The Happy Saver Podcast - Personal Finance in New Zealand

Ruth - Personal Finance Blogger · thehappysaver.com

Your friends might not want to talk about money, but I do! Hi, I’m Ruth and I’m a blogger on Personal Finance and in this podcast I tell the stories of Kiwis and their experiences with the money in their lives. How do they use it or how does it use them? Where do they save and invest it and does it work? What are their financial triumphs and financial train wrecks? How can you extract the most out of life and spend as little as possible while doing it? Join me as I ask the questions everyone else is too polite to ask but is dying to know about New Zealanders and their money. Happy Saving! Ruth

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Episodes 132

125. Revisit with The Happy Saver: Eight Years On
11d ago · 56:21
Today I’m doing something a bit different. I thought I’d give you a little update on what Jonny and I are up to. If you've been listening for a while, you might remember that way back in 2018 I released Episode 12, It’s All About Me. Since then, The Happy Saver blog has become a bit of a diary, tracking our financial journey and the thinking behind the decisions we’ve made. The podcast, on the other hand, has always been about everybody else. But while kind people constantly tell me they love hearing other people’s money stories, I’m still regularly asked to share more of my own. So, eight yea
124. Learning, Letting Go and Rethinking the Road to FIRE
1mo ago · 59:32
I had a great chat with Rose and Adam on a cold winter’s day in July, and this warm and friendly duo came to our conversation well prepared. Just over 20 years ago, they made the move from Israel to Ōtautahi Christchurch. They joined KiwiSaver early, eventually bought a home of their own, and continued investing in both the sharemarket and residential property. Mindfulness is also central to their lives. Their daily meditation practice and Zen philosophy have taught them to let go of drama, avoid dwelling on setbacks and view mistakes as opportunities to learn. That perspective is particularly
123. Feeling Financially Safe Again
1mo ago · 59:07
Today’s guest is Olivia, a 59-year-old single woman who is on track to pay off a 30-year mortgage in just 10 years, entirely on one income. But this is not simply a story about paying off debt. It is a story about rebuilding financial safety after divorce, relationship breakdowns, solo parenting, financial mistakes, grief, and years of carrying the full load alone. Olivia shares why becoming mortgage-free matters so much to her, why she believes financial independence is essential for women, and how she changed her financial life through consistency, frugal living, tracking every dollar for 27
122. Renting, Investing and Building Financial Freedom
2mo ago · 57:37
Anna has developed strong money habits through years of study, careful saving, and living well below her means. After following the traditional advice to buy a home, Anna and her partner, Thom, began to question whether home ownership really suited the life they wanted. Once they ran the numbers, they made the bold decision to sell their house, rent a home that better fits their lifestyle, and redirect their surplus income into sharemarket investments instead. Anna’s story is about much more than money. It’s about questioning lifestyle creep, rethinking housing as the automatic path to wealth,
121. The Missing Will
3mo ago · 1:12:45
Today, we hear from Petra, whose life has taken her from the UK to Australia and then to New Zealand, with a few moves back and forth along the way. Auckland is home for now, but aged 60 and widowed about five years ago, Petra is still rebuilding her life without the love of her life beside her. She shares the deeply personal story of losing James suddenly at just 53, and finding herself forced to untangle a complicated financial life while grieving. For decades, they did what many ordinary families do: worked hard, raised children, bought houses, carried big mortgages, spent money as it came
120. Rebuilding After Divorce
4mo ago · 1:11:26
This episode shares the story of Emma, a solo mum who, from the outside, appears to have it all together: a home of her own, strong finances, and a clear plan for the future. But behind that picture is years of hardship, resilience, and determination to rebuild her life after leaving an unhealthy marriage. She is now rebuilding from a much stronger foundation, describing her life as being in “financial rehab,” making up for lost time as she steadily rights her waka and moves into calmer waters. Through grit, determination, and a series of deliberate, intentional steps, she has rebuilt her conf
119. Revisit with Rachel and David: Out of Property, Into Funds
4mo ago · 43:55
Back in November 2017, in Episode 04, I sat down with Rachel and David. They had reached financial independence long before the term was widely used, doing it through property and achieving what many Kiwi investors dream of: owning a portfolio of rental properties outright, spending little time managing them, and living off the income. They had around $3 million in equity across their rental properties, not including their own home, and a lifestyle built on freedom, travel, and choice. It was one of the first real examples I’d seen of property generating enough income to fully fund a life. Eig
118. Living Well, Spending Less
5mo ago · 53:10
Emily and I first met over email and via one of my Phone A Friend chats back in late 2023. Like me, she loves regional Aotearoa and everything it has to offer. She’s happily ensconced in the Taumarunui community, and she has exactly the right attitude to thrive in a small town. She gets stuck in, makes things happen, and helps out whenever needed. She owns a tiny house on rented land and works a variety of jobs. From a young age, Emily decided that financial independence was essential to her. Since the age of 19, she has stood on her own two feet financially, and she told me that doing so is e
117. Owning Rental Property Is a Business
6mo ago · 1:07:36
I really enjoyed creating this episode because it explores a form of investing that doesn’t often feature heavily in the wealth-building stories I usually share. I spoke at length with Lilly about the successful property investment business she and her husband, James, built together, and what struck me most was the intention behind it. This wasn’t accidental landlording, but a strategy grounded in maths, business savvy, long hours, and consistent hard work. The more I learned about how they deliberately grew their rental portfolio, the more I wanted to share their story as an example of how pr
116. Separating Finances After Decades of Marriage
7mo ago · 42:02
In today’s episode, I had the great pleasure of speaking with Carla. She lives in a small regional town in the South Island with her husband and their three children. Carla’s story is about money, but it’s also about health. I don’t think I’ve spoken with someone with quite the mix of things going on that Carla has, but listening to such a wide variety of people share their money journeys on this podcast has given her the courage to make some big changes in her own life, because she knows that no two people manage money the same, and you do what works for you and your whānau. Her story is abou
115. I Feel Like I’m The Only One
8mo ago · 57:49
Jennifer first emailed me in early 2023 after listening to all my podcasts. She knew I was a big advocate for parents teaching kids to invest and had a few questions, including one detail that really caught my attention. Her then 17 and 19-year-old children didn’t know they had a small amount of money coming their way at 25. She wanted to keep it secret, plus they had zero interest in investing. That sparked an ongoing email exchange, and nearly three years later, we’re here, with Jennifer finally agreeing to share a much deeper financial story than she first intended. She genuinely thought sh
114. Engineering a Solid Financial Life Together
9mo ago · 1:07:44
Today I’m sharing the story of Steve and Sarah, a UK couple who, many years ago, packed up their lives, moved to Aotearoa, and built a really solid financial life together. From the get-go, they’ve been a great team with money: well-educated, curious, hard-working, and brave enough to take big leaps when the chance came along. Over the years, they’ve invested in property, shares, and themselves, learning plenty along the way. Like many of us, they’ve had a few financial detours, several property disasters, but their long-term habit of saving and investing has quietly set them up for a strong a
113. Late Financial Bloomers: Proof It’s Never Too Late to Start
10mo ago · 1:07:44
Maria and Michelle were late financial bloomers who only really got started in their 50s. Now 71 and 69, they’ve paid off their mortgage and student loan, invested in the sharemarket, built up $1,000,000 in savings and investments, and receive NZ Super and a US pension. Through hard work, investing as much of their income as they possibly could, and carefully tracking and measuring their progress, they went from feeling anxious about retirement to completely calm about it. For Maria, money had always meant security, yet for a variety of reasons, she kept making poor financial decisions through
112. Resilience, Balance, Community, and Happiness
10mo ago · 58:08
This week, I’m sharing the story of Rachel, a 90s kid from Timaru. Rachel is the youngest of four, with three brothers, and a ten year gap between her and her oldest brother, and they all grew up with a stay at home mum and a Dad who always took any and every job he could to provide for their family. Although Rachel just assumed that hers might be a standard life plan of go to school, complete some tertiary study at some point, get a full-time job and work your way up the career ladder, she has ended up veering off on a path entirely of her own making. Aged 32, she now works where and when she
111. Moving Closer to Financial Independence
11mo ago · 54:14
In today’s episode, I spoke with Marian, who in turn spoke on behalf of herself and her husband, Jon. Originally from the Netherlands and now based in New Zealand, they’re in the middle of a big transition, preparing to sell their home in the greater Wellington region and move down to Canterbury as they edge closer to semi-retirement. It’s a big transition in many ways, but moving location is something this couple have regularly done throughout their lives, and Marian in particular enjoys the whole process of heading off to live in a new house and discover a new area. Today’s episode gave me a
110. No More Using the House as an ATM
1y ago · 1:09:41
Today’s guest, Gail, has been on quite the financial trip and she’s still very much on it. Back in 2019, at age 41, she experienced a wake-up call. She found herself with plenty on her plate: a failing business, an income of just $25,000, no savings, no emergency fund, drawing down on her mortgage to pay the mortgage, mounting IRD debt, $4,000 on the credit card, and using buy now, pay later just to cover the basics in life. After listing down her not insignificant problems, she asked herself how on earth she could get out of this mess. But, at that stage, no ideas were forthcoming other than
109. Putting Up Some Financial Scaffolding After 50
1y ago · 1:02:25
This week's podcast is all about 51-year-old Julian. We picked up the phone for a good old kōrero in late June 2025. Let’s just say, if talking were an Olympic sport, Julian and I would tie for first place. Late in 2023, useful financial resources started appearing on his radar, not that he tuned into them fully, but they set him on a journey. From there, he began his financial U-turn, which led him to The Happy Saver and all the inspiring stories I’ve shared. He discovered The Barefoot Investor, Rebel Finance School, Mr. Money Mustache, and the world of financial security and independence in
108. Living by Design, Not by Default
1y ago · 1:04:14
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 mathema
107. Revisit with Hamish: An investor with military precision!
1y ago · 36:55
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,
106. Revisit with Neil: A Financially Complicated Breakup
1y ago · 36:41
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 w
105. A Lumpy Journey – No Need to Go Anywhere in a Straight Line
1y ago · 51:59
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
104. I Have Stopped Sleepwalking Through My Finances
1y ago · 1:03:07
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
103. 20-Year-Old on the Path to Financial Freedom
1y ago · 46:27
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 sharin
102. Once you have won the money game, stop and enjoy life.
1y ago · 1:01:05
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
101. Pushing Themselves - Financially Going For It!
1y ago · 1:00:05
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 aga

Episodes

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The Happy Saver Podcast - Personal Finance in New Zealand

Episodes 132

125. Revisit with The Happy Saver: Eight Years On

124. Learning, Letting Go and Rethinking the Road to FIRE

123. Feeling Financially Safe Again

122. Renting, Investing and Building Financial Freedom

121. The Missing Will

120. Rebuilding After Divorce

119. Revisit with Rachel and David: Out of Property, Into Funds

118. Living Well, Spending Less

117. Owning Rental Property Is a Business

116. Separating Finances After Decades of Marriage

115. I Feel Like I’m The Only One

114. Engineering a Solid Financial Life Together

113. Late Financial Bloomers: Proof It’s Never Too Late to Start

112. Resilience, Balance, Community, and Happiness

111. Moving Closer to Financial Independence

110. No More Using the House as an ATM

109. Putting Up Some Financial Scaffolding After 50

108. Living by Design, Not by Default

107. Revisit with Hamish: An investor with military precision!

106. Revisit with Neil: A Financially Complicated Breakup

105. A Lumpy Journey – No Need to Go Anywhere in a Straight Line

104. I Have Stopped Sleepwalking Through My Finances

103. 20-Year-Old on the Path to Financial Freedom

102. Once you have won the money game, stop and enjoy life.

101. Pushing Themselves - Financially Going For It!

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Episodes 132

125. Revisit with The Happy Saver: Eight Years On

124. Learning, Letting Go and Rethinking the Road to FIRE

123. Feeling Financially Safe Again

122. Renting, Investing and Building Financial Freedom

121. The Missing Will

120. Rebuilding After Divorce

119. Revisit with Rachel and David: Out of Property, Into Funds

118. Living Well, Spending Less

117. Owning Rental Property Is a Business

116. Separating Finances After Decades of Marriage

115. I Feel Like I’m The Only One

114. Engineering a Solid Financial Life Together

113. Late Financial Bloomers: Proof It’s Never Too Late to Start

112. Resilience, Balance, Community, and Happiness

111. Moving Closer to Financial Independence

110. No More Using the House as an ATM

109. Putting Up Some Financial Scaffolding After 50

108. Living by Design, Not by Default

107. Revisit with Hamish: An investor with military precision!

106. Revisit with Neil: A Financially Complicated Breakup

105. A Lumpy Journey – No Need to Go Anywhere in a Straight Line

104. I Have Stopped Sleepwalking Through My Finances

103. 20-Year-Old on the Path to Financial Freedom

102. Once you have won the money game, stop and enjoy life.

101. Pushing Themselves - Financially Going For It!

Podcast 森辺一樹のグローバル・マーケティング〜すべてはアジアで売るために〜