Hi, I’m Melanie. Most people call me Mel.

I’m married to my best friend. I’m grateful to have him by my side. We love each other despite our flaws and bring out the best in each other.

I am a mum of three boys. They are energetic and noisy, super sweet and fun. Life is busy. We are almost sleeping through the night. Almost.

I am a primary school teacher in Adelaide. I love working with children and helping them become the best that they can be. I like learning with them and learning from them. As a relief teacher, I know that I can make a difference in the lives of young people, even just for the day. I try to bring calm and consistency for them, helping to reduce anxiety.

I’m passionate about empowering women of all ages to manage their money well and become financially independent, regardless of their household income.  I’m not trained in finance so not able to give advice. I enjoy sharing about side hustle ideas, savvy tips and doing the best you can with what you have.

 I’m embracing a minimalist lifestyle and strive to live with less clutter in my home and schedule. I’m far from perfect and my house isn’t either. I still have too much stuff and am a work in progress. I hope that being real, I am relatable. I am growing and learning and trying to do a little better each day.

I write about my journey through motherhood and navigating this stage of life. I don’t sugarcoat the tough stuff. Parenting is hard. I love seeing mothers thrive in their season, share the highs and lows, laugh together and offer support when times are tough.

I am passionate about getting outside with my children and encouraging other families to do the same. I am happiest when I am moving my body and outdoors in nature. This has always been important to me but even more so now that I am a mother.  Parenting boys is different to girls. Being inside all day is not fun for everybody. They need to move their bodies and have space to run, jump and explore.

I started an Instagram page a few years back under the name moneysavvymamma. I thought we were doing okay with money. A friend suggested I share some tips. Before long, I realised that there were so many people doing way better than us. I felt insecure, embarrassed even. I felt like I had nothing to contribute that would be of much use.

I was encouraged to keep on going. I posted about a range of things from a range of topics. I tried to set up different pages but that seemed like too much work. I couldn’t commit. I decided to continue posting about a broad range of topics on the one page. It’s not advised to do this. You’re supposed to find a niche and hone in on this. I just can’t do that.

I like variety. My brain likes variety. I don’t want to be restricted to a topic. I don’t want to write within the lines. Give me free space, a blank page to scribble on and I thrive.

After much consideration, I changed my handle to ‘SavvyMamma.’ It’s not perfect but I needed the ‘money’ part gone. I needed a name to better reflect who I am and what I do. I don’t always write about savvy tips nor am I the most savvy person around. I just strive to do better, to be better.

Thanks for swinging by.

This site is a work in progress. I have plenty of ideas filling dozens of notebooks, hundreds of draft articles, and thousands of notes in my phone.  Ideas are not my problem.

I aspire for bigger things, to write for a bigger audience. To become a published author. To encourage women and mothers and families. To inspire teachers. To entertain children.

Pregnancy and mothering young children has consumed my energy and time. As I look to enter a new season of schooling and sleep, I hope to write more, finish what I start and drink my coffee hot. I can’t wait to connect with you.

Mel xx