“Simon Says” – Afterpay and Budgeting

This is a case study from one of our clients who they, and their family, choose to remain anonymous.  The content was relevant to all our clients and too good not to share.  Please enjoy the insights of just one of our amazing clients so far.  We think this content is relevant to us all and offers an insight to a client who has worked with us and come out the other side smelling of roses.  Thankyou “Simon” for allowing us to share this story.

“I thought I’d write you another email, it’s about the only thing in my life that is free and I don’t need to budget for it.  I was scrolling through FaceBook and came across your post about After pay…. I did a little bit of research on after pay so I understood what it was and then started reading the comments attached to the Today show post. I was blown away by the amount of comments made (mostly from young women) about how good After Pay was and how it was a real life saver.

OK I get it, it’s another form of easy credit… dressed up as a friendly service to “help” people for a “little Boost” till next pay day or low and easy repayments so you can HAVE IT NOW…. Have it now seems to be the functional words in all of this. Those three special words that everyone in today’s world know .. it’s not what you’re thinking it is no longer “I love you”… it’s now been replaced with “have it now”. In the words of Tina Turner “what’s love got to do with it” …. in this day and age .. very little. Especially when you can HAVE IT NOW!!!!! 

So I Digress,  back onto my main point. One of the main comments in the today show post made by these mostly young people (I’m over 40 now so I can say that) was “Afterpay is great as long as you are strict with your budget” ….. erm… in the words of the Holy Virgin Mary… come again? Let’s say it again… “if your strict with your BUDGET…. Afterpay is great”. I’m sorry… I still don’t get it. You said the word BUDGET, STRICT and AFTERPAY in the same sentence, there should be a law against that!

So after some thought whilst taking a budgeted for toilet break, I had an epiphany. I don’t think most people know what an actual budget is… what the word Budget actually means? Comments like I was reading I believe are proof of this. I’m not going to go into how I had my eyes opened by you guys and all that Jazz. How you guys showed us what we need to do to succeed, you know as well as I do.

The old me thinks budgeting was not running out of money before the next pay cycle and use credit cards if you do. The new me knows better…. the new me knows budgeting is HAVING the money in the bank ready to pay the bill… cause you BUDGETED for it.. you planned for it… you knew it was coming due and your made a plan to put that money away so it was ready when the bill came due. Credit cards have a place in my life still… they are frozen in a cup of water in the freezer… where they belong. Any who… I’m off to breakfast… all budgeted for and paid in full!

The penny has finally dropped!”

I love you guys!!!!

“SIMON”