My name is Carole* and I have been working with a Financial Mentor from BSNC for a while now. A few months ago my partner was laid off because of the downturn in business caused by COVID19, then soon after my own hours were cut back. So almost overnight we went from being a two income household to needing to get help from Work and Income. Someone suggested talking to a budget service, so I found BSNC online and made the call. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the team at BSNC have been great, I didn’t feel talked down to – it was like they understood the challenges I was facing.

My first appointment wasn’t as difficult as I was expecting; the Financial Mentor asked me a lot of questions. It was pretty intense at times, but I felt I had someone who understood me and who could actually help. When we went into lockdown the Financial Mentor was still able to work with me, first by phone and text, then she suggested I load a free APP called zoom so we could video call. She helped me get it working and now we can check-in via zoom and this has been great!

Since our first meeting we’ve met several times; she prepared a budget which we changed each time our situation changed. We talked about debt consolidation options, renegotiated some debt repayments, and she made sure my partner and I were getting all our entitlements from Work and Income. I didn’t realise how much could be renegotiated – that was a real eye-opener for me. Now I have a notebook to keep track of where our money is going. There is some good news too – my partner was reinstated when his work picked up again. My own hours aren’t quite back to normal yet, but I have had an increase, so I’m happy with that.

So while we’re not out of the woods yet, I know we’re going to be OK. I am still meeting with my Financial Mentor, although only monthly now to check-in to make sure that things are on track. I certainly recommend BSNC services – give them a call you won’t be disappointed!

*Name and family circumstances have been changed to protect identity.