This Girl Talks Money

You guessed it 🐾 Our pet pooches and cute kitties might be real Christmas crackers, but they’re costing us a lot, and maybe Yule regret it later 😜 In spite of the cost of living crisis, in 2022 we spent £873m on presents for our pets, with 82% of pet owners spending up to £50 on extra presents and treats for their furry friends. In America, the trend for ‘barkdays’ (dog birthdays) is on the rise, with half of dog owners admitting to celebrating their dogs’ birthdays. And of course, who doesn’t celebrate ‘gotcha day’ with their pup? So tell me… are you treating your pooch to any special treatment this festive season, or have we all gone barking mad? 🐶 #barkday #barkdaypawty #gotchaday #thisgirltalksmoney #barkingmad #moneytalks

It’s not unusual to have a complex relationship with money, so I’m here to bring you some must-reads to help you with a mindset shift: Think Like A Breadwinner by @jbarrettnyc The Psychology of Money by @morganhousel Open Up by @alexandreholder Money Talks by me! Add these to your reading list, and pre-order my book Money Talks at the link in bio ✨ Let me know any other books in this genre I should be adding to my bookshelf ⬇️ #moneytalks #thisgirltalksmoney #moneyrelationship

💸 BARE MONEY 💸 Our career paths impact so many aspects of our adult lives so each week, I’m speaking to a lovely person about their career journey, spending insights & their words of wisdom for their future selves. This week, I speak to a comms and social media marketer from Portsmouth earning £31,000. I’d love to know - how do you strike the balance between spending and saving? PS. If you want to write your own Bare Money, message me! #baremoney #thisgirltalksmoney #moneytalks

Let’s talk about the cost of being single👇 There are so many perks to being single, from being focused fully on yourself to starfishing in bed every night… But the downside is that there’s a real financial cost to being single. Especially when it comes to major expenses, being in a healthy relationship can have a big impact on your outgoings 💴 Being in a couple can make you some serious savings. Think… ✈️ Splitting the cost of holidays 💼 Having the financial support to quit a toxic job and start a new career 🏠 Shared rent and bills 🥘 The economies of scale you get from food shopping for more than one person It’s important to add that no matter the financial savings, it’s never worthwhile staying in an unhealthy relationship for money ❌ I want to know, where have you noticed the cost of being single vs in a relationship? ⬇️

You don’t need to have your life sorted by the time you hit 30…👇 Did you know the average life expectancy for women in the UK is 82.6 years. That’s a long time to earn money, build a career & afford your dream holiday 💸 If you haven’t… Got your perfect job yet Bought your first home yet Made a long-term career plan yet… DON’T PANIC! The best thing you can do whatever age you’re at is saving what you can to build long-term wealth for that lovely long life you’re gonna live 🌅 & then enjoying your twenties and thirties along with every smashed avo on toast that goes with them 😉 #thisgirltalksmoney #moneytalks #thirtysomething #buildwealth #wealthbuildinghacks

💸 BARE MONEY 💸 Our career paths impact so many aspects of our adult lives so each week, I’m speaking to a lovely person about their career journey, spending insights & their words of wisdom for their future selves. This week, I speak to a self-employed HR Consultant in Hertfordshire, turning over £35,000. I’d love to know - does the concept of building something and being consistent through the silence resonate with you? PS. If you want to write your own Bare Money, message me! #baremoney #thisgirltalksmoney #moneytalks

Women earn less, work less and save less for retirement when they become parents ⬇️ AD As a result of deep-rooted structural inequalities, according to the Scottish Widows 2023 Women & Retirement Report. As it stands, the average woman is on track to receive £7k a year less income in retirement than the average man after housing expenses, highlighting the scale of the gender pension gap. And single mothers are hit the hardest, with 75% facing a struggle to afford basics like food and heating when they retire. That’s why it’s more important than ever to pay attention to your pension now & push for change to support women & mothers ✨ To read the full report & the recommendations from the Women & Retirement Report, head to @scottishwidows website now. #WomenAndRetirement #ItPaysToKnow #ScottishWidows

It’s simple… 👇 Are you buying because you need it, or has aggressive marketing convinced you that you do? It’s so easy to think you have to take part and shop on Black Friday, so here’s your reminder: you absolutely don’t have to buy a thing. & if you do have items on your shopping list? Here are my top tips… 1️⃣ Check the discounts from big name brands before you buy 👀research by @whichuk showed that 86% of big brand items were on sale at the same price or cheaper in the six months leading up to Black Friday. 2️⃣ Save the item you’re looking at & come back in 48 hours (while the BFCM discounts are still active). The urge to buy is linked to emotion, & taking a time out can help you think more rationally about whether you need something or not. 3️⃣ Support small brands offering true discounts - often at great cost to them. If they lose valuable margin trying to compete with the big names, then giving them a larger volume of orders is at least one good way to make sure they benefit. Drop your favourite small businesses to support in the comments 🤍 #thisgirltalksmoney #bfcm #bfcm2023 #blackfridaydeals

This is what I’d tell my younger self 👇🏽 ➡️ Starting small is better than not starting at all If you think it’s not worth it to start saving and investing in your twenties or that you can always start later - think again. It’s easy to push retirement out of your mind and think it’s so far away. Yet the thing is that any small amounts you can save now for the long-term will start compounding & building that wealth for later down the line. Where you can, aside from your usual savings pot for holidays or treat purchases, factor a small amount to be put into your savings and investments - money that you can leave there and forget about - which is the best way for it to grow over a long-term period. Tell me, are you setting aside money for your future? #moneytalks #thisgirltalksmoney #richgirl #investisbest

You need to listen to these now ✨ These are my top podcasts to add to your playlist to help you become an entrepreneur queen 👑 If you’re looking to hear real stories on business growth and entrepreneur life these are my top listens ⬇️ @alice_benham Starting The Conversation @wilder.ones Women’s Business @gracebeverley Working Hard, Hardly Working @hollytucker Conversations of Inspiration @guy.raz How I Built This Save this post & share your favourite business podcast below 📊 I’m always on the lookout for new ones! #podcastrecs #businesspodcasts #whatimlisteningto #moneytalks

💸 BARE MONEY 💸 Our career paths impact so many aspects of our adult lives so each week, I’m speaking to a lovely person about their career journey, spending insights & their words of wisdom for their future selves. This week, I speak to a Strategy Implementation Manager in the Midlands, earning £75,000. I’d love to know - has pay harmonisation happened at your work and have you benefitted? PS. If you want to write your own Bare Money, message me! #baremoney #thisgirltalksmoney #moneytalks

Six weeks into motherhood & I spent the day at work 💸 Yesterday I sat on a panel at a brilliant industry event discussing the important topic of women & retirement. & the funny thing is that I felt conflicted talking openly about it. I had so many thoughts running through my mind… 💭 Am I glorifying working soon after having a baby? Will people think I put my career above my son? Am I setting unrealistic expectations for others - and myself? But I want to practice the transparency that I preach, so here are the things that help me to do the work I love with a six week old: 📌 Shared parental leave. My husband is my number one supporter & as soon as baby talks started, we looked at his parental leave policy to work out how we could navigate parenting & keep my business running successfully. 📌Being my own boss. It’s a blessing and a curse. When I was hospitalised, I looked enviously at the other women on sick leave. Yet the flip side is that I love my job. Lots of women get months off work only to go back to a job they dislike. I’ve carved out a career where I can work when & where I want. 📌Quick recovery post birth. I’ve been fortunate to feel good physically within a few weeks of having my baby. Women shouldn’t have to do it all, but I truly believe that women should have the support & ability be able to do all the things we want to do ✨

Yes, you guessed it 👇🏽 The motherhood penalty. A new report by @fawcettsociety shows that the motherhood pay penalty is the leading cause of the gender pay gap. Want some cold hard stats? Mothers with two children take home 26% less than child-free women. Men with two children or more take home 22% *more* than those without 🤯 So let’s talk changing the story… What societal & workplace changes do you need to see to help close the gaps? #motherhoodpenalty #fatherhoodwagepremium #genderpaygap #genderequality #genderpayequality #thisgirltalksmoney #moneytalks

Books you NEED that will change your financial future for good 💸 & of course, one of them happens to be Money Talks! These are my must-read finance books if you’re ready to build a better financial future & take charge of your money! ~ Five Steps to Financial Wellbeing @myfrugalyear ~ You’re not broke, you’re pre-rich @vestpod ~ We need to talk about money @oteghauwagba ~ Girls just wanna have funds @femaleinvest PS you can pre-order Money Talks via the link in bio & get it delivered to your doorstep on publication day! Save this post & share your favourite financial education books that I might have missed below 💰