From $2K Salary to Financial Independence: A Working Mom’s Playbook ft. SG Budget Babe | Ep 37

From saving $20,000 on a $2,000 salary to making work optional while raising two young boys, Dawn Fiona Cher—better known online as SG Budget Babe—has spent the last decade helping others take back control of their money and mindset. A mom, author, Director of Government Affairs , and financial educator, Dawn continues to work in both corporate and content creation—not because she has to, but because it fuels her purpose.

In this episode, I sit down with Dawn to talk about what it really takes to grow your wealth while juggling motherhood, ambition, and a life you actually want to live. She shares the turning point that made her chase financial freedom harder than ever (hint: it happened mid-breastfeeding), the unglamorous truth of building a side hustle, and how she successfully negotiated for flexibility at work after proving her worth.

Dawn opens up about how her own childhood struggles with money shaped her, why time-blocking (not 5AM routines) keeps her grounded, and the life lessons she’s deliberately modeling for her kids. Her practical, no-nonsense wisdom is a refreshing reminder that success isn’t about balance—it’s about clarity, discipline, and alignment.

In this energizing conversation, we explored:

📈 How Dawn reached financial independence in slightly over a decade (and still works by choice)

👶 The raw truth about managing work while mothering two young kids

🧠 Why “imposter syndrome” is actually a signpost—not a dead end

🗂️ How she schedules her chaotic week using time-blocking, not rigidity

💡 What it means to be visible, credible, and irreplaceable at work

✍️ Her journey from corporate employee to trusted voice in finance—and what’s next

Checkout:

💻 Dawn’s 7-Day Investing Challenge (Discount code: MIW) →https://nas.io/budgetbabe/challenges/investing-101-crash-course?discountCode=MIW

📘 Take Back Control of Your Money by Dawn Fiona Cher → https://www.amazon.sg/Take-Back-Control-Your-Money/dp/9815323075

🎤Sarah’s interview with Dawn on The Financial Coconut: I Left My Job to Care for My Family - Was It Worth It? [W&S 144]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6p3G4lZjBk&list=PLpo30qPT9yc6yAyrtqz7506sfiYaorR8Z&index=6

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Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:07 Meet SG Budget Babe: PI, Mom, Finfluencer

02:08 From $2K Salary to Financial Freedom

05:39 How She Actually Juggles It All

13:26 The Call That Changed Everything

25:50 How She Earned Trust at Work

26:26 Are You Invisible at Work?

31:06 How She Negotiated Flexibility

34:09 The Rule Behind Her Side Hustle Growth

42:31 How She’s Raising Money-Smart Kids

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Connect with Dawn here:

👋 Website: https://sgbudgetbabe.com/

👋 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fionacher/

👋 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sgbudgetbabe/

Follow and connect with Sarah & Make It Work! ⁠https://linktr.ee/makeitwork.podcast⁠

📷 ⁠Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/makeitwork.asia/

💼⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-it-work-asia-podcast/

🎵 ⁠Facebook⁠: https://www.facebook.com/people/Make-It-Work/61566472637714/

🍏Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/make-it-work/id1701442085

🎵Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ulY0B27nYxGB6jPCABPI?si=abfc48d037d943be

📥⁠Email⁠: [email protected]

Join our free ⁠Mommas Making It Work whatsapp community⁠ to find a group of like-minded mommas: 

https://bit.ly/MIWcommunity

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#WorkingMom #FinancialFreedom #SGbudgetbabe #CareerTips #InvestingForBeginners #ProductivityForMoms #MakeItWorkPodcast #WomenWhoLead #SideHustleSuccess