MONEY: What is financial well-being?

By Rebecca Seal

The Solo Collective

24/03/22·46m 6s

For many of us, looking after our money - as adults, as well as solo workers - feels like one of the most complicated things we have to do. And yet, as Clare Seal points out, most of us lack any kind of financial education and are just muddling along as best we can. Combine that with the fact that for many solo workers, our income is inextricably tied to how we view both our business success and our sense of self worth, and you've got a fairly toxic combination. Clare Seal (no relation to Rebecca!) knows all this only too well: in her 20s, she got into debt and saw it impact not just her finances but also her mental health. As she worked to dig herself out of debt over the past three years, she documented her experiences on instagram, via a then-anonymous account, @myfrugalyear, which gained thousands of followers before she outed herself. Today, she writes about financial well being and helps other people navigate the practicalities and emotions of money. Her latest book is Five Steps to Financial Wellbeing, a brilliant guide to getting to grips with how you feel about money, filled with practical advice - just like this conversation with her is.

The Solo Collective is sponsored by Tide business banking: banking made easy for sole traders and small businesses. We are also sponsored by Pension Bee, which has a flexible pension product specifically for self employed people.

Clare's recommendations:

Snoop Quickbooks accounting softwareMoney Saving Expert websiteIllumoni borrowing companion app