Your Money Habit

My financial rock bottom

Could reaching your version of financial rock bottom be an opportunity to come back stronger?

Often when people find out I am a Spending Planner either personally or with new clients, there is a misconception that I have always had control of my finances and that my life has been carefree and uncomplicated. 

I realised this is because I don’t share much about my own experience or knowledge with my finances.  

My purpose in becoming a Spending Planner

What brought me to dedicate my life to helping people overcome their struggle with money comes purely from my own lifetime of struggle and pain with money. My lack of financial stability has cost myself and my family dearly so I hope my experience helps you with your journey to financial freedom. 

My experience with money

I was born to teenage parents who didn’t have much of anything and throughout my childhood, money was always a struggle. I regularly would find my mother worrying about how the bills would get paid and if we’d have enough food that week. 

Having anything more than the basics was never an option. 

Like many people who grew up in challenging circumstances, I promised I’d do better than my parents but as is typical, I repeated the cycle and struggled with money.

In my case though I had a little extra challenge – a daughter who had a serious disability by the time I was 21. My ability to manage money was pretty limited and I messed up really badly. At my worst, I owed $55,000 due to a failed business to the Taxation Office, Credit card debt, Unpaid rent and a variety of suppliers. 

What made me change 

There is always a rock bottom or a catalyst that prompts us to change and improve our circumstances. In my case, it was my daughter’s birthday. I was desperately trying to scrape together at least $20 to buy her a present. It was a miserable time and I felt like such a failure. This is not what I dreamt of for myself or for my children. 

I knew I had to do something and fast! I was so tired of living like this.

I was 35, had 2 children (one with a lifelong physical disability), and a heap of debt, I had never been on a plane even a short interstate trip and I had no real prospects for making a decent income.

So why am I sharing this with you? 

Because I want you to know that whatever your current position, it is possible to turn it around even if you are in a dismal place with the odds against you and no visible evidence that anything could improve. From that place that was my rock bottom, I managed to pay off the debts, create a rainy day fund, bought a brand new car, travelled to USA x3, Canada, Singapore and numerous times interstate in Australia

More about how I did it in part 2

For now, think about what your life could look like if you could transform your finances. 

Would you travel, spend quality time with family (being fully present), work less, start a business or something more exciting? Have fun with it and dream a little. 

If you work with money, it will work with you!

About Amira MacCue Founder of Your Money Habit

Award Winning Spending Planner

Dedicated to teaching people how to overcome financial stress long term and be confident about their future using improved money management techniques and habit change.

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5 thoughts on “My financial rock bottom”

  1. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences here Amira. Wow it is inspiring to see how you turned that around, despite all those challenges!

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