308. How to invest on a low income

Managing money is hard enough with a regular paycheque. But what happens when your income changes every month, you’re building businesses, and some acting gigs have to last you for months at a time?

Tash and Ana chat with actor and creative Gina Drew about budgeting on a low and irregular income, combining finances with a partner, building emergency buffers, investing small amounts, and finding support when money gets tight.

In this episode:

💸 How Gina manages money when her acting income can swing from a large one-off payment to very little for months

💸 Why she and her partner split shared expenses 60/40, and how they adjust things when their incomes change

💸 What it was like navigating a relationship where one person had debt and the other had always avoided credit cards

💸 Why talking openly about money helped Gina and her partner get on the same page with spending, debt and shared goals

💸 How Gina uses Self-Employment Assistance while building her own businesses, including acting, craft classes and a production company

💸 Why diversifying your income can matter just as much as diversifying your investments when you work in a creative field

💸 How Gina automates small amounts into super and investments, even when she can’t commit to the same dollar amount every month

💸 The backup plan she uses when money gets tight: find more work, grow business income, dip into her emergency fund, then look at government support if needed

The big takeaway? You don’t need a perfectly predictable income to start building better money habits. Systems, backup plans and honest conversations can make a huge difference, even when your income changes from month to month.