MONEY JOURNEYS - EPISODE 108

What's In This Episode?

In today’s episode, you’ll hear from an awesome couple, Kate and Taka, aged 33 and 34, who are doing life and money a little differently, and doing it well. From the moment we started talking, I could tell they’d put a lot of thought into not just their finances, but how they want to live. Over the past few years, they’ve made some bold, intentional choices: moving south, stepping back from full-time work to each working just two days a week, and prioritising time with their three young kids. It’s not the typical path, but it’s one they’ve carved out thoughtfully and intentionally. And mathematically. We chat about how they’ve managed to build a life that gives them both freedom and stability by sticking with frugal habits from their student days, questioning whether more work really means more money, and making financial decisions as a true team. Taka’s a fan of the numbers, Kate brings the big-picture perspective, and together they’ve found a rhythm that works. This episode is packed with practical tips, honest insights, and a refreshing example of what it looks like to live by design, not by default.

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MONEY JOURNEYS - EPISODE 107

What's In This Episode?

This is a revisit episode, I enjoy doing these because I like you wonder, “Whatever happened to…?” I last spoke with Hamish in 2021, Episode 50, An Investor With Military Precision, back when he was a 27-year-old solo homeowner and disciplined saver working in the New Zealand military. Fast-forward four years, and life has changed: he’s now 31, married to Sophie, and the two of them are navigating homeownership, investing, and future planning as a team. It’s clear from talking to Hamish that theirs is a partnership built on communication, respect, and shared goals. With two minds on the case, they’re refining their investment strategy, slowly shifting from property-heavy assets toward a simpler, more diversified approach, while still living a good life with their growing whānau.

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MONEY JOURNEYS - EPISODE 106

What's In This Episode?

This episode revisits my August 2022 conversation with Neil in Episode 69, A Financially Complicated Breakup. Now 52, Neil has lived in New Zealand for 20 years, working in IT since moving from the UK in 2005. He retained his UK property as a rental and began learning about personal finance around 2006. When KiwiSaver started in 2007, he joined up, and by our first chat, his KiwiSaver had grown to $200,000. After a previous long-term relationship ended with a fair asset split, Neil began to invest more and more in a range of ETF funds. A new relationship followed, and he became a father, but without a relationship property agreement in place, the eventual breakup led to a bitter legal dispute over money. Hearing his story offered a valuable male perspective on something I more often hear from women: lengthy, painful separations marked by financial and emotional strain. Often, there’s already a financial imbalance, which becomes even more difficult when children are involved and time off work affects a woman’s earning power. While I’m mindful this is only Neil’s side of the story, I’m pleased to share that this challenging chapter ultimately ended well, and I hope the details provide insight and hope to others navigating similar situations.

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MONEY JOURNEYS - EPISODE 105

What's In This Episode?

In this episode, I chat with Tracey, a long-time reader and listener of The Happy Saver who first came on my radar through her detailed Debt Free Questionnaire in 2022. Tracey and her husband have reached what's known as Coast FI—meaning they already have enough money invested that, even if they never added another dollar to their investments, by the time they reach 65, it will have grown to their required amount. This gives them the flexibility to reduce their working hours in their self-employed HR roles if they choose. We dig into how Tracey got herself to this point and where she plans to take it from here. It’s an interesting episode, with quite a bit of complexity, but I think it’s a fascinating one, as this couple have independently and collectively created a lot of options for themselves. Tracey said she has had a “lumpy” journey, and that “there is no need to go anywhere in a straight line.” The key for her is that she is making progress. She is a firm believer in setting up an investment, making regular contributions to it, but not being afraid to make changes and do things differently as you continue to research and learn new information.

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MONEY JOURNEYS - EPISODE 104

What's In This Episode?

After my long kōrero with Sammy to prepare this episode, my head was spinning from all the twists and turns of her story. After 57 years of personal and financial trauma, last year, in 2024, Sammy had her “aha” moment when she said “Screw it, I’m sick of this,” and started to let a little light shine on her money. Once she had opened the door a crack, she basically just ripped the whole roof off her financial life, and has had a complete, and hopefully permanent, financial transformation. She’s not done yet; she has some mahi in front of her, but she is well on her way. I’ll often meet people who blow up their financial lives for the better, and the progress they make is astounding. Sammy is one of these people. Twice divorced, and with three children, one of whom has special needs, she has spent many years often living below the poverty line and buying bread and milk on a credit card that she could not pay off, and sometimes she has made decisions that kept her on the poverty line. Over the decades, she trained as a teacher and stabilised her situation, but still made questionable financial choices, until finally, aged 58 today, she is charging ahead.

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MONEY JOURNEYS - EPISODE 103

What's In This Episode?

In November 2024, I attended Black FI-Day, New Zealand’s first financial independence hui. Nearly 40 people gathered for this three-day event to share their financial journeys. One of them was Amelie, the person in the spotlight today. Just 19 at the time, she showed up on her own and was understandably nervous. But before long, every participant was in awe of this young wahine from Taranaki, who had decided that if spending a weekend with a bunch of strangers meant learning about money and building financial confidence, it was worth the risk. She got fully involved in the weekend, even sharing her situation in a case study that she presented to the group. Now 20, she joined me for a kōrero, giving me the chance to dive deeper into her money journey. I hope today’s episode resonates with teens, 20-somethings, and to the adults who happen to have a young person in their midst.

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MONEY JOURNEYS - EPISODE 102

What's In This Episode?

Today, I’m sharing the financial ins and outs of Alan and Katie Donegan, the world-travelling English couple behind Rebel Finance School. Over the years, we have become friends, and learning about their journey to financial independence and then watching them move into full retirement has been incredibly motivating for both Jonny and me. They finally made it to New Zealand, and back in early December 2024, we sat down at my kitchen table, where they generously answered all of my nosy questions. I’m looking forward to sharing their personal finance journey with you because once they discovered the concept of financial independence, these two were on FIRE!

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MONEY JOURNEYS - EPISODE 101

What's In This Episode?

I first met today's guest, Ajith, when he emailed me with a couple of questions back in 2024. He’d come across The Happy Saver while on the hunt for some motivation to keep pushing towards the goal that he and his wife Arya have to become debt-free by his 39th birthday, which is in 2028. When they began to lose patience and motivation, hearing both my journey with money and that of others helped to keep them on track. This couple are in their mid-thirties, with an eight-year-old daughter and live on the East Coast of the North Island. When I spoke with them at length in October of 2024 and again in February 2025, they were debt-free except for the $223,000 mortgage they have on the home they had built in 2021. They have also been investing in their KiwiSaver plus in investments outside of KiwiSaver. I wanted to share their journey today because his email to me and our subsequent kōrero threw up the dilemma of paying down debt fast vs investing. I think you will enjoy it.

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MONEY JOURNEYS - EPISODE 100

What's In This Episode?

In mid-October 2024, I brewed a coffee, sat down, and gave Poto a call. She’s been a long-time listener of the podcast, drawing on insights from past guests to help guide her decisions over the years. Back in 2021, she and I started exchanging emails, and we've stayed in touch ever since. When we recently crossed paths in person, I learned more about her journey and couldn’t help asking if she’d join me for a kōrero. True to her kind and generous nature, she agreed. Poto is 57 years old and calls the Central Plateau, in the centre of the North Island, her home and playground. She loves the area and loves the great outdoors. She had been heading down a few avenues that didn’t sit quite right with her and backing out to take another path, but steadily, she tracked towards the FI (Financial Independence) community and a more simple path to wealth. With dedication and mahi, she’s reached a point of financial independence—and today, she’s here to share her story.

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MONEY JOURNEYS - EPISODE 99

What's In This Episode?

This week, I’m making a bit of an exception and chatting with someone who was a bit reluctant to talk about money. Which is ironic, given this is a podcast that talks about money. Rob, a 33-year-old plumber from Western Australia, took a little persuading to come on my podcast, but I persisted because I knew enough about him to know that his personal finance story is one that many of us will be able to relate to and draw ideas from. Rob is essentially financially independent, working just a quarter of the year, and he recently hosted Tribe FI, a personal finance retreat. I met Rob after he invited me to speak at the event, and after some detective work to confirm he wasn’t a scammer (spoiler: he’s not), Jonny and I attended—and loved it. In this episode, I delve into Rob’s journey to financial independence and what inspired him to create a space for like-minded people to connect.

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