Money with Alpha

Alpha Schulte

Welcome to Money with Alpha, where I share simple tips for how to make, save and invest money, while also connecting your values with your lifestyle, so you can achieve the life you really want. You will also hear interviews from real people as they share the ups and downs of their money journey. After all, we are all on a journey and what better way to learn about money, then to hear what hasn't and has worked!

  1. Ep216 Thriving with Neurodiversity with Francesca Casaro

    Jun 15

    Ep216 Thriving with Neurodiversity with Francesca Casaro

    In this episode, Alpha sits down with Francesca Casaro, developmental educator, autism and ADHD specialist, and founder of Neuro Connections, to talk about what neurodivergence actually is, why so many people are only getting diagnosed in adulthood, and how to stop working against your brain and start working with it. Francesca's path is a fascinating one. Born in Italy, she moved to New Zealand, had a daughter, and it was only when her daughter started school that the journey toward diagnosis began, for her daughter, and eventually for Francesca herself. Both are autistic and ADHD. Rather than sitting with that information, Francesca went deep, completed a Master of Autism Neurodivergence, and built a career supporting autistic and ADHD families. This conversation is warm, honest, and genuinely useful, whether you're navigating neurodivergence yourself, supporting a child, or simply trying to understand why some things feel so much harder than they should. What We Cover ·       What developmental education actually is (and why it's different from teaching) ·       Why autism isn't more common, we just understand it better now ·       What a 'spiky cognitive profile' means and why it matters ·       Why formal labels can be useful, but only when they give you tools, not more shame ·       The neurodiversity movement and what 'neuro-affirmative' practice actually looks like ·       How hyperfocus is a strength, not just an ADHD trait to manage ·       What to do if you suspect neurodivergence, in yourself or your child, without a formal diagnosis ·       Practical strategies for money avoidance when your brain works differently ·       Why working to your strengths matters more than fixing your weaknesses About Francesca Casaro Francesca is a developmental educator and founder of Neuro Connections, based in Brisbane. She holds a Master of Autism Neurodivergence and works with autistic and ADHD individuals aged 9 and up, and their families. She also works as a facilitator with Reframing Autism. Francesca works face-to-face in limited capacity and offers telehealth sessions Australia-wide. Find Francesca: https://neuroconnections.au/

    43 min
  2. Ep215 Property & Wealth with Janice Minihan

    Jun 8

    Ep215 Property & Wealth with Janice Minihan

    This week I'm chatting with Janice Minihan - property investor, buyer's agent, and property manager with a portfolio spanning Australia and the UK. Janice's story starts where a lot of ours do: watching someone else do something with money that made you think, "wait, there's another way." For Janice, it was watching her dad flip a house in Rockhampton and make more in three months than a full year of teaching. That moment changed everything. We talk about what it actually looks like to start building wealth through property, why inaction is often the most expensive choice you can make, and what the current Australian market, including the recent budget changes, means for investors right now. What we cover: Janice's journey from primary school teacher to property investor and portfolio builder across Australia and the UK Why the cost of doing nothing is often bigger than the cost of getting it wrong What neutrally geared property looks like and why Janice now prefers it over negative gearing The truth about property management (and why most of it is genuinely terrible) How to avoid overcapitalising on renovations and what buyers actually want Granny flats, multi-generational living, and why this is one of the biggest opportunities in Southeast Queensland right now What the 2025 federal budget changes mean for property investors (negative gearing, CGT discount, trusts, SMSFs) How to build the right team: broker, accountant, property manager Janice's mission to help women aged 40–60 access secure, affordable rental housing Key takeaways: You don't need to know everything before you start. You just need the next step and the right people around you. Getting the structure right from the beginning saves enormous pain later. Property in Southeast Queensland is one of the more forgiving wealth-building vehicles available, but only if you go in informed. The cost of inaction is real. Every year you wait is a year of compounding you don't get back. Good property management protects your investment. Most people underestimate this until they've had a bad experience. About Janice: Janice Minihan is a buyer's agent, property manager, and investor based in Southeast Queensland, with a portfolio and management business operating across Australia and the UK. Connect with Janice: https://www.atrealty.com.au/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/janice-minihan/ https://www.instagram.com/minihangroupaustralia/ https://www.facebook.com/jen.min.376

    38 min
  3. May 25

    Ep213 How to Plan When Change is Constant

    Death, taxes, and change. These are certainties in life. This year has felt like a runaway horse and if you've been quietly avoiding your finances because the goal posts keep moving, this episode is your permission slip to take one small step anyway. Alpha unpacks the recent Federal Budget changes (in plain English, not accountant-speak) and shares why now is not the time to freeze. She walks through the 5 things you can actually do to feel more in control when so much is outside your control: Get clear on what YOU want (not what your dad, your friend, or the property gurus on Instagram want for you) Know where your money is (not your numbers, your money) Talk to the right kind of accountant (and what "right" actually means now) Get informed about the changes that affect you (without doom-scrolling) Keep moving forward, even in tiny increments She also gets honest about freezing after her father passed last year, why she literally wrote "make decision" in her calendar, and how momentum builds confidence (not the other way around). Key takeaways: Clarity is the only thing you can fully control. Start there. "Know where your money is" is the gentler starting point if "know your numbers" feels too big. The Federal Budget changes are significant for property investors, trust structures, and capital gains tax. Compliance accountants and strategic accountants are not the same thing. Frozen is a valid response to change. Stuck is not the same as careful. Momentum builds confidence. Not the other way around. Resources mentioned: Clarity Chat with Alpha (now including a Clarity Audit of your money picture) - https://www.money-madesimple.com.au/claritychat Free 2-page Financial Health Check PDF.  Email me for a copy - support@money-madesimple.com.au Prosperess app (cashflow visibility, net worth tracking, scenario modelling) - www.prosperess.net

    26 min
  4. Ep212 Pay Off Your Mortgage Faster & Make Money

    May 18

    Ep212 Pay Off Your Mortgage Faster & Make Money

    There's one financial concept that quietly decides whether you spend your life paying interest or earning it. Compounding. Most of us learned the word in high school maths, then never had it explained in a way that actually changed how we manage money. In this episode, Alpha walks through both sides of compounding using the loan calculator and Future Projector she built inside the Prosperess app. She shows the real numbers behind paying your mortgage fortnightly instead of monthly (spoiler: same payment, three years saved, $62,000 less in interest), what happens when you find an extra $100 or $500 a month, and how even $50 a month invested can quietly become tens of thousands over 20 years. This is the kind of maths the bank has no reason to walk you through. So Alpha walked you through it instead. What you'll take away What compounding actually is, in plain language The fortnightly repayment trick that saves more than $62,000 on a $500,000 loan What an extra $100, $200 or $500 a month does to your loan term and total interest The difference between an offset account and a redraw, and when each one actually helps you What $50, $100 and $150 a month grows to in 20 years at a conservative 8% return Why it's not too late if you're in your late 40s or 50s Why automation beats discipline every time Mentioned in this episode The Prosperess loan calculator and Future Projector (inside the Prosperess app) The Money Pie framework Vanguard ETFs (referenced as an example of automated investing) 21-day free trial of Prosperess: prosperess.net Quote from this episode "Compounding either works for you or against you. The good news is you actually get to choose which." Connect Website: www.money-madesimple.com.au  App: www.prosperess.net

    27 min

About

Welcome to Money with Alpha, where I share simple tips for how to make, save and invest money, while also connecting your values with your lifestyle, so you can achieve the life you really want. You will also hear interviews from real people as they share the ups and downs of their money journey. After all, we are all on a journey and what better way to learn about money, then to hear what hasn't and has worked!

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