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Put your hand up if you want to fast-track to the day when you can choose whether to go to work or not? Okay. Hands down. Most folks — probably early morning on a Monday when the alarm goes off — have thought it’d be nice to have the option to roll back over… or simply get out of bed and have the whole day to do whatever you want, without worrying about where the money’s going to come from.

So that’s why today’s guest is gamifying the race to retirement — that is: she’s turning money management into a game… a fun competition where her and her partner are trying to beat how much surplus they can trap… and how fast they can race to retirement!

BUT, as all “real life” stories go, this one’s a bit more layered than that. In fact, it’s WAY more layered….

Because, for one thing, Athena Anca — the FINAL “everyday investor” who has put their knowledge into action and is tying up our 2019-2018 Summer Series — wasn’t always like this.

What’s most interesting is Athena actually used to SELL House & Land Packages! … And she and her partner Jason BOUGHT one as their first property!! Sure, now they’re investing in granny flats and planning for their dream home with a garage full of super cars, BUT…….

Guess what??? This actually is isn’t the first time Athena’s been on The Property Couch! If you circle back to mid-last year (Episode 236), Bryce actually read out an Instagram message from Athena….

“Our first property decision was a setback in disguise. In 2016 we bought a house and land package based on first home buyer incentives that weren’t in line with our goals. Cue Bryce and Ben….
One episode at a time we learnt the difference between Investment Stock and Investment Grade, became my familiar with the lending landscape and finally channeled our discipline into managing money rather than it managing us. I only mind a little bit that our friends think we’re tight-arses! We became borderless investors and this year added our third property to our portfolio…”
– Athena on Instagram, Read out in Episode 236

Free Resources Mentioned:

• FREE BOOK!— Make Money Simple Again
• Episode 135 | Andrew Bogut – Why is this NBA Superstar Still Adamant on Investing in Property?
• Episode 261 | How to Hack Your Habits to Make You a Better Money Manager – Chat with James Clear
• Episode 236 | Revealed: Why Off The Plan Properties Almost Derailed a Property Portfolio

Episode Breakdown

01:53 – The Money Backstory!
07:20 – How did Athena manage her money before she met Jason?
14:50 – The “tight-arse” money moments!
16:28 – Why invest in property?
16:58 – Gamifying the race to retirement…
18:28 – How had they set up their lending?
19:53 – Why didn’t they buy a house and land package again?
21:42 – Investing for Yield: Is a Granny Flat a Good Strategy?
23:10 – The “Super Car” story!
23:51 – What was it like selling House and Land Properties??
25:18 – The House and Land Sales Spiel…
30:21 – How much are the granny flats? How many beds, etc?
31:25 – … and the rent return for the granny flat?
32:37 – Pros and Cons of Granny Flats
33:15 – The Plan
35:20 – Athena’s advice for YOU….
35:44 – The Mindset Tips: How to overcome analysis paralysis
40:52 – Are they still tracking ever single dollar with Money SMARTS?
41:11 – What do they do differently with their 7 day float?
41:38 – How far ahead are they on their money target?

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When James McLellan was a kid, money was an issue. To the point that it ultimately resulted in his parents’ separation.

You see, today’s guest grew up in a small country town of about 1,200 people — and ever since he can remember, money was a stressor. To make matters worse, his mum tried her hand at investing, choosing to self-manage her property, which unfortunately was tenanted by folks who had money problems of their own. The result? Even more pressure on the family finances. So not only was money tough, but also James was left believing that property investing was something to fear…

But wanting to overcome his money back story, James made it his mission to work hard — committing to his first job at just 13 years old where he cleaned out the diesel pits at a mechanic for $5 an hour every Saturday morning.

And even though he was scared of investing, he knew that if he wanted to move the dial on his own wealth, he’d have to take the plunge. So he kept working worked hard, and at 22, while still at uni, he saved enough for his first property…. A 2 bedroom unit in Albury-Wodonga for $170,000…

And now? Well, as well as having THREE properties to his name and overcoming his fear of property investing, as you’re about to hear, he’s walking proof that just because you come from a background where money was tough… it doesn’t mean you’re stuck for life! And James was able to show once and for all that this can be accomplished…  even at 29 years old!

Free Resources:

• FREE BOOK! (the Money SMARTS “manual”)— Make Money Simple Again
• FREE TPC MyWealth Portal (the system that implements Money SMARTS for you) — http://thepropertycouch.com.au/financialpeace
• Episode 258 | WARNING: The Unconscious Mental Triggers Property Spruikers Use To Trick You: https://thepropertycouch.com.au/ep258-property-spruikers/
• Peter Koulizos podcasts: https://thepropertycouch.com.au/guest/peter-koulizos/
• Learn from the REAL Property Investment Experts (new online course): https://www.start.thepropertycouch.com.au/look-find-buy
• Jame’s website: http://peaksurveydevelopments.com.au/

Episode Breakdown:

01:50 – Why was money an issue growing up?
03:35 – Lessons learnt from self-managing an investment property
04:05 – How much is his 1^st property?
06:20 – Does James value money differently considering his backstory?
08:15 – An insider’s view of attending a Spruiker seminar!
10:26 – Why do you need to be careful of “instant equity”?
11:15 – How did James avoid the Spruiker’s sale pitch?
14:59 – The 2^nd  property
16:23 – Is it worthwhile using a Buyers Agent?
18:15 – Why did James find a strategic investment Plan useful?
20:28 – When did he get this Plan & where is he at now?
25:30 – When money was tough…
26:56 – How do you plan for kids and a passive income?
30:15 – What’s the best tip he learnt from The Property Couch?
32:29 – James’s personal advice for listeners
33:38 – How to Spot a Property Spruiker
36:15 – 5 top things James wants property investors to know now

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“I needed to set something up so it’s essentially on autopilot and I’m protected from myself.”

Brendan Gale and his partner Marrissa have an unusual way of running our Money SMARTS system that we think is pretty cool. At first, this unorthodox twist made us go “Woah, what?!” and we kinda struggled to wrap our heads around it (we’re old school, folks)! But as you’re about to hear…. this surprise twist to the Money SMARTS system STILL works… and they’re trapping more surplus than ever before (just like they would if they were running it our ol’ simple way.)

Even better? Since running their “version” of Money SMARTS, they were able to….

1. Afford their dream wedding in the Greek Islands (yep! Not a cheap affair folks — and there’s a bit of story about an unexpected cost that came up here, eek!)
2. Invest in property
3. And still have their own cash to spend!!

And the craziest thing is of all?? Before all this… Brendan was living paycheck-to-paycheck!

So if you want to hear from someone who has been running Money SMARTS for some time now… and you’re curious to hear about the spin they’ve put on it, which might actually work for you… then hit play on another great ep from our Summer Series 😉

Pssst…. yes, they’ve got the same name… but today’s guest is NOT the Richmond Football Club President, ha!

Free Resources:

• FREE BOOK! (the Money SMARTS “manual”)— Make Money Simple Again
• FREE TPC MyWealth Portal (the system that implements Money SMARTS for you) — http://thepropertycouch.com.au/financialpeace

Episode Breakdown:

• 02:54 – Life before Money SMARTS!
• 05:15 – Why property over investing in shares?
• 08:50 – Why does the 7 Day Float make it so simple to trap surplus?
• 11:22 – How much of a deposit was needed for the First Investment Property?
• 11:23 – And what was the LVR on it?
• 13:30 – Why was going ‘wider’ a better investment strategy?
• 15:37 – The TWIST!
• 17:04 – The Pros and Cons of having separate money from your partner?
• 19:10 – Why does Brendan and his wife WANT separate money? (it’s probably not what you think!)
• 21:33 – Why are they both using Money SMARTS then?
• 24:40 – How did they save for their dream wedding on The Greek Islands?
• 27:25 – The “ouch” hidden cost — how much was the VAT tax?
• 29:25 – Why model out your property investment strategy?
• 33:57 – Brendan’s money, property and plain ol’ life advice for YOU…

Keen to Get Started with Money SMARTS like Brendan?

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Acted on your knowledge learnt on The Property Couch just like Brendan has? Let us know here!

P.S. Haven’t got your FREE PHYSICAL COPY of The Armchair Guide to Property Investing yet?? Get it here (just pay shipping + handling)

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“Your eyes are over every cent.”

 Before we switched on the microphones, TPC listener Keren White wasn’t sure if she’d have anything ‘worthwhile’ to share. But just like every other guest in our Summer Series, her real-life experience with the fundamentals we’ve been teaching is nothing short of extraordinary! So when we hit go on record, she absolutely kicked into second gear and held nothing back… which means you’re about to be in for a ‘Wow, really?!’ ride…

Here’s her story in nutshell…  Keren is at the coal face of someone who has adopted our Money SMARTS system… but unlike most folk, what instigated the need to switch from a typical budget to our rules-based system was a bit different.

You see, prior to the change, Keren and her husband Terence’s life — and indeed their money habits — took a more of a ‘go with the flow’ approach. So, while they were able to get some savings together when they wanted to and never ventured into credit card debt territory, they almost always struggled to stick to their budget. Lifestyle and perhaps ‘living just for now’’ took precedence. For example, if they wanted a holiday… they took a holiday. If there was emergency cash sitting in their ‘car’ account — just one of the many open (FYI. you only need these accounts set up) — but say the car was running fine… well, then that was extra play money for the holiday, right?!

They weren’t stretched. They were doing kinda fine, really. Sure, there wasn’t much put aside for tomorrow, but their money situation wasn’t too bad in the scheme of things…

But then something happened. The Wake-Up Call. It was a hard blow that finally demanded Keren and Terence start prioritising their future….

Free Resources Mentioned

• Your FREE Book (free for a limited-time): http://makemoneysimpleagain.com.au
• Bonusisode – Are You Money Fit?
• Episode 191 | Seven Steps to Make Money Simple Again
• Facebook Group for Money SMARTS User

Episode Breakdown

02:40 – Keren’s backstory
04:04 – How was money spoken about at home?
05:00 – What was it like to be a child with parents who liked flipping houses?
5:50 – Trapping surplus cash when you first leave home…
7:00 – Why didn’t Keren want to invest in property? (here are the reasons why you shouldn’t)
7:56 – THE WAKE-UP CALL.
10:52 –  Why the budget FAILED!
11:12 – What is the pitfall of having a Savings Account that earns “bonus interest” when you don’t withdraw any money?
12:50 – How many accounts did Keren and Terence have? (shocking, but not surprising)
15:18 – How did she find out about Money SMARTS?
16:31 – Money SMARTS in action!!
21: 73 – What difference has this made in their life?? (Yay!)
27:39 – Do they share a 7 Day Float?
29:36 – Why DON’T they do their grocery shop on a Thursday?
37:23 – How do you make $25 out of nothing??
38:30 – Hacks to save money
40:29 – Keren’s experience with a Qualified Property Investment Advisor…
43:26 – How does Keren talk about money NOW?

Keen to Get Started with Money SMARTS like Keren?

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It was mid-2017 when David List and his wife, Lisa, decided to purchase their first investment property. But a few days into the settlement, and feeling a bit of buyer’s remorse, David did a quick Google-stalk to see what else he should probably know about investing… and that’s when he stumbled upon these two middle-aged larrikins (which turned out to be us!) riffing about property, finance and money management!!

From there, we’d like to think it became an immediate love story with The Property Couch… but, truth be told, that day we completely overwhelmed him, making David feel like there’s way more to “all this” than he first realised… (eek, our bad…)

Thankfully, somewhere along the line we must’ve said something that made sense… because he preserved and quickly got all in gold in the first twenty episodes, which got him up to speed on the fundamentals we’re all about. And one of those fundamentals — one of our Four Pillars of Mastery — was, of course, Cash Flow Management… ie. being smart with your money and knowing exactly where your hard-earned cash goes!!

This set fire to a whole new David and — we’ve gotta admit it — has transformed him into one of the BEST money managers we’ve ever seen! And this transformation has overflowed into almost every other area of his and his young family’s life… including their property story!

So, here in the studio — on our very first episode of 2020 — after putting Money SMARTS to the ultimate test, and coupling it with a money management app where he categorised every single transaction during 2017 – 2018…. well, let’s just say today’s guest has gone through an INCREDIBLE money transformation, folks!!

And just wait ‘til you hear what David — who once upon a time, left the money management up entirely up to Lisa — has brought into the studio, which tracks their ENTIRE financial story!!! (it’s a proud moment, folks! And not just ‘cos he brought us all gifts too, ha!)

Free Resources Mentioned:

• Episode 117 | Everything You Need To Know About Depreciation Changes – Chat with Bradley Beer, CEO of BMT Tax Depreciation: https://thepropertycouch.com.au/ep117-depreciation-changes-bradley-beer/

• Episode 257 | The Exception To The Rule When It Comes To Off The Plan Properties & House And Land Packages: https://thepropertycouch.com.au/ep257-off-the-plan-properties/
• Episode 258 | WARNING: The Unconscious Mental Triggers Property Spruikers Use To Trick You: https://thepropertycouch.com.au/ep258-property-spruikers/
• Episode 259 | Q&A: A Tax-Saving Hack For An Offset Account, The Simplest Way to Keep Track of Your Properties and How To Distinguish “Emotional Value” from “Property Value”: https://thepropertycouch.com.au/ep259-questions-answers-property/
• Make Money Simple Again (FREE Book): www.MakeMoneySimpleAgain.com.au

Episode Breakdown

• 13:02 — the money behaviours and saving hacks that lead to their first investment property!
• 17:00 — how did David get his wife on board with Money SMARTS?
• 23:15 — what happened after he listened to TPC?
• 29:15 — why get a Plan?
• 29:40 — what did his mortgage broker first tell him?
• 34:26 — the mental transformation (not just the $$$ one)…
• 31:35 — why is “the end game” not always about retirement?
• 36:42 — David’s advice for people thinking, “Yeah, but…”
• 42:16 — how should you be paying for a haircut? (What “bucket” does it come out of?)
• 48:42 — anything David would do differently? Why?
• 49:58 — how many properties will it take to achieve $120,000 in passive income?

Keen to Get Started with Money SMARTS like David?

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