“The success of a marriage depends on whether the wife works or not. If the wife works, the husband has failed.”
No, this isn’t age-old advice from a 1950’s guidebook - it’s my mother’s marriage philosophy in 2019.
Financial Independence is key.
Mum: “I can’t believe you need me to help you pay off the mortgage, what a failure!”
My counter argument: Well if dad passed away, would you be able to pay off the mortgage by yourself if you had no job?
True financial freedom means being able to independently support yourself. Financial reliance on external sources is risky because life is unpredictable. Canna Campbell’s famous quote, “We’re all single, no matter what our relationship status is,” is a powerful reminder that life doesn’t always align with your design – so a backup plan is essential! Relationships may fall apart, your partner could pass away or suffer unexpected financial turmoil. It’s important that we have the knowledge and resources to firmly stand on our own two feet and weather the storm. You don’t need a financial source to support you – you ARE the financial source.
Why are you limited by your salary?
Canna started the $1000 project to dispel the myth that our financial potential is restricted to our salaries. Without using a single dollar from her salary, she built an impressive share portfolio by brainstorming and executing creative ways to make extra cash! The capital growth of the share portfolio has significantly exceeded the $94,000 that she initially invested, but more importantly, it has a growing net passive income of over $5,000 p.a.
In the spirit of Canna’s $1000 project, I encouraged my parents to explore easy side hustles that could generate a few hundred dollars a month! So far, my parents’ favourite income booster has been market research! While market research isn’t going to land you a Forbes Top 100 spot, the cumulative effect can be quite significant. My parents were initially sceptical, especially after their first online quiz ‘only’ paid $5. However, you’ll be surprised at how quickly ‘small pocket change’ adds up. Imagine saving $5 everyday for a month? That amounts to a staggering $155 in total! Payment for market research is on a case by case basis. Some market research firms pay via gift vouchers, while others pay cash. Simple online market research (quizzes, surveys and questionnaires) have paid my parents up to $50 (for one survey!), while they’ve earnt as much as $180/person for in person focus groups.
Here are some recommended market research websites our family trusts:
Ava Research
eCash
Farron Research
Chat4 Cash
Farron Research
After reading Mindful Money – my family discovered we could test out products and services for companies, provide constructive feedback and earn some $$$ in return. So that’s next on our ‘family side hustle’ ventures.
Canna recommends these websites if you’re interested:
Usertesting
Pineconeresearch
Bread and butter
Your Source
What are you bringing to the table?
Mum frequently pesters my dad to upgrade his skills, undertake more hours and seek a higher paying job. This was textbook irony to me, as she’s been in the same job for 10 years – working only 20 hours a week (the equivalent of 4 hours a day). And because her shifts start later in the afternoon, she gets to sleep in until 2pm. Whenever she uses this ‘work harder’ talking point in an argument, I immediately ask her why she doesn’t apply these tips to herself? Her response? This is the best job I can do.
Canna has repeatedly emphasised that a defeatist attitude limits our potential and roots us in a stagnant position. In her recession video – she says the best way to score a promotion or protect yourself from redundancy is to invest in yourself. I told mum there were short courses she could take to enhance her knowledge, refine her skill set and therefore add more value to her company. I remind her that floating aimlessly isn’t ideal if you want to be viewed as indispensable – laser focus is crucial. The key way to get a pay rise is to exceed your key performance indicators and take the initiative to ask for extra projects to prove your dedication.
So did the lessons stick?
Admittedly my mum still has moments where she begrudges my dad for not being a ‘king’ – but there have been improvements. Instead of expecting my dad to be the sole breadwinner, she views him as her partner in manifesting more cash. She rarely says “you need to earn more”, she has shifted the sentiment to “we have a good amount of money, but we could still hustle for some more.” She filters everything through a money-making lens now – as opposed to viewing her salary as the only means to generate funds. From selling plants, renting out portions of our garage, decluttering the house and selling the unwanted items online, to even charging a fee for companies to place advertisements on our family car!
But the biggest breakthrough came when my parents both asked, “Canna’s been talking about money working for her, is that really possible?” That question sparked the beginning of our next adventure: investing in shares to earn enough passive income to cover our expenses! Stay tuned..
Kristina’s first foray into the media world came via cold calling Girlfriend magazine 4 times a day for a month (hey, she was 11!), to ask if she could be the Editor in Chief. Since then, she’s refined her communications approach and undertook an internship with News Corp Australia – where she covered politics, lifestyle and education. When she’s not feverishly writing articles for SugarMamma.TV, you’ll find her working as a communications and marketing officer within the higher education sector, creating content for Beauticate and on the airwaves at 107.3fm. Kristina is currently finishing up her media degree and maintains a Distinction average. In her spare time, she enjoys rolling lint balls off her clothes and braiding her boyfriend’s beard.