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Posts Tagged :

budgeting

Steven Joyce
Budget Day: Steven’s had his – now it’s your turn

Two weeks ago the new finance minister Steven Joyce delivered his first budget, and the last that this National government gets to table before heading to the polls in September. While budget day doesn’t come with quite the drama or possibility of surprise that it did in, say, the 80s, it’s still a big deal. There’s a lot of detail, but essentially the government is announcing where it plans to get money from (taxes, borrowing, occasionally selling things) and how it…

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

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…

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Drones flying
Five ways technology can save you money

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…

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

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…

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How to milk those rewards points

We Kiwis are suckers for rewards points. We’ll go out of our way to get a few extra points. But you’ve got to be careful to get the most out of the rewards points in the best way. It’s not just rewards points credit cards to be careful with. We have wallets full of little plastic and cardboard cards for everything from coffee to Fly Buys. But customer loyalty doesn’t always add up. Here’s the rub: rewards points do work is…

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New Zealand Notes and Coins
Complete cheapskate: How to conjure up money from nothing

Do you want to conjure money up from nowhere? It can be done. Cheapskates spend almost NOTHING. They pop to the toilet when it’s their round to buy the drinks and trawl local free sites for unwanted pet bunnies to eat. Well perhaps not bunnies, even though it’s been done. But here are some cheapskate ideas to ratchet down your spending big time before your debts affect your credit score: Become a Freegan. It’s amazing how much free food you…

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Colourful cards on pale backdrop
What you need to know about balance transfer credit cards

A friend called me the other day in a panic because he suddenly realised he owed more than $2,000 on his credit card and had no way of paying it off in a reasonable fashion. “You work in finance,” he said, “what am I supposed to do now?” First I made him do the calculations to see how much interest he would pay on that $2,000. He’d blown it on dinners, drinks, and a new smartphone he didn’t need, and…

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Are you YOLOing your finances?

Before we had the Kardashians to keep up with (yes, there was life before the Kardashians), we kept up with the Joneses. The Joneses were more figurative than literal and didn’t have their own TV show; they represented the people next door who owned more (and better) gadgets than you. The Joneses and the Kardashians – along with social media, celebrity culture and reality TV – are responsible for creating the #YOLO attitude: You Only Live Once. It’s a lifestyle…

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Funding your first set of wheels
Funding your first set of wheels – what you need to know before getting a car loan

Buying yourself a set of wheels is expensive. If you’ve saved the cash to buy the car, that’s great. But realistically, most young people have to borrow money to buy a car. If that’s you, brush up on a few things before you sign on the dotted line. Save Saving up and paying cash is the cheapest way to buy a car. Ask around and you’ll find friends who have done it. Surprising, huh? Downgrade your expectations We know you…

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The four pillars of wealth: Your way to a richer future

There’s no magic in becoming financially fit. But Credit Simple’s Four Pillars of Wealth approach can help you get there. Going from debt to building wealth is easier than you might think. We guarantee there are people around you earning no more than you do who are well on their way to wealth. Here’s how to become one of them: Pillar one: spend less Do you know your needs from your wants? It’s only you who suffers if you’re not…

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