Financial lessons from your garden

You can’t expect to create a bountiful garden full of colour and edible delights if you don’t do the right things at the right time.

There is a right time to prepare the soil, to plant, to prune, and then to reap your rewards.

There are certain things you need to do regularly like watering and weeding, and other things that require more long term planning – like where to plant trees, where to set up garden beds, where to install dripper systems.

Similarly with your own financial affairs it starts with an intention. How do you want to spend the rest of your life? What needs to happen from a financial point of view for you to achieve your ideal lifestyle?

Then comes the plan. What financial resources are required to buy your own home? To raise and educate your children? To create lifelong memories from brilliant family holidays? To retire with dignity?

Then comes the doing. Each pay day contribute to super for retirement, and save and invest for your pre-retirement goals.

Each year reflect on your progress, and review what is working and not working.

Every now and again check the adequacy of the safety nets of your personal insurances, Wills and Powers of Attorney.

Read and learn about the issues that affect you. Seek advice from your accountant regarding tax issues, your Solicitor regarding your Estate Plans, and your Financial Planner regarding a comprehensive plan to make it all work.

You don’t need a big yard to have a nice garden.

You don’t need to earn big money to become financially independent.

It’s what you do with what you have got, and your mindset that makes the difference.

You can’t rush nature and time will work better for you if you start early but it’s never too late to start.

What are your intentions? What are your plans from today forward? What is the first step?

Take that step.