Hey lovely,
It's Lata Hamilton,
Change Leadership and Confidence expert and I wanted to share my before and after for using money as a transformational tool.
I've always loved money.
When I was a kid I used to collect money boxes also known as piggy banks and I had them in all different shapes and sizes.
A classic sterling silver cube with alphabet letters,
A colourful clown,
A ceramic duck.
I got pocket money every week and I was a terrific saver.
So much so that my older siblings would prey upon my naivety and convince me to swap the little boring brown $2 coins that I had for their big shiny sparkling 50 cent coins.
I actually only found this out recently that they did this,
Those rats.
So I've always had money but when I started in my career I just didn't necessarily earn that much and lived a very different life to the one that I live now.
The real difference came when I tripled my salary in the space of three years to almost $200,
000 after making the career change to change management.
Here are some of the biggest things that have transformed in my life because of the extra income from my career change.
Number one,
My home.
When I first started in my career I lived at home and I didn't feel at all grown up or adult.
After moving back to Sydney from a graduate rotation in Perth I needed to find an apartment and I moved into a ground-floor dim but clean unit in Ultimo near the Sydney city centre.
I shared with a uni student for the first year then a friend of a friend the second year.
Our place got broken into one night,
All of our valuables got stolen and I vowed never to live in a ground-floor apartment again.
Afterwards I hung out at my folks house and my sister's house for a few months while I was waiting for my off-the-plan property to be finished and moved into the tiny one-bedroom apartment in Parramatta in Sydney's West.
My boyfriend came to live with me and we lived there for three years together in this small one-bedroom apartment and my income increased dramatically over that time and we were finally and thankfully able to move to a luxurious two-bedroom two-bathroom in the Sydney CBD.
Our city apartment has a massive garden terrace,
Two car spaces and open plan living so it feels like we're in a house in the heart of the city.
The building has incredible facilities,
A swimming pool,
Spa,
Sauna,
Gym and library but the best part we don't live on the ground floor and it's a secure access building with a 24-7 concierge.
Feeling safe and secure is priceless as was the extra space during COVID.
Number two,
My food.
Another big thing that changed when I had more disposable income was the quality of the food that I was eating.
I was always a big foodie and enjoyed eating out at restaurants and cafes but early on in my career when I had a much lower salary I would buy the cheapest of everything at the grocery store.
The only thing I'd splash out on was free-range eggs and chicken.
Everything else,
Budget.
I made big batches of stocky meals and froze them in portions in the freezer both for convenience and for cost.
Since earning a higher income though we make just a few bulk meals and the rest of the time we eat high quality or organic ingredients.
We shop at high quality fresh fruit grocers or the in-season stock at the local farmer's market.
We choose grass-fed beef and free-range pork to avoid hormones and chemicals.
We opt for higher quality sauces and organic canned goods to preserve to avoid preservatives and additives and splash out on gourmet items here and there choosing flavor and quality over price.
I think this shift has really been about prioritizing both our health and longevity but also our enjoyment of what we're eating.
Number three,
My travel.
I've always been happy to spend my savings on international travel and as an Aussie any overseas trip is sure to cost a lot.
I went overseas for the first time at 16 and remember backpacking with my sister through the bitter cold of Berlin in early January before gratefully thawing out for six days in Rome.
We stayed in hostels and saved our money for tourist site entry and local delicacies.
My next trip was at 23 and I wasn't yet working in my corporate career.
I stayed with my sister in Austria,
Did Contiki in Italy,
Did a few days in Paris in a hostel and then spent a month in England staying with family friends the first two weeks with day trips across London and surrounding towns before trekking across the countryside in hostels and B&Bs.
Without a car I was stranded several times on country roads in tiny villages or in the rain and I didn't have the money or the means to change accommodation or pay extra at any places.
I did a few more trips to Japan and California but it was a few years into my change management career when I really found a style of travel that I enjoyed.
Spending a month in an Airbnb,
Hiring my own car and exploring a region in depth.
I've done this twice now in Provence in southern France and in Tuscany in northern Italy and I really enjoyed the ability to make a home base,
Have the freedom and ease of a car,
Cook my own meals when at my Airbnb,
Eat out at incredible Michelin-starred restaurants and local institutions,
Know a region really well and do cooking classes in the local cuisine.
I tack a couple more weeks on for other places and countries which I'm able to do because of the flexible nature of contract and consulting work and if there's something that I'm not enjoying or I'm not feeling a spot I carve a different experience for myself because I have the money to do so.
And lastly number four my outlook.
My outlook has really changed about money.
I'm not stressed or scared anymore.
I feel positive,
Calm and content.
Money doesn't buy you happiness but it does provide a sense of security and allows you to have more choice to invest in the things that you really want and that make you happy.
I realise I care more about experiences than possessions,
That I favour convenience and ease over DIY and making do and that I am worthy of success and abundance.
Money doesn't change who you are but it can transform your lifestyle.
I'm still the same me,
I just live a more luxurious,
Joyful and relaxing life.
So how has money transformed your life?
Pop a comment below and let me know.
