START WELL® Podcast Episode 9: How They Get You with Heather Sharp

What if many of the everyday spending decisions we make aren’t really as “random” as we think?

In this episode of START WELL®, Dawn Thomas is joined by Heather Sharp, Associate Adviser at The Wealth Designers, to review the book How They Get You by Chris Kohler.

Together, Dawn and Heather unpack the hidden psychology behind modern spending habits and the ways businesses, marketers, pricing systems and loyalty programs subtly influence consumer behaviour.

One of the things Dawn particularly enjoyed about this book was that it was written from an Australian perspective, making the examples feel highly relevant and current, especially in today’s environment of rising living costs, inflation pressures and conversations around tariffs and global economics.

Dawn listened to the audiobook version, while Heather read the e-book & listened to the audio book, leading to a great discussion on how the content translated across formats.

• Why How They Get You feels so timely for Australian households

• Whether the book is useful for parents, young adults and first-time earners

• The psychology behind everyday spending decisions

• How businesses encourage us to spend more without us noticing

• Whether loyalty schemes actually benefit consumers

• Fuel pricing and supermarket pricing tricks

• Why unit pricing matters more than flashy discounts

• Shopping across multiple supermarkets: practical or exhausting?

• Computer games, microtransactions and digital spending habits

• Superannuation and how financial systems are explained to everyday readers

• How tariffs and global economics impact household budgets

• Gift cards, rewards programs and consumer behaviour

• The importance of teaching young people to become more conscious consumers

This episode explores how awareness can become one of the most powerful financial literacy tools families can develop.

Rather than focusing only on budgeting or investing, this conversation looks at the behavioural side of money: the tiny nudges, habits and systems that quietly shape how we spend.

As always, START WELL® aims to help parents bring important money conversations back home to their kids in ways that feel practical, engaging and relatable.

Heather Sharp is an Associate Adviser at The Wealth Designers and works closely with clients to help them build confidence and clarity around their financial decisions.

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  General Advice

  Warning – This Podcast contains general advice. The information, including tax information and any advice provided in this Podcast, does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Because of that, you should before acting on the advice, consider the appropriateness of the advice, having regard to those things. If the advice relates to a particular financial product, you should obtain the relevant Product DisclosureStatement for any product mentioned and consider its contents before making any decision. You should consider talking to a financial adviser before making a financial decision. Dawn Thomas is a Senior Financial Adviser and is anauthorised representative of TWD Licensee Services Pty Ltd ABN 88 605 064 480 Australian Financial Services Licence No.475964 (TWD Licensee Services).

🎙️ START WELL® Podcast Atomic Habits: Helping Kids Build Habits That Stick with resident book reviewer Michelle Flanagan

Episode Overview

In this episode of START WELL®, we explore one of themost influential behaviour change books of our time—Atomic Habits by James Clear.

With over 25 millions of copies sold worldwide, thisbook has reshaped how we think about habits, motivation, and long-term success.

But this conversation goes beyond personal development.

We focus on how parents can apply these ideas to help children and teens build habits that actually stick—whether it’s study routines, screen time, health, or money behaviours.

Because raising capable young people isn’t aboutperfection… it’s about creating systems that make good choices easier.

Key Themes We Explore

Systems Over Goals

We unpack the idea that:

You don’t rise to the level of your goals—you fall to thelevel of your systems.

While goals give direction, it’s daily systems androutines that drive results. For kids, this means shifting focus from outcomes (grades, performance) to repeatable behaviours.

Identity-Based Habits

One of the most powerful ideas from the book:

The goal is not to read a book, the goal is to become areader.

We explore how helping kids shape identity—
“I’m someone who studies” or “I’m someone who shows up”— can lead to more sustainable behaviour change than external pressure alone.

The Habit Loop

Every habit follows a pattern:
Cue → Craving → Response → Reward

We discuss how this plays out in everyday life.

General Advice

Warning – This Podcast contains general advice. The information, including tax information and any advice provided in this Podcast, does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Because ofthat, you should before acting on the advice, consider the appropriateness of the advice, having regard to those things. If the advice relates to a particular financial product, you should obtain the relevant Product DisclosureStatement for any product mentioned and consider its contents before making any decision. You should consider talking to a financial adviser before making afinancial decision. Dawn Thomas is a Senior Financial Adviser and is an authorised representative of TWD Licensee Services Pty Ltd ABN 88 605 064 480 Australian Financial Services Licence No.475964 (TWD Licensee Services).

START WELL® Podcast – The Art of Spending Money byMorgan Housel

Guest Reviewer: Cara Graham

In this episode of START WELL®, we explore The Art of Spending Money by Morgan Housel, the highly anticipated follow-up to The Psychology of Money, a book previously discussed in Season One of the podcast. While The Psychology of Money focused on how we grow wealth,this book shifts the lens to how we use it.

This is not a book about spreadsheets, budgets, or technical financial strategies. Instead, Housel explores the psychology behind spending, including identity, envy, happiness, status, independence, insecurity, and contentment. It challenges us to think differently about why we spend, what our spending says about us, and how our financial decisions influence not only our own lives but the children watching us.

In this episode, host Dawn Thomas is joined by guest reviewer Cara Graham to unpack the lessons from the book and explore how parents can bring meaningful conversations about money, values, and behaviour back into the home.

What We Cover in This Episode

Money as a Tool or a Status Symbol

One of the foundational ideas in the book is that there are two ways to use money:

1. As a tool to create a better life
2. As a yardstick of status to compare ourselves to others

The discussion explores how this distinction shapes our decisions and why helping children see money as a tool, rather than a measure of worth, matters so much.

Can Spending Money Buy Happiness?

Housel opens the book with a provocative thought:

Can money buy happiness? Yes.
Can spending money make you happier? Yes.
But the relationship is more complicated than people think.

The episode explores how money often creates happiness indirectly. For example, a larger home may bring happiness not because of the house itself, but because it creates space for connection with family and friends.

Happiness vs Contentment

A major theme throughout the book is the distinction between:

1. Happiness: the excitement, novelty, and emotional “buzz” that often comes with acquiring something new
2. Contentment: the ability to stop chasing and appreciate the present moment

Spending, Attention and Status

The episode explores Housel’s framework around attention-seeking through spending.

This leads into an important discussion around envy, admiration, and the idea that people may not admire flashy displays as much as we assume.

The Most Valuable Financial Asset

A standout quote from the book:

“The most valuable financial asset is not needing to impress anyone.”

The episode explores how freedom from comparisoncan become one of the most powerful forms of wealthYour Money and Your Kids

A particularly powerful chapter focuses on children and the financial lessons they absorb from us.

Key reminders:

1. Kids are always watching
2. Children learn financial behaviour through observation
3. The values parents display around money shape future habits

A central question explored:
What do you want your children to remember you by?

Listen to START WELL® for more conversations helping parents bring money discussions backhome and support young people in building healthier financial futures.

General Advice

Warning – This Podcast contains general advice. The information, including tax information and any advice provided in this Podcast, does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Because of that, you should before acting on the advice, consider the appropriateness of the advice, having regard to those things. If the advice relates to a particular financial product, you should obtain the relevant Product Disclosure Statement for any product mentioned and consider its contents before making any decision. You should consider talking to a financial adviser before making a financial decision. Dawn Thomas is a Senior Financial Adviser and is an authorised representative of TWD Licensee Services Pty Ltd ABN 88 605 064 480Australian Financial Services Licence No.475964 (TWD Licensee Services).