Your workbook
The Working Mum's Money Reset
Find money you didn't know you had, without giving up your life.
Hi there. This workbook is for the mum who earns a steady income and still wonders where it all goes.
I spent 10 years in the banking industry, across both retail and business banking, helping all kinds of families and individuals with their money. What I learned is that money stress has less to do with how much you earn, and more to do with how you think about money and how it moves.
Personally, I didn't realise how many of my decisions were shaped by what I didn't know. It really surprised me how much I didn't understand about money. Once I did, so many things fell into place. I started making better choices, and I built a much better relationship with money. That's what I want to share with other working mums, and with mums everywhere.
None of what follows asks you to give up the things you love. It asks for a little time, some honesty, and the worksheets built into every chapter.
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How this workbook works
- Go at your own pace. One chapter at a time is plenty. Most take 10 to 20 minutes.
- Type straight in. Every worksheet works on your phone, tablet or laptop. No printing.
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- Finish each chapter with Your step. One small action. Tick it off and watch your progress grow.
Your chapters
This workbook is general information only, not personal financial advice. See the important information at the end of Chapter 11.
Chapter 1
Your money mindset
Before we touch a single number, we start here. The way you think about money quietly drives every money decision you make.
Most of us were never taught about money. We picked it up by watching the adults around us: what they said, what they stressed about, what they avoided. Those lessons still run in the background today, whether we notice them or not.
The good news is that a money mindset isn't fixed. Once you can see your old story, you can choose a new one.
1. Your money story
Worksheet
Was it talked about, argued about, never mentioned? Was there enough?
For example: "Money doesn't grow on trees", "Rich people are greedy", "We're just not money people".
2. Identity comes before strategy
Australian entrepreneur Morgan Nelson often makes this point on his Dream Out Loud podcast: when growth stalls, it's usually an identity problem before it's a strategy problem.
It's the same with money. You can have the perfect budget, but if deep down you believe you're "bad with money", you'll find a way to prove yourself right. Change who you believe you are, and the habits start to follow.
Worksheet
Rewrite your story
On the left, write an old belief about yourself and money. On the right, write who you're choosing to become.
3. Be time rich, not just money rich
Lloyd J. Ross, author of Become Time Rich and host of the Money Grows on Trees podcast, teaches that money is a tool, and its real value is what it lets you do with your time.
For working mums, that hits home. Most of us don't want money to buy more things. We want to stop rushing, be at the school concert, and breathe a little. Keep that picture in mind. It's your reason to keep going on the hard weeks.
Worksheet
4. Watch your words
Lloyd J. Ross also talks about the power of the words we use. "I don't have time" becomes "It's not a priority". "I'm overwhelmed" becomes "I'm disorganised". It sounds small, but it hands the power back to you. Disorganised can be fixed. Overwhelmed just feels heavy.
Worksheet
Tick the reframes you'll practise this week
Write your own
5. Small daily actions
Lloyd and his wife started with a daily "hour of power", one focused hour that compounded into big change. As a working mum, you may not have an hour. You do have five minutes. Small and daily beats big and once.
Worksheet
Tick each day you do it
Tick your first day to get started.
Ideas in this chapter are inspired by Lloyd J. Ross (Become Time Rich; Money Grows on Trees podcast) and Morgan Nelson (Dream Out Loud podcast), shared in my own words. This workbook is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.
Your step
Write your money story and your new money identity, then tick off day one of your 5-minute habit.
Chapter 2
Your money type
We all have a money personality. Knowing yours explains a lot: why some money habits feel easy, and why others feel impossible.
Psychotherapist and money coach Olivia Mellan describes five money personalities in her book Money Harmony: the Hoarder, the Spender, the Money Monk, the Avoider and the Amasser.
- No type is good or bad. Every type has a gift and a growth edge.
- Most of us are a blend. You'll likely see yourself in more than one.
- Your type can change. Life, stress and the people around you all shape it.
Take the quiz
Ten questions. Go with your first instinct, not the answer you think you should give.
Learn from all five
Every type has something to teach the others. Read your own type first, then look for what you can borrow.
Money types at home
Opposites often attract. A Hoarder often ends up with a Spender, and an Avoider with an Amasser. Neither of you is wrong. Each of you brings something the other needs. The secret is a plan you agree on together, especially the Fun money bucket in Chapter 7.
Worksheet
The five money personalities come from Olivia Mellan's book Money Harmony. The quiz questions are original to this workbook. It's a reflection tool, not a psychological assessment.
Your step
Take the quiz, read your type, and write down one thing you'll borrow from another type.
Chapter 3
Why a good salary still feels tight
If money feels tight on a good income, it's rarely a discipline problem. It's a systems problem, and systems can be fixed.
Here's what usually sits underneath it:
- Lifestyle creep. Each pay rise quietly becomes a slightly nicer everything. The gap between earning and spending never grows.
- The time-poor tax. When you're stretched thin, you pay to save time: takeaway, delivery, the quick option at every turn.
- Invisible spending. Tap-and-go, subscriptions and small online buys never feel like real money. Together, they add up fast.
- Costs that feel like emergencies but aren't. Christmas, school costs, car rego and birthdays come around every year. Without a plan, each one lands like a surprise.
None of this means you've done anything wrong. It means your money has been running on autopilot while you've been busy running everything else.
Worksheet
Which of these sound like you?
Groceries and takeaway together. You'll check this guess in Chapter 4.
Your step
Write down your food guess above. Then move on to your money snapshot.
Chapter 4
Your 30-minute money snapshot
You can't fix what you can't see. This snapshot shows you, in about 30 minutes, exactly where your money goes.
What you need
- Last month's statements for every account and card, including any buy now, pay later plans
- Your payslip, or the amount that lands in your account each pay
- A cuppa
Tips that make it easier
- Use what you actually spent, not what you hoped to spend.
- Choose whether you're entering amounts per week, fortnight or month. The worksheet turns everything into monthly figures for you.
- Don't judge the numbers yet. Today is only about seeing them.
Worksheet
Budget basics
I'm entering amounts per
Fill in your numbers to see your result.
What your result means
- Money left over: You have room to work with. Chapter 7 shows you how to give every dollar a job.
- A gap: You're probably covering it with credit cards, buy now, pay later or savings. Chapters 5, 6 and 8 are where you'll find the money to close it.
Your step
Complete your snapshot this week. Your phone and a cuppa are all you need.
Chapter 5
Where busy mums leak money
Most money doesn't disappear in big chunks. It leaks out in small, tired, everyday moments.
Here are the most common leaks and a first fix for each. Tick the ones that showed up in your statements and add roughly what each one costs you a month.
Worksheet
Leak finder
Your first fixes
| Leak | First fix |
|---|---|
| Takeaway and delivery | Keep two easy back-up meals in the pantry (Chapter 6) |
| Work lunches and coffees | Take lunch from home three days a week |
| Subscriptions | Cancel anything you haven't used in the last 30 days |
| Tap-and-go and online shopping | Wait 24 hours before buying anything non-essential |
| Buy now, pay later | List every plan and its due dates |
| Kids' extras | Set a monthly amount per child and stick to it |
| Guilt spending | Swap some treats for time: the park, a cook-together night |
A $15 lunch and a $5 coffee, five days a week, is about $430 a month.
Worksheet
Your step
Find your top three leaks and add up what each one cost you last month.
Chapter 6
Shop your pantry first
This is the tip that has made the biggest difference to my own grocery bill, and it's done the same for others I've helped.
Before you write a shopping list, you plan the week's dinners around what you already have.
Why your pantry is costing you money
Most of us shop from habit. We grab pasta, rice and sauces because we think we're out. The pantry fills up, things get pushed to the back, and we only find them once they've expired. We pay for that food twice: once when we buy it, and again when we throw it out.
How it works
- Check first. Before you shop, look through your pantry, fridge and freezer.
- Build your dinners around what's there. Ask, "What meal is this already halfway to?"
- Only buy the missing pieces. Your shopping list becomes short and specific.
- Bring older items to the front. That way nothing gets forgotten again.
| Already in the pantry or fridge | Dinner | Only need to buy |
|---|---|---|
| Pasta, bolognese sauce | Spaghetti bolognese | Mince |
| Rice, curry powder, carrots | Chicken curry and rice | Chicken |
| Wraps, taco seasoning, tin of beans | Tacos | Mince or chicken |
Being organised allows ease.
When dinner is already decided, there's no 5pm panic and no reason to reach for the takeaway app. You save money, waste less food, and take one decision off your plate every night.
Sisi was so helpful in pointing me towards financial support and resources I didn't even know were available.
She shared some really valuable information, tips to save money and practical tools to help me get back on track with my bills.
I have especially saved money on my grocery bill after implementing her "shop your pantry first" strategy and as a family of 4 this is huge for us.
I'm so grateful for her knowledge, guidance and willingness to help.
Sometimes you just need someone to point you in the right direction, and that's exactly what Sisi did for me.
Worksheet
Pantry check
Worksheet
Pantry-first meal planner
Separate items with commas. Your shopping list builds itself from the last column.
Your shopping list
Make it a weekly habit
- Pick one time each week, like Sunday afternoon, for a 15-minute pantry check.
- Plan one "clean-out night" a week, such as fried rice, an omelette or leftovers, to use up odds and ends.
- Shop once, from your list. Every extra trip to the shops is a chance to overspend.
Your step
Before your next shop, plan five dinners using what you already have.
Chapter 7
A budget that survives a busy week
A budget only works if it runs without you thinking about it every day. The answer is payday buckets.
Payday buckets are separate accounts, each with one job, filled automatically the day your pay lands.
| Bucket | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Bills | Rent or mortgage, power, phone, insurance, loans, childcare, subscriptions |
| Everyday | Groceries, fuel, kids' costs, household bits |
| Buffer and goals | Your safety buffer and yearly costs (Chapter 9) |
| Fun money | Yours to spend, no guilt, no explaining |
The Everyday account is the only card in your wallet. When it's low, you know it's time to slow down, without checking an app.
Worksheet
Split your pay
I get paid every
Each pay, send to
Enter your pay to start.
Set it and forget it
When a week blows up
It will happen. A car repair, a sick kid, a birthday you forgot. Don't throw the whole budget out. Cover it from your buffer, adjust next week, and keep going. One messy week doesn't undo a good system.
Your step
Set up or rename your accounts, and schedule one automatic transfer for your next payday.
Chapter 8
Quick wins on bills, insurance, phone and energy
These are the fastest savings in this workbook. Each one is a single phone call or a few minutes online, and the savings repeat every month.
The one script you need
"Hi, I've been with you for a few years and I'm reviewing all my bills. I've found a better price elsewhere. What's the best you can offer me to stay?"
Be friendly, be patient, and be ready to switch if they won't move. The worst they can say is no.
Worksheet
Your quick-wins tracker
Tick each one off and add what it saves you per month.
Whatever you save, move it straight into your Buffer bucket. Savings you don't move tend to get spent.
Your step
Make two of these calls this week.
Chapter 9
Your safety buffer
A safety buffer is what stops a surprise from turning into credit card debt. It's also what lets you sleep at night.
You need two kinds:
- An emergency fund for the things you can't predict: a car breakdown, a reduced income, an urgent repair.
- Yearly-cost savings for the things you can predict: Christmas, back-to-school costs, car rego and birthdays.
Worksheet
Part 1: Your emergency fund
Fill in your essentials to see your target.
If the monthly amount feels too big, set a first milestone instead: $1,000, then one month of essentials. Every milestone makes the next surprise a little less scary.
Worksheet
Part 2: Yearly-cost savings
These come every year, so they shouldn't feel like emergencies. Add what each one cost you last year. The worksheet tells you what to put aside each fortnight.
Both parts go into your Buffer and goals bucket from Chapter 7. Keep that account separate from your everyday card so it doesn't get spent by accident.
Your step
Work out your buffer target and set your first milestone.
Chapter 10
Raising money-smart kids
Kids learn about money long before anyone sits them down to teach them. They learn by watching us.
Small habits, started young, stay with them for life.
What to teach at each age
| Age | What they're ready to learn | Try this |
|---|---|---|
| 3 to 5 | Money is real, and it gets swapped for things. Sometimes we wait. | Let them hand over the coins at the counter. Set up three jars: save, spend and give. |
| 6 to 9 | Choices, and saving up for something they want | Start pocket money. Pick a savings goal and colour it in on the chart below. Let them make small mistakes with their own money. |
| 10 to 12 | Comparing prices, earning, and online spending | Compare prices together at the shops. Offer small jobs to earn extra. Talk openly about in-game purchases and ads. |
How we talk about money at home
| Instead of | Try |
|---|---|
| "We can't afford it." | "That's not in our plan this week." |
| "Money doesn't grow on trees." | "We work hard for our money, so we choose carefully." |
| "Don't worry about money, that's for grown-ups." | "Here's how we decide what to spend on." |
Bring them into the plan
Let them help with the pantry-first menu from Chapter 6. Ask them what dinner they can make from what's already in the cupboard. They learn planning, saving and not wasting, all at once.
Worksheet
Colour-in savings chart
Sit down with your child and set a goal together. Each time they save, they tap a square to colour it in. The chart works out what each square is worth, and when every square is coloured, they've reached their goal.
Your step
Choose one idea from your child's age group and try it this week.
Chapter 11
Looking at money differently
Money isn't only something that comes in and goes out. It's a tool that buys you choices: time with your kids, calm when something goes wrong, and options for the future.
These small shifts in thinking make every chapter in this workbook easier to stick with:
Your reset so far
Worksheet
Your money bookshelf
These are books I recommend to every mum who wants to keep learning. Start with whichever one speaks to you, and tick it off when you've read it.
Your next step
If this workbook helped, I'd love to hear what you found. Send me a DM and tell me your biggest win.
And if you'd like ongoing support, come and join my Skool community, From Broke To Woke. It's where we keep learning together, one lesson at a time.
- Skool community: skool.com/tautua-leadhers-9528
- Instagram: @tautua.moneytalks
- Facebook: facebook.com/tautua.moneytalks
You've got this, friend. Sisi
Your step
Write down your biggest win and your 90-day picture.
Important information
This workbook contains general information only. It is not personal financial advice and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on anything in it, consider whether it suits your circumstances. For advice about your personal situation, speak with a licensed financial adviser. All dollar figures are examples only.
The banking and tax tips in this workbook are general information, checked in October 2026. Banks set their own rules, and rules and rates can change, so check with your bank, the ATO or your accountant before you act.
Chapter 1 draws on ideas from Lloyd J. Ross and Morgan Nelson. Chapter 2's money personalities come from Olivia Mellan's Money Harmony. This workbook is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.
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