All in Money Education

109. Putting Up Some Financial Scaffolding After 50

109. Putting Up Some Financial Scaffolding After 50

Ruth
Money Journey, Personal Finance, Podcast, PocketSmith, Money Education

MONEY JOURNEY

Late in 2023, useful financial resources started appearing on 51-year-old Julian's radar, and they set him on a journey. From there, he began his financial U-turn, which led him to The Happy Saver, The Barefoot Investor, Rebel Finance School, Mr. Money Mustache, and the world of financial security and independence in general. He feels that as a late starter, he has found a community that values discussing money. And although he still has a way to go, he’s feeling increasingly confident with the financial scaffolding he has begun to put in place. He’s got 14 years to go before his 65th birthday and, if he can keep himself on track, he’s setting himself up for success.

108. Living by Design, Not by Default

108. Living by Design, Not by Default

Ruth
Money Journey, Personal Finance, Podcast, PocketSmith, Money Education

MONEY JOURNEY

In this episode, you’ll meet Kate and Taka, an awesome couple in their early 30s who are doing life and money a little differently, and doing it well. They’ve stepped back from full-time work, now each working just two days a week, so they can spend more time with their three young kids and focus on what matters most. We chat about how they’ve built a life of 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. It’s an honest, practical look at what it means to live by design, not by default.

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

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

Ruth
Money Journey, Personal Finance, Podcast, PocketSmith, Money Education

MONEY JOURNEY

This is a revisit episode, with Hamish, whom I spoke with in 2021, Episode 50, An Investor With Military Precision. 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. 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.

106. Revisit with Neil: A Financially Complicated Breakup

106. Revisit with Neil: A Financially Complicated Breakup

Ruth
Money Journey, Personal Finance, Podcast, PocketSmith, Money Education

MONEY JOURNEY

This episode revisits my August 2022 conversation with Neil in Episode 69. Now 52, Neil has lived in New Zealand since moving from the UK in 2005, and began learning about personal finance around 2006. After a previous long-term relationship ended with a fair asset split, Neil started investing 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. While I’m mindful this is only Neil’s side of the story, I’m pleased to share that this difficult chapter ultimately ended well, and I hope the details provide insight and hope to others navigating similar situations.

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

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

Ruth
Money Journey, Personal Finance, Podcast, PocketSmith, Money Education

MONEY JOURNEY

In this episode, I chat with Tracey, a long-time reader and listener of The Happy Saver. Tracey and her husband have reached what's known as Coast FI. It’s an interesting episode, with quite a bit of complexity, 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.” 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.

104. I Have Stopped Sleepwalking Through My Finances

104. I Have Stopped Sleepwalking Through My Finances

Ruth
Money Journey, Personal Finance, Podcast, PocketSmith, Money Education

MONEY JOURNEY

After 57 years of personal and financial trauma, Sammy had her “aha” moment in 2024 when she said, “Screw it, I’m sick of this,” and began to shine a little light on her money. That small shift led to a complete financial transformation. Twice divorced, and with three children, one of whom has special needs, Sammy had often lived below the poverty line, buying basics on a credit card she couldn’t pay off. 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.

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

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

Ruth
Money Journey, Personal Finance, Podcast, PocketSmith, Money Education

MONEY JOURNEY

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. 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.

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

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

Ruth
Money Journey, Personal Finance, Podcast, PocketSmith, Money Education

MONEY JOURNEY

Today, I’m sharing the financial ins and outs of Alan and Katie Donegan, the world-travelling English couple behind Rebel Finance School. 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!

80. Young, Bright, and Financially Wise

80. Young, Bright, and Financially Wise

Ruth
Money Journey, Personal Finance, Podcast, PocketSmith, Money Education

MONEY JOURNEYS

In this week's episode, I wanted to revisit an earlier episode with an update on Nathan from episode 71, and introduce a new guest, Sam, a 16-year-old Year 12 student who is starting a financial journey similar to Nathan's and already demonstrates a forward-thinking mindset towards his financial well-being. He recognises that financial stability is vital to achieving his goals.

61. Revisit with Bella: I don’t want a student debt hangover!

61. Revisit with Bella: I don’t want a student debt hangover!

Ruth
Money Journey, Personal Finance, Financial Independence, Podcast, PocketSmith, Debt Free, Saving, Money Education, KiwiSaver

MONEY JOURNEYS

In today’s podcast, I’m doing a revisit with Bella from Episode 52. She shared the realities of student loan debt in New Zealand and how you can meander your way into student loan debt, but you need to fight your way out again. Bella has not been idle, smashing out $66,000 of her $85,000 debt in just 14 months. Yep, you read that right. If she can do it, so can you!

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