We speak to so many women each week who don’t talk with their partners about money. And no, I’m not just talking about how much the school trip costs or the quote for the new en-suite. I mean real money conversations – the kind that can impact the financial wellness of the entire family.

If you’re the one running the household, providing emotional support, leading operations, managing the accounts, and acting as the general get sh*t done director, it’s time to truly (and I mean truly) carve out some time to prioritise your financial wellness.

Take a lesson from the more mature women in our community, who often wish they had dedicated more headspace, time, and understanding to their finances earlier in life. Many of them reduced their working hours to accommodate family schedules or left the workforce altogether – options that are still common today. But now we know better. The data speaks for itself: women are falling further behind financially, and it’s our duty to help change that by prioritising financial wellness.

If you’re part of a family unit that doesn’t take your personal finances seriously, it’s time to take action. Slow and steady wins the race, and you don’t need to know *everything*. You just need enough information to express how you feel, define your financial goals, and identify ways the family can work together to prevent financial setbacks.

Here are a few starting points:

1️⃣ Make your pension contributions part of the family budget

Whether you’re self-employed, working part-time, or staying at home, contributing to your retirement fund can be crucial to your financial wellness. If you’re not currently paying into a pension, work these contributions into the family budget as a fixed expense. When budget time comes around, make sure there’s a line in the budget for your pension no ifs, no buts.

2️⃣ Don’t leave free money on the table

It’s rare to get free money, but when it comes to pensions, there’s a chance to benefit from government contributions. The government actively encourages us to save for the future by adding a top-up to our pension contributions. Take the money!

3️⃣ Don’t let your money go backwards

If your family tends to squirrel away money in savings rather than investing, consider some financial modelling. Once you have a robust emergency fund in place, any additional budget excess should go towards your pension contributions. Show the projected growth of funds in a high-yield savings account versus a pension fund with government contributions and compound interest over time.

If you’re reading this and thinking, *This is me – this describes my money situation*, then now is the time to take back control.

Head to the Financielle app to start your active money journey now.