The National Debt Helpline are simply the BEST service. And I am lucky to chat to Deborah Naylor, the NDH Supervisor, who not only has 20 years experience in the financial counselling sector BUT is also a single mum! We discuss: The stigma around debt and why people find it so hard to reach out; how debt can negatively impact so many areas of your life; how to break-free from a difficult mindset around debt; examples of options available to you when it comes to debt solutions; complex...

Maggie Dent and I have a really fascinating chat about raising teenage boys and touch on lots of tips from her new book: From Boys to Men: Guiding teen boys to grow into healthy, happy men. Amongst other things we discuss: The inner workings of the mind and body of teenage boys and how knowing this can seriously help; tips for chatting to your teenage boy that will keep the peace and defuse conflict; how to "unstick" your unmotivated son; the importance of healthy role models and what to do...

Get completely non-bias advice (without the sale) about private health insurance for your single parent family in this chat with Paul Pfitzner from the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman and the brilliant PrivateHealth.gov.au website. We discuss: How private health insurance works and what is covered; what happens when you separate and whether your current policy will still be valid; what to consider when choosing the right health insurance; a bit about PrivateHealth.gov.au and how it is the...

MoneySmart.gov.au is the BEST personal finance resource and I am excited to chat to the lady who manages it ... Laura Higgins. Our topic: Budgeting. Now, stay with us as it's easier than you think.   Listen to us discuss: What a personal budget actually is; the importance of budgeting and tracking your spending; how to simplify the process and make it less overwhelming; the brilliant tools available to help you to budget; top tips to save money if your expenses are too high; how to ensure...

Desperately trying to find the perfect child care centre for your little one? Let us help you as I chat to Gabby Hegerty from the new game-changing search and compare child care website, Toddle.   We discuss: The advantages of enrolling your child in a child care centre; what actually makes a good care centre; the incredible range of different child care centres available; the red flags to be aware of when choosing a child care centre; what to do if there is no availability at the centre you...

Worried about completing your tax return this year with the added complications of the Coronavirus supplements and work from home? We have you covered as Lucy chats to Karen Foat from the ATO to help demystify your tax return and help you with what you need to know to complete it. Listen to us discuss: How to know if you need to lodge a tax return; the options this year for people needing to lodge a tax return; whether or not to use a tax agent; the tax implications for people who have...

HELP! We're separated and can't agree on anything! Is this you? If so, then listen to Lucy chat with Tara Houseman from Relationships Australia about everything "mediation". We discuss: The range of services offered by Relationships Australia to help couples going through separation; the family dispute resolution process i.e. what happens and when; eligibility for mediation through Relationships Australia and why it may not be suitable; the many advantages to resolving matters through...

Get free home help in exchange for renting out your spare room! It's super easy. I chat with Ludwina Dautovic, Founder of The Room Xchange, which is an online platform that connects busy households with a spare bedroom with guests who provide an agreed amount of help in Xchange for food and accommodation. We discuss: The process to become a host; how to know if you'd make a good host; how to prepare your home for a guest; the kind of chores your host could do: how to ensure your exchange...

Hank Jongen, General Manager at Services Australia, provides facts and deadlines to meet our EOFY obligations on-time and in-order. He talks as through: When and how to confirm your 2018-19 income; how to find out if you need to lodge a tax return; the deadline to make a lump sum FTB claim for the 2018-19 financial year and whether you are eligible; the $750 Economic Support Payment; what to include in adjusted taxable income; balance timings; the $550 Coronavirus supplement; and mutual...

4 Ingredients founder, Kim McCosker, is my guest in this podcast to share her magic and knowledge around saving time and money in the kitchen. We discuss: The wonder of the 4 Ingredients method and why it's so popular; menu planning and other time saving tips; Kim's top money saving tips for the kitchen; the best herbs and spices to fill your cupboards; Kim's absolute favourite recipes from her repertoire of millions; and various other handy tips including how to make cake with champagne and...

Covid-19 is upon us and the world has paused. What does this mean for you? Like many, you may have lost your job, either temporarily or permanently, and are wondering: 'What now?'.  In this podcast I get 30-years of expertise from Helen Slater, Founder of 6S Coaching, about: changing your mindset around the pandemic to see it as an opportunity rather than a set-back; enhancing your employment opportunities; the importance of staying connected and working on your confidence; starting the...

Our worst nightmare: Homeschooling is hitting the homes of families across the world. BUT don't panic. I chat with education and curriculum expert, Karen Green from MAPPEN, about how to make homeschooling work and come out the other side still talking to your kids. We discuss: How to prepare for home learning and what to expect; routines - to have or not to have; how to ditch the guilt around homeschooling; Karen's top tips to make homeschooling work; the biggest misconceptions and no-no's of...

Dating just got harder! Yep, social distancing and isolation really hampers your mission to find Mr Right. Or does it? I chat to author, columnist and mother of three, Kerri Sackville about how to have fun with virtual dating.  We chat and laugh about: The advantages of virtual dating; what a virtual date looks like and how to prepare for one; the big no-no's of virtual dating; the reality of making it work if you're really into your virtual date; and how to prepare for eventually meeting...

Terrified of the prospect of attending family court? You are not alone. Carolyn Devries from New Ways Lawyers saves the day and explains everything you need to know to put your mind at rest. We discuss: the order of key events for parenting matters in the family court; the difference between Family Dispute Resolution and Mediation; court documents and what to expect depending on your situation; tips to prepare your affidavit and to be 100% ready for your first court date; what will actually...

Do you feel broken, crazy and emotionally drained following a breakup with a narcissist?  Help is here. I chat to Breakup Recovery and Dating Coach, Cheryl Chong, from Steps To Happyness to help you overcome and MOVE ON. Listen to us discuss: The true traits of a narcissist and how these traits affect a relationship; the first steps to recovery being understanding and acceptance and how to reach them; how to deal with difficult emotions, including loathing and shame; how to support our...

Having a co-parenting nightmare with your passive aggressive ex? Don't panic! We can help. I chat to Sallyanne Hartnell from Reflect Coaching on ways to deal with this infuriating behaviour. Listen to us discuss: The traits of the passive aggressive person; what problems you might encounter when co-parenting and how to overcome them; brilliant tips for communicating a passive aggressive ex; why parallel parenting might be a better alternative to co-parenting; and how to protect yourself from...

Not divorced yet but want to change your name? You can! And it's EASY. I chat to Gen Dennis from Easy Name Change about: Why it is so important for you to feel comfortable with your name; why making the decision to revert to your maiden name could be a great move for you; the pitfalls of changing your name; Gen's super-simple guide to change your name (she can save you 6-hours of faffing around); and the difference between reverting to your maiden name and choosing something entirely different.

All guys are duds! No they're not! You just need to get this dating thing right and see the truth to fast-track you to find the perfect long-term partner. And there is nobody better equiped to shed the light (and the love) than Elly Johnson from Truth Lies & Love. We chat about: How to weed out the duds early on; the most common mistakes us women make when dating, and how to avoid them; why values hold such high significance in the dating game; how to know if he's into you; how to attract...

Why the hell does 50/50 co-parenting cause so much confusion? In this information-packed podcast I chat to Melinda Nutting and Tania Fitzpatrick from Step By Step Support to unpack what 50/50 co-parenting actually means. Our chat includes: Understanding the difference between co-parenting and parallel parenting;Bird nesting - what it is and how it can work for children of separation; the grey areas of finance when 50/50 co-parenting; why Child Support and co-parenting are not always good mix;...

DO NOT put your will to the bottom of the too-hard pile. Having a Will saves your family stress and money when the time does come, and honestly, we just don't know when that will be. I chat to Emily Brown from BT Lawyers about: Why it's important to have a Will; what happens if you don't make a Will; what to consider when preparing a Will as a single mum; mistakes you might make and how to avoid them; how often to check your Will and why; how to make changes to your Will; and how to start the...

Don't look for a new job! Instead you could negotiate flexible work arrangements with your current employer. Lucy Dickens and Jo Alil-ovich from the The Juggle podcast are here to tell us how. Listen to us discuss: What flexible work arrangements actually are; how flexible work arrangements can benefit you as a working mum; how these arrangements can benefit your employer too; how to approach the subject of work hours with your employer; the problems you may have when trying to negotiate...