This is a long one but I hope it's useful and respond to this email if you have any questions!

It's no secret we travel a lot for family overseas, championships for the kids and have various extras that many cannot afford at this point in time.

I've been a homeless single mother before on Centrelink so understand that level of stress as I had to find money to pay for private speech therapy and things too (we were not eligible for NDIS but my kids needed extra help).

Our extended family are in Vanuatu and while it is an island paradise, the locals do not live the resort life of luxury, they are extremely poor. Hot water, a reliable vehicle and a washing machine were not affordable for them until we were in a position to help.

Now, with 5 kids here, 1 overseas and a niece and a nephew we support there, it can be a lot to juggle.

I want to share how we do that as well as how we afford other things that would be considered luxuries.

Most of this comes from habits I have developed over the years but I have found through recent discussions, they aren't common knowledge for many.

My kids often point out to their friends we can afford to travel because we do not have car loans, bought Toyotas second hand (2006 Corolla and 2011 Hilux)., we have no pets, don't really have takeaway and don't upgrade things in the home much.

We prioritise travel and experiences over things and hate debt. Look at these easy ways to save money for some ideas.

Here is how we afford these extras.

Travel

The main ways we save money with travel are going at cheaper times where possible, using cash back programs such as Shopback when they have upsized travel offers, doing free activities locally, reward programs, collecting points e.g. Velocity and Qantas and lastly, getting paid to do freelance writing or marketing.

Some times when we have travelled, we have not had a main residence so no mortgage/rent to cover while travelling which makes a huge difference. This is the case with our travel from November to January since we are going to the Islands then moving to Fremantle, WA.

Travel to family is usually only the cost of petrol or flights as they want us to stay with them. Although this month I am visiting my grandmother (she is unwell) and decided to get my own accommodation instead of staying at my aunts and uncles.

In Vanuatu, we stay with family as it would be considered extremely rude not to and it's the only time the grandparents see the kids. We go when airfares are cheapest and don't have many expenses as we aren't doing tourist things. Being at the family home, we eat local as well, fresh produce from the garden or little market near us, fish we or family catch etc.

We own a transport company, so have access to vehicles but it was extremely stressful and expensive to get set up. It's only now that it's working! And we own property outright there but leave the income from all of this for the tribe there.

Our travel is not the resort island holiday most think of, even when we travel for championships. It's basic, as local as possible and includes free experiences.

Championships/Sports

In the past 2 years, this has been one of my biggest expenses because both my kids made it to elite levels. One for robotics, another for wrestling then my eldest (robotics) was also selected to go to Spain with Real Madrid.

This life is not one I expected since neither of my older two kids grew up doing specific sports. They did a variety of sports in the locations we were in but we moved and travelled a lot so they weren't heavily committed to anything.

Once we stopped moving around though, they quickly excelled at their chosen interests and suddenly I was faced with some expensive trips. Here are the ways these were funded.

Sponsorship

Look for any grants and sponsorship available to support your team or your child.

My 16 year old received the Youth Award and grant from NSW Commonwealth Games. She has also had other small sponsorships and this is something that will increase when we move to Perth. Western Australia supports their athletes more (at least in wrestling) compared to NSW.
Wrestling Australia is focused on bringing more women into the sport and helping them reach elite levels too so they have covered the costs for some specific events too.

Robotics was eligible for some government funding, the team won a few grants and secured sponsorship from NASA to attend the World Championships as they won a specific competition.

Fundraising

Use GoFundMe, do sausage sizzles, get the community involved and see what other fundraising options you have.

With the Spain trip, the 20 students selected did a sausage sizzle every Saturday for weeks (with a few parents. This was organised by myself and one other parent. We also set up GoFundMe for the event, managed those payments and secured donations for a raffle.

It was a lot of work but reduced the cost for everyone by thousands. Raising money as a team is easier than individual fundraising.

Find ideas for fundraising easily that aren't about asking people for money here.

Family Budget

Our family works together to achieve these goals for example, last year when we went to Thailand for Mele's championship, it was expensive. They know we will cut all expenses back to bare minimum and do what we can to earn more to make these goals happen.

Having a clear goal together means they don't ask for extras and are happy with what we are doing.

Read how to get your family on board with saving money.

Medical Costs

My eldest has autism and needed Invisalign, my second child has ADHD and I have had various health issues. Diagnoses, speech therapy, psychology, treatments for various issues all added up fast.

When I was a single mother with my older two, I went without food at times to afford their therapies and did everything I could to make extra money to get them the help they needed.

As they got older, my business grew and it was easier to afford those expenses plus they didn't need them as often.

Invisalign and other major dental can be done through a dental plan. Some treatments can be bulk billed or have options to reduce the cost.

There are dental programs and more available. Read how to afford medical expenses for tips on this.

Most of our medical expenses have been paid for by me. We were not eligible for the NDIS but there was a payment from Centrelink that isn't income tested that helped a little.

Take some time to do research for your area, see what you are eligible for in the link above and remember, prevention is better than cure, so try to live as healthy as possible.

Other Luxuries

What defines a luxury can vary from household to household.

Here are a few of the general luxuries other Aussies have asked me about:

Skincare, Haircare and Beauty

I am an ex-hairdresser and beautician so I do all our hair and beauty. My kids have typical curly, Polynesian hair, I have fine, blonde hair and Justin has an afro so tight curls.

I make my own body scrub, prefer green tea and rice flour for my face scrub and we love coconut oil for multiple things. Read 7 tips for beauty on a budget and how to make and save on health and beauty for my specifics.

Essentially, I DIY my hair, facials, manicures, pedicures, body scrubs, all of it. I have won competitions to have special treatments in salons and for my birthday I was gifted a pregnancy package (my birthday is on Insta here).

A few key items that save us money:

Scissors and clippers to cut hair.
Bowl and brush for colouring hair.
Bonnets (we all have them and have for years, along with silk pillowcases)
Coconut oil

Healthy Food

The cost of salmon and other fish, fresh produce and "healthy" food can seem high but the cost of ill health is higher. For us, eating healthy keeps us fuller for longer and enables us to enjoy life more as well as be healthy.

We often spend time at the beach which includes fishing. We shop at farmers markets and compare prices.

Once we move, we will make more of our own such as kimchi, sourdough bread, specific seasoning etc. I used to do this but as we were meant to move at the start of July until it was postponed last minute until the end of the year.

You can eat healthier by rotating the meal kit discounts here and checking out my grocery tips here.

Takeaway/Junk Food

My kids let me know we are an "ingredient household" as in, no snacks.

I'll make breakfast muffins, popcorn, pancakes or similar for their school lunches. We cook eggs, have smoothies, veggies and dip etc instead of packaged options.

Look at the price per kilo of chips, chocolate, packaged goods and compare it to healthy food such as fruits, vegetables, eggs etc. When you look at the per kilo cost, those packaged treats are expensive.

Shopback often has special deals on pizza with up to 100% cashback! This is the best time to get a treat.

Where we live we don't particularly like most of the options for takeaway or eating out so it's been easier to save. We'd rather not have takeaway and instead save for a special experience meal instead.

Buying Quality the First Time

Being able to afford the better quality item is a luxury and I don't mean luxury brands. Simply being able to afford high quality shoes or mattresses or similar makes a difference. They last longer so while it might cost more upfront, it will cost less in the long run.

I explain it in why pay more/choosing luxury can be worth it (plus some items I pay more for upfront). Essentially, if a $50 pair of shoes has to be replaced every year but your $150 shoes last 5 years, the $150 ones work out cheaper. Having that $150 upfront can be a luxury though and not doable for everyone.

Choose the items you use or replace a lot because you are buying the cheapest option. How can you save so you can buy the better quality one next time? Then go through everything and aim to start replacing things with the higher quality version where possible.

You don't need to do it all at once.

I started with shoes and mattresses because they impact your body. Poor shoes can cause issues with your feet and spine. An uncomfortable mattress causes sleep issues which has a huge flow on effect regarding health, cognitive ability, performance etc.

Clothing is another thing I prefer certain brands but I typically get them second hand or with free gift cards. I talk about it all here.

Things to Note

I know my lifestyle is different to most and our income is now different but even as a single mother, I travelled with my kids for free and did incredible experiences. I prioritised our health, the therapies they needed and eating healthy food etc.

In Australia, we rent but at times over the years, we've been nomadic so camped, housesat and had accommodation which was cheaper than rent or a mortgage. Sometimes we rented and in Fremantle, WA we will buy (once we have settled and looked around, so we will rent at first).

We own real estate outright in Vanuatu as it was inherited years ago but that comes with expectations. Not having a mortgage but having real estate as a fallback option helps. I think mentally I am relieved because I know if everything went bad, we can go there and regroup which is a huge privilege.

Income has varied over the years from being a single mum on Centrelink to a CEO to freelance, off work due to health, losing 70% of my income at the start of 2020 etc. Most of my kids life, it was my income we relied on, not two incomes.

Travel and opportunities for my kids has always been a priority so it was always something I budgeted for.

As my older two kids learnt more, they helped with reselling, some of the website work and other things. They get paid by me and didn't have to pay for their extras but it did enable me to increase my income for their specific needs.

Involving them means they have various ways they make money, they know how to budget and work luxuries into their budget.

Our Meal Plan

Normally we'd rotate meal kit discounts but as we are travelling a lot, have various celebrations such as an 18th, graduation etc and are moving, our meals have changed.

Breakfasts are pancakes, eggs, smoothies, breakfast muffins etc.
Lunch is leftovers or salads, sandwiches, pasta and similar.
Dinners this week are:
Bang Bang Chicken
Beef Stew
Salmon and veggies (we caught the salmon)
Fried Rice
Vegetable Loaded Dhal
Crab Bisque (my eldest went crabbing)

What I Am Reading

Improving your finances is how you'll be able to afford more of what you want. Changing your mindset, healing your traumas and being open to opportunities is how you do it.

The finance books that changed my life can be found on my other site here.

You can also find my eBooks here, including:
How to Make Over $10,000 a Month Reselling
99 Side Hustles for Aussies
26 Ingredients (frugal cookbook)
The Ultimate Guide to Make and Save Money at Home
How to Survive on Centrelink
The Secret Guide to Household Savings

and more priced $4.95 to $14.95