| Here’s my story – of how I moved on after divorce.
I write this in the hope that it can help and also inspire other women who are starting again. I was married for 6 years and then left; with my daughter, who at the time was 18 months old. After I left, we moved in with my parents, both myself and my daughter……and our puppy. At this point in time I was working just 2 days a week, getting a small amount in child support, as well as a small government income. I knew that if I wanted to give us a better life, I had to make the sacrifice and go back to working full-time. We stayed with my folks for nearly 2 years and I saved really hard to allow us to buy a block of land and build a new home. One of the first things I did was a new budget, down to the cent – so that I knew I could afford my new home loan repayments. It was super tight at the time, and honestly I was a bit worried about how I would be able to afford it. I went without buying new clothes, or spending much money on anything – putting everything I could into savings. This, from a woman who used to not bat an eyelid about spending $300 on a pair of shoes! I kept my eye on the prize, so to speak, and focussed all my attention and energy on the future, not the past. I set goals for myself and never wavered from them. Taking consistent action to ensure I achieved them. Fast forward a few years, we were in our home, I was working full-time and thankfully, my income had increased to a point where I was able to purchase an investment property. And then a few years later another one. My husband and I had a few properties, all of which had to be sold when we divorced – so I was eager to start investing in property again. I then approached a mortgage broker in regards to some lending and in the process, ended up with a new job – in fact a whole new career! It was a massive leap of faith but I felt it was the right thing to do – I had a burning desire to help women invest in property and becoming a broker felt like a logical step to do this. I again had to ensure I was super strict with my budget as my salary reduced by ⅔. Luckily I had invested in property and that allowed me to use some equity that I could use to cover the shortfall in my income for the next 2 years – I had to use every cent! I continued to work my butt off and 5 years later I took over the mortgage broking business. The following year I launched my Money Coaching business – to help other women with their money. I’m still a single mum and now juggle the 2 businesses, motherhood, our fur babies, as well as my small property portfolio. I also still keep to a tight budget – allocating every dollar I earn, including savings for overseas holidays. For me, budgeting isn’t about lack, or having no money – it’s about giving every dollar I earn a job. About The Contributor: Kaia is a single mum to a teenage daughter. She is also a business owner, Money Coach and property investor and you can follow her below: Website: http://www.kaiahunter.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaiahunter.moneycoach Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaia_hunter/ |
