We Help Families Budget Without the Stress

Started in 2019 because we saw too many people making the same budgeting mistakes. Now we help Newcastle families figure out where their money actually goes and how to make it work harder.

Financial planning workspace with budget documents

Our Beginning

From Kitchen Table to Real Practice

Back in 2019, we started this from a spare room helping friends with their annual budgets. Turns out, people were making wild guesses about their yearly expenses and wondering why December always hurt.

We built our approach around what actually works in Australian households. Not fancy software or complicated systems. Just realistic ways to track spending patterns and plan ahead for the stuff you forget about until it hits your account.

These days we work with about 180 families around Newcastle. Most stick with us because we don't pretend budgeting is exciting or promise miracle fixes.

What Keeps Us Focused

These aren't corporate values we printed on a wall. They're what we actually care about when sitting down with someone worried about their finances.

Honest Numbers

We show you real data from your accounts. If your coffee habit costs a month, that's what we write down. No judgment, just facts so you can decide what matters.

Real Conversations

Money stress is personal. We talk through your specific situation instead of handing you a generic template. Sometimes that means discussing tough choices about priorities.

Long View Planning

Annual budgets work because they catch the irregular stuff. Car registration, Christmas, that annual insurance bill. We map out the whole year so nothing sneaks up on you.

Privacy First

Your financial details stay between us. We use secure systems and don't share client information with anyone. Simple as that.

Teaching Tools

We explain why certain budget structures work better than others. Goal is for you to understand your finances well enough to make good calls without us eventually.

Fair Fees

Our pricing is straightforward. No hidden charges or surprise bills. You know what you're paying before we start working together.

How We Actually Work

Initial Review

We look at your last twelve months of spending. Bank statements, credit cards, whatever you've got. Takes about three hours to build a realistic picture of your money flow.
Annual Mapping

We plot out all twelve months with your regular bills plus the irregular ones people forget. Then we figure out how much to set aside each pay to cover everything smoothly.
Adjustments

First draft never works perfectly. We refine based on what feels realistic for your lifestyle. Budget has to be something you'll actually follow.
Quarterly Check-ins

We meet every three months to see how tracking is going. Life changes, budgets need tweaking. These sessions keep everything relevant.

Who You'll Work With

Small team. We keep it that way so everyone gets proper attention instead of being shuffled through a system.

Thorsten Hargrave

Lead Financial Planner

Been doing this since 2017. Started because I got tired of seeing families stressed about money when the solutions weren't that complicated. Work mostly with households managing multiple income streams.

Brenna Quillen

Budget Analysis Specialist

Joined in 2021 after working in retail banking. Good at spotting spending patterns people don't notice themselves. Usually handles the detailed quarterly reviews.

Ready to Get Your Budget Sorted?

First meeting is a conversation about your situation. No pressure, no sales pitch. We'll tell you straight if we think we can help or not.

Schedule a Chat