In a nutshell:
- With a proper financial plan, Matt’s gone from “a car, credit card debt and some super” to financially free.
- Setting up an automated cash management system with ‘buckets’ was a pivotal moment, helping Matt achieve multiple goals like getting invested, buying property and being stable enough to freelance.
- You can book a free 45 minute coffee catch up, to discuss your own financial situation with Matt’s team at Fox & Hare here: book now
I arrived in Sydney with my car, a bit of credit card debt and some super.
I was about a year out of university and moved for a job as an assistant video editor with a big advertising agency in the city.
It was my first job, I was earning good money, and so, I was looking at the world through these YOLO kind of eyes. A bit of living in the moment, which you do when you’re younger, right?
I wasn’t out of control or anything like that.
Sure, I might get close to pay day with fifty dollars to last a few days or something. But I was never out on the street flipping my finger to get through! Or putting three weeks’ worth of groceries on the credit card because I’d spent a month’s salary in seven days.
But I had to be cautious.
Despite never feeling ‘out of control’ Matt knew that if he was going to pay down his debts and buy property, he would need to start thinking long term.
I was going out a lot, spending more money than I usually would.
And even though I wasn’t dropping $300 on a round of drinks or anything like that, it got to a point where I was thinking to myself ‘no, no, no. I need to start thinking more long term about this’.
I wanted to buy property. I had HECS debt. I had little bit of credit card debt, not a huge amount, but still enough that it was niggling away at me.
Then I met my partner. We got into a long-term relationship and that really made us both think about our future, talk about our goals, all that kind of stuff.
Also, for me, there was a bit of a salary mismatch. That pushed me even further into thinking ‘how can I be a bit smarter with my side of things?’.
So yeah, I needed to progress quicker than I was if I was going to get where I wanted.
6 months into our relationship, we reached out to a financial adviser at Fox & Hare, and it was actually really nice.
I realised pretty early on that the purpose was not to stop me from spending my money, but to do it in a smart way, you know?
Matt and his partner weren’t sure how to balance the desire for an ‘amazing, comfortable, exciting’ life in Sydney with longer term goals like owning property. So, they sought financial advice and within five years were the proud owners of their own home.
It was about getting into a different mindset.
Working out how I can still live this amazing, comfortable, exciting life with all the things you’d expect from a city like Sydney – but also save for those longer-term goals.
It sounds like such a basic thing, but setting everything up into a cash management system had such a huge effect on my life.
Every month the money would just go into this system automatically and break down into all the different buckets. Your weekly spending, your bills, your investment fund, everything would be exactly where it needed to be.
That was the best feeling, just knowing that day to day, week to week, the money was always going to be there.
It’s something that’s really caught on in the rest of my life, too. Thinking really hard about what my goals are and what I’ll need to realistically achieve them.
That’s been the most transformative part for me.
So, yeah. I arrived in Sydney with my car, a bit of credit card debt and some super.
And now, I guess the biggest difference is that I’m a property owner, but there is a lot of longer-term stuff going on too.
I obviously still have super, but also an investment fund that money goes into every month. And I had some credit card debt and university debts which are all paid off now, too.
So that’s a significant change in five years or so, and it’s amazing to be feeling so secure. I’ve gone from this feeling of cautiousness to confident, comfortable and in control.
I know that my money is going exactly where it needs to be, I know what I have to spend, and the bills will get paid.
It’s given us so much freedom!
After 8 years of agency work and big city life, Matt was ready for a change. Leveraging his positive financial position to pivot into freelancing, move to the Gold Coast and finding a few hours to visit the beach every day.
My partner and I got to a point after eight and ten years of living in Sydney, where we needed a change.
I’d been working in agencies for so many years and from both a lifestyle and career point of view, I was a bit burnt out.
And so, we took a bit of a lifestyle pivot, moved to the Gold Coast and started freelancing. It was scary to go from having a full-time job with a good income to literally nothing. But I was confident because I knew the way I spend my money, and I knew it’s all set up and working.
So, while it might not be forever, and the big city might lure us back with a career opportunity or something like that, for now we’re just living our best Gold Coast lives.
We’ve found the balance between working hard, but also being able to spend a few hours at the beach. We’ve got time go to the gym every day and just booked off a month in March.
So yeah, right now, it’s bliss.
The Fox & Hare team’s 100% personalised financial advice has helped hundreds of 25-45 year olds pay down debts, buy homes, build investment portfolios and achieve financial freedom. Tap this image to book a free 45 minute virtual coffee and take the first step toward financial freedom today.
What’s next?
If, like Matt, you’re ready to take the next steps toward financial security, you reach out to Fox & Hare for a free virtual coffee catch up.
In this meeting we will discuss your financial frustrations and greatest aspirations, and start working out just how you can achieve financial freedom – whatever that looks like for you!
We have helped hundreds of 25-45 year olds – just like Matt – unlock their potential and find the freedom, security and stability they deserve.
We can assess your current financial world – and give you 100% clarity on how to:
- Pay down debts
- Save to buy a home
- Quit work for a career change / to start a business
- Achieve financial freedom
With clear, reliable and realistic time frames.
If you want to be bad debt free? We can tell you exactly how long that will take. If you want to own a home? We can tell you how long that’ll take too.
If you like what you hear, you can tee up a second, commitment free, “Goals and Values Session” and begin to unearth what’s been holding you back and why.
We only take on 10 new members every month, that’s a maximum of 120 spots every year! And right now there are less than 5 advisories in Australia servicing the more than 10 million 25-45 year olds currently eligible to work with us. So, if you want to put an end to that feeling of unease “when will I be able to buy a home?” “When will I be debt free?” “Will I ever feel financially secure?” Hit “Book now!” and claim your free virtual coffee with Will today.
Book now!
About Fox & Hare: Founded in 2017 by two former Macquarie execs, Fox & Hare aims to empower and educate Australians in the wealth accumulation phase of their life journey. Through the provision of a safe, inclusive and accepting environment, they’ve built a diverse and devoted following of 30/40 somethings, from many backgrounds, abilities and genders. The organisation and its co-founders have featured in the AFR, IFA and Sydney Morning Herald, been included in Financial Standard’s Power 50 and voted IFA’s Thought Leader of the Year.