All in Saving

Financial Peace in an Emergency

Financial Peace in an Emergency

Ruth
Personal Finance, Saving, Emergency Fund

This blog post might be the quickest and shortest one I have ever written! My inbox has just received yet another round of invoices for payment. February has been a particularly expensive month with a number of invoices due for payment over and above what we would usually expect. Some we have budgeted for and had fully covered, others we had partially saved for or were out of the blue. For the unexpected expenses, I was faced with only one option really, to reach into our emergency fund and use that to pay the invoices.

Consistency and Planning, boring yet effective.

Consistency and Planning, boring yet effective.

Ruth
ETFs, Index Funds, Investment, Money Education, Saving, PocketSmith

I thought I would start the year with something that I think is a mega important topic if you want to get your finances in order, Consistency and Planning. Both are boring yet effective. As always, I like to share what I’m up to and what works for us, you can then take from it what you will. A few years back I implemented a few simple things and today I’m reaping the rewards of my consistency, planning and good habits. You can do the same, but you do need to start today.

Should you combine finances with your spouse?

Should you combine finances with your spouse?

Ruth
Personal Finance, Banks, Debt, Investment, Saving, Money Education

I have the privilege to speak to so many people about “money stuff” and a very common scenario is that of a couple who have been together for a long time yet they still keep their money completely separate from each other. If you are committed to him or her being “the one”, you trust each other and have combined everything else in your life (your wardrobe, the bathroom cabinet, your home, your children, your pets), then why not your money?

What should I do with my Bonus Bonds?

What should I do with my Bonus Bonds?

Ruth
Bonds, ETFs, Financial Advisors, Hatch, Index Funds, Investment, Kernel, KiwiSaver, Saving, Shares, Sharesies, Simplicity, SmartShares

This week I’ve received even more emails about Bonus Bonds with people asking what investment options are out there for the money that will be released from the scheme when it winds up shortly and also asking what they could do with the ongoing monthly payments that people had previously been making into the scheme. They don’t want to stop this regular savings habit, but they have no idea where to put it.

Frugal Hack: Buying Glasses Online

Frugal Hack: Buying Glasses Online

Ruth
Saving

I refuse to spend $903 on a single pair of glasses. But I can manage $326 for three pairs. This is a blog post about wearing glasses and as I sit down to write this even I’m unsure if those people who come to my blog for my thoughts on investment and good money management are going to hang around long enough to see the point of me writing it? So, this post won’t be for everyone, but it is for everyone who either wears glasses or knows someone who does.

What is a Sinking Fund?

What is a Sinking Fund?

Ruth
Budgeting, Money Education, Personal Finance, PocketSmith, Saving

I realised recently that I rattle off financial terms, assuming that people know what they are. And that annoyed me a bit, because the reason I started blogging was to demystify financial jargon and yet, here I was, rattling off a bit of jargon! One of these terms is ‘sinking fund’. Today I thought I would quickly explain what a sinking fund is and why I use them myself.

Why save, plot and plan for my financial future?

Why save, plot and plan for my financial future?

Ruth
Personal Finance, Retirement, Debt, Investment, Saving, Money Education

There has been quite an increase in questions over the last couple of weeks, which is not at all surprising given how much uncertainty is out there. And this week, having answered so many emails, plus I was finishing writing and recording my final podcast episode of this series, I’ve not quite gotten around to a new blog post. So this week I’ve decided to republish a post I wrote back in 2017 because I feel that it’s still very relevant today.

How to avoid a student loan. Start saving today!

How to avoid a student loan. Start saving today!

Ruth
Kids and Money, Money Education, Personal Finance, Saving, KiwiSaver

A few weekends ago a young guy was scanning my groceries and he was chatting away about his final exam and his finish date. When I asked him what he had planned for the summer, he said he will be working for about 35 hours a week. Although I was desperate to ask him the finer details of his financial life, I didn’t want to freak this young guy out so I kept my questions to myself. But my absolute main one was “what is a 16-year-old proposing to do with all the money they will make this summer?

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