Real Stories: Kristen
What colour are you wearing?
Revenue! It’s absolutely beautiful. It's not too moist and it's not too dry.
Who taught you about money growing up? Was it discussed in your family?
I never learned anything about money or finances at school, or literally in my upbringing, nothing. My father told me to go down to the backyard and pick it off the tree! I don’t think I'm not alone. I think that a lot of women, especially those in my age bracket, didn't learn anything about money. I grew up in a time where it was about who you married and what they did, there was a big gender divide.
Do you talk with your friends now at this stage of your life about money?
Look honestly you might think because you're a young person you might think yes but I wouldn't say yes I still think it is it's a not it's it's a hard one it's like when you want to talk about sex politics and religion I think finances included. Do people really want to talk about this stuff, no? How do you say ‘Are you looking at your super? Do you really understand your super?" These are tough things to bring up.
I have talked about it a lot to particular friends and I know I've changed some friends' lives in that, especially understanding paying off the debt. This is a passion of mine.
Right now, I'm doing it myself and it's not easy as a 63 year old woman. It's not easy but I'm getting there. I’ve got a job, a house, I’ve managed my super well, I’ve got beautiful children and I’ve got a career. I’m also lucky with my health, I’m still working with lots of energy to do so.
The only women that I want to talk about are the women that have been through what I've been through. Who have been through the loss of everything, the loss of your partner and the inability to work whilst having children. It's hard when you’re in a relationship and you have a ‘provider’, while you're at home. They need to work around the clock to bring in an income and someone has to be at home. You don’t get a wage for looking after children, it’s an unpaid job. Power comes with money.
What would you like people to know about finance and money?
Well, first I'd like them to go out and get a nugget of gold. (laughing) Invest in a nugget of gold. Don’t buy all of the shitty shit! Don’t buy the shitty shoes, don’t buy the clothes, save, SAVE and actually invest!
“I get so excited about how far I have come. I want to talk to anyone who will listen!”
This article in today’s Financial Review points to some of the issues Kristen discussed.
Women don’t ‘choose’ to work less - there is no choice. The “motherhood penalty” in Australia is higher than our peers. It’s dragging on national productivity.