She provided down-to-earth and homely advice to many Australians, that helped them deal with tough economic times. And finally, the book provides advice on what to do when shit happens, how to take a (frugal) break, and what to do once your mortgage has paid off.Ī huge inspiration for my book is the late Martha Gardner. (I trialled all the cleaning tips myself-just like studying for a big test, spring cleaning is a great form of writing distraction). There are several chapters on frugal hacks, including new frugalista tips on cleaning and travel. Many parents are buying it for their kids. The book contains a series of mindset and finance hacks, and early feedback is that many people find these useful and inspiring. I’m grateful for the skilful work of the book’s editor, Lauren Mitchell, in assuring the book has a joyful and accessible tone. I didn’t want a preachy book that talked down to people or implied that housing stress was their fault. I wanted to create a book that was practical, inspiring and useful-but that also showed empathy. It is forcing people to make hard choices. I’m acutely aware of the intergenerational wars and sensitivities around housing affordability, especially for first homeowners. My book has tips and hacks that people can choose to use on their journey. We might feel overwhelmed, but I know that many of us are resilient and will find a way through. We also have high rates of homelessness, often hidden through couch surfing. Until recently, Canberra had the highest rentals in the country (recently pipped by Sydney), and we also have some of the highest mortgages in the country. And now they have uncertainty about interest rate rises as well! People are exhausted from bushfires, pandemics, floods, isolation and uncertainty. I felt like the refrain of ‘Everything’s Gonna Be Alright’ really resonated for me in writing this book, and I hope it resonates for people reading this book as well. “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright”, the lead singer crooned over and over. I remember that in front of Canberra Centre, there was a fabulous East Timorese band performing a version of a Bob Marley song. It was the first day of the Multicultural Festival, and I wandered through the stalls wondering how the heck I was going to write a book so quickly. I remember the Friday that we had the book discussion well. This is not normal, but I understood the urgency to get the book out quickly: so many people were hurting with mortgage stress and needed this book. (In the end, the book ended up being a bit over double that and it took a little longer, but most was done by ANZAC Day). The brief was simple: write 30,000 words in two months. By then she had looked over my chapter outline and added a few ideas of her own. We had a Zoom chat the next day (a Friday). I said yes and sent her through some ideas for things that could go in the book. Lesley contacted me out of the blue in mid-February and asked if I would like to write a book about paying off a mortgage. In fact, I wasn’t sure if I would do much more work on writing and podcasting at all.īut then, Lesley Williams from Major Street Publishers called. Posted on 28 July, 2023 Writing a book wasn’t on my 2023 plan.
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