Money, money, money. They say it makes the world go round, right?

The topic of money always comes up when I’m working with my awesome clients. Celebrating them reaching their income goals. Helping them create a system and plan for tracking their income and managing their expenses and taxes. Exploring their fears, limiting self-beliefs, and anxieties around money. Navigating the feast and famine cycle that can come with this journey along the way.

I believe more than anything that when it comes to money, honest conversations are what helps us make smarter, more empowered, and intentional decisions along the way. It’s a topic that affects every single one of us, no matter our income and background. Today I want to share with you some of my favourite money conversations from around the web in the hopes they can be of comfort, inspiration, and encouragement to you along the way.

1. Chelsea Fagan on Why We Need To Be Honest About Money on Real Talk Radio Podcast

The Financial Diet is one of the few websites I read daily - I just love their honest, feminist, and varied conversations around money and careers and just figuring it all out in your 20s. Real Talk Radio is one of my favourite podcasts so when Chelsea (TFDs founder and editor) was a guest on a recent season I was very excited to listen in.

This episode is great if you want to listen to just a very honest and human conversation around money - covering things like how Chelsea started her business, debt, savings, managing money with our partners, and losing the guilt that comes with financial help too. If talking about money makes you uncomfortable, this is also a great episode to help you explore how it can actually be an empowering topic instead.

2. You Need A Budget with Jesse Mecham on Being Boss Podcast

This podcast episode kind of changed my entire financial life. The YNAB methodology for budgeting really helped me and Alex to explore and define our own approach to managing our finances together and this is a great episode for practical and encouraging advice around budgeting for your life and business along the way.

If budgeting freaks you out, or you just haven’t got a good handle on it yet, or if you feel like you have a good budget but unexpected or one-off expenses throughout the year are catching you out, this is the episode for you.

3. You Can Choose To Want Less by Yes And Yes

In this blog post, Sarah Von Bargen shares with us something her financial advisor said to her: "So there are basically three approaches to saving. You can work more. You can save more. Or you can want less.” When I read that, it completely opened up a shift in my thinking when it comes to my income goals and how I navigate my finances each month.

Something I’ve been thinking about recently is how I used to think that more money meant more freedom but now I’m learning that spending less actually leads to more freedom - in my own experience of life so far anyway. This post is a great read if you want to explore what wanting less could look like for you.

4. Confession: I’m A #1 Bestselling Author… And A Nanny by Laura Jane Williams

I love this post from Laura Jane Williams, it’s so honest and necessary in an online world where it’s far too easy to believe the lie that everyone has their finances together and that life looks exactly like their Instagram feed.

Laura shares with us in the post the reality of being a bestselling author and still needing a day job - and why she’s chosen a day job that doesn’t ask anything from her creative craft. This is the perfect read for anyone knee deep in the financial realities of creative living right now and wondering if everyone else just has it way more figured out than you do. This one’s the perfect reminder that what we see online isn’t always the whole truth.

5. A Full Financial Breakdown Of How One Woman Is Following Her Creative Dream by Jamie Varon

Jamie Varon is one of my favourite writers on the internet and this article is an honest and open look at how she makes her creative life work financially. The reality is, “doing what we love” doesn’t always look as dreamy and easy as social media tries to make it seem. It can be messy, there may be trade-offs and sacrifices, and we very rarely feel like we have everything together all at once.

I’ve re-read this one over and over again, because it’s just so refreshing to hear someone talk so honestly about their financial situation and I definitely recommend giving it a read.

6. Your Salary Is Not Your Self-Worth (And Why I Gave Myself Permission To Earn Less) by Cait Flanders

Cait is awesome, ever since discovering her blog I’ve felt so empowered and encouraged to make smarter, more intentional decisions with my finances. In this post she digs into the fact that our salary is not our self-worth, and shares with us how she has given herself permission to earn less so she can have more freedom and work on her upcoming book too.

If you struggle to disconnect your income from your self-worth, or if you’re aching for permission to live more than you work or not obsess over increasing your income, this is the post for you.

7. Running Your Business With Values-Based Accounting by Made Vibrant

When I first read this post by Caroline on values-based accounting, she finally gave a name to the approach that feels most true to me when it comes to my business finances. This is a great read for any big-hearted creatives who want to make decisions in their business in a more authentic, values-based way - instead of just chasing every single payday for the sake of it.

8. Budgeting With Irregular Income on Budgets & Cents Podcast

Cait Flanders alongside her friend Carrie Smith run Budgets & Cents, a podcast all about money, budgeting, and the freelance life and it is awesome. This episode is great for anyone navigating the highs and lows of budgeting with irregular income and trying to figure out how to make it work along the way.

Budgeting with irregular income is one of the hardest part of freelance life - in my own experience the most important thing is to have a system and a plan of action to keep you moving forward. This a great episode to listen to if you’re ready to take control of your finances in a more intentional and organised way.

Here's to honest conversations about money and figuring it out along the way.

Every Sunday I send thoughtful insights to my community through Weekly Letters. If you're not already on the list, you can sign up below to receive this weekends letter straight to your inbox.

Eight Honest Money Stories & Conversations To Help You Feel Less Alone In Your Freelance Finances