Living Thin

Living Thin

One woman's journey from penniless to prosperous in a year!

Why is it that Australia women are so penniless? And what can be done to change it?

56% of Australian women have no long-term savings plan and 1 in five women spend their entire pay packet each week. It's clear that women need to financially get it together, but how?

Enter Maggie Rose, a fictionlised character created by Antonia Magee to represent the financial struggle she saw the vast majority of women her age going through as they entered their thirties.

Maggie Rose is 29, perpetually broke and has a weakness for this season's must-haves! But, with a mounting credit card debt, her job at the newspaper failing to support her lifestyle, and the man of her dreams in love with someone else, Maggie discovers it's time to tighten her belt and get a healthy relationship with her finances.

Combining support from friends, professional financial advice and a powerful thing called eBay, can Maggie change her ways and live thin whilst still having a life?

Not just a cure for every woman's financial woes, Living Thin is a riveting fictionalised tale of one woman's journey from poverty to Prada in just twelve short months!

Antonia Magee is a Melbourne journalist who has always struggled to save her cents. She is a finance and general new reporter for the Herald Sun.

Living Thin
Wrightbooks
Author: Antonia Magee
ISBN: 9781742169767
Price: $24.95

Interview with Antonia Magee

Why did you think it was important to write this book?

Antonia Magee: I wanted to write Living Thin for a couple of reasons.
Initially the idea came when I was working as a financial journalist and I saw a gap in the personal finance market for women. At the time I needed beginner financial advice myself and most of the personal finance books didn't speak to me as a woman in my 20s, on a low income, with a bit of debt. Many of the examples of women used just didn't seem realistic and I thought I could create a character that spoke to me and women that I knew. I wanted her problems to not just be about the fact that she had no idea how to clear a credit card debt, but also about juggling friends, socialising, work, home life and romance.

The second reason I wrote the book was because I love chick-literature and I had always wanted to write a book in the genre.
And so Living Thin was born.


Why did you choose to create a fictional character to educate women?

Antonia Magee: I thought writing a fictional tale with a sharp, rollicking story line coupled with real advice would be a great way to get some strong lessons across without being bland. And because I am no financial guru and I wanted to learn about finance myself, I created the protagonist Maggie Rose. After researching what kind of financial situations women were in and some of the problems they had to wade through, I went to Melbourne financial expert, Jason Cunningham, gave him the bare bones of Maggie's dilemma and asked him what advice he would give her if she was a real woman.

At the beginning of the book, many of Maggie's mistakes were based on my own and people I was close too to make it as realistic as possible. But Jason's advice was for the character. I used his extensive knowledge and wrote it into the tale.


What was the best thing about creating the character, Maggie Rose?

Antonia Magee: The best thing about Maggie Rose was creating a character that was realistic, but also fun. Maggie has flaws many women in their 20s and 30s would be way too familiar with - she likes clothes, food, wine and fun - and she does not have a clue how to manage her funds.

Apart from the finances, I had always wanted to write a chick-lit book so the character had to have a job, friends and a love interest and this was really the best part of writing Living Thin. I tried to make Maggie loveable and her romance as page-turning as possible, which is just what I would have wanted as a reader.


When did you realise many women had such a huge problem with saving?

Antonia Magee: The idea for the book came when I was working as a financial journalist for the Herald Sun at the height of the Global Financial Crisis. I was becoming more and more aware that I needed to get my own act together and I was talking to friends and colleagues who were in a similar situation.

As a business journalist I was inundated with data about statistics pertaining to men and women so I had a good idea that many women were struggling to keep on top of running their own lives and keeping up with Jones' at the same time.


Did it shock you to know that 56% of Australian women have no long-term savings plan?

Antonia Magee: It didn't shock me, but it made me feel a hell of a lot better. When that statistic came out I had just finished the book and the character Maggie Rose was a perfect example of why many women aren't saving for the future.

Saying that though, I don't think all women are bad with money.


Why are women less financially stable then men? Is it normally because of a shopping-addiction?

Antonia Magee: I don't think women are less stable than men at all. In my experience, women are the ones running households as well as holding down jobs. And many men I know are shocking with money and rely completely on their partners, or their parents, to keep on the straight and narrow.

Yes, a lot of women still don't have a long term savings plan, but many just aren't earning enough for this to be a viable part of their lives while for others it's just not important.


What can we do to change the fact that women are less financially stable then men?

Antonia Magee: I think women have to take control of their finances one step at a time. There are lots of positive books, TV shows and websites helping women get their financial acts together. Living Thin is just one of them.


Can you share a few tips for women who need to save money?

Antonia Magee: Some of the tips that were passed along to me when writing Living Thin were as follows:

Don't ignore money issues - putting them off won't make them disappear.

Think before you buy - can you really afford to organise dinner with friends at the latest hot restaurant? Why not invite everyone around for a home cooked meal instead.

Consider walking to work if you live close enough. We've all seen those sparkly looking women soldiering along the street on their way to work with their suits paired with a pair of runners. It's healthy and free.

Get rid of your debts before you worry about saving. There is not much point setting up a high interest savings account if you have a $5000 credit card debt accruing interest.

Make your lunch for work. It's amazing how much money is wasted on a store bought sandwich when making one at home takes less time and far less money.


How can we work at clearing that credit card debt?

Antonia Magee: Most financial websites will advice people to pay off the full amount owed on a credit card each month, but, although is sensible, for many people it is just not an option. The way the character Maggie Rose cleared her debts was by dedicating a certain amount of money each pay cheque to go straight onto her credit cards. Maggie Rose also sold her car so she could pay off the remainder of her debts. This may not be an option for everyone, but for some people it will be.


How important is parenting in regards to finance?

Antonia Magee: Personally, my parents worked extremely hard at trying to make me money savvy. I was given countless books and endless advice on how to save, and none of it worked. I thought I was destined to be destitute and on the pension. They were great role models though and eventually the message got through and I started to put my financial situation first.

I think that parents are vital in setting a good example. Women nowadays are pairing up later and doing many things solo, so parents counsel and example can be invaluable.