Financial Skills That Actually Matter
Twelve weeks of practical budget management starting September 2025. We skip the theory overload and focus on what works when you're cutting costs in real life.
Register Your InterestWhat You'll Learn
Look, budgeting isn't glamorous. But when you're staring at bills that don't match your income, having a system matters more than motivation. Our approach is built from actual household challenges, not textbook scenarios.
Finding Your Baseline
Where's the money actually going? Most people guess wrong. We spend three weeks tracking patterns and identifying the silent budget killers that sneak past everyone.
Strategic Reduction
Not all expenses are equal. Some cuts hurt more than they save. This module walks through priority frameworks that keep life functional while freeing up cash.
Negotiation Basics
Utilities, subscriptions, insurance—there's often wiggle room if you know how to ask. We practice conversations that feel awkward at first but become routine.
Building Buffers
Emergency funds sound impossible when money's tight. We break it into steps small enough to start this month, not someday when things magically improve.
Managing Setbacks
Budgets break. Cars need repairs, kids need braces, life happens. The final weeks focus on recovery strategies so one bad month doesn't crater six months of progress.
Long-Term Habits
Skills fade without practice. We design personal systems that require minimal willpower because discipline alone doesn't survive schedule changes or stress.
Who's Teaching
Briony Vex runs the program. She spent eight years as a financial counselor in Townsville before switching to education. The curriculum comes from patterns she saw repeatedly—same mistakes, same stress points, same breakthroughs when people finally had tools that fit their reality.
Maeve Thornhill handles coordination and guest sessions. Her background is corporate finance, which sounds unrelated until you realize large companies and tight households both need ruthless priority systems.
Teaching Philosophy
We don't sugarcoat financial stress or pretend budgeting is fun. But we've watched hundreds of people shift from crisis mode to stable ground using these exact methods. Small improvements compound faster than most expect.
Program Timeline
Classes run Tuesday evenings from September through November 2025. Each session is two hours with optional office hours on Saturdays. The pace assumes you're working full-time and have limited energy for homework.
Weeks 1-3: Assessment Phase
Sept 2-23, 2025Data collection without judgment. Track everything, categorize spending, identify baseline numbers. Most people find this eye-opening and slightly uncomfortable.
Weeks 4-7: Strategy Development
Sept 30 - Oct 21, 2025Build your reduction plan. Test different approaches, practice negotiations, troubleshoot obstacles. Expect trial and error here—that's normal.
Weeks 8-10: Implementation Support
Oct 28 - Nov 11, 2025Execute your plan with weekly check-ins. This is where theory meets reality and adjustments happen. Group troubleshooting sessions help when things don't go smoothly.
Weeks 11-12: Maintenance Systems
Nov 18-25, 2025Design sustainability routines. What monthly reviews actually matter? How do you spot problems early? What happens during life disruptions? Final sessions focus on staying functional long-term.