The Happy Saver Christmas Giveaway!
10 Dec, 2023
🎄 Meri Kirihimete - Happy Christmas 🎄
This year, we are excited to give away a bunch of goodies to the fabulous people who subscribe to The Happy Saver. Thank you so much for your support throughout 2023. Nothing says CHRISTMAS like a book on good money management, some budgeting software or buying shares; am I right? Indeed, I am!
There are dozens of financial books to choose from, and I own most of them, but I’ve selected the books below because they tend to be some of the ones I recommend and lend to others most often. I think they give the most valuable and actionable information to those looking to sort their finances. Each provides a comprehensive view instead of just zooming in on one aspect of your pūtea, such as investing. I also believe that even if you are meandering in the right direction with your money, reading the advice of others that highlights you are, indeed, on the right track is affirming.
This year, I’ve purchased the following books to give away:
Pathfinders by JL Collins
The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
The Barefoot Investor, The Barefoot Investor for Families, Barefoot Kids by Scott Pape
Also, I’ve approached just three companies this year, and they have kindly donated the following:
PocketSmith is giving away three one-year Flourish Plans, each worth $199.95. Valid for new and existing users.
Sharesight is giving away a one-year Investor Plan worth $348. Valid for new users only.
Sharesies are giving away a $50 gift voucher. Valid for new and existing users.
You can enter to win specific prizes or enter to win them all.
The only condition to enter is to be a subscriber to my blog (I never share/sell/pass on any subscriber information to anyone). You can subscribe HERE if you are not a subscriber.
The Happy Saver Christmas Giveaway is now closed. Thank you to everyone who entered, and Congratulations to our WINNERS!
Now for a little about the giveaways…
Pathfinders
JL Collins
This new book is a good follow-on from his original best seller (and probably the book I’ve recommended the most), The Simple Path to Wealth. That book is harder to find these days, but you can get an excellent synopsis of it by watching this 2018 interview he gave at Google. His new book, Pathfinders, is for people on “the path”, i.e., working towards financial freedom. It’s a collection of stories from people in his international community of readers sharing their tribulations and triumphs with money. For someone who is on this journey, I found it a reassuring and helpful read.
The Total Money Makeover
Dave Ramsey
An oldie but a goodie. Say what you like about the American author (Republican, gun-loving, fundamentalist Christian 😬); when it comes to the basics of money, he’s been espousing the same message for so long that he knows it works. There are seven “baby steps” that have taken millions of people from being broke with no hope to financially free:
Save $1,000 as your starter emergency fund
Pay off all debt (except the house) using the debt snowball
Save 3-6 months of expenses in a fully funded emergency fund
Invest 15% of your household income in retirement
Save for your children’s college fund
Pay off your home early
Build wealth and give
The Barefoot Investor
Scott Pape
As with Dave Ramsey above, this author also tells it pretty straight when it comes to money and has created a system using “Barefoot Buckets” that people can follow to get back on track with their money. Whether you follow his plan to the letter or adapt it to create your own system, I don’t mind, but just reading a book like this and putting his advice into action will steer you down a better path. It was one of the first money books I read, and I think that hearing his practical and sound advice will be helpful at whatever stage you are at.
The Barefoot Investor for Families
Scott Pape
I reviewed this book way back in 2018, and the fact I’m still giving it away should tell you that it's still a good book! It gives parents the tools to teach their children (and wider whānau) how to manage money so that when they leave home, they have the skills under their belt to cope. It asks, “Did I do enough to prepare them”? This is a good read for anyone with teens in the house; plus, every adult reading it will also improve their money skills. For those whose tamariki are just not that interested in money, this will give you the conversation starters and some projects to inject some money talk into each day.
Barefoot Kids
Scott Pape
I paid my daughter and her friend to review this book, and you can read it HERE. If you suffer from the problem of “no one ever talked about money growing up”, this book ends money being taboo for kids. It teaches them the basics right from the get-go. And if kids can get them right, they just build upon that. Kids who are good with money become adults who are good with money. This is perfect for tamariki between the ages of 6-15 who have been asking their parents how to make some dosh for themselves.
PocketSmith
PocketSmith has kindly donated three one-year Flourish Plans, valued at $199.95 each!
This giveaway is open to both new and existing PocketSmith users. If your finances are holding you back from living the life you want, PocketSmith has the tools to help you make money management more effortless. I’ve used it for years, and I love it because it’s perfect for the household CFO (me!) and offers a wide range of flexible tools and reports to organise and visualise your finances, like customisable dashboards, graphs and charts, a powerful search engine, and up to 30 years’ projection.
Sharesight
Sharesight has kindly donated a one-year Investor Plan valued at $348!
This giveaway is open to NEW Sharesight users. This is the best portfolio and dividend tracker I’ve come across that automatically tracks my investments' price, performance and dividends. This plan lets you manage four portfolios with unlimited holdings (ETFs or individual companies). You can create up to five custom groups and develop a range of reports that let you know how your investments are progressing.
Sharesies
Sharesies has kindly donated a $50 Gift Voucher to a current or future user!
Start 2024 by investing this $50 gift voucher on whatever share investment you think will be a winner and spend the year watching its performance. Sharesies allows you to easily access investments in Aotearoa, Australia and America and encourages you to learn the rhythm of investing over time. Sharesies is the investment tool I use to help my daughter form the habit of investing a little and often in an ETF to grow her wealth over time.
I wish I could give you all free access to the books and resources I use and enjoy, but I can’t. However, if you would like to buy a book or sign up to PocketSmith, Sharesight, or Sharesies, please consider using my affiliate links. This helps me keep The Happy Saver up and running so I can continue to help others be better with their money. Thank you.
Thanks for entering to win; I’ll announce the winners on Christmas Eve, Sunday, 24th December.
