Hi, I'm Lisa, and I want to give the word 'budget' a makeover!

For most people, the very thought of budgeting makes them want to run a mile. It suggests restriction, going without and only buying the cheapest of the cheap. But at its best, budgeting can mean making smart decisions, planning your spending carefully and having plenty left over for treats.

Growing up, I absorbed so many toxic ideas that when I became an adult, I started modelling unhealthy financial behaviours myself, living paycheck to paycheck with little regard for saving.

During the December 2021 lockdown, I came across the phenomenon of 'cash-stuffing' on TikTok, where you withdraw your spending money weekly or monthly and divvy it up into sections of a binder. With nothing to lose, and knowing I needed to change my habits, I ordered my binder and started portioning out my notes. And less than a year later, more than 160,000 of you are on this journey with me! I want to help each and every one of you to get on top of your spending and feel more confident with money.

In this book I will:
- share my personal journey with you, to show how important the way we talk about and behave with money is
- explore how to put together a budget that is realistic for you and your family
- break down the cash-stuffing method in detail to arm you with all the tools you need to get started

So what are you waiting for? Dive in and open up that binder, because it's time to BUDGET HAPPY.