About Me

My name is Deb Mason and DIY Personal Money Matters is my website.

No doubt you are asking yourself why on earth would you listen to me.

How can you trust that I know what I am talking about, and that the information included on these pages is worth reading? Let me tell you a bit about me, you never know it might just convince you!

My Life Experiences

I am a single mother (again). I have three children, all now adults with only the youngest still living at home. My eldest will be thirty in a year or so, and he and his wife had their first child late last year. Most people tell me that I don't look old enough to have a child that old, but that is what happens when a child has a child.

Me and Mine at Lee and Kylie's Wedding 2006

Yup, I was one of those dreaded teenage single mothers!

My son was born when I was seventeen. His father didn't stick around, which believe it or not was a good thing!

While my son was young I worked when I could, went back to school part time to finish my final year of high school, and watched every penny so that I could save for a deposit on a house. When my son was five, the town we lived in was facing an economic downturn and jobs were becoming scarce, so we rented out the house, packed a bag and came to Australia to try our luck. I had a job within two days which paid more in a week than I could earn in New Zealand in a fortnight!

Within a year, I had meet and married an Australian and settled down in Adelaide. Sixteen years and two children later, the marriage broke down. I found myself living in rented accommodation, without a job, and with three children to support!

My Qualifications

Although I was grew up in New Zealand, I didn't make it to University until I had been living in Australia for several years. When I started my first degree, I was a twenty-eight year old mother of two. It took me five years to finish that degree, and in that time I had child # 3, and worked full time for the last two years to help support my family. I graduated in 1994 with a Bachelors Degree in Commerce and found my first job as an Accountant.

In 1996, I completed the requirements for CPA status with CPA Australia. In 1997 the company I worked for was about to undergo a radical restructure and offered free career counseling for the staff in the hope that some would jump before they were pushed. Never one to pass up an opportunity, I decided to give it a go. The psychologist ran all his tests and then recommended that I go back to University - to do a PhD no less!

Scary stuff, but it peaked my interest so I decided to start small by enrolling in the Honours programme. By this time, my marriage was over and I was back to being a single mother, this time with three children. Back to studying full time, working when I could and saving every penny so that I could buy another house. It took me twelve months to complete the Honours Degree and then I was lucky enough to be offered a scholarship to complete a Masters Degree in Adult Learning and Lean Production.

My Work

For the last five years I have been back at work full time, busy climbing the corporate ladder and working on creating a nest egg or two for my old age. My current position is as the Finance Manager for a large government organization with an annual budget of approx. $230 million per year. My income has steadily grown from less than minimum wage as a single parent on a pension in 1999 to quite a bit above the national average! I am not rich by any means, but I do live within my means, and try to make the best use of what I have.

In Summary

• I have been dead broke and alone with a small child in a foreign country and not only survived, but thrived.
• I am a qualified accountant with current and relevant experience in managing very large amounts of money.
• I am personally using the information provided on these pages to build financial security for myself and for my children.

Deborah Mason B.Com (Hons) M.Ed CPA LCA

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