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It is vital that employers recognize menopause and put policies in place to support their workforce and maintain a productive and inclusive

‘Society' has all the power. It tells us what we need to be aiming for and why as well as how. As exemplified in Dr Seuss's The Lorax, we need to be "biggering and biggering" productivity in order to expand and increase wealth. So when the pandemic hit, that was the focus of our leaders. But why do we need biggering? The argument goes along the lines of job creation and wage increases in order to keep people fed and happy. But the reality appears to be more aligned with linin

By EK Wills The world has turned on itself: first the pandemic tried to reduce the harm humans are doing to it by pruning the population and now we are doing it to each other. Just like playground antics, the big loudmouth bullies (Trump) point the finger at the quiet achiever bullies (China) who turn on the little kids (Australia). But it doesn’t stop there. Now the little kids are beating each other up (race wars) and shaking their fist at the only power source they can a

By EK Wills Why do we feel the need to take on others’ opinions? Today I went to pick out a new pair of glasses and I took someone along to assist the process, who I consider to be a good judge of style aka my husband. Most of the options were dull and I was looking for something with more spark. My support person was choosing different ones to me and it was taking a long time. The sales assistant was most helpful, upsold me to a fancy frame, and I walked away feeling slightl

By EK Wills There is a lot of talk around the topic of stress and being overwhelmed. But when we start labeling the result with terms like burnout we are saying that the limit is reached. Then there are those that try to attribute the feeling to the fault of the person by saying that they are not resilient enough or not creating a work life balance that leads to the breaking point. In a time where productivity is heralded as the most important result, the idea of taking time

By E K Wills Why do so many people have such huge credit card debts? Financial gurus are always espousing the virtues of not going into debt so how is it that vast amounts are racked up on credit by people every month? Years ago, a study done by MIT researcher, Associate Professor Prelec, showed that when two sets of people were asked to bid in an auction using cash vs credit, about twice as much bidding was done by the credit card holders than those with cash. So even though

By EK Wills Many families are feeling the pinch at this time of year. Christmas has eaten a hole in the budget and the family holiday only made it bigger. Or there have been so many April birthdays and gifts bought for them that you are left wondering what to do when Mother’s Day rolls around. In our family, I have just celebrated my birthday (in April) and then Mother’s Day follows hot on it’s heels weeks later and I really don't need more gifts. The other aspect to consider

By EK Wills Call me controversial but I feel that the current climate of fundraising is set up to generate competition at our expense. Raising money for a cause is done with the best of intentions by all different members of our community for all sorts of reasons. This week I had the opportunity to be involved with two such events, one for a tragedy and one for hope. logo for funding site Social media is the perfect medium to facilitate fundraising because it can spread quick

By E K Wills The night before Christmas... We recently moved from a house we were bursting out of and into one with a spacious open plan. It felt like all our Christmases came at once! I remember when we took the leap, it had everything I had hoped for (except off street parking and a second shower but who’s keeping tabs?). Enough space for all three children; a rumpus downstairs, even a media room, and a family room, which now makes three areas that require sofas! It felt li

By EK Wills Many people struggle with finances their whole lives. And many feel they don’t know enough about how to manage their money. It’s too hard and too complicated so why bother? But given how expensive today’s economy is for housing, the idea of owning your own home seems to slip from more people’s grasp at an alarming rate. I grew up in the excess of the 80’s so always thought at a windfall of success would enable the lifestyle I wanted. But the crash that came after

By EK Wills money tree I grew up in the excess of the 80’s when everyone expected to become a millionaire. My father was one, so why shouldn’t I? Except the 80’s didn’t last and he wasn’t the Rich Dad that taught you how to do it sensibly and slowly because that was boring. He was a risk taker and a good one. The 80’s were his gold fields and he knew how to reap the rewards. He didn’t need a savings plan but he knew that you needed regular income to service your debt in order

by EK Wills There are many aspects to finances in the family: from workinpocket money to planning for future education and, even more fundamentally, the family home. And these factors cannot be considered in isolation as they impact on where you live, how you live and the environment you live in. Our family lives in one of the most expensive cities in the world. The housing crisis has hit the point where the Australian dream of owning a quarter acre block, or even a modest u

by EK Wills Have you ever really asked yourself what you live for? Or why are you living the way you do, right now? And, even more importantly, are you content with what you find out? Some of us do this on a daily basis: some people even call it navel gazing. While others don't take the opportunity and happily or not seem to drift through life. Last year I stepped out of my usual routine and took on a temporary position in another state. My goal was to help finance a trip for

by EK Wills This week I metaphorically fell on my face when I was trying to do too much and tripped on my own eagerness. I was going to write about a fabulous birthday party idea but got sidetracked because I think I was trying to be the super mum: - organize a cost effective, creative, fun birthday party - plus juggle an extra job to earn more money because we live in an unsustainable city, - while at the same time, trying to tend to my health. And that is only scratching

by EK Wills How old are you? This question is about as invasive as who you voted for or how much you paid for your house. But everyone appears to need to know this because it helps to put people in neat little niches to categorise them: middle aged female with teenage daughters versus young mother versus professional spinster or old hag. None of it should matter but it does. When you’re young, you want to be more mature. When you’re getting to the magical 30 years old, it is

by EK Wills Do you lavish each other with praise and gifts? Or are you restrained, aiming to teach about saving for the future? And how does this affect the next generation? Do they grow up with the same values as the parents: a learned habit that is handed on to the next generation? Does that affect your amount of monetary success? Our family had a modern split so step-parents were involved in complicating the level of family influence. The result was polar opposite approa

by EK Wills Welcome to your blog post. Use this space to connect with your readers and potential customers in a way that’s current and interesting. Think of it as an ongoing conversation where you can share updates about business, trends, news, and more. As we launch into Spring, it is the perfect time for a spring clean up. And there are many benefits to doing this: Decrease the stress of the mess Cleaning can be made fun Make money from discarded items Reduce wasted time c

Personal point of view of Chinese impact on Sydney from an Egg (Chinese on the inside, White on the outside) I love celebrating Chinese New Year and try to get together with friends and family to go to yum cha and attend festivities around Sydney, especially given the prestige of it’s Chinatown. My father looks Chinese and sounds Australian – Australian born Chinese – but I look Caucasian and have always liked being able to say I’m part Chinese. I even had a Chinese themed

by EK Wills Is your Christmas celebrated as a traditional one or do you like to mix it up with some creative changes? These budget and eco friendly options make the festive season fun for the whole family. Make your own tree creation –three different options DIY and decorations – three variations Home made advent calendars – four easy steps to follow Non-Traditional Trees In our house, we have had a variety of Christmas Trees for different years to keep them involved in