Sarah Kelsey

23 Years Old | Bali

Describe the state of your finances in a few words.

Unstable, confident and risky. I know that’s quite contradicting, but I suppose with the state of my lifestyle it makes sense, because I know what I need to be stable, but I am not quite there yet!

What is your relationship with money like? 

I've never had a truly negative relationship with money, probably because my parents are both big spenders (so there was always excitement around using it), and it always seemed to ‘be there’. As I've grown up and experienced my own stresses around it, I have felt held back at times, but I know the more I view money as a restrictive asset, the less I can use it as a resource. Having lots of money has always made me uncomfortable, so the next step in my money mindset journey is to be okay with earning more of it myself.

Where do you think we are with overall gender equality? 

Of course the gender pay gap is still there, so we aren’t where we could be, and even bigger is the ethnic pay gap which is less reported on. I think both take more than just awareness, but an understanding of where the gaps come from, and how you can attack the disease from the root. Organisations like 'Mind The Gap' do awesome work. I do a lot of work to undo my personal beliefs around pay/skill that hold me back so that I can be a champion for others as well.

Do you think it’s important for women to start having more conversations about money? 

Women typically have been told to ‘be’ all sorts of things in their life: one of the more obvious ones is to be polite. Money has always been seen as taboo and a breach of someone's privacy to talk about. But those are the conversations that will help initiate action in one person's life, and then generationally their children's and so on. If you can be open to having those conversations, you'll inspire others to do the same.

What does financial freedom mean or look like to you?
Getting to do whatever I want, at any time without financial worry. Having the freedom of choice is one of the biggest freedoms of all!

What's one money goal you have right now?
To get a stable income! Trying to create my own role/career is proving to be a challenge for sure.

What are a few money tips you've learned and found hugely helpful?

• Pick the right KiwiSaver fund
• Curate your social media to suit your goals
• Invest consistently
• Don’t forget to invest in yourself

Have you invested in anything lately that you're excited about?

I invest in funds, nice and boring. But other than that, probably my trip to Bali. It's already been extremely transformative, I know it's going to teach me so much, and ultimately, help me be a better person.

What do you like most about being a part of the Curve community?

I love the Curve’s women focus, I enjoy seeing gals excited to talk about money. This financial space and community is so fun because we are all beginners and learning consistently so you never need to feel ashamed, the Curve removes that shame!