Insufficient Funds

A money book without the BS

Whether you dream of security and home ownership, you’re building your career, or you want to grow your family… it’s time to figure out what you want from your money. And then make it happen. Financial adviser James Millard cuts through the jargon and shares a simple framework for making better money decisions and achieving your goals. Insufficient Funds is a comprehensive guide to personal finance that recognises the realities and challenges of balancing your life with your spending.

So where do you start? To plan your future and find financial freedom, you need to define what 'sufficient’ means to you. And it’s not about settling for less! Insufficient Funds will show you how to make the most of what you earn — and enjoy it more too. You’ll get lifelong strategies to help you achieve your personal goals and live your dreams.

Inside, you’ll find:

• The 5 Ds: a proven framework to help you Define, Declutter, Develop, Defend, and Deliver when it comes to your money goals
• Strategies to overcome money stress and money mess
• Targeted guidance for the different scenarios, events, and stages that life might throw at you
• A balanced approach to building wealth while still enjoying your everyday life
• Real-world stories and relatable experiences that help show the way

Insufficient Funds is the no-nonsense guide you need to build a better money mindset and a strategic financial plan. The more you align your money decisions with the outcomes you truly want, the more you’ll gain clarity, confidence, and momentum — for a happier, more fulfilling life, today and tomorrow.

"James and his team support my community with financial advice to live their best lives. He is a genius in this space and this book gives away all his best secrets!” — Victoria Devine, founder of Australia's #1 finance podcast, She's on the Money

"James has cracked the code in making financial advice relatable, approachable and insanely valuable. Read the book, follow the 5x Ds and achieve your version of ‘sufficient funds’.” — Glen James, author and founder of the money money money podcast

Introduction xi

The True Meaning of Sufficient Funds xii

The ATM slip and one all-time road trip xiv

Our journey to Sufficient Funds xviii

How this book works and why it’s important to you xxi

Fuck F.I.R.E. — why retirement is NOT the goal xxiv

1 Define — the missing step 1

The power of positive thinking for financial wellbeing 2

How to spend a billion dollars: find your purpose and stay on it 6

Three steps to setting bigger adventures (and how we get there with our clients) 11

Experiences or things — why can’t I have both? 19

It’s not meant to be easy — be prepared to work 22

2 Declutter — clearing the path 31

Clarity: attitude and focus 32

Build your financial launchpad 37

Dealing with debt 38

Debt disruption strategies: creative ways to pay off debt 40

Cruise Control: Your Spending Plan 46

FAQs 62

3 Develop — big plans, growth and mad momentum 67

The ‘mad stacks’ strategy: introducing the four stacks of Sufficient Funds 69

Goal- focused investment for the win! 80

Debunking the tax myth 83

Tax effectiveness — before you invest you need this 86

Investment — your third stack of Sufficient Funds 90

Superannuation — the fourth stack of Sufficient Funds 115

4 Defend — through life’s ups and downs 123

Using your emergency fund — remember it’s not your money! 125

Adding kids, not zeros 127

Drop everything 148

Pandemics 150

Protection 151

Did somebody say intergenerational wealth transfer? 158

5 Deliver — let it flow 161

Stay the course 162

Stay authentic 163

Find a Sufficient cause and make a difference that counts 166

Set up a regular donations plan 172

Keep motivated 173

Redefine Sufficient 176

Isn’t financial advice just for old people who already have mad stacks? 182

Think bigger: Beyond Sufficient 187

Got stuck? Reach out 191

Notes 193

JAMES MILLARD is a financial adviser and director of award-winning firm Sufficient Funds, and stands as a trailblazer in Australian financial services. With 10 000+ hours one-on-one with clients, he delivers approachable and relatable financial advice to those with lots of living left before retirement.

A MONEY BOOK WITHOUT THE BS

Do you ever look at your bank balance and think ‘I earn too much to have so little’? Do you have big plans and dreams, but get stuck trying to make the money part happen? Are you making money decisions without understanding their true impact on future you?

Insufficient Funds is your simple, no BS guide to everything you’ve ever dreamed of: buying a home, having wild adventures, growing your family and funding your ultimate lifestyle. Inside, financial adviser James Millard shows how you can balance your spending, and reveals the way forward to financial security and freedom. James cuts through the jargon, busts the myths, and delivers a simple framework for making better money decisions and aligning your money with your ideal life.

Inside you’ll find:

• strategies to overcome money stress and money mess
• targeted guidance for the different scenarios, events and stages that life might throw at you
• a balanced approach to building wealth while still enjoying your everyday life
• real-world stories and relatable experiences that help show the way
• easy-to-follow steps toward a financially-free future you.

Your dreams are only limited by your decisions. Insufficient Funds will help you make the right decisions for your goals and give you the path to a happier, more fulfilling life.

"James and his team support my community with financial advice to live their best lives. He is a genius in this space and this book gives away all his best secrets!” ― Victoria Devine, founder of Australia's #1 finance podcast, She's on the Money

"James has cracked the code in making financial advice relatable, approachable and insanely valuable. Read the book, follow the 5x Ds and achieve your version of ‘sufficient funds’.” ― Glen James, author and founder of the money money money podcast