023 your best year yet with corporate and life coach Jacqui O'Bree's practical guide to getting your finances in order (for good!).

These days, it seems the whole world is in debt from cash-strapped single T parents juggling multiple jobs and struggling to make ends meet, to young adults crippled by the weight of student loans, and professionals who seem to be living the high life yet their credit cards are maxed out and they can barely make the monthly instalments on their flashy cards. What's going on? Why are we all in debt? A lack of financial education or a heritage of poverty are the most obvious contributing factors, but not in every case. Growing up, many of us are taught to budget, save and spend less than we earn. We know what to do but we don't do it. To change our financial situation, it's important to recognise that it is not simply our behaviour that needs to change, but also our mindset.

Napoleon Hill, who wrote the famous book Think and Grow Rich in 1937, interviewed the financial giants of the time, from Andrew Carnegie to Henry Ford. He wanted to know the secret to their wealth. He discovered that wealth is a mindset more than an education. These people had a powerful belief system that dictated how they lived their lives. Financial freedom starts with a particular mindset, followed by particular actions. There are no quick fixes - but the following six steps can help you begin thinking about money, and your attitude towards it, in a way that promotes prosperity rather than lack.

1 Think about your thinking