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Mindful Money
We’re always promising ourselves that we are going to get on top of our finances – finally pay down debt, start that investment portfolio, pay attention to our superannuation. But then life gets in the way. As we juggle the commitments and responsibilities in our busy lives, good money habits can quickly fade away.Canna Campbell is an experienced financial planner, and also a mother, partner and entrepreneur. She understands the challenge of trying to maintain balance and motivation when you’re time-poor, and she’s used this experience to develop an inspirational and effective approach to personal finance management. She shows you how to look at your finances with holistic and powerful mindfulness, easily incorporating her step-by-step advice into your daily habits and routines. From new banking rituals and money mindsets to growing passive income through shares and property, she will help you shed the excess and embrace what you really love, value, use and appreciate – including your necessary luxuries. Canna leads by example, sharing her personal tips and tricks for building, managing and protecting your money. No matter what you earn or what level of knowledge you have, Mindful Money will help you to see that financial independence is achievable.‘Canna Campbell offers a glamorous vision of a life of minimalism and saving … Not spending feels more like a creative challenge connected to a sense of purpose, rather than deprivation.’ New York Times
379 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 6, 2019
68 people are currently reading
716 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
August 25, 2019
This book is amazing. I've read a lot of personal finance/money books lately and this is awesome. Canna Campbell's first book, The $1000 Project was OK, but this was fantastic. I actually prefer it to Dave Ramsey or that other Aussie, Scott Pape, the Barefoot Investor.
OK, the cover is a little bit silly, Canna is wearing an awesome dress, heels and carrying a Chanel handbag and standing in the sand with her family at the beach which totally gave me anxiety (No Chanel at the beach. Ever. Ever.).
But I managed to put that aside. Thankfully. This book was well written, easy to read, conversational and so engaging. This is an ambitious book canvasing a huge range of topics, such as budgeting, managing debt, making additional income through side hustles, superannuation and investments such as shares and property.
There's a modern "mindful" philosophy behind it, changing how you see money, understanding and being conscious of your values and beliefs about money and seeing money almost as an energy that you can attract into your life (but not like in a crazy way, but in a sensible, clear step by step achievable way). It definitely made me think about my relationship with money.
For me, it was helpful to connect how my personal experiences (and crazy family) have impacted my relationship with money. Canna advocates taking all that, and looking at the positives. So, now I'm determined to move forward in my financial education.
Whilst I'm a die hard ebook reader, I actually bought the paperback version. Canna invites you to highlight and made notes as you read, I initially thought I wouldn't bother, since I read pretty quickly. But after I while, I wanted to engage by making notes in the margin. I grabbed a highlighter and pen. The writing exercises are actually really useful. And I haven't highlighted a book since uni, so it was kinda fun! I won't be able to lend this book to anyone, but I want to keep it close by reference, so that's fine.
This book is invaluable for anyone who wants general advice from a financial planner. I'm always struggling to understand things like franking credits, margin loans, dividend reinvestment plans etc, but this money was clear and not patronising. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in financial planning and investments.
OK, the cover is a little bit silly, Canna is wearing an awesome dress, heels and carrying a Chanel handbag and standing in the sand with her family at the beach which totally gave me anxiety (No Chanel at the beach. Ever. Ever.).
But I managed to put that aside. Thankfully. This book was well written, easy to read, conversational and so engaging. This is an ambitious book canvasing a huge range of topics, such as budgeting, managing debt, making additional income through side hustles, superannuation and investments such as shares and property.
There's a modern "mindful" philosophy behind it, changing how you see money, understanding and being conscious of your values and beliefs about money and seeing money almost as an energy that you can attract into your life (but not like in a crazy way, but in a sensible, clear step by step achievable way). It definitely made me think about my relationship with money.
For me, it was helpful to connect how my personal experiences (and crazy family) have impacted my relationship with money. Canna advocates taking all that, and looking at the positives. So, now I'm determined to move forward in my financial education.
Whilst I'm a die hard ebook reader, I actually bought the paperback version. Canna invites you to highlight and made notes as you read, I initially thought I wouldn't bother, since I read pretty quickly. But after I while, I wanted to engage by making notes in the margin. I grabbed a highlighter and pen. The writing exercises are actually really useful. And I haven't highlighted a book since uni, so it was kinda fun! I won't be able to lend this book to anyone, but I want to keep it close by reference, so that's fine.
This book is invaluable for anyone who wants general advice from a financial planner. I'm always struggling to understand things like franking credits, margin loans, dividend reinvestment plans etc, but this money was clear and not patronising. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in financial planning and investments.
March 16, 2021
I liked this book! I learnt a few new things, enough to fill a couple of pages of my notebook. I would recommend this as a great beginning step into personal finance. It glosses over the idea of debt quite a bit. Probably a bit insensitive to people coming from a negative financial position as it doesn't acknowledge that creating financial freedom isn't as simple or glossy as the author makes it seem. Overall, happy I read it, learnt some new things, and was surprised by the level of detail in some parts.
October 7, 2019
I found this book to be engaging and accessible for someone who was keen to learn more about financial management and investment. I have always been keen to invest however was clueless about where to start and I was looking for help to structure up my finances to start working towards my next financial and lifestyle goals. I feel empowered with my next steps after reading this book and have highly recommended it to many close friends.
November 27, 2025
Had to stop, good principles but not a chance I. Hell would I review my bank accounts every night and go to sleep thinking about how little money I have. Also couldn’t fathom finishing a chapter sharing how money can be saved by sharing childcare between other parents instead of hiring a babysitter and then starting the following chapter suggesting the reader make extra money babysitting.
October 13, 2019
There’s been a misconception that investing is hard and being a women investor is rare. Canna not only explains how wrong we’ve been but breaks the process down so not only do we understand but we get the tools to set us up to succeed.
Covering topics such as saving and finding money, super, investing and how to help your kids understand money this book is a great read to get you motivated and more importantly an eye opener in realising it’s really that simple!
Covering topics such as saving and finding money, super, investing and how to help your kids understand money this book is a great read to get you motivated and more importantly an eye opener in realising it’s really that simple!
June 16, 2023
Some good tips.
The disposable income figures that people have to invest?
They seem very high.
Do people really have that much money laying around?
The disposable income figures that people have to invest?
They seem very high.
Do people really have that much money laying around?
August 13, 2023
Don't be fooled by the periwinkle blue cover and pink writing! Canna's latest book is for anyone interested in how to make passive income that grows while you sleep.
Mindful Money draws on principles from The $1,000 Project, but it is different. You can enjoy Mindful Money before reading The $1000 Project (grab a copy of that too!).
In essence, Mindful Money encourages you to think about what you value and care about, and why you want to grow wealth, particularly diverse passive income streams. The first few chapters walk you through how to calculate the amount of passive income you're aiming for and tips for getting started. Canna demystifies investing in shares and highlights the magic of compound interest for growing wealth in shares, property, and your Super.
There are actionable tips for how to teach your kids about money and financial responsibility in age-appropriate ways from 3-18 years, and a balanced discussion of options if you want to invest for your kids. I found the option of saving for education expenses in a savings account or in a share portfolio enlightening. I've bookmarked that section for future reference.
I've also bookmarked the sections on paying down your mortgage in less than 30 years (Beat the bank!), superannuation, and questions to ask an agent when considering buying your first home or investment property. There's advice about income protection and other types of insurance available through your Super fund, and advice about how to write what you want done with your financial assets in your will.
Canna uses examples from clients of all ages and financial situations including twenty-something men and women, middle-aged women and couples, and those for whom retirement isn't that far away. These examples are relatable and you'd be hard-pressed not to see yourself or your goals in at least one of them.
My take-away for now are:
1. Hold my exiting shares
2. Pay off my HECS debt
3. Diversify my share portfolio by adding more LICs and ETFs that have a Dividend Reinvestment Plan or who pay fully franked dividends to I can reduce my tax bill.
4. Next, use Canna's tips to start saving my 20% home deposit (or more) to avoid LMI (I agree, Canna! What a waste!)
This was the dose of financial motivation I needed to see the light of financial freedom at the end of the long tunnel of student debt repayments. This is a book to keep on the shelf for future reference, and to buy a copy for everyone you know.
A $30.00 book = a lifetime of wealth wisdom: You couldn't find a better investment in the financial future of yourself and your loved ones.
Mindful Money draws on principles from The $1,000 Project, but it is different. You can enjoy Mindful Money before reading The $1000 Project (grab a copy of that too!).
In essence, Mindful Money encourages you to think about what you value and care about, and why you want to grow wealth, particularly diverse passive income streams. The first few chapters walk you through how to calculate the amount of passive income you're aiming for and tips for getting started. Canna demystifies investing in shares and highlights the magic of compound interest for growing wealth in shares, property, and your Super.
There are actionable tips for how to teach your kids about money and financial responsibility in age-appropriate ways from 3-18 years, and a balanced discussion of options if you want to invest for your kids. I found the option of saving for education expenses in a savings account or in a share portfolio enlightening. I've bookmarked that section for future reference.
I've also bookmarked the sections on paying down your mortgage in less than 30 years (Beat the bank!), superannuation, and questions to ask an agent when considering buying your first home or investment property. There's advice about income protection and other types of insurance available through your Super fund, and advice about how to write what you want done with your financial assets in your will.
Canna uses examples from clients of all ages and financial situations including twenty-something men and women, middle-aged women and couples, and those for whom retirement isn't that far away. These examples are relatable and you'd be hard-pressed not to see yourself or your goals in at least one of them.
My take-away for now are:
1. Hold my exiting shares
2. Pay off my HECS debt
3. Diversify my share portfolio by adding more LICs and ETFs that have a Dividend Reinvestment Plan or who pay fully franked dividends to I can reduce my tax bill.
4. Next, use Canna's tips to start saving my 20% home deposit (or more) to avoid LMI (I agree, Canna! What a waste!)
This was the dose of financial motivation I needed to see the light of financial freedom at the end of the long tunnel of student debt repayments. This is a book to keep on the shelf for future reference, and to buy a copy for everyone you know.
A $30.00 book = a lifetime of wealth wisdom: You couldn't find a better investment in the financial future of yourself and your loved ones.
December 7, 2023
Can I judge a book by its cover? In this case I did and I was right. A friend recommended it and I mostly regret it. It has a clientele and that’s not middle aged men.
It is waffley. An example is you can choose the ratio you want 70:30 80:20 60:40 for example but with no indication of the ideal and what the real difference would be if you used a particular one. It drove me nuts. What took me a section to write takes her a page as if she is trying not to scare anyone or offend them. Aaaaagh.
Pareto’s principle was mentioned with no indication what it means I am pretty sure the author doesn’t understand it either. It is a ratio of 80/20. 20% of people do 80% of the work. 20% of people will waste 80% of your time and the like. By saying Pareto and then using 20% as an ideal savings figure does not relate! It’s rubbish. In fact 25% of your gross is touted on the internet. In fact 100% of your net figure is even better. But come on. How does Pareto make difference? (Read The 80/20 Principle for a better understanding. It is a good book)
There are lots of figures thrown around which can’t be checked because we are not given some information (I have a finance major so yes I can check them). There are unlabelled tables with vague relevance to the text and not directly referred to. Like I’m meant to be impressed you have put lots of numbers on a spreadsheet. It’s a book for those people who are scared yet awed by numbers. Those people who say 2+2 is allowed to equal 5.
Ok. So all whinging aside. If you follow this book and stick with it, you will retire a lot richer than the average person. The idea is right but it was clearly written for a 20 yo female and I should not have picked it up. (PS picking stocks cause it’s a brand you like and use is perhaps not a wise idea….)
It is waffley. An example is you can choose the ratio you want 70:30 80:20 60:40 for example but with no indication of the ideal and what the real difference would be if you used a particular one. It drove me nuts. What took me a section to write takes her a page as if she is trying not to scare anyone or offend them. Aaaaagh.
Pareto’s principle was mentioned with no indication what it means I am pretty sure the author doesn’t understand it either. It is a ratio of 80/20. 20% of people do 80% of the work. 20% of people will waste 80% of your time and the like. By saying Pareto and then using 20% as an ideal savings figure does not relate! It’s rubbish. In fact 25% of your gross is touted on the internet. In fact 100% of your net figure is even better. But come on. How does Pareto make difference? (Read The 80/20 Principle for a better understanding. It is a good book)
There are lots of figures thrown around which can’t be checked because we are not given some information (I have a finance major so yes I can check them). There are unlabelled tables with vague relevance to the text and not directly referred to. Like I’m meant to be impressed you have put lots of numbers on a spreadsheet. It’s a book for those people who are scared yet awed by numbers. Those people who say 2+2 is allowed to equal 5.
Ok. So all whinging aside. If you follow this book and stick with it, you will retire a lot richer than the average person. The idea is right but it was clearly written for a 20 yo female and I should not have picked it up. (PS picking stocks cause it’s a brand you like and use is perhaps not a wise idea….)
November 8, 2019
I first found Canna Campbell/ Sugar Mama via Youtube from an online recommendation. I was definitely keen to read her book after having watched most of her financial videos on her channel and enjoyed them. I subscribe to her belief of creating passive income to achieve finance freedom and was interested to learn more via her book.
Her book is made up of lots of chapters that cover a variety of personal finance topics including money mindset, bank accounts, emergency funds, property, shares, insurance, children and money etc. I enjoyed the break up of these chapters with an inspirational quote at the start, her personal insights, diagrams, little tasks for the reader to complete (to personalise it to their own individual lives) and points to remember to summarise at the end. There are also tables of numbers to break down calculations and make the numbers make sense over time periods. Personally I found her explanation of 1D (income) vs 2D assets (growth) worthwhile as I had never heard of this description before. I enjoyed the chapter on giving as well.
Overall, her book was very easy to read and there was so much you could learn from it especially through her real life examples and practical tips. It was simple and straight to the point which was very much appreciated in this topic which can be heavy in jargon and confusing to say the least. Definitely recommend it to everyone.
Her book is made up of lots of chapters that cover a variety of personal finance topics including money mindset, bank accounts, emergency funds, property, shares, insurance, children and money etc. I enjoyed the break up of these chapters with an inspirational quote at the start, her personal insights, diagrams, little tasks for the reader to complete (to personalise it to their own individual lives) and points to remember to summarise at the end. There are also tables of numbers to break down calculations and make the numbers make sense over time periods. Personally I found her explanation of 1D (income) vs 2D assets (growth) worthwhile as I had never heard of this description before. I enjoyed the chapter on giving as well.
Overall, her book was very easy to read and there was so much you could learn from it especially through her real life examples and practical tips. It was simple and straight to the point which was very much appreciated in this topic which can be heavy in jargon and confusing to say the least. Definitely recommend it to everyone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 2, 2019
This is my first book review because I really love the book, Mindful Money. I used to have sleepless nights worrying about my finances, worrying that I'll be working until I die or that I'll have nothing to pass onto my children. I only bought this book about 3 weeks ago and I implemented Canna's teachings immediately. I have never felt so much in control of my finances. Instead of wasting my money buying things that I don't need during Black Friday Sales, I have purchased shares to go towards building my passive income. I'm so thankful to Canna Campbell for writing this book. I would recommend it to anyone that ever worried about their finances or hope to stop working for money one day and have their money working for them instead. I have read many finance book, but this is the one I will keep and continue to refer to when I need to be reminded of my goals. Once again, thank you Canna.
May 20, 2020
Canna is great. Her advice makes so much sense and she really makes it seem possible for anyone to be in control of their finances. I love that she shares the names of the exact companies she likes, including where she has her super.
I changed my superfund a few years back according to Barefoot's advice but I've found in recent times his advice is too conservative for my liking. Going to check out these new superfund options and see if any might be a good fit for me.
Also she gives some great ideas for earning extra money on the side (perfect for boosting your savings and investments). Some of the suggestions are pretty obvious and some are new ideas, but either way if you're not already doing these things then it doesn't matter if you've heard of them before or not! Reading this gives you extra incentive to go out and do those things to help contribute to your wealth.
I changed my superfund a few years back according to Barefoot's advice but I've found in recent times his advice is too conservative for my liking. Going to check out these new superfund options and see if any might be a good fit for me.
Also she gives some great ideas for earning extra money on the side (perfect for boosting your savings and investments). Some of the suggestions are pretty obvious and some are new ideas, but either way if you're not already doing these things then it doesn't matter if you've heard of them before or not! Reading this gives you extra incentive to go out and do those things to help contribute to your wealth.
November 1, 2019
Canna is truly inspiring. She shares personal difficulties and struggles that she's overcome to achieve success - motivating me in the process to aim higher and never give up. If you're in a self pitying mess - Mindful Money will lift you right back up and show you how to make the most of your financial circumstances.
Her special investment strategies, super simple tips to building wealth and effective yet practical hacks to get out of debt have so far assisted me with paying off my remaining credit card debt and even generating extra funds on the side.
Mindful Money has drastically changed my mentality around finances too. Canna makes finances fun and eliminates the intimidation from finance - enabling em to better understand how to invest, budget and save.
Her special investment strategies, super simple tips to building wealth and effective yet practical hacks to get out of debt have so far assisted me with paying off my remaining credit card debt and even generating extra funds on the side.
Mindful Money has drastically changed my mentality around finances too. Canna makes finances fun and eliminates the intimidation from finance - enabling em to better understand how to invest, budget and save.
October 25, 2019
This book is an absolute gem for anyone wanting to take control of their finances and enrich their financial future. Filled with strategies that advice that you would otherwise pay thousands for, Canna has opened up a world of realistic and exciting goals for anyone to aspire to regardless of their current situation. I have personally read Mindful Money a handful of times and find myself picking up new concepts with each read. Love, love, love. Thank you for passing these tips ans tricks along!
November 10, 2020
5 Stars
I really like how Canna explains things so easily,
I found this book not as accessible to the layman as The $1000 Project - I would definitely read that one first.
It was really easy to read and breeze through I may just be more goal aligned with her past book. I also align well with her personal values. She's minimalist and charitable so I admire not just her portfolio but her ethos.
I really like how Canna explains things so easily,
I found this book not as accessible to the layman as The $1000 Project - I would definitely read that one first.
It was really easy to read and breeze through I may just be more goal aligned with her past book. I also align well with her personal values. She's minimalist and charitable so I admire not just her portfolio but her ethos.
July 10, 2021
A friend lent this to me a while ago, I had been avoiding it just like I was avoiding my finances in general! I'm SO glad I finally picked it up because it has motivated me big time to start getting my finances sorted. I feel excited about it not overwhelmed, as Canna is so generous with her wisdom, advice and resources. I've bought this book for myself now as I always want to have it on hand to refer to - plus so I can share a copy with friends! It has made me think how important financial education is and how much it's missing in our lives... really everyone should read this book!
September 5, 2021
I loved this book! I've been following Canna for a number of years through her Youtube channel. It is so refreshing to have a female speak candidly and openly about money management - and to find one that still is interested in living a comfortable life full of her favourite luxuries. Canna does an exceptional job of explaining different financial concepts for someone early in their investment journey. Though it's written with an Australian view, I've recommended it to lots of my female friends looking to understand investing better.
October 27, 2019
Fantastic book on finance!
I always thought I was good with money - until I read Canna’s book. I am still actively applying what her book has taught me today - because it works!
She provides great ideas on how to work through so many different financial areas of our lives - ultimately to set us up well for our financial future. Canna has selflessly given is so many amazing ideas in this book - I cannot thank you enough for changing my money mindset!
I always thought I was good with money - until I read Canna’s book. I am still actively applying what her book has taught me today - because it works!
She provides great ideas on how to work through so many different financial areas of our lives - ultimately to set us up well for our financial future. Canna has selflessly given is so many amazing ideas in this book - I cannot thank you enough for changing my money mindset!
October 31, 2019
This book beautifully breaks down the basics of investing in terms that any average Joe (like myself) can understand. A great follow up book from The $1000 Project, which focussed on how to save money, Mindful Money explores ways of investing through the stock market and property.
I love how it looks into securing yourself financially for the future -very motivational and full of very useful information.
November 13, 2019
This is such a great book that I've highly recommended to my friends and family. Canna offers very down to earth and genuine advice, that makes previously scary and difficult to understand concepts regarding investing easy to understand. Her practical approach and relatability are motivating and empowering !
December 3, 2019
Much preferred this to Canna's first book, the $1000 challenge. I will be keeping this to write in.
I enjoyed Canna's easy explanations of everything but I did get a bit lost and bored in the middle around the shares before it picked back up again for me.
I loved the scenarios of personas that Canna used as they helped me relate the information more.
I enjoyed Canna's easy explanations of everything but I did get a bit lost and bored in the middle around the shares before it picked back up again for me.
I loved the scenarios of personas that Canna used as they helped me relate the information more.
June 26, 2020
As someone who has recently become obsessed with budgeting, I found this book to be extremely useful. From learning about setting up multiple accounts, passive income and buying a home, I got so much out of this book. I highlighted so many passages and pages and I am looking forward to getting on top of all of my finances and achieving my goals.
August 27, 2021
Really enjoyed this book, thanks Canna! I listened to it in the audio format. The book is for those who have solid, regular income streams and consistent savings rates. The book will then help you to formulate a plan to grow your money by investing, paying off your home mortgage early, and then being able to retire early. Some great tips for young Australians wanting to be financially free.
September 14, 2019
I’ve loved Canna Campbell’s book Mindful Money.
Canna breaks down the world of finance into easy to understand and implement steps.
I’m inspired to take on my finances, work out my number and begin building passive income.
Can’t recommend highly enough!
Canna breaks down the world of finance into easy to understand and implement steps.
I’m inspired to take on my finances, work out my number and begin building passive income.
Can’t recommend highly enough!
November 5, 2019
I really enjoyed Cannas first book and this follow up “Mindful Money” didn’t disappoint. You don’t need to worry about the book being too “woo woo” but a really great handbook to set up yourself and your future.
March 16, 2020
Nothing personal I suppose, but I don't agree with borrowing to invest so I suppose I'm not the target audience here. Otherwise it was ok. I found myself skimming near the end to just finish up though.
May 16, 2021
Canna provides some practical steps in building financial independence. I liked how she gave some interesting case studies on people working towards their goals. But there were aspects in which I felt it was not possible.
February 21, 2022
Really easy and engaging to read. This book has provided me with great knowledge in how to manage my money realistically and responsibly. It has also provided me a great introduction into how and where to invest money. Really glad I read this book.
September 30, 2019
A book that’s published in 2019, a book by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter, a book with a two-word title.
November 10, 2019
Loved this book as it is straight to the point, realistic in a modern day world and talks about financial wellbeing from a mental health benefit.
Read
December 26, 2019Library loan I ran out of time to finish. I read some. I guess I wasn’t in the mood for it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews