Money Smart

Kia Ora, NZ.

Welcome to my first blog. I decided to start a blog on the insistence of a friend I had been helping to become more money savvy. I am a common person like many of you holding a middle class 40 hour a week job. I was 19 when I came to this lovely country to study with dreams of big 3 bedroom houses with big outside space, a nice big car and savings in the bank allowing me to travel once every year. Reality shook me to the core. I realised that living on my own meant expenses like rent, groceries, travel expenses, etc. My weekly income disappeared pretty fast. Out of my depth and struggling, I went to a free workshop offered by the university I was attending at that time on budgeting.

Wow! That one hour workshop made me realise there was more to money and saving. I was hooked and went to several other free workshops and learnt more especially about taxes. I started reading books and later following financial blogs online. Although these were mostly based on US laws, they still had some good information.  I still follow some to this day. Today I am 30years old, have 2 rental properties, a good share portfolio and kiwisaver.

And all of it started from a workshop on budgeting, so that’s going to be my first topic also.