Master Your Money Without the Stress
Real budgeting skills for Australian families who want to stop worrying and start building something solid. We've helped hundreds find clarity in their finances through practical, shame-free guidance.
Explore Our Programs
Why Most Budgeting Advice Doesn't Work
Here's what I've noticed after working with over 300 Australian households: people don't need another spreadsheet. They need someone to acknowledge that managing money feels overwhelming when you're juggling mortgage repayments, childcare fees, and everything else life throws at you.
Our approach started when a single mum from Perth told me she'd tried five different budget apps and still felt lost. That conversation changed everything. We built something different—education that treats you like an actual person, not a calculator.
The families we work with aren't looking for get-rich-quick schemes. They want to sleep better at night knowing their bills are covered and there's a buffer for when the car breaks down. That's the foundation we build from.
What You'll Actually Learn
Forget the theory. These are the skills that make a tangible difference when you're trying to stretch your income further.
Variable Income Planning
If your pay changes month to month—whether you're a tradie, freelancer, or working casual shifts—you need a different strategy. We'll show you how to budget when you can't predict exactly what's coming in. This includes building a baseline buffer and adjusting for seasonal variations without the panic.
Emergency Fund Building
Most advice says "save six months of expenses" which sounds great until you're actually trying to do it. We break this down into manageable milestones—starting with just $1,000—so you can build security gradually.
Household Negotiation
Money arguments wreck relationships. We teach practical techniques for talking about spending priorities with your partner—or managing shared expenses with housemates—without it turning into a fight.
Subscription Auditing
The average Australian household has 12 active subscriptions they're paying for. You'd be surprised how quickly streaming services, gym memberships, and app subscriptions add up. We walk you through identifying what you actually use versus what's just draining your account.
Debt Priority Strategy
When you're carrying credit card debt, a car loan, and maybe HECS-HELP all at once, which do you tackle first? We'll map out a realistic repayment sequence based on interest rates and your actual cash flow—not some theoretical ideal.
Seasonal Expense Planning
Christmas, school holidays, car registration—these predictable expenses somehow still catch people off guard. We help you spread the cost across the whole year so December doesn't destroy your budget every time.
Our Programs Run Throughout 2025
We're accepting enrolments for our August and November 2025 cohorts. Each program runs for eight weeks with live sessions every Tuesday evening, plus on-demand materials you can work through at your own pace.
Classes are intentionally small—maximum 25 participants—because we've found that's the sweet spot where everyone gets personalized attention but you still benefit from hearing other people's questions and situations.
Meet Elspeth Thornbury
Lead Educator & Founder
I spent twelve years working in banking before realizing the financial education industry had a massive gap. People needed practical help, not lectures about compound interest formulas they'd never use.
Started melarionyx in 2019 after too many conversations with friends who felt embarrassed about not "getting" money management. The truth is, nobody teaches this stuff properly. Schools don't cover it. Parents often struggle with it themselves. And the financial advice industry mostly caters to people who already have significant assets to manage.
What gets me out of bed is helping someone realize they're not failing at adulting—they just never learned these specific skills. And that's fixable. We've worked with everyone from uni students to retirees, and the relief people feel when money finally makes sense? That's what this whole thing is about.
Ready to Get Your Budget Sorted?
Our next program starts in August 2025. If you're tired of feeling stressed every time you check your bank balance, let's change that. No judgment, no complicated jargon—just practical guidance that actually fits into real life.