Thanks for NOTHING, Barefoot

Hey Scott,

I just read your column about Maura, the single mum who bought a home with a 2.5% deposit and now can’t afford it. Maura, listen to Scott – and you might end up like me: with ‘nothing’ (and grateful for it). In 2022, I owned my first home. Then a work injury shattered my income. I was living on $200 a fortnight with rising medical bills and no end in sight. Desperate, I finally called a financial counsellor. I walked in ashamed, terrified – and walked out with support, a plan, and a huge sense of relief. Selling my home hurt. But two years on, I’d do it again. Today, I’ve got ‘nothing’, except six figures in my bank account and no crushing debt. That freedom is worth everything to me. My only regret? Not picking up the phone sooner. So, thanks for ‘nothing’, Scott.

Amanda

Hi Amanda,

You’ve just written the anti-Instagram story: no hustle, no property portfolio, no pretending.

You were on your knees. Broke. Living on $200 a fortnight and too scared to open the mail. Yet you managed to do the hardest thing of all: you picked up the phone and asked for help.

That took guts.

Selling your home would’ve felt like a total failure. Yet it turned out to be the thing that set you free. Once the weight of the debt was lifted off your shoulders, you could finally breathe. Now you have a bank balance that proves you’re in control.

So yeah, thanks for ‘nothing’, Amanda. Because your story will help more people than a hundred finance influencers ever could. If you’re reading this and feel like you’re drowning, call 1800 007 007. It’s free. It’s confidential. And it just might change everything.