INTRODUCTION

Spoiler alert: this is not a book about a self-made millionaire who knows the secret to turning $200 into $100 million. It's a cautionary tale about gaining and keeping financial control. I also want to sound a warning to anyone who equates money with success and believes their financial wellbeing or otherwise defines them as a person. By sharing a collection of personal stories and experiences, I'm determined to start an important but at times uncomfortable money conversation as we enter this post-pandemic economic frontier.

I've had the great fortune of learning what you need to do to never again have to worry about money. The best news is you can start with nothing. I don't have all the answers, but I have valuable insight from my own unique journey, which has been both fortunate and fraught.

Today, I'm in complete control of my personal finances. I sleep like a baby and I'm optimistic about the future. By sharing my experiences and the knowledge and skills I've gained along the way I hope I can help you learn how to find and keep financial control too.

I'm not a theorist. I'm in my early thirties and my wife and I own our own home as well as five investment properties, putting us in the top fraction of a percentage of all Australians. However, I started with nothing — in fact, less than nothing. I don't come from money; you'll read that my parents have been broke three times. Perhaps more importantly, 10 years ago my personal finances were out of control. I ...

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