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5 Habits That Helped Me Start Building Financial Freedom (Even as a Single Mum of 5)

By: Heather @ Pennies and Passports

✨ Intro: Let’s Be Real for a Minute

Today’s one of those days where motivation feels extinct. My coffee’s cold, my brain’s foggy, and the to-do list is longer than the school pickup line on a rainy day. I don’t want to write, I want to bed rot and watch Netflix or play computer games all day.

But here’s the thing: I promised myself I’d show up—especially on the days I don’t feel like it. Because consistency builds freedom. And for me, freedom means giving my kids the life we deserve without relying on anyone else. This isn’t going to be as long or as indebth as my regular posts but something is better then nothing somedays.

So, here it is: 5 habits that helped me go from scraping by to building financial freedom—one intentional step at a time.

These aren’t magic tricks. They’re habits I built while sleep-deprived, budget-stressed, and surrounded by laundry mountains. If I can do this, trust me, so can you.

💰 1. Tracking Every Dollar (Even When I Didn’t Want To)

Let’s start with the uncomfortable one: facing the numbers.

For the longest time, I avoided looking at my bank balance like it was a horror movie. But when I finally started tracking every cent coming in and going out, I realized where my money was leaking—and it wasn’t pretty.

Uber Eats? Slippery little monster.
Impulse Kmart buys? Guilty.
“Just $7” coffees… that added up to $140 a month? Yep.

Once I knew where my money was going, I could redirect it—toward debt, savings, and the kind of freedom that doesn’t come from Afterpay.

💡 Try this: Use a simple spreadsheet, the free version of Pocketbook, or even a notebook. The goal is awareness, not perfection.

🛑 2. Saying “No” Without Guilt

This was hard. Like, “deeply programmed people-pleaser rewiring” kind of hard.

But I had to learn that saying no to things that drained me—emotionally and financially—was actually saying yes to our future.

• No, I can’t afford every school fundraising event.
• No, I won’t lend money I don’t have.
• No, I’m not attending that family drama-fueled dinner that costs $150 in food and fuel.

Boundaries are free. And they’re powerful as hell.

🎧 3. Learning While Folding Laundry

With five kids, I don’t have hours to read financial textbooks (and let’s be honest, I’d rather eat sand). So I hacked my own education by turning everyday chores into learning time.

Folding clothes? Cue a finance podcast.
Doing dishes? Play a money audiobook.
Waiting at gymnastic practice? YouTube video on investing.

Bit by bit, I built a foundation of knowledge. I started to understand compound interest, budgeting systems, side hustles… all while still being Mum.

💡 Fave listens right now:

• She’s on the Money (Aus-based, love it)
• The Budget Mom
• Afford Anything by Paula Pant

⚙️ 4. Automating Like a Lazy Genius

Once I got the basics down, I started automating everything I could:

• Weekly transfers into savings
• Round-ups into my investing app
• Bills paid automatically (so I didn’t forget and get hit with late fees… again)

The less I had to think about it, the more consistent I became. And suddenly, I wasn’t trying to save—I just was.

💡 Bonus tip: Rename your bank accounts. Mine say things like “Texas Trip 2025” and “New Jeep Fund” because it keeps me hyped.

❤️ 5. Putting Myself First (Finally)

This one took therapy, tears, and a lot of internal rewiring.

For years, I put myself last. I thought being a good mum meant sacrificing everything. But what I’ve learned is that taking care of myself IS taking care of them.

I started eating better. Sleeping more. Setting goals that weren’t just about the kids—but about me, too.

And you know what happened? I started making better decisions with money. I started dreaming again. I started living like someone who actually deserves financial freedom. (Spoiler: we all do.)

🎯 Final Thoughts: This Isn’t About Perfection

If you’re on your own money journey, know this: you don’t need to be perfect, rich, or educated in finance to start.

You just need to take the next right step—and repeat it.

So whether you’re building your first budget, trying to break free from financial trauma, or dreaming of your first solo holiday, you’re in the right place.

More posts like this: Why Your Money Goals Keep Failing ( And How To Fix Them)