How to Manage Your Finances When the World is Falling Apart

With all that is happening lately, fuel shortages, war, talks of extreme weather impacting farming and livestock etc. It can feel scary.

So what can you do now to help your finances and ease some of the anxiety, especially if your budget is already stretched thin?

What you can do will vary depending on the space you have, if you rent vs own, how much money you have and the skills you have.

I grew up in a religion that preached about being prepared, having 72 hour kits and being as self-sustainable as possible.

My childhood was in the country in Tasmania, where I learnt how to sew, how to preserve what we grew, trading with neighbours etc. Teen years were in Canberra were we did less of that but I learnt more about economics, government, business and so on.

I have written some tips that include different scenarios such as rent vs own, a house vs an apartment, what to grow, what to store, what to learn.

​Read all of it here.

And don't forget to check all the assistance that might be available to you in your state here.

Mental Health Tips

I have struggled severely postpartum, worse than ever before. My finances definitely took a hit. Add in moving to another state, the overseas travel that was meant to be for my healing and ended up with us leaving early it was so bad with family drama, increased cost of living etc.

I know many are struggling mentally with the state of things right now, so here are a few articles that might help:
​How to manage your health and wealth when sick​
​7 tips to manage your finances when you have mental health issues​
​Make sure you are getting all you can from Centrelink. It is there as a safety net and support.
Hobbies can help keep your mind off things, give you something to do and connect with others. Here are 10 hobbies that can make and save you money.

On my other site:
​7 things that improved my mental health (written a few years ago)
​11 things we changed in our household to help with autism and ADHD​
​17 changes that helped me get out of a rut​
​How to let go​
​How to ask for help​

Personally, when my health or beauty is not going to plan (beauty being hair cuts, skincare, general things I like as an ex hairdresser and beautician), it can make other things harder to manage. Check out these tips for making and saving money from health and heauty.​

Our Meal Plan

We live in Fremantle, WA now and mostly it has been hot so our meal plan changed a lot. It is pretty much BBQ and salad as that is easy. Or at times I do love pho (Vietnamese soup), rice paper rolls, nourishing hot pots and similar dishes.

I am excited to get back into baking sourdough, attempting to make my own kimchi and other fermented foods so will share when I do.

If you want to save money on groceries, here are some of the things we do:
​20+ tips to save money on groceries​
​A to Z of leftovers: How to reduce food waste, turn leftovers into something new AND use up all the things that would otherwise be scraps.
​Get up to $210 off QuiteLike, my favourite meal kit but I can't use it in WA.

Get HelloFresh, Dinnerly, Marley Spoon and EveryPlate discounts here.
​

What I Am Reading

I picked up a copy of Selfish: How to unlearn the rules that are breaking you by Turia Pitt the other day as I thought it might help with some of the postpartum/motherhood mental health issues I am facing. So far it is interesting and I have wondered if Turia has ADHD...
It is written as her experience rather than a "self-help guide" format. As if you are having a conversation but it still has some practical tips.

As someone who has 5 kids and struggles to prioritise myself, it is an interesting read.
​

Discounts For You!

​45% off your first order with Marley Spoon plus discounts on future boxes.
​33% off your first, 30% off your second and more discounts with Dinnerly
​Up to $200 off YouFoodz​
​$25 a month off with new NBN plans with Tangerine only until March 31.
​$1 for a 30 day trial with The Healthy Mummy​
​Wild Secrets has 15% off for minimum spend of $50 or 20% off for spends over $80.
​More freebies and discounts here.

The Thrifty Issue Community

For more and to connect with others check out The Thrifty Issue Facebook group, Facebook page, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.​