Looking for a Friend to Chat Money With?
06 Apr, 2025
If you want to find information to help you handle your money better and grow your wealth, you can find it. Whatever your research tool of choice, you can generally get to the bottom of your questions with a bit of digging around. But you must be quite dogmatic about it, and keep searching until you find your answers. With so much content available, it can often become overwhelming or tedious. Plus, many of those who advise are trying to make you their next customer, so it pays to be wary, as it's a bit of a minefield.
One of the hardest resources to find is a neutral person to actually speak with. Over time, I’ve had the honour of becoming that person for many followers of The Happy Saver.
The people I speak with know they could employ the services of a fee-only financial advice firm, but that often feels too luxurious or like using a hammer to crack a nut. They just want to chat about money, for goodness sake!
I talk with a lot of people. Barely a day passes without me having a scheduled kōrero about money, or just a ‘bump into someone in the street, or at a cafe’ conversation about money. It feels strange to say, but I’m quite well known these days, so talk of money comes up all the time, which I’m perfectly happy about.
The most common feedback I get is that people are relieved to have finally found someone to ask all their burning money questions straight up, in whatever order they come to mind. If I can answer a simple question about your situation and save you an hour of googling, I’ll be happy to help.
One of these conversations just last week prompted this blog post today.
Almost everything I offer on The Happy Saver is free. I’ll answer your emails all day and send you any links and resources I think might help, but that takes time, and there is often a couple of weeks' delay as I get so many emails these days. But there is one thing that I do charge for: an hour of my time, in the form of a Phone A Friend video call or in-person chat.
I’m selling an hour of my time, nothing more.
I began doing this many years ago when I realised I could cover much more ground in a conversation than I could over email. When I speak with someone for a Phone A Friend, after the briefest of niceties, we go for it! No subject is off limits, and over an hour, we cover as much ground as possible. I meet the most genuine people during these calls, and they are simply looking for a practical, common-sense perspective on their situation.
A public service announcement.
As The Happy Saver, I just quietly go about helping other people. It’s just something I like to do. I don’t shout it from the rooftops, nor try to monetise every hour of my day. I realised long ago that financial independence is better with friends. I want to see other people feel financially confident, just like I do.
During a Phone A Friend last week, I was made aware by the woman I was chatting with that you might not even know I offer this service. She had been searching for someone to talk to about money when a friend said, “You should chat with Ruth”. She immediately booked in, as this was exactly what she had been looking for. Thankfully, I lived up to the hype:
Thanks so much, Ruth! I felt really good after our talk. It was very reassuring and gave me confidence that I'm going to be fine. Thanks so much for the work you do—I'm so glad there are people like you out there.
So, this blog post today is not a marketing push for Phone A Friend but more of a public service announcement that if you are looking for someone to chat with, I can probably help.
Why a Phone A Friend Conversation Can Help You
A Phone A Friend conversation is your chance to chat with me about your money and whatever is on your mind. I know that talking about money can feel overwhelming, but this is a relaxed, judgment-free space where you can ask anything. I’ve had so many conversations with Kiwis about their finances, and I’ve learned that sometimes, you need a fresh perspective and practical guidance to start making progress.
1. Helping You Find Clarity
Money can feel messy, and it’s easy to get stuck not knowing what to do next. Most of us make our financial lives unnecessarily complicated. During our chat, I’ll help you unpack your situation so you can see things more clearly and figure out a way forward.
I speak with people who are chatty like me, and others who are quiet and reserved. Some are big-picture thinkers, and others are deep into minute details. Some are in the thick of a huge life change, feeling stuck and confused. Others are going through, or have been through, some pretty heavy stuff. Helping them push through and financially plan is worthwhile. Often, I can see a brighter future for these people than they can, and it's motivating for them to hear this. Then there are those who are pretty switched on but want to verbalise their plans with someone as excited to talk about money as they are.
2. Practical Feedback for Your Situation
I love sharing general financial tips through The Happy Saver, but I can tailor my conversation specifically to your circumstances when we talk one-on-one. We’ll focus on simple, practical steps you can take to improve your finances.
The way I handle money is not ‘the way’, but it works for me. My ‘lived experience’ is a good resource, and I’m happy to share it, but I’m not here to offer a cookie-cutter solution. I just have some ideas for you to follow up on. My opinion of what works has been crowd-sourced from years of asking other people what works for them when it comes to money, and there are so many common themes, despite us all being different. Sharing what I know has worked for others can be immensely helpful.
Something I’ll also often do after a chat is share books, blogs, podcasts, and resources. Because I’ve met people from every corner of Aotearoa, when it feels appropriate, and if I’ve got your consent, I’ll often connect people who live in the same town. Many a coffee date has been arranged as a result of a Phone A Friend, and making these connections helps you find a future friend to discuss money with.
3. A Judgment-Free Conversation
I get it—talking about money can feel embarrassing. But I promise, nothing you say will shock me. I’ve spoken with many people from all walks of life about their finances, and I know everyone is doing their best. I’m here to listen and help, not judge, and all of these conversations are strictly confidential.
Also, my one-on-one calls work so well because it's just the two of us chatting, although partners/friends are always welcome to join you during a call. Discussing money in a bigger group never quite gets to the heart of each individual's questions. Most people have their guard up in a group setting and walk away without feeling heard. And I walk away wishing I’d had the chance to dig deeper on a few conversation threads. No one ever asks what they think might be a stupid question. In a one-on-one call, ask away!
4. Common Sense, Not Complicated Jargon
The best feedback I ever received in a school report was “Ruth is practical and has common sense”. I didn’t realise how powerful those skills were until I started helping people think about their pūtea.
I have zero formal financial qualifications. None. Nada. Zip. I can’t give financial advice because I am not a financial advisor. However, I have found that by helping people apply common sense to their money and being practical with how they use it, I can successfully help people without stepping over the boundaries set by the FMA - A guide to talking about money online.
Over the last decade, I’ve steered my whānau towards financial independence, read and listened to information on money, and spoken with thousands of people about what works for them. What I do have is a lot of experience, common sense, and a real understanding of what actually works when it comes to managing money. I keep things simple, practical, and easy to understand—so you can walk away feeling confident, not confused.
5. You’ll Feel Empowered to Keep Improving
Once we’ve had our chat, I aim for you to feel motivated and confident to take action. I won’t be following up with you, but that’s because I believe you’ll have everything you need to keep improving your financial situation on your own.
A key part of personal finance is being hands-on and managing your own money, not outsourcing it to someone else.
6. How does a call go?
People often ask how they can prepare, and I suggest creating a few notes on what you are trying to achieve. Alternatively, we can just wing it and go where the conversation flows. These are very informal chats with a friend. At the end of the call, I’ll send any links or resources that will add to your knowledge, and then I'll leave you be. I don’t send elaborate notes of our chat or set tasks for you to complete, nor do I follow up.
You are in the driver’s seat regarding your money, so with some new information under your belt, go ahead and take control! There is zero pressure from me; you have to be motivated enough to make any changes you decide need to be made.
7. I’m Here If You Need Me Again
While I won’t be checking in, I’m always happy to answer your emails if you have more questions. And if you ever want to chat again, you can simply book another Phone A Friend session. It’s all about giving you the support you need when needed.
But I always end by saying that, given that we have got to know each other over the course of an hour or so, we are friends now, and I’m always here to help if and when required. It is very common for me to hear from someone months or years later, when they just check in and give me an update. I love hearing how people are progressing personally and financially. It blows my mind how much progress is made once someone decides to act.
I want you to feel in control of your money. A Phone A Friend chat isn’t about getting specific product or provider recommendations because “I can’t give financial advice”, but it helps you narrow down your possibilities and make your own decisions. I get immense satisfaction from a woman who begins our kōrero feeling uncertain and ends feeling confident in her plans. It’s about giving you the confidence to take charge of your financial future. I’d love to help you get there!
