All tagged Budget

Answering the Money Questions Readers Email Me About

Answering the Money Questions Readers Email Me About

Ruth
Budgeting, Emergency Fund, Investment, KiwiSaver, ETFs

I’ve been hitting “reply” to as many emails as I can this week. If you write to me, I will write back, but due to the volume of emails I get, there is often a delay. I respond to every single email because the questions asked are so valid and important to the person doing the asking. Every email is different, weaving together a set of circumstances in a new way, so I provide a bespoke response that links to tools and resources to help answer the questions. While each is different, though, there are commonalities. Most of my emails give people a simple starting point and a rough map to follow, so I thought that, as we head for Christmas, a time when a lot of people do sit down and focus on money, this might help you head into 2026 more prepared.

How much money do I need to have invested at 65?

How much money do I need to have invested at 65?

Ruth
Budgeting, ETFs, Index Funds, Investment, KiwiSaver, Retirement

It may be because my ears are finely tuned to anything money-related, but there seems to be increasing talk of saving for retirement. More specifically, people are not investing enough for retirement. Organisations are panicking on our behalf as they watch Kiwis nonchalantly wander their way to retirement, in many cases hopelessly unprepared, having barely given the financial side of stopping work a thought. I’m well ahead of the game here, as I’ve been thinking about—and financially planning for—our eventual retirement for years. I have a question for you. If you woke up tomorrow and found you were now 65 and would receive government superannuation but no longer worked, as your financial situation stands today, could you survive financially?

I quit my job!

I quit my job!

Ruth
ETFs, Hnry, Investment, KiwiSaver, PocketSmith, SmartShares, Smart Invest, Smart, Budgeting, Net Worth

In a recent blog post, I rebalanced our investment portfolio; this time, I’m rebalancing my life. I resigned from my PAYE job. I’m another step closer to early retirement, and I’m VERY excited about it! I always looked forward to working on Wednesday and Thursday each week, and deciding to leave a job I enjoy, plus giving up $20,000 a year, has been challenging. 

Part 6: INVESTING - Financial Independence Series

Part 6: INVESTING - Financial Independence Series

Ruth
Budgeting, Debt, FI Series, KiwiSaver, Investment, Net Worth, Index Funds, ETFs

Congratulations, you have made it to the final blog post in this series of six: INVESTING. Investing can be incredibly complex, but I found a way to simplify it. I used to feel overwhelmed by the options available, but now I don't. I’m hoping to help you feel the same way. But still, this is one of the most challenging blog posts I have EVER written. Condensing “investing” into a single document is no easy feat. The Happy Saver was born out of my search for information about what I could invest our money in. It took me years to arrive at our current strategy, which combines KiwiSaver and ETF investments. Ultimately, I finally found THE perfect information, which I want to share today. 

Part 5: DEBT FREE - Financial Independence Series

Part 5: DEBT FREE - Financial Independence Series

Ruth
Budgeting, Debt, FI Series, KiwiSaver, Investment, Net Worth

I think of debt as a phase of life I moved through. That period has passed, and I’ve moved on. Jonny and I have now been entirely debt-free since our early 30s, and I encourage you to head down the debt-free path as well. Debt has always had an ‘ick’ factor for me, a feeling I am grateful for. I like earning interest, but I hate paying it. Despite our bank trying to lure us back into debt to buy a rental property, there has never been a day that I/we regretted becoming permanently debt-free. We never have to seek the bank's opinion about our financial decisions again.

Part 4: KIWISAVER - Financial Independence Series

Part 4: KIWISAVER - Financial Independence Series

Ruth
FI Series, Budgeting, Debt, Emergency Fund, KiwiSaver, Net Worth

The fourth part of this six-part series is one of the easier topics to cover, KiwiSaver. Joining KiwiSaver is a no-brainer, and it still surprises me when I meet people who are not in it. I’m always looking ahead and doing my best to determine what I might need money for and how much I might need. I keep my ear to the ground about how affordable retirement is for New Zealanders. I talk to people over 65 and ask them what advice they would give me about financially preparing for retirement. Then I ask myself if, on my current trajectory, I’m heading in the right direction.

Part 3: EMERGENCY FUND - Financial Independence Series

Part 3: EMERGENCY FUND - Financial Independence Series

Ruth
Budgeting, Debt, Emergency Fund, FI Series, Investment, KiwiSaver, Net Worth

The best thing I ever did was set some cash into a bank account, which we could instantly access in a financial emergency. It is an amount of money set aside in a specific bank account to be used for bailing myself out if something happens that I didn’t otherwise plan for but I need money to pay for. It takes me less than one minute to log into my banking and move money from my emergency account to my spending account. 

Part 2: BUDGET - Financial Independence Series

Part 2: BUDGET - Financial Independence Series

Ruth
Budgeting, FI Series, Net Worth, Debt, Emergency Fund, Investment, KiwiSaver

Budgeting is simply making a plan for your pūtea (money). Although I meet hundreds of people who are keen, motivated and willing to do better with their money, I meet few who are “Oh yay, let’s track our spending and earning each month”. I know. I understand your reluctance, but if you want to grow your wealth, you must do what wealthy people do. And they know how much they earn and spend. So, I’m sorry, there are no shortcuts here; you’ve just got to suck it up and budget anyway. Most will come to enjoy it as I do, simply because it gives me a feeling of control over my life and removes any anxiety around my pūtea. But for some of you, it will always be a chore. So be it! Do it anyway.

Part 1: NET WORTH - Financial Independence Series

Part 1: NET WORTH - Financial Independence Series

Ruth
Net Worth, Budgeting, Debt, Emergency Fund, Investment, KiwiSaver, FI Series

Welcome to the first post in a short six-part blog series. I’m crafting a collection of posts to cover critical areas that will set you on the right path with your pūtea. Part 1 focuses on ‘Net Worth’. How much wealth do you have right now? If you added it all up and subtracted what you owe, what are you worth? This can be daunting if you’ve never thought about it. However, the objective is not to objectify wealth; it’s to create a level of wealth that makes you feel comfortable and in control of your present and future.

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