Happy Christmas!
19 Dec, 2021
Kia ora
I’m a giant jumble of competing thoughts as I sit down to write this final blog post of the year. I’m not much into the generic inspirational end of year content that gets pushed out, so instead, I’ll just keep this one real, and it’s a bit of an insight into my life during the first two weeks of December. I’ll try (and fail) to be brief.
I write this for no other reason than it felt right to do so, and if you don’t want to read on, I just wanted to wish you a Happy Christmas, Meri Kirihimete and a New Year that is a vast improvement on 2021. X
The last fortnight has been a bit of a blur. Unusually, I’ve been away from my writing studio for so long that the berries have grown over my pathway to it. I couldn’t help but compare this to the entrance to the castle where Sleeping Beauty lay waiting. And it’s not too far from the truth. I’ve spent a lot of time asleep lately.
The overgrown path to my studio.
“What gives,” you ask?
On Sunday 5th, I slipped a disc in my back which knocked me for six! I even had a ride in an ambulance! After spending the first four days drugged up and uncomfortable, I steadily worked my way back to upright. As soon as I could, I started answering emails from my bed, my couch, a comfy chair (such a milestone to be able to sit!) and now back in my studio.
Hoorah! It’s nice to be back!
How did I do it? Walking these two crazy mutts. They were not misbehaving; it was just a bit of bad luck on my part:
My dog Blue and my nephews dog having a nap.
Rough and tumble play.
Naughty dog.
I consider myself an ‘active relaxer’, and I’m generally always on the move. To be knocked out of action so suddenly and so entirely actually felt like the entirely appropriate end to an unpredictable 2021. So, instead of thinking, “why me?” I thought, “yeah, fair call, why NOT me?” So, hey, best to just roll with it! Stuff happens and what’s most important is how you get on with life.
This blog post is more like a “day in the life” of The Happy Saver, a chance to cover off the things I’ve enjoyed doing this year…
Back to work
As of the 13th of December, I’m back at my downtown office job. I love going to work, yet I’ve never been more grateful for only working part-time (just 14 hours each week) as I’m still a bit sore. I had to forgo the jet boating/dirt buggy riding part of the team Christmas party this weekend, but I was up for the eating/being social/talking complete rubbish/swapping Secret Santa component though. If 2021 has taught me anything, it’s that being either financially independent or in control of your financial life is one of the main components of withstanding stuff that goes wrong! Not being able to work nor blog and having Jonny pretty much lose a week too while he looked after me was not financially frustrating, and I’m lucky to be able to say that.
Receiving visitors
On the 13th, I was also up to ‘receiving visitors’ who came in the form of this lovely lady, Bradie, from @kiwigirlonabudget. She was in episodes #1 and #14 of my podcast. Her visit was pre-arranged, and I didn’t want to miss it; I even managed to give Bradie and her husband Paul a quick guided tour of Alexandra:
Taking Bradie and Paul from @kiwigirlonabudget for a tour around Alexandra.
It’s a definite highlight to catch up on their progress out of debt and into financial independence, and they continue to rocket their way towards their FI number. They are truly impressive, and I’ll be giving an update on my next podcast series in early 2022.
The second visit, which I also couldn’t miss, was from Fatima from episode #56 of my podcast. We had only ever spoken by phone, so I couldn’t wait to meet up in person. You may be surprised to know that I meet with many people, even though I live in regional Aotearoa. Most are travelling through the area on holiday, and I love how we always instantly slip into an easy-going informal chat mainly focussed on money. The meet up that stands out remains the two women cycling The Central Otago Rail Trail, and we met at a cafe on the trail. They pulled up, clambered off their bikes, reached into their pants, pulled out a huge wad of foam, set it aside and then said, “Hi, you must be Ruth”. Ice. Broken. 😆
The Happy Saver library
I’ve lent out the following books in the last month:
I post them out, yet they all seem to find their way back to me! We should all offer up our libraries more often, I believe. I love it when my books come back to me, a little more dinged up than when they left, because they have been read and enjoyed so much.
Emails. Lots and lots of emails
I thought I would share a few themes of the emails I’ve received in the last fortnight because they indicate people's wide range of money questions.
Keren and I and have gone back and forth for ages talking about how we can get our young kids investing for their future, how to involve them in money korero without freaking them out and imposing all the baggage we have around money onto them! To which I’d say, when you have kids of your own, it’s a clean start. Educate yourself first and then pass that information on in an age-appropriate way using the tools and resources at your disposal. Encourage them to invest instead of ‘save’.
Rebecca wondered if she might have been missing something somewhere. She wants to live mortgage-free (and is on track to do so), but her friends tell her that paying off that debt will be detrimental to her wealth. I concurred with her point of view. I think Rebecca is an enlightened genius who should follow her gut instinct.
Kate shared with me that I played a part in her creating an emergency fund, a specific sum of money in one particular account that was separate from her mortgage. This fund saved the life of her beloved cat. Which made me teary because I’m an animal lover, and I could see how much she loved her cat. In my view, it is so vital this money is distinct from any other funds and is called an ‘emergency fund’ or something like that. This way, there is no hesitation to use it. Regardless of whether you are debt-free or not, I’d encourage you always to have a separate emergency fund.
Mary and many others got in touch to tell me how much they love my podcast. Praise which I’ll accept on behalf of all of the incredible people who have so generously shared their stories and gone ON my podcast. It’s not about me. It’s about them sharing the nitty-gritty parts of their financial lives, elements that have really really helped other people work out what to do with their own lives. That’s pretty cool. Every time someone tells me that they have taken action because of my podcasts, I am delighted for them.
I also answer many ‘how to’ type questions because people know that I use quite a few different investment platforms. I’ll answer these by sharing my own experience like I did when Steph asked where she could buy ETFs in NZ, what her options were, and what their fees were. I’ll often just email back with screenshots of my investments to illustrate and explain, which in turn helps them narrow down their choices. So, that is pretty cool, helping to steer a new investor in the right direction for them!
There are many emails that I think of as “transformational emails”. One comes to mind where the writer was in a roundabout way asking about debt consolidation. Her email outlined how she was digging deeper into debt but could move it from high to low interest. I’m not a financial advisor, and I always point out I can’t give financial advice. But I can point out the obvious. I encouraged her to stop going into debt further, learn to budget, change her behaviours and just take more notice. Throughout the weekend, this woman went nuts! Each email had more exclamation points about her progress, and by Sunday night, I was fully convinced that this was her tipping point. I often say that inside, a person who thinks (and is) bad with money is a person who is excellent with money, just screaming to get out. They just need the nudge and some information. You can spend many years, even a lifetime, working yourself into a dire financial situation, but you can honestly completely change your situation in just days, weeks and months.
I am inspired by all the people who have filled out my Net Worth Millionaire Questionnaire, some with short responses and some with a lot of detail, like this most recent one. All of which let us see some numbers about where their money sits. The majority, perhaps unsurprisingly, is tied up in a house, but I find it refreshing/rewarding to see the diversification via KiwiSaver, share investments and cash that is gaining traction. It’s just an observation, but I continue to be relatively sure that most people who are ‘property investors’ are simply following the housing market and not a plan and that those who invest in assets outside of housing are more strategic and financially certain of themselves. They also tend to be the ones who no longer have to work.
I like it when people comment on my blog, and I’ll receive a couple a week. I read/filter all comments before posting and replying to them, and I always appreciate that people took the time, and were curious enough, to post their thoughts. 99.9% of comments are accepted. I’ll always filter out the .1% (the idiots) because they don’t get to use my platform for their ill-informed and always poorly written rants and gibes.
If I come across a blog, podcast, book, article or resource and a particular person springs to mind, I’ll always send it to them. This is how I connect with people online, and I don’t just respond to their questions and forget they ever existed. I’ll often reflect on past conversations and keep adding to them over time if and when appropriate. To all of those who reach out to me, thanks for trusting me with your story/thoughts/fears, and ambitions. It’s so good to have played a teeny part in your journey.
The donations I’ve received via my Buy Me A Coffee link. Wow. I added this link a while back because people I’d helped (always for free) kept asking how they could support me. It feels weird to ask for money, but in turn, I know that I like to help those who help me. When an email comes in saying, “Congrats, The Happy Saver, you have a donation from…” I genuinely sit back in my chair and reflect on just how freaking NICE people are. For all those who support me and help pay for all the back end costs of creating my blog, ngā mihi nui - thanks, with gratitude 🙏🏼
Zoom me up
And finally, after almost two weeks of getting myself fixed, my back was good to go and more importantly, my head cleared enough to have a Phone A Friend chat via Zoom. I’ve come to love these calls where I just get to talk through whatever is on the mind of the person I’m speaking with. Often the person has come up with a strategy, which involves money, and they just want to run it past someone unbiased, who has no financial agenda and is keen to hear it. Adding my thoughts and perspective seems to help. And I’m not going to lie to you, my friends don’t give a toss about my blog/podcast, so I relish the chance to chat money too!
What I’m trying to say is…
My last fortnight gives a good breakdown of all of 2021. It’s been another year of low key connecting with a whole bunch of people from all over the whenua. I was getting on with my day-to-day life all the while. I love how I’ve infiltrated the inboxes of so many Kiwis, all in a down low, in a, “just here if you need me” kind of way. I’ve long since worked out that if I’m going to help people, this approach is more effective than spruiking my wares loudly in the media.
As another year draws to a close, Jonny and I keep working part-time, enjoying hanging out with each other and our daughter (who has now finished school for the year). And I generally just marvel that despite a global pandemic, simply controlling what we can control, looking after ourselves and looking out for others, well, life isn’t all that bad.
As for the share market, still, no one has worked out how to predict the future, but if the past is anything to go on, well, it will probably all work out just fine:
Graph showing the 5 year growth of the NZX 50. Source: tradingeconomics.com
My investing strategy has not changed; steady as she goes, slow and steady is indeed winning the race. We continue to own our home debt-free, invest in our KiwiSavers and just two primary ETFs, plus a few minor investments on the side just for the fun of it. We are boring as heck and budget our income and expenses, always have an emergency fund and cash on hand for short term spending.
But we are content with where we are at. And I think that is the final takeaway that I want for anyone who reads my blog and is thinking of what 2022 might hold for them. Your finances shouldn’t have you on the edge of your seat. They shouldn’t keep you up at night. Instead, they should be the steady constant in your life, the thing that helps you cope with the dramas and the thing that lets you follow your dreams.
Thanks for reading and listening, thanks for sticking around, thanks for contacting me. Above all, thanks for inspiring ME with all of your stories and achievements this year. You are amazing.
Keep up the excellent work, and bring on 2022.
Ngā mihi nui.
