Babette Bensoussan

Welcome to the Financial Secrets Revealed podcast episode where Amanda Cassar introduces Babette Bensoussan, the daughter of French Moroccan immigrants to Australia who now advises and coaches organisations and business leaders around the world.

Babette is The Decisions-Making Maverick™at MindShifts: Life, Leadership & Business Coach.  She is also a prolific Author, and it then becomes a little hard to nail down a top skill for Babette.

I first crossed paths with Babette in a friend’s backyard in Sydney, Australia when she supported my fund-raising efforts for The Hunger Project.  I’ve also utilised her services as a coach personally and now find her a native of my home state of Queensland, having made the move from Sydney.

Babette believes her childhood was very 1950’s Australia with a breadwinner father and stay at home mother.  She navigated two cultures walking the tightrope between a French-Jewish home life and typical laid back and relaxed Australian school life.

She shares with me the lessons she has learned and how she’s carved her own niche, along with her views on the financial lessons she’s learned over the years.

“We educated ourselves be attending various workshops and seminars to improve our own knowledge.” – Babette Bensoussan.

Links
MindShifts | Executive Coaching | Energy Leadership | Competitive Intelligence Experts  (Company Website)  

BABETTE BENSOUSSAN, MBA | LinkedIn (LinkedIn profile)

Babette Bensoussan - Wikipedia (Wikipedia profile)

Purchase your copy of Babette’s favourite Book: The Richest Man in Babylon: The Success Secrets of the Ancients--The Most Inspiring Book on Wealth Ever Written: Clason, George S.: Amazon.com.au: Books  

The Hunger Project Australia (thp.org.au) The Hunger Project, Australia

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Financial Secrets Revealed: Cassar, Amanda: Amazon.com.au: Books

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Financial Secrets Revealed, Collective Wisdom from Business Gurus, Financial Geniuses and Everyday Heroes by Amanda Cassar | 9781925648546 | Booktopia

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Follow 

Catch up with Amanda Cassar, host of Financial Secrets Revealed on Twitter and Instagram @financechicks or on LinkedIn at Amanda Cassar | LinkedIn

Websites: 

• https://amandacassar.com.au/ 
• https://www.wealthplanningpartners.com.au/ (company website)
• https://trustedagedcare.com.au/ (company website)

 Or follow Babette on Twitter @BabetteBen 

Or The Hunger Project on or Insta @thehungerprojectau or F

Transcript

Intro: 0:06

Hi, I am Amanda Cassar and welcome to the financial Secrets Revealed podcast where I have collected the wisdom from some amazing people around the world to understand better their money story. I have financial advisors, multimillion dollar corporate executives and those surviving on centerlink even running global charities. I hope you enjoy listening to the episodes as I speak with these incredible people about their stories.

Amanda: 0:44

Today I have joining me the lovely Babette Bensoussan, isn't that a cool name? Now I first met Babette in a lovely Sydney balmy backyard when I was fundraising. Yeah, at a barbecue for the Hunger Project. And it was quite funny that our paths had crossed in the background. I didn't know you were secretly a judge of an award. I'd entered some time before. You never told me if you voted for me or not so

Babette: 1:13

Long time ago.

Amanda: 1:18

Water under the bridge. And yeah, it was it was a lovely, I suppose weekend and we've stayed in touch ever since. So I've used your coaching services a little bit. And yeah, we've stayed friends ever since then. Can you please tell me a little bit about what you do. Babette?

Babette: 1:35

Well, these days, I predominantly coach professionals around life, any life situation, leadership issues or business issues. So I generally coach people around transitioning, when they transition from either they were a manager, they're now a leader, or they had this kind of life, they now want to create something different, or they're running a company now they want to get on boards, or they're looking at growing their business.

Amanda: 2:05

Right. And you used the Myer Briggs.

Babette: 2:08

I did.

Amanda: 2:09

And you're one of the very few people who does energy leadership. What's that about?

Babette: 2:14

That's correct. I love this tool, because the energy leadership index does three key things. Number one, it looks at your leadership ability, how good you are, not only at motivating others, but at motivating yourself to move forward and take action. The second thing is how conscious you are of all the things, how aware you are of life, and all the things around you. And the third thing is how engaged are you with what you're doing and with life in general. So it's a great tool to understand where people are because you can only read and interpret the questions with your current level of consciousness and engagement with life. So I get clients to do it at the beginning. And then they do one at the end. And they can see the impact that they're thinking as a result of the coaching. So it's a great tool from that perspective.

Amanda: 3:07

Yeah, fabulous. I did it the once I haven't done it since so I'll have to come back for round two.

Babette: 3:13

We should definitely do.

Amanda: 3:15

And you've also had a big transition since we spoke as well. I think when we first met, you were living in Sydney and working down there. And you've now joined me in my home state of Queensland.

Babette: 3:27

Yes. So what happened is, three years ago, my husband retired. And I knew that if we kept living in St. Leonard's which we were living, you know, living in Sydney, that our lives would not change, they'd get taken up by the routines of things. And we wanted to travel, we wanted to do things. So we decided to move, well, I decided to move.

Amanda: 3:57

Says the woman full of the energy leadership.

Babette: 4:01

It was a choice between the Gold Coast or the Sunshine Coast. And I just, I fell in love with the Sunshine Coast. And also I have to admit, my best friend lives here. And I had a couple of other friends that lived here. So it was just evident. I know you lived on the Gold Coast and my brother lived on the Gold Coast. But look, we're only three hours away by car not even.

Amanda: 4:23

Well two and a half now and having said that ,the Sunshine Coast is probably the Gold Coast 20 years ago before we got stupid busy down here. So it's probably a little more relaxed up there ,as a Gold Coast girl I'm allowed to say that so. Yeah it's, I think it's a lot more relaxed than the lifestyle down here now.

Babette: 4:41

I love it up here. And there's still a lot of greenery and there's still a lot of the beaches and everything. It's just wonderful here.

Amanda: 4:49

Yeah, it is gorgeous. Absolutely. Now when you contributed to my book, you know one of the favourite questions I had asking everyone was about their life growing up and the the impact their parents had on their finances. And can you please share a little bit with me about growing up as the daughter of immigrants in Australia, which is, look, I suppose most people here if you're not indigenous, you're a boat person somehow. So how did you end up here as a boat person Babette.

Babette: 5:19

You know, and I really think that's a very insightful question to understand the impact that family role modeling has on financials and I think you did, right. So my parents came out to Australia, we came out to Australia in gosh, late 1950s, early 1960s. And we came from Morocco, to Australia, we came out to look see, but my father liked it so much, we decided to stay. So it was interesting. As migrants, they were risk averse, highly risk averse, because they didn't know the language, they didn't know that the language we grew up with was French. So they, you know, they didn't know the English language, the English lifestyle. And you know, in the 1960s, Australia was not very international to the way it is nowadays.

Amanda: 6:17

It's so funny you say they're risk averse, when they're making one of the biggest riskiest boldest decisions of their lives to go to a country and a culture that is quite foreign.

Babette: 6:29

You make a very good point, Amanda, they will find naturally risk averse,

Amanda: 6:35

Yes.

Babette: 6:35

So my parents really, we didn't come out as migrants, we came out to look. And then we stayed and became Australian citizens after that. But you're right. It is a huge risk, they were taking, leaving family, friends, that culture, everything that they've known, but financially, my father was very risk averse.

Amanda: 6:57

Now, your father was a professor?

Babette: 6:59

Yes, he was a lecturer and a professor at Macquarie University teaching French literature. So he wanted to

Amanda: 7:07

Oh wow,

Babette: 7:08

We were academically strong as children. But, you know, my father hated debt. I remember clearly, if he owed anyone money, he couldn't sleep.

Amanda: 7:20

Wow. Okay. So it wasn't a tool for him, it was a noose around his neck.

Babette: 7:25

Yeah. So he was saving. So we never had a mortgage on the house. Or if we did, it was a tiny, tiny mortgage. We never borrowed money on cars. Dad was willing to lend us money as his children, but highly, highly reluctant to borrow it from anywhere. So we came from a very saving conscious family. And because of that, it made me aware that having everything in one asset was not a smart move.

Amanda: 7:57

So it was all in the family property. That was how he chose to invest.

Babette: 8:01

Yes, in the family home, or in super ands savings, so we could go overseas and travel. So but I learned from a very young age, we had to do our pocket money, chores to get pocket money to save. I mean, when I got my first car, I paid for it out of my own savings. The moment I was 15, and nine months, I worked on Saturdays, you know,I've worked as an usherette in a cinema. That's why I got to see Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 29 times.

Amanda: 8:33

You can say that word for word to this day, I'm sure.

Babette: 8:37

I know Errors I know all the errors in that movie. And I worked in a pharmacy. God yeah. So yeah, it was the key thing of seeing him only with that focus, no debt. He did try to dabble in the stock exchange or in the stock market. And he didn't do well. I think they lost their money. So they were very risk averse to all this kind of stuff. Because I think they listened to people's advice rather than do some of the work themselves.

Amanda: 9:20

So when you say they listened to people's advice, what sort of people are we talking about here? Are we talking the taxi driver, the neighbor or a financial professional.

Babette: 9:28

A stockbroker.

Amanda: 9:29

Okay, so someone who just takes orders rather than gives financial advice?

Unknown: 9:32

Yeah, yeah. I don't think they ever, apart from an accountant, tax advisor or an account. They never listened to, never had financial advice. Yes, never.

Amanda: 9:45

So you've had this very traditional upbringing. How old were you when the family moved out?

Babette: 9:50

Who when I moved out,

Amanda: 9:52

You, yeah.

Babette: 9:54

I think I was in my 20s Oh, okay. So for you it wad a big change as well, then you've completed your schooling in Morroco? I completed my schooling here in Australia, okay, and then went and became a secretary started working as soon as possible. Then I went to live in the states and worked in the states for a couple of years.

Amanda: 10:16

So you sound a bit more of a risk taker than mum and dad.

Babette: 10:20

Interestingly enough, I'm more. And that's an interesting question. I'm a risk taker with my life, not necessarily with my money. So you still have that very traditional view around money, perhaps more risk averse, but you love to take, I suppose a hold of opportunity in your life to grasp those experiences rather than financial. Right? Yes, yes. And I think I think you nailed it, that, that is spot on, spot on.

Amanda: 10:53

So when you come from this financially risk averse background, apart from mum and dad, teaching you about savings and being very careful. Mum was the stay at home, dad was the breadwinner, very traditional style family. What was the best financial advice you've ever received? Apart from mum and dad. And where did you come across that advice?

Babette: 11:16

The best advice was a little book called The Richest Man in Babylon by George Clason, I think.

Amanda: 11:23

Yes, yes, that's right,

Babette: 11:25

Where you set aside some of your money. So he, in essence, you live on some money but you set aside money to donate, to give to charity and I think that's a wonderful thing to do. And then you also put money aside for savings. Let's say you earn $100 a week or a day. So what you do is you put 10% aside, you might give 10%, or 20 to 25%, you might save, and the rest you live on. You don't have to worry about savings, if you can afford it. The sad thing is that nowadays, a lot of people can't even afford to live on what they earn.

Amanda: 12:05

Yes,

Babette: 12:05

But I think and maybe I'm being too harsh, Amanda, you're more likely to find. But I think it's because they keep wanting things that they really don't need

Amanda: 12:16

Stuff. Just stuff.

Babette: 12:21

Yeah, so I think people have a lot of stuff that they've spent money on when they could have kept, you know, when they could live on 70%.

Amanda: 12:32

Yeah, we didn't need that, you know, the Sheraton towel set or the sheet set or the extra boat or the bigger boat or whatever it was. Yeah, just stuff. Yeah.

Babette: 12:40

I agree. I agree. That is the..

Amanda: 12:43

Best advice. And look, it is a classic book, The Richest Man in Babylon. So if you haven't heard of that one, do go download or buy it. I'm sure every second hand bookstores got a copy of that one. Have you personally ever had any financial setbacks, Babette and how did you overcome those?

Babette: 13:01

To be honest, I've never had any financial setback, compared to a lot of other people. Because I save.

Amanda: 13:09

You're a saver. Yep.

Babette: 13:10

I've always saved. That's the role modeling I got from my father, The Richest Man In Babylon was the biggest one. So if you look at the role modeling I got from my father, the books I read, and also my best friend was a financial advisor. And so I learned from her the importance of setting aside a nest egg, I've always, because that's how I bought my car. That's how I got my, the things I wanted, travel, you know.

Amanda: 13:42

But you've never gone in over your head, obviously, to have those reverses.

Babette: 13:47

Now,I never, you know, the only thing is that the one thing that was interesting is that I recall, my mother used to say I spent too much that I wasn't saving enough as a deposit for a unit. Because every time I'd saved enough money that I felt I'd have some emergency money set aside. But then I traveled some way. I'd go overseas, or you know, and my mother was like oh you're wasting your money. You should be buying a unit

Amanda: 14:16

Enjoying the lowS experiences, we're talking about building.Yeah.

Babette: 14:20

And I have to say, I'm really glad I enjoyed those experiences. But I'm also glad I saved.

Amanda: 14:26

Yeah,I suppose if you look at things now, in the last three years, you know, hubby's retired, you've moved to the Sunshine Coast. And now the world shut down with a pandemic. And if you'd saved all your life to travel now, and couldn't do it. And I'm sure you're not the only person in this situation where you go, look, we'll pull it off. We'll, we'll work hard. We'll have the kids will pay off the mortgage, we'll put it aside. And now all of a sudden, we can't leave sometimes the state that we live in, it must be very, very difficult for those people to reconcile that they've made all these sacrifices, and this has been taken away from them, this life experience I agree.

Babette: 15:00

Yeah, I agree. And one of the reasons we also came up here and to live in a unit is that we could lock the door and go overseas. So we were meant, our goal was to travel once or twice a year, overseas, you know, for two to three week blocks twice.

Amanda: 15:19

Yep. You've saved all these frequent flyer points to do that, too. So I remember you saying that.

Babette: 15:23

Have we ever.

Amanda: 15:23

More in the morning, more in the bank They're in the bank waiting to be used, if they don't expire. Yeah, well, hopefully not. Hopefully not.

Babette: 15:33

Yeah.

Amanda: 15:33

Now, you mentioned your girlfriend was a financial advisor. Did you ever use the services of financial professionals yourself? You said your father didn't. So have you ever used a financial advisor? And how did that go?

Babette: 15:47

Okay, so when I use my friend, I was very happy with what she did. Because looking at annuities, it's super funds, different kinds of investments, and all of this term deposits, the whole spreading things around

Amanda: 16:04

Diversification.

Babette: 16:05

Yeah. Fabulous. Fabulous. But then we went with some, when she retired out of the business, the rotten sod.

Amanda: 16:13

How dare she!

Babette: 16:15

How dare you retire. she made so much money she retired early.

Amanda: 16:21

Good on her.

Babette: 16:23

So when we went to others, the advice and maybe by that stage too, I was better educated in what to look for. So I don't think their advice was that good. And I'll say one thing, because it was tied into a particular company, right. And now, I think that's the worst thing that you can have whether you're tied into ANP, MLC, any of those things,

Amanda: 16:55

The big guys, yep.

Babette: 16:56

Yeah.

Amanda: 16:57

It's really interesting, actually. So what I'm hearing is that your friend listened to you, she knew you, obviously, being a little more risk averse spread the risk for you with diversification. You don't feel the others listened and did that for you as advisors, it was more about the product than the strategy?

Babette: 17:16

Bingo.

Amanda: 17:17

Right.

Babette: 17:17

Yeah, I think it was more about the products than the strategy. And I also think that sometimes there are financial planners who A don't really listen, or have been hyped to believe in their abilities, more than they have in their capability to live up to the price. So yeah,

Amanda: 17:40

Right. Yeah,

Babette: 17:41

I think there are. Yeah, so we put our, we both my husband and I both pulled out of it all. And I've been managing my own financial portfolio ever since so.

Amanda: 17:56

So how did you end up coming to the decision were you'd been advised then didn't like the advice and you said you started to look at things yourself. You've obviously moved into a self managed space? How did you make that leap from being an advisor person to going this isn't for me anymore, I'm going to do it myself. How did that happen?

Babette: 18:16

The losses

Amanda: 18:16

Losses, okay. And what did you do to become qualified enough in your own eyes to be able to manage it? Or confident enough maybe.

Babette: 18:26

I thought, if these are the losses I have to live with? I'd rather try and do it my way.

Amanda: 18:31

So I remember you telling me you started doing was it courses to learn more?

Babette: 18:38

I did do some. Yes, I did do some things to become better informed. I think the other thing is, when I did my MBA, doing corporate finance, understanding economics, I think that really helped me understand the markets and how it operates a little better. And that made a big difference,

Amanda: 19:00

So the big picture is in education, and understanding.

Babette: 19:04

Yeah, because of that I've kept up to date and reading, running my own business, you're aware of taxation implications, tax issues. So now you start building both the learnings that you have from economics and the reading that you do and tax implications. You put the two, it suddenly starts to look. Amanda, to be honest, to find a good financial planner, someone that helps you and understand you, I think is the most critical thing anybody can do, until they start to getting more and more educated and are willing to do it themselves. But I think financial planners are vital.

Amanda: 19:47

So looking back, or for someone who's about to maybe meet or thinking about meeting with an advisor for the first time, what questions would you get them to ask or advice would you give them for how do you pick a financial planner that will suit you.

Babette: 20:01

The number one thing is, what is it? So for me, I would be clear what I wanted to achieve.

Amanda: 20:08

So be clear on your goals.

Babette: 20:10

Sorry.

Amanda: 20:11

So tell the planner, you're very clear on your goals

Babette: 20:14

Very clear on your goals. Be very clear because a financial planner can't read your mind.

Amanda: 20:21

You'd be amazed the amount of people we have to tease the goals out of.

Babette: 20:25

So my first thing is be very clear on the goals you want and by when.

Amanda: 20:32

Give it a deadline

Babette: 20:33

Deadlines. The second thing is be very clear of the milestones that you work out with your financial planner to get to that goal. So let's say you've got a goal that you want to turn your let's say, your$50,000 into $150,000 in five years. So maybe they'll say, Okay, put 20% in a term deposit, let's put 30% or 30,000 in stocks. I mean, you know what I'm saying. So if you're not beginning to move down that path in a positive way, something's wrong. alarm bells should be going off between you and your financial planner. So maybe you need to put some in a self managed super fund, I don't know. What I'm saying is be very clear in your goals, and have clear milestones, and then make sure that your financial advisor has heard you. If they say I hear what you say, however, I would suggest this, your financial plan hasn't heard you. Because there are other ways. What is stopping you from going down this path? Is what I would expect the financial planner to ask.

Amanda: 21:45

So to be educating you as well as listening to you?

Babette: 21:48

Yes. Got it. Well said, as usual. Very well said.

Amanda: 21:55

Now, for people whose eyes glaze over when they hear the word budget, do you run one and stick to one? And why?

Babette: 22:03

Absolutely. Let's put it this way. If you want to drown in debt, forget a budget. But if you don't want debt, if you want to be able to give yourself the things you want in your life, you've got to have it, because you need to plan for it. Unless of course you're planning on winning the lottery.

Amanda: 22:23

There's always a chance

Babette: 22:27

You've got a bigger chance of being run over. Or catching COVID at the moment possibly Of winning the lottery. But no. Amanda honestly, I think, for people who want to have, have things in their life. If it's a goal to travel or start up your own business, or take care of your parents or buy another property. These are all budgetary goals. If you don't budget, then how do you create it, you create your reality no one else does. So if you don't budget for it, then how do you create the reality you'd like?

Amanda: 23:05

True? Now you've mentioned there about having a business? You've obviously run a budget personally, do you also run cash flow projections and a budget for your business as well as running one in your personallife?

Babette: 23:19

Um, I'm very naughty. I have a budget for my business.

Amanda: 23:25

Right.

Babette: 23:26

But I don't do the cash flow.

Amanda: 23:28

Right.

Babette: 23:29

Okay. So I think because I'm, I'm now a small business. So I'd know I always knew the bills when they were coming up and what cash I needed. But I always made sure that I had reserves. And that was my cash flow was the reserves in the business, but a budget? Absolutely. I know exactly how much I have to bring in every year. I know exactly how much my expenses are every year. I know how I'm going on my accounts. I have an MYOB for every month, every week, I have. How am I progressing.

Amanda: 24:05

Do you recommend having so many months worth of expenses in cash in the business to cover the unexpected in case things muck up or we have a pandemic?

Babette: 24:20

Yes. I would, I would, I'd always recommend having some money. For me. I always made sure I had about $10,000.

Amanda: 24:30

Yep. And I hear other people say you know, three months or six months worth of expenses, so it depends whatever you choose.

Babette: 24:36

I agree. I agree. And for me it was I was looking between 10 to 15,000 was always in the bank as emergency funding.

Amanda: 24:45

Now for someone who's had very rich life experiences and has coached some amazing people into some new places, comes from this very conservative background. What would be your favorite form of investment?

Babette: 25:04

Well, I get a lot of fun in investing in stocks, stock prices. So I have investments in. So it's understanding companies that are doing extraordinary things like I invested long time ago in resume CSL

Amanda: 25:22

They must have done quite well lately.

Babette: 25:24

Yes, they have so let me say this, I need to point out it's not fair, but because of my background, but I ran my consulting practice. Before I got into coaching, I ran a consulting practice in strategy and competition. And one of the issues around strategy is understanding where the future lies. What's happened now, I happen, all of us know that the big growth industries over the next 10, 15, 20 years are going to be health, IT, technology. So why would you not invest in those companies?

Amanda: 25:59

I think the futurists are all over that too pointing out, you know, which way, what are the global mega trends I believe they're called.

Babette: 26:06

Correct

Amanda: 26:06

Yeah.

Babette: 26:07

So what I did is 10, 15 years ago, I looked at the mega trends. And thats where I bought the stocks.

Amanda: 26:14

So you're not only saying keep an eye on what's happening, but understand where you're putting the money and where things are going to

Babette: 26:23

absolutely.

Amanda: 26:24

Not just jump on the crypto because because your cabby said it was a great idea.

Babette: 26:27

I wouldn't touch it. I wouldn't touch crypto, I wouldn't touch it.

Amanda: 26:31

And is that more because of not understanding or because it's something you don't see as having a picture in the future as far as megatrends go,

Babette: 26:40

Okay. I don't understand it that well as some people do. But when few people hold most of it, and can change its value, whether they sell or buy, like Elon Musk, I won't touch it with a 10 foot pole. It's too dangerous, too volatile for somebody when. And it's interesting, because I learned this in a job I had, I was working for a very, very wealthy man. And he retired to Monaco, as one does when

Amanda: 27:12

You know how much the gelato is in Monaco.

Babette: 27:16

And he told me a story One day, he was in Monaco, and I was passing through many moons ago. And he was laughing and I said what was wrong? And he says, oh, he just because he just had a call. And he says, a stockbroker called him to ask him what he knew. Because they were movements, sudden movements in the Australian dollar. And he had so much wealth they had assumed he was making he was selling short the dollars. So you know, for one man to have that impact. But someone calls up to say, What do you know,

Amanda: 27:51

What are you doing.

Babette: 27:54

What are you doing? And what do you know? And it just was an eye opener. And bitcoins the same. Elon Musk sells, and the thing drops 25%. Too dangerous. I wouldn't touch.

Amanda: 28:07

Interesting take. So if you had one financial tip to leave our listeners today with all your wonderful experience. And what would your top financial tip Babette?

Babette: 28:21

Well, there'd be two, if I may.

Amanda: 28:24

Yes, please.

Babette: 28:25

The first one is definitely definitely I would speak to a financial advisor if you're starting out, or if you don't understand how to control your money. And instead of speaking, what I call, I think financial advisors, good ones,I would now call them financial coaches.

Amanda: 28:41

Yes. And there are many who've left the I suppose the product space and moved into the money coaching space for that reason. Yeah.

Babette: 28:50

I agree. You know, what's stopping you from growing your money? So I would say, and I think you're a financial coach in my book, because I've spoken to you many times about things. And I've seen what you do, you listen to people. And so therefore, I'd say the first piece of advice is get a financial coach, someone who was a financial advisor or is a financial advisor. The second thing is diversify. Don't put your eggs in one basket. And maybe the third thing is listen to The Richest Man In Babylon.

Amanda: 29:24

One One thing I remember you sharing with me was that you also invested in quality. And you told the story of how you'd bought this beautiful suit that cost an absolute fortune in Italy.

Babette: 29:36

In Florence.

Amanda: 29:37

In Florence, yes, but it lasted you for many, many years, whereas some other cheap suits for one of a better word had worn out and weren't worth it. So I always remembered that story. Can you share a little bit more about that?

Babette: 29:52

But it is a thing about quality versus over quantity, and you'll often find cultures will focus a lot. There are many European cultures that will focus on quality, rather than the quantity. And I think this is what's important about having a quality financial coach rather than a cheaper coach. You get what you pay for Amanda, you get what you pay for.

Amanda: 30:18

Now I need to know, do you still have that suit?

Babette: 30:21

No. I put on weight. I went through menopause.

Amanda: 30:30

Who'd be a woman. Oh, my goodness.

Babette: 30:32

Sorry darling. I wish I did. But I've got to tell you, I only got rid of it three years ago.

Amanda: 30:38

So how long have you had it? Like all up?

Babette: 30:41

20 years.

Amanda: 30:42

Wow, that is definitely a quality item, isn't it?

Babette: 30:45

Yep. 20 years.

Amanda: 30:46

Well that just tells me I just need to go to Milan to do my wardrobe.

Babette: 30:51

It just tells me I've got to lose weight.

Amanda: 30:57

Thank you so much for sharing your insights with us Babette. I've loved catching up and chatting with you again. I will put the link to The Richest Man In Babylon in the show notes so that people who don't remember that can go and find it. But thank you so much again for joining me.

Babette: 31:11

Oh Amanda. It's been a pleasure. It's always lots of fun catching up with you. I really enjoy it. Thank you.

Amanda: 31:18

Thank you.

Outro: 31:20

And that was another episode of financial Secrets Revealed. Thank you so much for joining me. I hope you got some nuggets of wisdom out of that guest and enjoyed listening to their story. If you'd like to know more, please reach out to me. My contact details are in the show notes or hunt down your favorite bookstore to find Financial Secrets Revealed and learn more for yourself. I look forward to hearing from you.