Inspire It.

What is “Sunshine Cash”?

The whole concept of “Sunshine Cash” is the total opposite to “Saving for a Rainy Day”

It is, of course, important to save an emergency fund for unforeseen events, but (in my opinion) to have money in the bank for money’s sake is just not necessary.

In no way would I EVER advocate spending more than you have, but cash is there to be spent. ALWAYS pay your bills first, then allow funds for savings and general “adulting” then allow some “Sunshine Cash” for just having fun.

My Story..

I have been on this planet for 50 something years now and have learnt a lot in that time ( as we have all) Some of the lessons I have taken to heart and have created a happy content life that is MY version of pretty damn good 😊 All while NOT “keeping up with the Jones’ (or the Kardashians)

I vividly remember as a child, the excitement of the big Saturday paper.  Mum would read the lifestyle, cooking and fashion liftouts, Dad would have the news and sport, my brother would race for the comics and I just LOVED the ad catalogues.

The  JOY of browsing each page and tenderly touching images of items that seemed only for the “rich”.  With my hands on an image, I could close my eyes and imagine exactly what it would be like to have that thing. The way I felt, the touch,  the sounds, the smell.  Ahhh bliss!!

Little did I know that I was manifesting my ideal life even as a youngster.  I always knew what my ideal life looked like.

My life is not “frugal” in the traditional sense of some ( I do not scrimp on every penny) Instead, I know what my ideal life looks and feels like and actively work toward that goal everyday.

Over the years I have been told MANY times how “Lucky” I am and my answer has always been “I worked bloody hard to be this lucky” The truth is though… I am LAZY 😊 I actually don’t like to work too hard, but I do work hard for my money and I expect my money to work hard for me.

My version of self-employment

This week I made the decision to close one of my businesses that was, quite frankly, just not performing.

It is hard to explain people who are not, or have not been in business very long, how freeing letting business related things go can be.

I have been seriously self-employed since November 1995.    I say “seriously” because there were lots of “side hustles” in the lead up to the purchase of my first bricks and mortar store and the determination that I was never going to work for a boss again.

That first business was a Kodak Express One-Hour Photo shop.  For the 15 odd years prior to that point I had worked in One-Hour Photo shops, so I did know what I was doing ?   I had been a manager for at least 8 or 9 of those years.  I made a pact to my family that, as I did not ever need to bring work home with me when I was a manage, I could see no reason why I would have to bring work home now.

I stuck to that pact and right up until VERY recently have not even had a “work” computer at home.  iPads with just my person email address is just fine.  Work can stay at work.

It is all about boundaries.

The other pact I made to myself was that my wage must at all times be at least that of the job… For me that meant that the shop MUST be able to pay me as the manager of a photo shop.  If it could not do that, why was I doing it?  I may as well get a job.

As a couple, we decided that my husband would go out on his own and became self employed in 1999.  Same rules applied. No silly hours, and same pay as the “job” required.

One business decision we do in all our businesses is to have a really close look at the profit and loss numbers at the beginning of both the financial year and the calendar year (So July and January) to determine what needs to change. We look at what has done well and how can we improve on that but also what has done poorly.  We look at products, services, staff, clients,  time we are spending in the businesses and profit margins as well as actual dollar profits.

Over the years we have seen many a product or service be introduced only to realise that it was a drain on resources and be let go in 6-12 months. Sometimes they have not been as profitable as we planned.  Sometimes it might be a good dollar earner, but took too much staff time to create.  We have tweaked staffing levels to be fairer for all concerned. We have “sacked” clients that are less than ideal. Those one’s that we might need to be constantly chasing for payment, or one’s that are just a general pain in the rear.

Working my way out of a job

My lifestyle plan began a number of years ago and involved trying work out a way to replace 1-2 hours of work consistently over a 4-6 month period. The idea was that in the beginning I did 40 hours a week work, then 38 then 36 then 34 etc etc over time.  The money needed to stay the same.

This has worked pretty well and I now work about 15 hours a week

I am not at the point of being able to “sit on a beach with a laptop” type lifestyle, but I am creating businesses that do not need the owner in them all the time.  This makes for attractive businesses when it comes time to sell.

The Question of Money

This is a very personal issue.  How much YOU want to make to live your lifestyle will most likely be totally different to what I want.

Most people VASTLY over estimate the amount of money they actually need o create their perfect life.

My advice is to always start with a “Be-Do-Have” Perfect Day exercise and when you have completed it, price that day out.

Now, remember, in your ideal day, you might have that you are going to a café by the beach for breakfast…but do you REALLY want to do that EVERYDAY??

Unless your ideal day included a far bit of workout time, those café breakfasts are going to be pretty detrimental to your health eventually ?

As a good guide though, start with the salary you have and think what would it look like if you had that same salary but only worked  ½– ¼ of the hours

Where to now?

If you are working fulltime and trying to become self-employed, but can’t afford to buy a business or try to create a product or service that can replace a few hours work.  Once you can do that, it might be possible to reduce your hours at work.  Keep going until you replace all your hours

Have FUN!!

Business can be hard, there is no denying it, but you do have to be doing something you enjoy.  If you wake up in the morning and dread the day ahead, you may as well go back to a job and take advantage of the benefits that this might bring – sick pay, holidays, superannuation etc

I can honestly say that I do love being the master of my own destiny. If mistakes are made, I know they are mine and mine alone.  Conversely,  the rewards are welcomed with pride that I created them.

There is somewhat of a backlash to girls and women wanting to be a “princess”.  After all, in this modern world can’t us women be so much more than a figment of prettiness that relies on a saviour in the form of a man?

Well…DUH!!   Of course ?     I do not aspire to be a Disney Princess nor an actual Royal Princess -that appears like faaaaaar to much work.

What I DO aspire to is the perfect life that most little girls are led to believe that a Princess has.

Waking up in a huge fluffy soft bed ( where even so much as a small pea creates discomfort) surrounded by woodland creatures and twittering birds.

The sun is shining as she slips into a lovely outfit and partakes of high tea in luxurious surroundings.  If there is any light work to be done, it is met with a merry song and is never a drudgery.

Her prince is dashingly handsome and treats her with the love and adoration that befits her – and she reciprocates. TOGETHER they live happily ever after.

I guess it is not so much the idea of being a princess as such but rather  it is the idea of being  the heroine of your own story, whatever that looks like.

I ask you WHAT IS SO WRONG WITH THAT!!!

So… Use the good china, Wear the jewellery, Bathe with the nice soap.  Who is more important to use it for than YOU!

What is your relationship with money?

Do you have a feeling of dread that there is never enough? or do you rejoice and welcome the possibilities that every dollar can provide?

I am sure you have guessed by now, that I love my money, I welcome it and treat it nicely like I would a trusted friend.

By making money welcome, more will be attracted to you and there will always be enough.  Sure, I would like more sometimes, but I very rarely say “I can’t afford that”  rather I say “What do I have to do to afford that”

The act of purchasing anything is always a choice. Even the simple act of buying bread can range from the budget $1.00 supermarket offering up to high end $10 a loaf artisan bread.  While I may not buy the artisan bread every day, it is sometimes bought on the weekend as a treat.  That artisan sourdough loaf together with slices of good ham and a couple of poached eggs still equates to a far smaller outlay than hubby and I going to a cafe for breakfast.

So how do I do it?

In our personal life, we have been “living on the pension” for a few years now. (you can read about it here)

It is due to this spending plan that we have been able to pay down a huge amount off our debt and will be debt-free (with a luxury car) well before retirement age, which is still over 10 years away for us.

To welcome my money like a friend, I have devised a method of preparation like one might do if they knew a friend was coming to visit and stay a while.

Step 1:  Set aside some time to prepare the visit.
Make a time (I do it monthly) to have a look at balances and spending.

Having an in-depth understanding of exactly what comes in and what goes out each month is VITAL to creating a great relationship with your money.

(As a starting point, try using your debit or credit card for EVERY purchase for a few weeks, I know that sounds against what every “guru” says, but seriously who has the time or inclination to track every cent in a book or app for more than a few hours?   Having purchased on a card means you can go back and examine the transaction list and allocate where each dollar has gone.)

Once you have an understanding of your spending habits, you can organise a spending plan to accommodate the lifestyle you wish to have.  Note that I called it a Spending Plan NOT a Budget.  Budget is a word like Diet in that it has a negative connotation and feeling of lack for many people.  So have a Spending Plan and a Healthy Eating plan

Your money will not be a burden if it knows exactly where it is meant to go and what its purpose is.

Step 2:   Welcome Money
When you do see money arrive, welcome it with open arms ( or wallet 🙂  ) Don’t dwell on thoughts that it is not enough.  Would you open the door to a friend and greet them with  “Oh, It is only you, I was hoping for more”?

Step 3: Treat money nicely.
Literally, have a nice purse or wallet to keep money in. It will make you feel abundant every time you remove it from your handbag.  Keep your purse tidy, clear out those scraps of paper, old receipts and rubbish. This shows money that it is important and has a clear space to live.  Look after bank accounts too, have your emergency money in a higher interest account that means it is working as hard as you are.

These simple things will change your mindset around money and ultimately you will attract more 🙂