All tagged Money Journey

128. This Time, I Want to Make It Stick

128. This Time, I Want to Make It Stick

Ruth
Money Journey, Personal Finance, Podcast, PocketSmith, Financial Independence, Investing, KiwiSaver, InvestNow, Sharesight

MONEY JOURNEY

Ara describes herself as having been “a bit clueless” with money. When we first connected in 2018, unemployment had made her realise how financially vulnerable she was. Back in work, she wanted to clear her debt, build savings and investments, and learn to manage her money. Then her emails dried up. When she reappeared in 2026, she was still determined to do better, but still caught in the same pay-spend cycle. Now in her late 40s, Ara is trying again. What happened during those eight years? I wanted to know how she’s changing her habits and whether those changes will stick.

127. Consistently Investing, Month After Month, Year After Year

127. Consistently Investing, Month After Month, Year After Year

Ruth
Money Journey, Personal Finance, Podcast, PocketSmith, Financial Independence, Investing, KiwiSaver, InvestNow, Simplicity, SuperLife

MONEY JOURNEY

Sara and Michael have always been good savers, but for years they had no idea what to do with those savings to create wealth. Eventually, Sara found a simple approach to investing that made sense, and from there they consistently invested month after month, year after year. When Sara first contacted me in 2020, they were still relatively early in their financial journey. Six years later, they now have $1.385 million invested, own their home outright, and are beginning to ask a very different question: not how to build wealth, but what they actually want that wealth to let them do.

126. Building Financial Strength Together

126. Building Financial Strength Together

Ruth
Money Journey, Personal Finance, Podcast, PocketSmith, Financial Independence, Investing, Sharesies, KiwiSaver, Simplicity

MONEY JOURNEY

Joseph and Jane’s story is one of resilience, generosity and small financial decisions adding up over time. Today, she has paid off her student loan, they’ve combined their finances, they’re aggressively paying down their mortgage, investing for themselves and their child, using sinking funds and an emergency fund, hunting for bargains and deliberately spending money on the things they enjoy. I think their story is about what money can really give you. Choices. Resilience. Independence.

125. Revisit with The Happy Saver: Eight Years On

125. Revisit with The Happy Saver: Eight Years On

Ruth
Money Journey, Personal Finance, Podcast, PocketSmith, Financial Independence, Investing, KiwiSaver, InvestNow, Debt Free, Smart

MONEY JOURNEY

Today I’m doing something a bit different. I thought I’d give you a little update on what Jonny and I are up to. You might remember that way back in 2018 I released Episode 12, It’s All About Me. Eight years on, I thought it was probably time for an update. This episode isn’t going to cover every tiny detail; the blog is still the best place for that, but I’ll share a few numbers, what’s changed, what we’ve learned, and where Jonny and I find ourselves financially today.

124. Learning, Letting Go and Rethinking the Road to FIRE

124. Learning, Letting Go and Rethinking the Road to FIRE

Ruth
Money Journey, Personal Finance, Podcast, PocketSmith, Financial Independence, Investing, KiwiSaver, Rental Property, Simplicity, InvestNow

MONEY JOURNEY

I had a great chat with Rose and Adam, a warm and friendly duo who came to our conversation well prepared. After moving from Israel to Ōtautahi Christchurch, they built a life through careful spending and a mix of KiwiSaver, shares and property. But after eight years of owning rental properties, they have accepted that the strategy has not worked for them. Now, guided by mindfulness and Zen philosophy, they are letting go of those investments and redirecting their money towards a clearer path to FIRE.

123. Feeling Financially Safe Again

123. Feeling Financially Safe Again

Ruth
Money Journey, Personal Finance, Podcast, PocketSmith, Financial Independence, Investing

MONEY JOURNEY

Today’s guest is Olivia, a 59-year-old single woman who is on track to pay off a 30-year mortgage in just 10 years, entirely on one income. It is a story about rebuilding financial safety after divorce, relationship breakdowns, solo parenting, financial mistakes, grief, and years of carrying the full load alone. This episode is honest, practical, and relatable for anyone who feels “behind” financially.

122. Renting, Investing and Building Financial Freedom

122. Renting, Investing and Building Financial Freedom

Ruth
Money Journey, Personal Finance, Podcast, PocketSmith, Financial Independence, Investing

MONEY JOURNEY

Anna has developed strong money habits through years of study, careful saving, and living well below her means. After following the traditional advice to buy a home, Anna and her partner, Thom, began to question whether home ownership really suited the life they wanted. Once they ran the numbers, they made the bold decision to sell their house, rent a home that better fits their lifestyle, and redirect their surplus income into sharemarket investments instead. She and Thom are still early in their journey towards financial independence, but they are already experiencing what it can look like in practice.

121. The Missing Will

121. The Missing Will

Ruth
Money Journey, Personal Finance, Podcast, PocketSmith, Financial Independence, InvestNow, Smart, KiwiSaver, Investing

MONEY JOURNEY

Petra shares the deeply personal story of losing James suddenly at just 53 and being forced to untangle a complicated financial life while grieving. From a missing will to life insurance, superannuation and learning how to invest, her story is about love, loss, resilience, and creating security, confidence and choices when life changes.

120. Rebuilding After Divorce

120. Rebuilding After Divorce

Ruth
Money Journey, Personal Finance, Podcast, PocketSmith, Financial Independence, KiwiSaver

MONEY JOURNEY

This episode shares the story of Emma, a solo mum who, from the outside, appears to have it all together: a home of her own, strong finances, and a clear plan for the future. But behind that picture is years of hardship, resilience, and determination to rebuild her life after leaving an unhealthy marriage. Through grit, determination, and a series of deliberate, intentional steps, she has rebuilt her confidence and created a safer, more stable life for herself and her children.

119. Revisit with Rachel and David: Out of Property, Into Funds

119. Revisit with Rachel and David: Out of Property, Into Funds

Ruth
Money Journey, Personal Finance, Podcast, PocketSmith, Money Education, Financial Independence, KiwiSaver, Rental Property, Shares, Simplicity

MONEY JOURNEY

Back in November 2017, in Episode 04, I sat down with Rachel and David. They had reached financial independence long before the term was widely used, doing it through property. Eight years later, their story has taken a very different turn. They’ve moved away from property and into the share market. We talk about why they made the change, how they approached it, and what it looks like to shift from one asset class to another without losing sight of the bigger picture. Rachel and David are a great reminder that money is not just something to protect and preserve, but something that can be used to create freedom, joy, generosity, and a life well lived.

118. Living Well, Spending Less

118. Living Well, Spending Less

Ruth
Money Journey, Personal Finance, Podcast, PocketSmith, Money Education

MONEY JOURNEY

Emily loves regional Aotearoa and everything it has to offer. She gets stuck in, makes things happen, and helps out whenever needed. She owns a tiny house and works a variety of jobs. From a young age, Emily decided that financial independence was essential to her. Since the age of 19, she has stood on her own two feet financially, and she told me that doing so is essential to her well-being. She has never been a high earner, but she has paid her own way regardless. More recently, she has invested time in her financial education, and that has led to her investing her money too. She’s focused on living a vibrant life today, while also planning for a secure future.

117. Owning Rental Property Is a Business

117. Owning Rental Property Is a Business

Ruth
Money Journey, Personal Finance, Podcast, PocketSmith, Money Education, Rental Property

MONEY JOURNEY

This episode explores a form of investing that doesn’t often feature heavily in the wealth-building stories I usually share. I spoke at length with Lilly about the successful property investment business she and her husband, James, built together. The more I learned about how they deliberately grew their rental portfolio, the more I wanted to share their story as an example of how property, when done well, can be incredibly lucrative.

116. Separating Finances After Decades of Marriage

116. Separating Finances After Decades of Marriage

Ruth
Money Journey, Personal Finance, Podcast, PocketSmith, Money Education

MONEY JOURNEY

Carla lives in a small regional town in the South Island with her husband and their three children. Carla’s story is about money, but it’s also about health. By listening to such a wide variety of people share their money journeys on this podcast has given Carla the courage to make some big changes in her own life, because she knows that no two people manage money the same, and you do what works for you and your whānau. Carla and I have been emailing back and forth for quite a few years now, and those emails tell a story I absolutely love to witness: the slow, steady progression of thought over time.

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