Money and Me
Money and Me is a great place to start your Guide Your Money Independence program.
Financial decisions are personal. Understanding your money attitudes and how they affect your behaviour – like saving, spending, financial risk taking – helps you to set priorities, make plans and take control of your financial future.
Try some practical activities and discussions to explore ideas and attitudes about money, either individually or with your peer group.
You can think about:
What is financial wellbeing?
What is financial wellbeing?
There are different ways of describing financial wellbeing:
- “Financial wellbeing is being and feeling financially healthy and secure today and in the future”
Source: Financial Wellbeing: The last taboo of the workplace? Barclays, 2014
- “Financial wellbeing is managing money in ways that build a sense of understanding, competence and control”
Source: Take Charge Today website, The University of Arizona
- Financial wellbeing is not how much money you have but the choices you make with that money.
Something to think about
Something to think about
Let’s put money into a broader whole of life context.
There are many different priorities in our lives:
- Work and career
- Finances
- Health – physical and mental wellbeing
- Personal development – study, personal learning
- Our relationships – family, partner, friends, acquaintances
- Spirituality – our sense of being part of something bigger than ourselves
- Community engagement
- Leisure
What priority do your finances have in your life? Neglected? A means to an end? High priority?
Life is busy! It’s true that setting regular time aside to do something that you find challenging or dull can be difficult.
The upside is that paying regular attention to your finances will give you a greater chance to be in control of your money and achieve financial wellbeing. More control means more opportunities for you to use your money for things that are important to you.
Discuss what financial wellbeing means to you
Money attitudes
Money attitudes
We all have attitudes – beliefs and values – that influence our financial behaviour.
Where do they come from? From our life experiences and from the attitudes of people closest to us. They are complex, can be unconscious, and often reinforce each other. The first step to gaining more control over your financial behaviour is to tune into your attitudes and think about how they could be influencing your actions.
What are your money attitudes and how might they influence your behaviour?
Personal reflection
Money Attitudes Case studies
Did you know?
Did you know?
Women in the 18-27 years age group (compared to women older than 28 years):
- have the strongest belief that they can change their financial situation
- feel that dealing with money is more stressful
- have the strongest desire to buy now, rather than save up for something
- have the highest levels of aspiration to achieve financial success.
Source: ANZ Australian Financial Literacy Survey, 2015
Money attitudes quiz
Next steps
Next steps
Recognising your money attitudes means you are on your way to developing individual financial wellbeing. Understanding your financial needs now and in the future, is also important. What do you want to know more about so you can assess your financial needs?
Take a few minutes to discuss with your peers what topics you would like to learn more about in the Independence program.
There are 8 more topics to explore:
- Budgeting
- Saving for a goal
- Pause points
- Borrowing
- Investing
- Superannuation
- Protecting my money
- My future goals
Each topic includes a variety of sub topics with activities, talking points and signposts to more information, that support individual and peer group learning.