The week my plans changed and how I learned to make my money adapt

Kimberly Gillan | Presented by Bendigo Bank

Financial curveballs can throw the most well-oiled of plans into chaos. But a flexible attitude (and banking) can help you pivot your plans to get you back on your feet as quickly as possible.

When Jen Boonen's BMW X5 suddenly conked out on a busy Sydney freeway off-ramp, she naturally had somewhat of a financial conniption. Her 10-year-old daughter was in the backseat as she rolled the car into a nearby service station and arranged for the car to be towed to a mechanic who confirmed her worst nightmare – it would be $4000 to fix.

"It was just the wrong time – we were not in a financially stable position and it was really concerning," she says. "I'd had the car for about 10 years by then and it had been a great car, but it cost a lot for parts whenever something went wrong."

Using a combination of cash and her credit card, Jen paid the mechanic and immediately put the car on the market.

"I just didn't want to have any more risk. I used a good portion of the money from the car sale to pay a deposit on a Hyundai Kona and took out a five-year loan, having peace of mind that the car came with a five-year warranty," she says. "I didn't want another vehicle that didn't have a warranty – I wanted surety and knowledge; I had a plan and I knew what I was up for."

For Tara Saxon, a budget blowout came when she was trying to renovate a period homestead in remote Walcha, NSW, and failed to factor in tradie transport costs.

"The glazier alone charged an extra $1100 to drive to the site and replace the period windows and had to come out twice," Tara recalls.

"Same thing with a builder – I had to cover his petrol and time for travel and then put him up and supply him with meals while he did the work. And at the end of the renovation, I had lots of leftover building supplies that I couldn't sell because of how remote we were, and getting skips and transporting rubbish to tips ended up costing triple what we had budgeted."

All up, Tara says her original budget was set to blow by $40,000, which meant she had to make some fast decisions to keep the project on track.

"We definitely didn't do the renovation that we had planned to do and when we eventually put it on AirBnB we had far fewer bookings than we'd forecast," she says. "I hadn't predicted the distance would have such an impact. Eventually we ended up selling the property to recover costs."

Now Tara, a certified money coach, works with women who want to build financial security through property, and says one of the first thing she teaches her clients is how to set a realistic budget.

"I learnt the hard way that you need to build a 20 percent contingency into the budget if you're renovating an older house," she says. "I also recommend a 15-minute weekly renovation check-in where you ask, "Where am I at this week? How is the budget looking? What have I accomplished? What have I spent?'."

Unfortunately, none of us are immune to financial curveballs but Dennis Teale, general manager of retail banking at Bendigo Bank, says there is comfort that comes with knowing you have flexibility in accessing money.

"When you understand and feel in control of your finances, you can experience a sense of security and peace," he says.

"What sets Bendigo Bank apart is our personal service – we take the time to understand our customer's situation. In some cases, we can provide customers with solutions that can provide them with faster access to funds, and in other cases, access to flexibility to help pay for small emergencies or major life events.

"By having multiple options, Bendigo Bank can help bridge the gap between unexpected crises and ensure the customers return to financial stability."

Find out more about Bendigo Banks products and services by visiting bendigobank.com.au

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