Four years ago, we left Ballarat for a lifestyle farm we loved. It became part of our identity. Birthdays. Christmases. Picnics. Chickens, ducks and wide open views. We told everyone how much we loved it because we did.

Slowly, the numbers began to change.

13 rate rises. Insurance nearly doubling. Hay costs up almost 300%. Fuel climbing. Salaries staying the same.

Then came a letter proposing a change to my income and the spreadsheet made the decision unavoidable.

In this episode, I share the emotional reality of choosing to move back to Ballarat, saving over $25,000 a year in the process and why the hardest part wasn’t financial but actually confronting my ego.

We talk about:

• The sunk cost trap
• Financial pressure and relationships
• Why holding on can quietly cost you
• Grief, identity ...