How We Actually Teach
Our sessions use real scenarios from real people. We work through actual bank statements, discuss genuine dilemmas, and build budgets with the numbers you're dealing with today. Theory gets boring fast.
We Started With A Simple Question
Why do so many smart people struggle with money decisions? Not because they're bad at math. Not because they don't earn enough. But because nobody taught them how to make finances feel less overwhelming.
1
Late 2019
Kitchen Table Beginnings
Started with weekend workshops in community centers around Bunbury. Just a handful of folks who wanted honest conversations about budgeting without the financial jargon.
2
Mid 2021
Going Digital
When lockdowns hit, we moved everything online. Turned out people preferred learning from home anyway. Who knew? Our virtual sessions grew from 12 to over 200 participants.
3
Early 2024
Building Something Bigger
Launched structured programs focusing on expense tracking and realistic budgeting. No get-rich schemes. Just practical strategies that work for real Australian households.
4
Looking Ahead 2025
What Comes Next
We're expanding into personalized coaching and developing tools that adapt to different life stages. Because your financial needs at 25 look nothing like they do at 45.
What We Actually Believe In
These aren't corporate values printed on office walls. They're how we run our programs and make decisions when things get complicated.
Plain Language
If you need a finance degree to understand something, we're explaining it wrong. We break down concepts into everyday language that makes sense over coffee.
Realistic Goals
We're not here to promise you'll retire at 35. We help you build budgets that work with your actual income and don't require eating instant noodles for a decade.
Judgment-Free Zone
Made impulse purchases? Forgot to track expenses for months? Join the club. We start from where you are, not where some textbook says you should be.
Progress Over Perfection
Small improvements compound. We celebrate cutting one subscription you don't use just as much as major financial overhauls. Every step counts.
Practical Tools
Theory is nice. Spreadsheets that actually work are better. We provide resources you'll use next week, not file away and forget about.
Life Happens
Cars break down. Medical bills appear. Budgets need flexibility for the unpredictable stuff. We build that reality into everything we teach.
The Person Behind The Programs
stellanovaeon started because Reeve Castaneda got tired of watching friends stress about money while financial advisors spoke a different language. She'd spent years in corporate finance and noticed a gap between what experts knew and what regular people needed.
So she quit. Started teaching budgeting workshops in her spare time. Turns out a lot of people felt the same way about traditional financial advice. What began as Saturday morning sessions in a borrowed meeting room grew into something bigger.
Now our programs reach hundreds of Australians each year. We've kept the same approach: clear explanations, practical tools, and honest conversations about money. Because finance doesn't need to be complicated to be effective.
Reeve Castaneda
Founder & Education Lead
Former corporate finance analyst who discovered she preferred helping people understand their grocery budgets over analyzing quarterly reports. Runs on coffee and spreadsheet jokes.
Tools That Work
We provide spreadsheets, tracking systems, and planning templates that don't require a finance background. If something's confusing, we simplify it until it's not.
Ongoing Support
Learning doesn't stop after one workshop. Our participants get access to follow-up resources, updated materials, and a community of others working on similar goals. Questions welcome.
Your Schedule, Your Pace
Some people prefer weekend intensives. Others want weekly sessions spread over months. We offer both because your calendar is already full enough without adding rigid commitments.