saving Archives

We road-test a financial personal trainer. It’s just like the gym, only with less active wear

May 3, 2017

Question time: do you flash, or do you stash, your cash? Or do you mix it up and go both ways? Although we’re trying to save, we realised recently the dollars aren’t mounting up like we’d like them to be. So, in what might appear to be a counterintuitive move, we decided to pay to get financially fit. Yes, that’s right. We got a financial personal trainer from enableMe. It’s just like the gym! But with less active wear. Show…

I cut my own hair for seven years (and saved nearly $4,000)

By: Credit Simple

April 17, 2017

Yep, you read that heading right. (Welcome to the Credit Simple blog, where I confess all my deepest, darkest money secrets.) For seven years, I cut my own hair. Of course, it’s not as drastic as it sounds, but the end savings result is rather gobsmacking. For seven years when I was in my twenties, I DIY’ed my tresses. Why? Well, I’m slightly introverted and I hate the small talk you have to engage in at the hairdresser. I’ve also got…

Worried about the retirement age going up? Here’s how to kick your finances into shape before you hit 50

By: Credit Simple

April 12, 2017

Hey Gen X! Here’s what you need to know about your money and finances before you turn the big 5-0. The next decade and a half is going to tick away fast and some of us need to grow up and get serious about our finances. You don’t want to be stuck at home eating baked beans whilst your friends post their fabulous post retirement travels on social media do you? Home truths about your finances as you get older…

Hospitality worker giving back card and holding eftpos machine

Are you a Spendy Young Thing? Housing market aside, here’s why (and how) you should be saving

By: Credit Simple

March 29, 2017

Oh Tony. Tony, Tony, Tony. For those who don’t know, Tony Alexander is the chief economist at BNZ and he said a few things about Spendy Young Things (SYTs) not saving properly for a house. Tony would like you all to have a house, you see, but you do rather spend a lot on things he says you don’t need. Like landscape gardening (!), lattes and smashed avocado on toast at your favourite Sunday brunch spot. Of course, the real…

Five ways technology can save you money

By: Credit Simple

March 13, 2017

Robots – artificial intelligence, chatbots, robo-advisors and the rest – are big news in the banking and finance industry. Packaging financial smarts into a programme or algorithm looks like a great way for big banks, insurance companies and airlines to help guide customers through complicated decisions and save (the company) money along the way. It’s early days though, and chatting with a robot can sometimes feel a bit like, well, chatting with a robot. Take this experience I had the…

Parents behaving badly: How parents’ money habits can rub off on the next generation

By: Credit Simple

March 8, 2017

The concept of ‘monkey see, monkey do’ is alive and well in Kiwi families, and that includes when it comes to our parents’ habits with money. When parents behave badly with money, guess what their children do? As a parent, your role modelling is one of the most powerful indicators of how well your children will survive financially. Whether your children are two or 20 you can set them a better example. Don’t see money and spend it Do you see…

Young girl standing in front of blackboard with dollar signs

BNZ chief economist Tony Alexander reckons we need to harden up. We check out his spending tips to see if they stack up

By: Credit Simple

March 7, 2017

BNZ chief economist Tony Alexander has always been a bit of a loose cannon on the bank’s deck (and we say that with love and admiration). He’s known for being able to create a media-friendly headline and say what he really thinks. No surprises then, when he provoked a small storm last week after shooting from the hip in his weekly newsletter, telling young people to harden up and cut their expenses if they wanted to get on the property…

Unjunk your life, save money, and save your sanity

By: Credit Simple

March 6, 2017

About 10 years ago, Pead PR owner Deborah Pead sent me an invitation to a media lunch. This is exciting partly because it’s Deborah Pead inviting you to lunch, but it’s memorable to me because the invitation came tucked inside a beautiful box with a single, stunning silver fork. This fork, I still have it. I hate accumulating possessions, so I don’t actually own many utensils at all – just enough for one or two friends to come to mine…

Young, single, and on a budget? Skip the mistakes that others make

By: Credit Simple

February 7, 2017

You’re young, single and on a budget. It’s hard being a ‘yadult’ sometimes. But life’s a lot more fun if you’re not stressing about the power being cut off. Take some tips from others’ mistakes and skip the ‘shoulda known better’ stage of your financial future. Here’s how: Have a spending plan. That’s a budget, but if you think of it as spending plan it doesn’t feel like a torture device. The idea is that you get a pen and…

Are you a victim of lifestyle inflation? Our 10 (very honest) principles will help you beat the disease

By: Credit Simple

February 6, 2017

Once upon a time I used to head to the nearest bakery or fruit shop for cheap lunch. A 50c bread roll or banana was sustenance enough to keep me going until I got home to have a decent balanced meal. Bit by bit over the years my bun and fruit habit evolved into buying $10 packs of sushi when I’m caught short without a packed lunch. Why? Because like virtually every person alive I can fall into ‘lifestyle inflation’.…