WEBVTT - When Cancer Changed Everything... 0:00:00.680 --> 0:00:04.880 Hello, my name's Santasha Nabananga Bamblet. I'm a proud yor 0:00:04.960 --> 0:00:08.639 the Order KERNI Whoaltbury and a waddery woman. And before 0:00:08.680 --> 0:00:11.160 we get started on She's on the Money podcast, I 0:00:11.160 --> 0:00:14.319 would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land 0:00:14.400 --> 0:00:17.680 of which this podcast is recorded on a wondery country, 0:00:18.120 --> 0:00:22.240 acknowledging the elders, the ancestors and the next generation coming 0:00:22.320 --> 0:00:26.960 through as this podcast is about connecting, empowering, knowledge sharing 0:00:27.080 --> 0:00:30.120 and the storytelling of you to make a difference for 0:00:30.240 --> 0:00:33.080 today and lasting impact for tomorrow. 0:00:33.320 --> 0:00:34.200 Let's get into it. 0:00:34.360 --> 0:00:37.520 She's on the Money, She's on the Money. 0:00:57.240 --> 0:01:01.200 Hello, and welcome to She's on the Money Podcast Millennials 0:01:01.200 --> 0:01:04.600 who want financial freedom. Welcome back to another one of 0:01:04.640 --> 0:01:07.120 our Money Diaries episodes where we get to talk to 0:01:07.160 --> 0:01:09.760 one of our incredible She's on the Money community members 0:01:09.760 --> 0:01:12.399 all about their money story. Let's jump straight into it 0:01:12.440 --> 0:01:15.360 because this week I got an email and it sounded 0:01:15.440 --> 0:01:18.960 exactly like this. Hi, Victoria, love the pod and that 0:01:19.040 --> 0:01:21.960 She's on the Money team. Our story is very different 0:01:22.000 --> 0:01:25.400 and represents how we have overcome obstacles. We are a 0:01:25.400 --> 0:01:28.960 family of six who have primarily lived off one income 0:01:29.160 --> 0:01:32.560 for twelve years. We've lived and worked in rural and 0:01:32.640 --> 0:01:36.319 remote communities as teachers and principles. Our plan was to 0:01:36.400 --> 0:01:38.360 save and get back to the city. By the time 0:01:38.440 --> 0:01:41.119 our kids were in high school. We were getting ahead 0:01:41.160 --> 0:01:44.319 while our expenses were low until our baby girl got 0:01:44.360 --> 0:01:47.640 cancer at the age of three. This meant we had 0:01:47.680 --> 0:01:51.040 to shift to a major city center at a second's 0:01:51.080 --> 0:01:54.960 notice and never return to our then home. Now, after 0:01:55.280 --> 0:02:00.000 not one but two cancer diagnoses, our daughter is cancer free, 0:02:00.040 --> 0:02:03.520 smiling and thriving. Not only that, but we have just 0:02:03.560 --> 0:02:06.840 bought our second house. I'm working, and we are teaching 0:02:06.880 --> 0:02:10.040 our kids the value of investing and goal setting. Our 0:02:10.080 --> 0:02:13.120 story is a complex one, but we believe that there 0:02:13.200 --> 0:02:15.639 is a valuable message in never giving up and being 0:02:15.639 --> 0:02:18.959 able to pivot the goalposts. We can't wait to share 0:02:19.000 --> 0:02:21.720 it with the Shees on the Money Community Money Doris, 0:02:21.840 --> 0:02:23.240 that is a roller coaster. 0:02:23.680 --> 0:02:26.480 How are you? Oh goodness, I'm a big teary now 0:02:26.520 --> 0:02:28.079 and that doesn't happen very often. 0:02:28.320 --> 0:02:28.880 Oh we got you? 0:02:29.000 --> 0:02:32.920 Good. Yeah, I'm not an emotional person. You are? You 0:02:32.960 --> 0:02:35.040 are deep down? I got you. I got you. 0:02:35.120 --> 0:02:37.560 But isn't it strange hearing back your money story and 0:02:37.560 --> 0:02:41.200 being like, holy moly, like we are actually so impressive, 0:02:41.400 --> 0:02:43.120 Like that's crazy. 0:02:43.320 --> 0:02:46.200 Honestly, I said to my husband, I don't even remember 0:02:46.240 --> 0:02:50.679 what I wrote in because there's so much to talk about. So, yeah, 0:02:50.720 --> 0:02:51.960 that was really surreal. 0:02:52.240 --> 0:02:54.600 Oh well, I'm glad it gives you a little bit 0:02:54.639 --> 0:02:57.720 of a point of reflection. I cannot wait to hear 0:02:57.760 --> 0:02:59.720 about your daughter. But before we get there, I want 0:02:59.760 --> 0:03:02.560 to know what grade would you give your money how, Betsy, 0:03:02.560 --> 0:03:04.040 If I asked you to give them a grade from 0:03:04.080 --> 0:03:04.840 A through to. 0:03:04.960 --> 0:03:07.560 F, my first instinct was a C plus. 0:03:07.919 --> 0:03:09.360 You know me better than that. 0:03:09.960 --> 0:03:12.280 Yeah, I feel like we're going to have to rejuggle 0:03:12.320 --> 0:03:13.079 that a little bit. 0:03:13.200 --> 0:03:14.880 That's okay, let's go with a C plus and we're 0:03:14.880 --> 0:03:16.120 going to learn a bit about you and we can 0:03:16.160 --> 0:03:19.000 talk about it at the end. Money, darrist, I need 0:03:19.040 --> 0:03:21.400 to know a bit more. Can you tell me in 0:03:21.440 --> 0:03:23.640 a bit more detail about your money story? 0:03:23.800 --> 0:03:27.200 Yeah? Okay, So childhood, I don't have a whole lot 0:03:27.200 --> 0:03:29.600 to say. We didn't talk a lot about money in 0:03:29.639 --> 0:03:33.240 my household, and I knew little bit so I knew 0:03:33.240 --> 0:03:36.200 my dad earned more, I knew we weren't well off. 0:03:36.360 --> 0:03:39.000 I was constantly comparing myself to other families and what 0:03:39.080 --> 0:03:41.480 they were doing. But we got by. We did all 0:03:41.520 --> 0:03:45.840 the things. We had family holidays, so local beaches and things, 0:03:46.080 --> 0:03:48.360 and then kind of in my teenage years, my parents 0:03:48.440 --> 0:03:51.920 had breaking up on and off, so that was really tough, 0:03:52.320 --> 0:03:54.720 and I guess things were juggled around a little bit more. 0:03:55.840 --> 0:03:59.240 Things were never super dier either. They could put food 0:03:59.280 --> 0:04:04.160 on the table. We were educated, so there's nothing drastic 0:04:04.720 --> 0:04:07.680 there other than the couple of you know, family breakdowns. 0:04:08.280 --> 0:04:11.920 But then when we got into our teenage years, I 0:04:11.960 --> 0:04:14.160 started to realize that I needed to have a job 0:04:14.320 --> 0:04:16.560 to kind of do the things that I wanted to do. 0:04:16.640 --> 0:04:19.279 So by fourteen and nine months, I got my first 0:04:19.400 --> 0:04:24.400 job and that's where I met my husband. Oh really 0:04:24.480 --> 0:04:29.400 that young? Yes, very so special. Yeah. So I had 0:04:29.400 --> 0:04:31.479 been working at Coals. He worked at Coals as well, 0:04:31.640 --> 0:04:34.920 and then I was also working as an assistant at 0:04:34.920 --> 0:04:37.360 my local dance studio which I danced at and got 0:04:37.360 --> 0:04:39.200 all my lessons for free. So that was a burden. 0:04:39.279 --> 0:04:40.400 Oh that's a money win. 0:04:40.760 --> 0:04:43.680 Yeah. So that happened actually earlier, from about twelve, and 0:04:43.800 --> 0:04:45.799 my parents didn't have to pay for my lessons anymore. 0:04:45.800 --> 0:04:48.680 So that was a huge help because dancing is expensive. 0:04:48.960 --> 0:04:51.880 Ah. Yes, as a dance child, it was a lot 0:04:52.520 --> 0:04:55.479 and there were three of us. Oh my gosh, yes, 0:04:55.600 --> 0:04:57.640 it was a lot. Mum and dad were probably like, 0:04:57.680 --> 0:05:00.280 oh my gosh, thank you money diarist for taking one 0:05:00.279 --> 0:05:00.800 for the team. 0:05:01.120 --> 0:05:04.080 Exactly. So I did that and that actually got me 0:05:04.120 --> 0:05:06.400 a job as well from eighteen. So I did start 0:05:06.400 --> 0:05:10.599 teaching my own studios from that point. But even before 0:05:10.640 --> 0:05:16.800 that happened, I actually got proposed to when I was seventeen, 0:05:17.600 --> 0:05:19.080 so I was still in high school. 0:05:19.160 --> 0:05:20.960 Oh my gosh, you just a baby. 0:05:21.440 --> 0:05:24.200 Yes, so we were babies. My husband was three years older, 0:05:24.240 --> 0:05:26.920 so he was nine. Oh he was twenty at the time. Actually, 0:05:27.120 --> 0:05:28.040 oh big dog. 0:05:28.560 --> 0:05:31.240 At that time. I feel like the age difference, it 0:05:31.320 --> 0:05:34.440 feels a lot more different. Now you've probably two peas 0:05:34.480 --> 0:05:36.920 in a pod. But at the time you were like, ooh, 0:05:37.000 --> 0:05:38.839 this older boy is proposing to me. 0:05:39.400 --> 0:05:41.960 Yeah, it's pretty wild that that happened. 0:05:42.040 --> 0:05:44.400 Now, No, but seriously, I need to know what possesses 0:05:44.440 --> 0:05:47.039 a twenty year old man to propose to someone in 0:05:47.120 --> 0:05:47.680 high school. 0:05:47.800 --> 0:05:50.000 What's he doing? In hindsight, I have no idea. 0:05:50.200 --> 0:05:53.320 Yeah, I mean, I mean, he wasn't wrong like it 0:05:53.400 --> 0:05:56.760 worked out, like when you know, you know, like, sir, 0:05:57.360 --> 0:05:58.320 where's your brain at? 0:05:58.440 --> 0:06:00.960 Yeah, and that was exactly where my dad's brain at. 0:06:01.080 --> 0:06:04.000 Was that when he got sat down with this young 0:06:04.080 --> 0:06:07.400 twenty year old for a coffee and was being asked 0:06:07.440 --> 0:06:09.480 if he could marry his daughter. 0:06:09.839 --> 0:06:12.440 I mean he did it properly. That's kind of cute. 0:06:12.520 --> 0:06:15.440 My dad said, No, your dad's a smart man. I mean, 0:06:15.720 --> 0:06:18.880 I'm not against it, but like, I just think, at seventeen, 0:06:18.880 --> 0:06:21.479 you're still a baby, Like, there's so much life to 0:06:21.520 --> 0:06:22.000 be had. 0:06:22.320 --> 0:06:22.960 So what happened? 0:06:22.960 --> 0:06:24.560 You didn't get married at seventeen. 0:06:24.800 --> 0:06:28.560 We got engaged before graduation and we got married. I 0:06:28.640 --> 0:06:30.160 was nineteen oh, so you had. 0:06:30.040 --> 0:06:33.039 A bit of time between getting engaged and then getting married. 0:06:33.080 --> 0:06:35.720 A little bit but still a baby. So yeah. Then 0:06:35.839 --> 0:06:38.560 after I finished Grade twelve, my parents and my sisters 0:06:38.600 --> 0:06:42.080 moved to Sydney. So at that point I was not 0:06:42.160 --> 0:06:44.320 going with them because I was engaged and you know, 0:06:44.440 --> 0:06:47.039 had my whole life planned out supposedly. 0:06:46.520 --> 0:06:47.200 What did that look? 0:06:47.279 --> 0:06:47.400 Like? 0:06:47.480 --> 0:06:49.560 I have to ask, I really have to ask. So 0:06:49.640 --> 0:06:53.159 when you're like I remember me at nineteen, I don't 0:06:53.200 --> 0:06:56.400 trust nineteen year old Victoria like I do not like 0:06:56.520 --> 0:06:58.360 I look at it and I just go other people 0:06:58.640 --> 0:07:01.800 maybe much better than me. Me though, can't be trusted. 0:07:02.120 --> 0:07:06.080 So you look back when you were planning things, was 0:07:06.120 --> 0:07:08.200 it very I guess tunnel visioned, were you're like, no, 0:07:08.320 --> 0:07:09.920 this is the life I want, this is how it's 0:07:09.920 --> 0:07:12.920 going to be, and is that how has become or 0:07:12.960 --> 0:07:14.120 has it completely shifted? 0:07:14.160 --> 0:07:16.080 I think it then it was very tunnel vision. I 0:07:16.120 --> 0:07:20.600 don't remember even considering going to Sydney. It was just 0:07:20.680 --> 0:07:23.480 always I'm going to stay here, I'm going to go 0:07:23.520 --> 0:07:26.600 to UNI, I'm going to keep working my jobs, and 0:07:26.640 --> 0:07:29.600 I'm going to stay with my partner. And I don't 0:07:29.640 --> 0:07:31.920 remember there being a lot of pushback on that, so 0:07:33.080 --> 0:07:35.400 I guess my parents just went, yeah, Okay, that's the 0:07:35.440 --> 0:07:37.960 way it's going to be. You can come visit. So yeah, 0:07:38.000 --> 0:07:39.640 that's the way we went. I moved in with my 0:07:39.840 --> 0:07:43.080 husband's parents and his family for a little while before 0:07:43.120 --> 0:07:45.480 we got our own rental. He pretty much managed the 0:07:45.480 --> 0:07:49.640 money from there. He's always had an Excel spreadsheet, and 0:07:49.680 --> 0:07:54.200 from that point on our finances were joined, which I 0:07:54.240 --> 0:07:59.720 feel then wasn't uncommon as partnerships. We just combined our 0:07:59.760 --> 0:08:01.600 money and that was the normal as now we look 0:08:01.640 --> 0:08:03.720 back and go, oh, I don't know if that was 0:08:03.840 --> 0:08:06.560 kind of the best thing to do for our own 0:08:06.600 --> 0:08:10.679 financial freedom. Separately, but in saying that we're still making 0:08:10.680 --> 0:08:11.200 it work. 0:08:11.040 --> 0:08:13.360 I was gonna say it's worked out. I mean in hinds, 0:08:13.400 --> 0:08:16.120 hindsight's a beautiful thing, right, Like, I look back, I 0:08:16.120 --> 0:08:18.480 wouldn't have gotten into forty thousand dollars worth of personal 0:08:18.480 --> 0:08:22.320 debt by twenty two. That's nice. But at the same time, 0:08:22.400 --> 0:08:24.000 I think we're just doing the best that we can 0:08:24.040 --> 0:08:26.840 with the tools and resources that we have, and it 0:08:27.000 --> 0:08:29.760 wasn't the worst decision. But at the same time, you're 0:08:29.800 --> 0:08:32.040 kind of like, well, actually, if I was to give 0:08:32.080 --> 0:08:34.720 someone else advice, I'd say, maybe have your own emergency fund, 0:08:34.800 --> 0:08:37.520 maybe have your own debit cards. But like, I don't know, 0:08:37.600 --> 0:08:39.640 you're young and in love. I totally get it. 0:08:39.840 --> 0:08:41.559 Yeah, And that's what we did. We went for it, 0:08:41.640 --> 0:08:44.160 and it has worked out, so that's good. My husband 0:08:44.160 --> 0:08:46.680 finished UNI and he worked as a teacher, and we 0:08:46.720 --> 0:08:49.320 made it. When things work, we got a rental, we 0:08:49.360 --> 0:08:52.120 moved out, We spent a lot of savings on you know, 0:08:52.160 --> 0:08:55.240 furniture and all of those things, and just lived paycheck 0:08:55.280 --> 0:08:59.680 to paycheck working out life as a young couple. That 0:08:59.840 --> 0:09:02.440 was until we got married and we were pregnant with 0:09:02.480 --> 0:09:05.720 our first child. So I was nineteen, he was twenty two. 0:09:06.720 --> 0:09:10.120 We weren't quite ready for that adventure, but that's the 0:09:10.200 --> 0:09:11.320 adventure that we were put on. 0:09:11.440 --> 0:09:13.440 Did you say you got pregnant and then married or 0:09:13.480 --> 0:09:15.400 you got married and then pregnant straight away. 0:09:15.480 --> 0:09:18.400 I was eleven weeks pregnant when I got married, so 0:09:18.480 --> 0:09:20.440 we had found out just before the wedding. 0:09:20.640 --> 0:09:23.760 Yeah, okay, but that's kind of cute. I mean, in hindsight, 0:09:23.880 --> 0:09:27.000 terrifying because you were so young, but at the same time, like, 0:09:27.480 --> 0:09:29.520 I'm such a baby person, so I would have just 0:09:29.559 --> 0:09:30.520 been like whoo. 0:09:30.600 --> 0:09:34.920 Yeah. Then because of money difficulties and just you know, 0:09:35.080 --> 0:09:37.240 preparing for a child and not really knowing what we 0:09:37.240 --> 0:09:40.480 were doing, my mom and my sisters had actually moved 0:09:40.480 --> 0:09:45.640 back to our town at that point, and we decided 0:09:45.640 --> 0:09:47.840 to move back into them because they had a downstairs 0:09:47.960 --> 0:09:49.720 space that we could utilize. 0:09:49.800 --> 0:09:52.959 And that is so good, especially because like babies are 0:09:53.080 --> 0:09:57.600 so expensive, especially if you're not planning one, and then 0:09:57.800 --> 0:09:59.679 suddenly you're like, okay, You're you're going to be a 0:09:59.720 --> 0:10:02.120 family of three, Like that would have taken so much 0:10:02.120 --> 0:10:05.840 pressure off, even just having extra sets of hands around. 0:10:06.000 --> 0:10:08.840 And that was it. The night we brought our first 0:10:08.920 --> 0:10:12.360 child home, he was crying, he wasn't feeding well, and 0:10:12.480 --> 0:10:15.080 kind of Mum was just there to be like, he's fine, 0:10:15.240 --> 0:10:18.280 he's had some milk, it's okay. So yeah, it was 0:10:18.320 --> 0:10:21.120 good to have the reassurance in all of those things 0:10:21.160 --> 0:10:23.160 as a first time mum too, because. 0:10:22.960 --> 0:10:23.720 You just don't know what. 0:10:23.760 --> 0:10:26.800 You don't know, no, and whether you're nineteen or forty 0:10:26.800 --> 0:10:29.080 two having your first child, you just don't know. 0:10:29.200 --> 0:10:32.120 Or thirty three and me, I had literally no clue. 0:10:32.240 --> 0:10:34.480 And like, don't get me wrong, I adore babies. I've 0:10:34.520 --> 0:10:36.960 always been somebody that looks at babies and go, that's 0:10:37.000 --> 0:10:40.240 so nice, like one day, but the second you bring 0:10:40.280 --> 0:10:42.040 them home and they're yours, I'm like, how did you 0:10:42.120 --> 0:10:43.920 let me out of the hospital without a license? 0:10:44.360 --> 0:10:45.840 Exactly? Yeah, what do you mean? 0:10:45.960 --> 0:10:48.920 I'm just expected to care for this child and know 0:10:48.960 --> 0:10:49.840 what it needs? 0:10:50.080 --> 0:10:53.520 Like, oh, I know, definitely need a license. You need 0:10:53.520 --> 0:10:55.080 a license for a lot of things in this world, 0:10:55.120 --> 0:10:57.360 but being a parent is not one of them. 0:10:57.679 --> 0:11:02.120 Exactly. So moved in with my and then what happened. 0:11:02.240 --> 0:11:03.280 You've got a newborn. 0:11:03.520 --> 0:11:06.360 We have a newborn. I keep working as a dance teacher. 0:11:06.400 --> 0:11:09.160 So within two weeks I was back teaching. 0:11:09.320 --> 0:11:12.800 Sorry what you were teaching dance? Two weeks Postpardem. 0:11:13.160 --> 0:11:15.120 Yeah, we didn't have a lot of choice in that regard. 0:11:15.800 --> 0:11:17.360 We just got back to it and I was very 0:11:17.360 --> 0:11:20.600 calm and collected and took the baby with me and 0:11:20.679 --> 0:11:24.280 my husband would pick him up from class and that worked. 0:11:24.280 --> 0:11:27.679 And I've actually done that with two of my four children. 0:11:27.760 --> 0:11:30.760 But you also loved it, So like two weeks postpardem, 0:11:30.800 --> 0:11:33.720 as long as you're not doing anything too strenuous, like 0:11:33.800 --> 0:11:37.040 I'm sure I won't say it's okay, it's okay for you, 0:11:37.400 --> 0:11:39.800 and I mean, don't get me wrong, pot calling the 0:11:39.880 --> 0:11:42.840 kettle black. I went back to work so quickly, but 0:11:43.000 --> 0:11:45.079 it's yeah, individual. 0:11:44.559 --> 0:11:47.000 That's right. So yeah, we did that for a while. 0:11:47.200 --> 0:11:49.840 Life was pretty good. My husband was working as a teacher, 0:11:50.640 --> 0:11:55.560 finances were stable. Then he gets offered a permanent position, 0:11:55.760 --> 0:11:58.320 but not in our local town. We had to move 0:11:58.640 --> 0:12:01.720 to a regional town in quinn Land for that opportunity, 0:12:02.720 --> 0:12:05.600 and we had to enter the rental market again and 0:12:05.840 --> 0:12:08.480 just you know, there were extra expenses with doing all 0:12:08.520 --> 0:12:11.200 of that. I was jobless because I had to leave 0:12:11.240 --> 0:12:13.920 my jobs. So we knew we were going to do 0:12:13.960 --> 0:12:17.359 it. It was just how we were going to make it work. 0:12:17.120 --> 0:12:19.880 And what drove that? So like, obviously that sounds like 0:12:19.920 --> 0:12:23.439 a really good opportunity for him, but going from having 0:12:23.920 --> 0:12:27.360 him working and you working and all of that support 0:12:27.840 --> 0:12:31.240 was the driver furthering his career or was it, you know, 0:12:31.559 --> 0:12:33.959 an income that was much higher than both of your 0:12:34.000 --> 0:12:37.360 incomes were combined, Like what made you go, this is 0:12:37.400 --> 0:12:39.000 actually the best thing for our family. 0:12:39.160 --> 0:12:43.040 It was the permanency with the department that was the 0:12:43.120 --> 0:12:47.440 driving factor in teaching. And I feel like it's changed 0:12:47.480 --> 0:12:50.280 a little bit now, But back then it was always 0:12:50.280 --> 0:12:53.439 that you should do your country service as a teacher, 0:12:54.360 --> 0:12:59.079 and he hadn't had permanency in our city yet, so 0:12:59.120 --> 0:13:01.800 he was going from con to contract, doing a year here, 0:13:02.440 --> 0:13:05.320 six months there. So it was the permanency. He knew 0:13:05.320 --> 0:13:07.679 he would do his three years country service and then 0:13:07.720 --> 0:13:11.240 get back to our main city. However, when we got there, 0:13:12.040 --> 0:13:15.720 his school that he was placed at was very challenging. 0:13:16.080 --> 0:13:19.560 No, and you've just taken all of these risks and 0:13:19.600 --> 0:13:20.600 then it's not good. 0:13:21.040 --> 0:13:23.880 Yeah, and he could handle the classroom. It was more 0:13:23.920 --> 0:13:28.559 that there was no support from the admin staff or 0:13:28.800 --> 0:13:31.640 the community as such either, so he was in a 0:13:31.679 --> 0:13:35.320 hard place, not enjoying his job. I had two children 0:13:35.360 --> 0:13:38.040 by that point, so I was at home, but also 0:13:39.040 --> 0:13:41.600 starting off in a new dance studio that opened up 0:13:41.960 --> 0:13:45.160 up there, So I didn't really feel like I noticed 0:13:45.200 --> 0:13:48.440 how his mental health was because I was so busy 0:13:48.600 --> 0:13:50.480 with the household stuff. 0:13:50.600 --> 0:13:52.920 Yeah, one hundred percent, and you're just trying to keep 0:13:52.960 --> 0:13:55.840 it all together. But then also you've probably got in general, 0:13:55.880 --> 0:13:58.679 a stressed husband, coming home, working late, doing all of that. 0:13:58.920 --> 0:14:01.240 It's very hard to keep everything in check. 0:14:01.080 --> 0:14:03.280 Yeah, and coming home and wanting to spend time with 0:14:03.480 --> 0:14:06.360 the boys and his family and you know, trying to 0:14:06.400 --> 0:14:09.080 fit as much in as possible. So he decided that 0:14:09.120 --> 0:14:14.040 he was going to try to become a principal instead 0:14:14.040 --> 0:14:16.760 of a teacher. So he did a couple of courses 0:14:17.120 --> 0:14:20.360 to make that happen and ended up getting posted very 0:14:20.440 --> 0:14:26.680 quickly out to very remote Queensland. So we were kind 0:14:26.680 --> 0:14:30.720 of between long Reach and the Northern Territory border, so 0:14:30.760 --> 0:14:34.320 it was two hours to get to long Reach, and 0:14:34.400 --> 0:14:36.840 I did that weekly just to go to playgroup. 0:14:36.480 --> 0:14:39.280 Two hours for playgroup. 0:14:38.840 --> 0:14:43.000 For a playgroup. Yes. However, expenses were low, so we 0:14:43.120 --> 0:14:47.520 paid thirty six dollars a fortnight for a small two 0:14:47.600 --> 0:14:49.600 bedroom Donna type accommodation. 0:14:49.840 --> 0:14:52.880 Thirty six dollars a fortnight. All right, I'm sorry, Sorry, 0:14:52.920 --> 0:14:54.080 it's sounding much better now. 0:14:54.400 --> 0:14:57.720 Yes. It was a town of twenty people when we 0:14:57.760 --> 0:15:00.880 moved in, so it was very very tiny. The school 0:15:00.920 --> 0:15:05.080 had five children total from prep to grade six. 0:15:05.320 --> 0:15:09.280 Yeah. Wow, that's not even one kid per class. 0:15:09.520 --> 0:15:13.120 No, so it was very small, but it was eye opening. 0:15:13.120 --> 0:15:14.560 It was something that not a lot of people in 0:15:14.600 --> 0:15:17.520 Australia get to do, so we're very grateful to have 0:15:17.560 --> 0:15:21.560 had that opportunity when we did, so it was amazing. 0:15:21.600 --> 0:15:23.760 And then from there we moved to a small town 0:15:24.280 --> 0:15:27.720 between Rocky and Mackay. So we spent three years there 0:15:28.080 --> 0:15:32.520 and our rent was still very cheap, which was lovely. 0:15:32.560 --> 0:15:35.520 We had a nice house, but it was still an 0:15:35.520 --> 0:15:37.400 hour and a half drive to get my son to 0:15:37.560 --> 0:15:40.040 KINDI that year, so we did that five days a 0:15:40.080 --> 0:15:43.160 fortnite and people go, oh, my goodness, you were crazy. 0:15:43.160 --> 0:15:46.280 Why would you do that drive. But at the time 0:15:46.520 --> 0:15:50.000 my son had speech delays and we felt that it 0:15:50.040 --> 0:15:52.880 was important to get him socialized. 0:15:52.360 --> 0:15:55.960 One hundred percent. And also, like your values are overlaying 0:15:56.000 --> 0:15:59.760 with everything else. Like I feel like for some people 0:15:59.800 --> 0:16:02.200 they say, oh, an hour and a half, that's unhinged. 0:16:02.640 --> 0:16:03.480 But then on the. 0:16:03.400 --> 0:16:05.840 Flip side, there are people that I know that drive 0:16:05.880 --> 0:16:07.520 an hour and a half every morning to go to 0:16:07.560 --> 0:16:09.440 their nine to five job. And they do that every 0:16:09.440 --> 0:16:11.040 morning and every night, so they're in the car at 0:16:11.120 --> 0:16:14.040 least three out like because not because they have to, 0:16:14.160 --> 0:16:16.000 because they want to live in a certain location and 0:16:16.040 --> 0:16:18.480 then drive to work. Like, we all just make a 0:16:18.480 --> 0:16:21.560 decision that's right for us, Like, it doesn't mean it's wrong. 0:16:21.760 --> 0:16:23.680 It just means that some people might not want to 0:16:23.720 --> 0:16:25.360 do that, And that's cool if it's not for you, 0:16:25.880 --> 0:16:28.000 But I'm glad it worked out for you guys. 0:16:28.240 --> 0:16:30.960 So yeah, they were financial benefits of doing that as well. 0:16:31.000 --> 0:16:34.160 So there was a race payment for living in a 0:16:34.200 --> 0:16:37.280 remote area, and that meant that twice a year we 0:16:37.480 --> 0:16:40.800 got like a couple of thousand dollars kind of like 0:16:40.840 --> 0:16:44.000 a bonus, I guess, and it was per person, so 0:16:44.960 --> 0:16:47.840 my husband and I would get let's say a thousand dollars, 0:16:48.440 --> 0:16:51.160 and then for each child you might get five hundred 0:16:51.720 --> 0:16:54.080 and yeah. It was just a really nice community as well, 0:16:54.120 --> 0:16:56.880 so we really enjoyed our time there. But coming up 0:16:56.880 --> 0:16:59.560 to three years, my husband felt like he was ready 0:16:59.600 --> 0:17:03.080 for a chain, so we did move to a larger 0:17:03.120 --> 0:17:05.879 school where he was a teaching principal as well, and 0:17:05.920 --> 0:17:09.040 then eventually got to it open up a new high school, 0:17:09.600 --> 0:17:11.879 which was very cool. He got on really well with 0:17:11.920 --> 0:17:14.920 the staff at that school and they opened up. They 0:17:14.960 --> 0:17:18.399 had two grades to start with, and really felt like 0:17:18.480 --> 0:17:21.879 we were going to stay there for a long time 0:17:22.000 --> 0:17:25.919 until our kids started high school, which was really lovely. 0:17:26.040 --> 0:17:29.800 Our kids. We had three children by that point, fourth 0:17:29.840 --> 0:17:30.320 on the way. 0:17:30.520 --> 0:17:32.199 Oh my gosh. Four babies. 0:17:32.560 --> 0:17:36.439 Four babies, yes, yeah, so it's a pretty crazy life. 0:17:36.520 --> 0:17:37.600 No, I love it. I love it. 0:17:37.680 --> 0:17:38.119 We love it. 0:17:38.200 --> 0:17:40.560 I've only got one, but I'm already like, so can 0:17:40.600 --> 0:17:41.160 we have more? 0:17:41.280 --> 0:17:43.520 Yeah? Yeah, more babies. We love babies. 0:17:43.760 --> 0:17:46.080 I think it's so crazy because so many people are like, 0:17:46.080 --> 0:17:46.400 are you. 0:17:46.320 --> 0:17:46.880 One and done? 0:17:46.960 --> 0:17:49.000 I'm like, oh no, I'm one and more. Like this 0:17:49.119 --> 0:17:51.000 has just told me that I need more of these 0:17:51.760 --> 0:17:52.480 so bad. 0:17:52.760 --> 0:17:53.480 So special. 0:17:53.720 --> 0:17:56.320 So you had three babies and you're pregnant. 0:17:56.560 --> 0:18:00.000 Yes, my last one came in a bit of a hurry. 0:18:00.000 --> 0:18:02.080 We did go into the hospital. I went by myself 0:18:02.119 --> 0:18:06.960 with my two children who weren't yet at school. Then 0:18:07.000 --> 0:18:08.359 they said, no, you're not going anywhere. 0:18:08.400 --> 0:18:11.040 You have to stay, but I have two toddlers following 0:18:11.080 --> 0:18:11.640 me around. 0:18:11.880 --> 0:18:13.919 Yeah, so I think after school, my husband came to 0:18:13.920 --> 0:18:17.359 pick up the two toddlers and then we had a 0:18:17.400 --> 0:18:20.760 baby like the next day, which was wild. We had 0:18:20.760 --> 0:18:22.439 to get people who I didn't know very well to 0:18:22.440 --> 0:18:24.080 look after the other children at our house. 0:18:24.160 --> 0:18:26.200 Oh yeah, that would have been a bit stressful, you 0:18:26.240 --> 0:18:27.919 would have been. I just want to go home. I 0:18:28.000 --> 0:18:30.359 just want all my babies under one roof, and I 0:18:30.400 --> 0:18:31.639 want to look after them, thank you. 0:18:31.840 --> 0:18:33.840 Yeah, And we were just trying to figure out our 0:18:33.960 --> 0:18:36.840 finances and how that was all going to look. I 0:18:36.880 --> 0:18:39.800 actually got back to work that year, and I came 0:18:39.840 --> 0:18:40.959 back as a relief teacher. 0:18:41.320 --> 0:18:43.760 Sorry, four babies and she's back at work. 0:18:44.040 --> 0:18:47.760 Yeah. So I put my littlest one in daycare and 0:18:48.480 --> 0:18:51.160 my third child was in like a pre Kindy class 0:18:51.240 --> 0:18:53.119 at that point, so she was going to do two 0:18:53.200 --> 0:18:56.000 years at Kindy. So life was getting back on track, 0:18:56.160 --> 0:18:58.520 was becoming more normal. I was getting some adult time 0:18:59.400 --> 0:18:59.960 at my job. 0:19:00.160 --> 0:19:01.760 I need you've gotten to the point where you're like, 0:19:02.200 --> 0:19:05.120 four kids, I think we're done. So we're through that 0:19:05.200 --> 0:19:08.320 like baby phase or was this like you're just not sure? 0:19:08.440 --> 0:19:10.520