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Thursday just before 6am. Woke being squashed by three dogs, our Sally and two guest Cavoodles. Such gorgeous, welcome weight, two years to the day since our old warrior Maggie<\/a> died in our arms to Learn to Fly.<\/p>\n Chris and I took the risk that watching the 39-second video taken on Maggie\u2019s final walk would be a good thing, and it was, an instant rush of love that still breaks me.<\/p>\n A few hours later, Chris got an email from a superannuation company. Someone who passed away named him their sole beneficiary. A lump sum, enough to pay off our mortgage with change, would be deposited soon in his nominated account.<\/p>\n I cried. Rivers. The synchronicity of a life-changing whack of money landing and Maggie\u2019s anniversary wasn\u2019t lost on me. Although I am the woman who believed for ages, kinda still do, that my dog was sending messages<\/a> from beyond the grave via commercial radio.<\/p>\n During the zillion times Chris and I war-gamed finances \u2013 boosted one year by redundancy, undermined another by underemployment, currently besieged by my shop assistant job \u2013 a surprise inheritance never once came up. Or any inheritance.<\/p>\n Related Article That generosity means we\u2019ll have no debt. It\u2019s literally unbelievable and I\u2019m still nervous it\u2019s a sophisticated prank.<\/p>\n When I signed up for my first mortgage, I was 24. I\u2019ll be 60 in October. I\u2019ve been beholden to banks, for sums of up to $800,000 at a time, for almost my entire adult life.<\/p>\n So the reality of finally being beyond the reach of interest rate rises and bank bullshit is incredible. Do not worry, there will be tonnes more tears of gratitude and relief and a passionfruit sponge and thanks sent beyond the earthly velvet curtain.<\/p>\n But Chris and I know the only reason we can ditch our mortgage 17 years early, saving about $140,000 in interest, is because the money\u2019s been gifted.<\/p>\n Even though we\u2019ve both worked since we were teenagers.<\/p>\n That\u2019s the bit I can\u2019t stop thinking about. And it\u2019s why the whingeing about this week\u2019s federal budget changes to capital gains tax and negative gearing make me want to go to sick bay.<\/p>\n The government prioritising housing for Millennials over the tax perks of property investors is the right call. And before anyone says it \u2013 yeah, it\u2019s easy for me to talk now I\u2019m about to be mortgage free. But my kids aren\u2019t sorted. And yours probably aren\u2019t either.<\/p>\n And maybe \u2013 as the sandwich generation<\/a> still financially helping out kids, maybe to build up a housing deposit, and caring for parents \u2013 you\u2019re not sorted.<\/p>\n Because what got lost this week amid the noise of people with large portfolios bitching about losing their advantages is this was never just a young people\u2019s problem.<\/p>\n Related Article There are millions of us Gen Xers, ordinary, work-our-whole-lives, one-modest-home people, staring at ceilings at 3am worrying about carrying mortgages into retirement.<\/p>\n People who raised families while servicing giant loans and ortho bills. Who waved off the kids thinking, \u201cYay, our turn now\u201d, then found themselves running the Bank of Mum and Dad while being hammered by our own mortgage and insurances and wondering when the fun part would start.<\/p>\n I\u2019m not Alan Kohler and again, almost mortgage free, but I\u2019ve spent decades in the same tax system as people buying their seventh investment property, and watched them get the better deal every time. That\u2019s my qualification here.<\/p>\n I know exactly what it feels like to work for 42 straight years, only taking four months off with each baby, and still feel one redundancy, illness or interest rate rise away from trouble.<\/p>\n Kids, we love you and want things to be better. I hate that you\u2019re trying to save a $150K deposit for a shit-box in a soulless housing estate with one road in and no live music. Fingers crossed the new policy moves the needle a bit.<\/p>\n But some of us are looking at these changes with relief for another reason too. Those of us were never nearly as sorted as we looked, one bad email away from trouble instead of one good one from freedom.<\/p>\n Kate Halfpenny is the founder of Bad Mother Media.<\/p>\n The Opinion newsletter is a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform your own. Sign up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"Kate](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/b5c00c8151f2159349844e9b21f6c3b6c3f08bf0.jpeg\")
Kate Halfpenny and her husband, Chris.<\/p>\n![\"Kate](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/e30742381f09171793c53aa2ad71c420fc120efa.jpeg\")
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