Dear SOTM Community: You’re Not Behind (Even If It Feels Like You Are)

Surprise! No Money Diary today... V has hijacked your Monday feed for something different. Think of this one as a little love note from her to you (with a side of tough-love pep talk). Because if you’ve ever scrolled past someone’s new house, new ring, new six-figure job and thought “cool, I’m officially behind on life”… this episode is basically your antidote. Victoria is here to rip up the money timeline, call BS on hustle culture, and admit that success might look more like coffee in the sun than climbing some imaginary ladder.

Inside this ep:
🔥 The truth about “falling behind” (spoiler: it’s fake news)
🔥 When using your savings is actually a power move
🔥 The tiny rituals that matter more than the milestones
🔥 A pep talk from V that proves you’re doing better than you think

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Acknowledgement of Country By Nartarsha Bamblett aka Queen Acknowledgements.

The advice shared on She's On The Money is general in nature and does not consider your individual circumstances. She's On The Money exists purely for educational purposes and should not be relied upon to make an investment or financial decision. If you do choose to buy a financial product, read the PDS, TMD and obtain appropriate financial advice tailored towards your needs.  Victoria Devine and She's On The Money are authorised representatives of Money Sherpa PTY LTD ABN - 321649 27708,  AFSL - 4

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
My name is Tatasha Bamblet. I'm a proud First Nations
woman and I'm here to acknowledge country t Glenn Young
Ganya Niana, kaka ya Ya bin Ahaka nian Ar gay
In Mbina yakarum jar dominyamiga Umagahawakawaman damon imlan Wumba, bang
Gadabomba in and now in wakah ghana on yakraum jar Watnadaa. Hello,

(00:22):
beautiful friends, we gather on the lands of the Aboriginal people.
We thank acknowledge and respect the Abiginal people's land that
we're gathering on today. Take pleasure in all the land
and respect all that you see. She's on the Money
podcast acknowledges culture, country, community and connections, bringing you the tools,
knowledge and resources for you to thrive.

Speaker 2 (00:45):
She's on the Money. She's on the Money.

Speaker 3 (01:08):
Hello, and welcome to She's on the Money, the podcast
that usually gives you epic news recaps deep dives into
budgeting or investing, or what the Reserve Bank's been up to.
But today it's just you and me. We're going to
have a little chat because I don't know about you,
but lately things feel heavy life is loud, the news
is loud, and social media is loud, and sometimes I

(01:30):
think what we really need to do is take a
deep breath, step back, and just be reminded that we're
actually doing okay. So you know what, That's what this
episode is about. It's a little bit of a reset,
a permission slip, per se, a reminder to be a
little softer with yourself, a moment to say, hey, friend,
you are actually doing so much better than you think.

(01:52):
Because here's the thing. If you didn't save in your twenties,
you haven't failed, You're not behind. There's actually no rule
book that says you must have it all figured out
by twenty five or thirty or even forty. And I
know it feels like there is. I know that every
single time you scroll you see someone with a renovation

(02:12):
update or a new car, or a new baby, or
a pay rise or a picture perfect life. But those
aren't benchmarks. They're just moments, and someone else's moment doesn't
take away from yours. Honestly, I wish I had been
more carefree in my twenties. I was so deeply focused
on saving and building and quote doing the right thing

(02:34):
that I sometimes forgot to be a little bit silly,
a little bit spontaneous per se. Perhaps now because I'm
in my thirties and life's a little bit more serious,
I'm thinking about that there are real bills, real responsibilities,
and while I'm proud of what I have built, I
also realize how fleeting that younger version of life really was.

(02:55):
And maybe you're listening to this and you're thinking, well,
Victoria divine, that is so easy for you to say,
because you've got drive, you've got direction. But my friend,
here is the thing that I don't say enough. It's
actually completely okay to not be career driven. Truly, it
is okay and really nice to want a soft life,
a simple life, a quiet life. I know. I talk

(03:16):
a lot about goals and a lot about ambition and
chasing what you want, and you know what that's because
I really love that for me, But that doesn't mean
it has to be what you love or what you do.
Some days I don't feel like being driven either. Some
days I just want to sit in the sun and
have a coffee and not think about KPIs or business

(03:37):
plans or future me. And that does not make me lazy.
It actually makes me human and it makes you very
human too. You and I we put so much pressure
on ourselves to be successful, but have you actually ever
stopped to really think about what success really is? Is
it owning a house? Is it hitting sick figures? Is

(04:00):
it getting married? Or is it peace? Is it knowing
who you are and what makes you happy? Because honestly,
the older I get, the more I believe it is
the latter, and the more that I cherish those tiny,
quiet rituals that I never used to notice, like getting
to drink my coffee before the house wakes up, or

(04:22):
seeing my son laughing hysterically, or being able to call
my mum or my drive home. Like that stuff is
sacred and it's so easy to miss it while we
chase the next shiny thing. And honestly, I do think
one of the greatest acts of self love is actually
getting your finances sorted. I think being in a position

(04:43):
where you can say no to things that don't serve you,
whether that is a relationship or a job or a
bad landlord, it is so incredibly powerful and I deeply
want that for you. But I also know that life
happens that back up money you get spent the emergency fund.
Mine might go down and might be empty, but you

(05:03):
have to prioritize your mental health and your safety or
your family. And you know what that is. Okay, that's
actually what it was for. And I'm so proud of you.
You're not failing if you're spending money to heal, if
you've had to take a step back to be able
to protect your peace. Girl, there's no prize for struggling.
You don't need to hustle yourself into burnout to be

(05:24):
worthy of rest. Before we dive into the next part,
because you know I can get on a good rant.
I'm going to give myself and you a little break.
If you're multitasking or scrolling while listening, I want you
to try this with me. So like, unclench your draw,
roll those shoulders back a little bit, and take the
deepest breath you've taken all day in and doubt. That's

(05:46):
a little reset that you can give yourself anytime. And
when we come back, we're going to talk about something
I think is relatively freeing, why it's perfectly okay to
not want what everybody else seems to be chasing. Stay
with me. We're back, and I know some of us

(06:08):
are currently sitting in a space where we just feel
like we haven't done enough, that we should be further along,
that we should have a house, or a wedding, or
a business or whatever the world has made us believe
that we deeply need. But have you ever stopped to
ask yourself? Do I even want those things? Do you
want a house, the car, the ring? Do you just

(06:30):
think you should want them? Because when you peel back
the noise, it's actually quite freeing to admit that you
don't want what everybody else wants or has that maybe
your version of success is totally different. And girl, that
is so allowed. We are all so guilty. And I
am too of comparison, scrolling and comparing and feeling smaller

(06:54):
with every single tap and scroll. But to what end?
What does that even get us? A highlight reel that's
not life, and you're comparing it to your behind the
scenes that's not fair. There's also the thing that we
all do. We seem to wait for motivation to show up.
We sit there thinking, well, when I feel motivated, I'm

(07:16):
going to start. But motivation, it does not tap you
on the shoulder one morning. It's not a delivery service.
You have to create it. You have to start without it.
You have to decide that you are so worth showing
up for that your goals are worth the effort, even
if it's just a tiny little effort today, even if

(07:38):
all you can do is make your bed and drink
some water and send one email. Goal, that is still movement. Nobody, unfortunately,
is coming to save you. But we can save ourselves.
You can be the person that younger you needed desperately.
You can build a life that future you is proud of,
not all at once, but step by step, choice by choice.

(08:00):
And if you're still living at home right now, I
do want to speak to you too, There is nothing
wrong with that. In fact, it can be a smart
and strategic choice. If you're using this time to save,
to get clear on your goals, to give yourself a
leg up goal, that is brilliant. But even if you're
just surviving right now, that's okay too. What matters is
that you're trying. You're here, you're listening to a money

(08:23):
podcast that you care enough to want more for yourself,
even if you're not sure what more looks like yet.
So can we just take the pressure off, take the
weight off your shoulders for just like a moment. You
don't have to have it all figured out yet nobody does.
You don't need to have a five year plan. You
don't need to prove anything to anyone. You are so

(08:45):
allowed to take up space, to go slow and then
find your own pace. And if nobody has told you recently,
I'm so proud of you, truly, I'm so proud of
you for trying, for caring, for learning, for listening to
a podcast like this instead of doom scrolling, for even
wanting better. That says so much about you already. You're

(09:08):
doing better than you think. I promise, and I hope
this episode has helped you feel that or remind you
of that, and I'll be back soon. But until then,
I really really need you and want you to be
kind to yourself, because, my friend, you deserve it.

Speaker 2 (09:29):
The advice shared on She's on the Money is general
in nature and does not consider your individual circumstances. She's
on the Money exists purely for educational purposes and should
not be relied upon to make an investment or financial decision.
If you do choose to buy a financial product, read
the PDS TMD and obtain appropriate financial.

Speaker 3 (09:48):
Advice tailored towards your needs.

Speaker 2 (09:50):
Victoria Divine and She's on the Money are authorized representatives
of money sheirper Pty Ltd ABN three two one six
four nine two seven seven zero eight a f s
L four five one two eight nine mm hmm