What's one thing The Happy Saver has done over the past ten years that has been a genuine game-changer for you?
Before reading your blog, I knew I wanted to buy low-fee index funds, but I didn't know where or how to buy them. There are tons of options now, of course, but back in 2017, your comparison of Smartshares v Superlife was just what I needed to get started. Bob
The Happy Saver has influenced me to focus on building net worth rather than focusing on debt, and also introduced me to investing & growing our investment portfolio. Looking forward to being work optional in 4 years. Thank you for all you do. Shayna
Hi Ruth. I'm quite new to The Happy Saver. Still, my win from following your work is having the confidence to move my KiwiSaver fund from Simplicity to InvestNow Total World Fund, and also starting to understand how Index Funds work. You've helped me think about long-term investment, and as I don't own a home, that seems particularly important. You have also helped me get out of 'freeze mode' where I had money sitting in a zero-interest account but had been too scared to do anything with it. I was worried about doing the 'wrong' thing - now I know that the worst thing one can do is nothing! So, many thanks for all that you do! Tegan
Hi Ruth. Congrats on 10 years, so cool 😁 After listening to heaps of your podcast episodes and emailing you and getting a frank and fulsome reply (thank you!), we got cracking. We (now 58/59) are no longer cruising toward retirement, hoping things will work out with the odd inheritance, but are focusing on being sorted.
Wins:
- I got my husband on board with retirement planning!
- Because we started to talk about money, I found out we had different ideas about what would happen at 65, which we had never discussed! He assumed we'd simply downsize our house to pay off the mortgage, I said, but I want to stay here, let's pay it off earlier!
- We were straight into KS as we returned to NZ in 2007, as it was starting, but we were not active, so we started quietly tracking it (& our Aussie super)
- We both changed from our default bank funds and out of conservative/balanced
- We can both confidently say how much is in these accounts, know what the projections are, AND we're ok with the balances moving about a bit
- I started a share investment - small, but regular
- After podcast Ep 87 and a lot of encouragement, I got my sister to make her will!
- We are on track to be completely financially independent, and any small inheritance will be a bonus, not a financial solution.
- And finally, I just joined PocketSmith!
We were very slow to start managing our money, despite good incomes. Now we are paying the mortgage aggressively and will be mortgage-free several years before retirement with a really healthy retirement fund and other investments. I have yet to get him to agree to sell a rental property (which would make us mortgage-free in 2 years) or do Rebel Finance School with me, but I am working on it! The best thing is feeling more in control. We're not perfect, but we are in a much, much better place, and best of all, in it together. Thanks, Ruth, you're the best. Cate
Feeling confident about my financial future after the divorce. The blog 'All the Single Ladies' was brilliant, and it would help so many people going through this. I was lucky; I came out of it with a decent amount of money, which means I have a mortgage-free house, investments in ETFs, and am able to work part-time so that my main focus can be my children. Thanks for all that you do; it's very much appreciated. Kate
Dear Ruth. Firstly, a very big congratulations on 10 years of The Happy Saver!! 🎉🤩💥🤸🥳🌟 That's an amazing milestone. I can only imagine how many people have changed and improved their finances by way of your mahi. Ka rawe, well done!! You wanted to hear about genuine game changers. I wanted to write because you have been part of my life for nearly 7 years now!! (aw 😍). It's difficult to pick one thing...But I think one of the most significant things was realising, from one of your initial emails and then from the continued blog/podcast following, that we had to create urgency and focus to change our financial situation. I was definitely ready and motivated to do something, and already had some good habits in place; I just didn't know at the time that that was what we needed to do. And the subsequent changes were dramatic and focused. It was so empowering to know what we needed to do and to be able to do it. I developed courage and confidence in handling our finances. And to have the skills and knowledge to manage a large inheritance, make a plan for FI, and pass those skills and knowledge on to our girls. And our oldest is now passing that on to her boyfriend, who has started investing and having sinking funds. And who recently inherited money, that is, he has invested a large chunk of it and put the rest towards his student loan. The ripple effect!! Actually, that is probably one of the other significant things (can we have two? 😁) - developing the ability to talk openly and freely about money and normalising this, with our children. So - I am so grateful to you for your help, and Happy Saver mahi. And so pleased that it is something you have enjoyed and provides you with income, it's like a full circle effect. So amazing that you have built this incredible community as well, across the motu. You are a super star!! 🌟🌟🌟Arohanui, Michelle
Hi Ruth. Happy 10th Happy Saver birthday! What an awesome achievement - HUGE congratulations!!! The biggest thing you have done for Linda and me is to understand that there is another investment vehicle outside residential property. We started down that investment road over 12 years ago and thought we would have to work for 25+ years building up that property portfolio to get the retirement income we wanted. Over the years, I read Rich Enough and The Barefoot Investor, then the Simple Path to Wealth and Die with Zero, and was searching for more NZ content and found your blog around four years ago 😁 You were the conduit for the connection to Alan and Katie Donegan, and it's great to be doing RFS for the fourth time. Seeing and hearing about your investing journey, along with Alan and Katie's, and finding good NZ low-fee, broad-based index funds have changed not only our KiwiSaver funds and mix but also our whole investment journey. By understanding the 4% Rule (and reading Bill Bengen's book), we can achieve financial independence 10 years earlier than we planned by selling the investment properties and investing in low-fee, broad-based index funds. What a life-changing reduction in timeframe!! Thanks again for your great sharing and for the help you provide to so many Kiwis! Looking forward to meeting in person sometime, hopefully soon! Hope I'll catch you on the RFS chat! Cheers, Al
My win is that I am seeing the benefits of continuous and steady investments and savings. It's all the boring, consistent stuff that matters - making a plan and sticking to it. Ngā mihi Ruth! Bonus win is that I also do a 'Financial Hotties' check-in with friends every month, and we discuss goals and where we are at. I've also started talking about money with other teachers at school. It's so good to make money chat normal so that we can all learn from each other. Jessie
It's definitely the mindset change and just HOW to do it all. I knew something had to change, but I just didn't know how. Happy Saver was recommended to me, and I've been all guns blazing financially since that email. I have a clear, calming direction as I head into my later years. Thank you so much, Ruth! Jules
Sinking funds. So simple but so effective. And why didn’t I think of it before?! Raewyn
Thank you, Ruth. It was our coffee chat that finally changed my life! I had put in so much work and research, and had obsessed over the numbers, and then, finally, after a chat with you, I realised that, yes, I can consider myself financially secure & independent! Relieved & grateful every day, I’m so fortunate I have choices & security. Jenn
I changed my deep-rooted generational mindset that money isn’t taboo and talking about it, wanting to earn it, and being interested in it doesn't make you a greedy person, and it's actually okay. Thank you for all you have done, Ruth. I'm an OG follower and followed you before there was even a podcast. I really appreciate what you have created, and honestly, my little family wouldn't be where we are without you and the confidence you've given us to go forth and learn about money and try different things. Lots of wins and lots of wobbles, but the biggest thing you gave is confidence just to try. Sam
Introduced me to Rebel Finance School, which has given me hope that, as a single parent on a modest income, I can still reach Financial Freedom down the track. You have also personally answered some of my questions, and since we both have children of a similar age, I feel a connection even though we have never met 😁 Jacqui
Learning about RFS on your blog in 2024, joining the school, learning about return on equity and as a result of that, reassessing my rental property investments. Following an email exchange with you, I decided to bite the bullet, sell one property in 2024 and invest the proceeds in TWF. Repeated that process in November 2025 (2nd investment property). Not a week goes by that I’m not grateful that I’m out of property investing, especially with no end in sight for unfavourable property market conditions (especially in Wellington). Another big win for my partner was reviewing fees paid to fund managers (2.6%) and moving quickly away from that. What a difference that has already made to his investment, and what an impact it will have in the future! Thanks for continuing to share your insights and learnings, we’re so grateful 🙏 Helga
Introduced me to Rebel Finance School. I'm now on top of my finances and on track for retirement. Marc
Two things, sorry! Getting debt-free and then taking investing seriously. We had a few emails post-divorce about 4 years ago, and you gave me a no-shitter talk about not playing with investing to see if I liked it, but about taking it seriously from the get-go. I now have almost $80K invested 😁. And the podcasts keep me on track and motivated. Thanks, Ruth, for all that you've done and are doing xx Bronwyn
Hi Ruth. Congratulations on 10 years! I have 4 wins from The Happy Saver over the last year since I found your podcast and blog.
1. You told us all at the end of one of your episodes last year that we can do it too (get our financial lives together and retire with a reasonable net worth). I was a bit sceptical at the time that everyday people on regular incomes could do what you were saying. Still, I figured it was worth a try, and less than a year later, we’re already in much better financial shape than we were before we listened to your tips and advice.
2. The Simple Path to Wealth - This book helped me take the first steps to understand investing after hearing you talk about it on the podcast.
3. Rebel Finance School - At your recommendation and after hearing a lot of your guests talk about RFS, I took the course late last year and worked through it in a couple of weeks. It taught me a lot about where our money was going and the missing piece that I didn’t understand about where to invest. This led me to make the decision to move my KiwiSaver to a new provider, where I’m now making much better returns and paying a lot lower fees.
4. The Barefoot Investor - while I learned a lot from RFS, there was still a missing piece of how to put the plan of ‘Spend less, invest the gap’ into place. After you and a guest mentioned The Barefoot Investor, I read the book and put the plan into place for our family. Since doing this, we’ve managed to increase our savings and start investing outside of KiwiSaver too, giving us more choices and a buffer we didn’t have before.
While we still have a long way to go, I’d like to say a big thank you for getting us started on the path to financial independence. With grateful thanks, Sharon
You gave me the permission I sought to prioritise repaying the mortgage, and you introduced me to relatable Kiwis who achieved this via your blog. My mindset about debt has also changed: it doesn't have to be a normal part of life. Oh, and you introduced me to Rebel Finance School! Thank you for all that you do. Kate
Ruth, you have been my cheerleader (even when you haven't known it). The Happy Saver has taught me that what I didn't think was possible, IS POSSIBLE. We can pay off our mortgage much quicker than I thought; we can invest (actually, via your Net Worth tracker, I realised that we are already investors); and, with some good decisions, we can 'buy' ourselves the freedom to work in jobs we enjoy. Oh, AND you introduced me to Rebel Finance School, which I am doing for the first time this month. By the way, I only found The Happy Saver in October 2025. Natalie
You helped me realise that it’s good to talk about money; it doesn’t have to be something we quietly keep to ourselves 'cause it’s rude to bring anything up. I also appreciate you introducing me to Rebel Finance around 4 years ago. Both you and The Donegans have been integral to our money journey. Thanks, Ruth! Sarah
We’re coming really late to the investment party - we’ve had KiwiSaver since the get-go, so doing relatively well there, but no other retirement savings or real emergency fund to speak of - so I was really intrigued by the Donegans’ and Rebel Finance School. That said, the British-centric jargon was a bit off-putting - so imagine my delight when I found a Kiwi connection that echoed a lot of the same financial principles (spoiler alert, that’s you!). Still early days for us - I’m wracked with regret when I look at what we’ve earned since we met! - but still time to get things in order and pass on some invaluable knowledge to our teens. #betterlatethannever. Rachel
I’ve always felt pretty comfortable with my money mindset, but about 18 months ago, I was interested in learning more and realised that whilst I had no debt outside of a mortgage, I wasn’t making the most of what I had and was probably in a more precarious position than I thought. I stumbled across The Happy Saver when you were releasing your FI Series in 2025, and that put me on the road to proper tracking, net worth calculations and building better emergency funds. From there, I then found the Rebel Finance School and now, with massive thanks to you and the Donegans, both my husband and I are very mindful of our finances, how we spend it, what we invest in and how to make it work for our future. Amanda
Thanks for the opportunity to share my story. It’s a story with a big learning curve regarding investing in shares. In short, I have invested with InvestNow since 2019. I dabbled a bit and bought too many funds just to see what worked and what didn't. It was about $2,000 - $5,000 per fund. Through self-education and following your blog, I tried to figure out how to invest on my own. But when we sold our rental and had a huge lump sum, I was not confident enough to invest the money on my own accord and called in the help of a financial adviser who worked for a well-known investment firm (recommended to me by a family member and friend) in NZ. I showed the adviser my private portfolio on InvestNow and said there was too much overlap, too little across too many funds, and it needed simplifying. The advisers’ job was to invest our joint lump sum, so she did so according to the firm's ‘model’ portfolio, with 80% shares and 20% bonds. Meanwhile, I restructured and simplified my portfolio with InvestNow on my own accord. The book The Ulysses Contract by Michael Kemp was a great inspiration to me. To cut a long story short… After 3 years, the managed bespoke joint portfolio of the well-known investment firm returned 10% in 2023, 3% in 2024 (very disappointing), and 3% in 2025, totalling around 6% on average p.a. (before fees). My own portfolio with InvestNow and Invest Direct made 20% p.a. (6 years). The real returns only became apparent when I subscribed to Sharesight in January 2026, which gave me insight into simplified or compounded returns. Taking into account currency fluctuations and dividend returns. Needless to say, I found my confidence and cut ties on 31 March ‘26 (after 3 different advisers in 3 years) with this well-known firm, and moved all shares in our joint portfolio to other platforms with the intention of selling them subsequently and reinvesting into index funds. Lesson learned; it was not worth the fees to have advisers trying to beat the market. For The Happy Saver to reveal that she is putting the money in TWF made me feel confident about doing it too! Thank you 🙏Warm regards. Anita
Hi Ruth. I was talking with someone at the PocketSmith office in Thames. I recognised the name (I couldn't believe they had an office in Thames!). It was a huge icebreaker, and we spent a few minutes talking about Ruth and The Happy Saver. I thought I'd let you know because this is the type of ripple effect you have. It was a lovely reminder of the impact you've had. In an unexpected moment, there was an instant connection because of you and the work you've done over the years. On a personal note, my biggest win was switching my KiwiSaver to a better provider in 2020. It went up $100k in 5 years. Another was setting up the Kernel Moonshots Innovation Fund, which turned out to be a lemon, but I learnt about the risk scale and that high risk (No. 7 on the Kernel risk scale) is not for me. Thanks for all your amazing posts. Cheers. Rose
Ruth (aka The Happy Saver) helped me to do the most important thing of all… to start. 😊 I was stuck between 2 providers and trying to choose the perfect one. Ruth provided clear, unbiased information that really helped me make a decision. Thanks, Ruth. Mandy
Finding your website and having a personal 'one-on-one' gave me hope and inspiration when I was at a very low point in my life. You are 'real' and meet people where they are at, with no judgment. Wonderful work! Nyla
You introduced me to The Rebel Finance course. In 2024, I did the full 10-week course, which absolutely revolutionised my mindset. I had never invested before (aside from KiwiSaver) and immediately implemented what I had learned. Almost two years later, I am well on my way to financial independence. Thank you! Kate
Happy 10 years! Can't believe I have been following along for about 8 years. Our biggest win would be paying off the mortgage in 5 years after downsizing our home. 2nd win would be that we have hit $100,000 in investments outside of KiwiSaver. Thanks to your blog, I can follow along with what you do, and we, too, are slowly winning. Thanks heaps, Ruth and Jonny. Ronnie
Gosh. One thing?? Hmm...* Being debt-free with no intention of ever going back. Budgeting down to the last dollar and sticking to it. Having an emergency fund of 3 months. Having a sinking fund. $362,000 in KiwiSaver and enjoying compound interest 👌 Min
I don't have just one win...I love everything about Ruth and The Happy Saver. I have loved hearing true stories of how people manage their money. I've enjoyed learning that property is not the only way to build wealth. I loved becoming debt-free and making it a priority rather than coasting along for years with a mortgage. I didn't know about FIRE, and now I'm so keen to live a FIRE lifestyle. I've loved hearing Ruth share her own journey and money values over the years, and I've become more confident with my own money decisions. I just love everything, and I often tell people about this website and encourage them to start learning. Thanks for everything you have done over the years. Sarah
The millionaire questionnaire responses have been so inspiring, I regularly check your page for new ones! Hearing other people's tips and how they made it is great. I started my own net worth tracker because of this. I wanted to track my progress to becoming one too! I have now done so and will share my own story very soon. Thank you, Ruth & happy 10 years. Hayley
Kia ora, Ruth. A huge ngā mihi nui to you for providing such a great resource for all things personal finance, and congratulations on 10 years of The Happy Saver! I stumbled on you via the Frances Cook podcast last year and have been hooked ever since - I think I have 15 episodes to go until I'm caught up - I'm in the depths of 2018 at the moment, and it's so fun to listen with hindsight! My interest in personal finance has been around for a few years, but your podcast really clicked something in my brain and made me realise my self-limiting beliefs needed to be addressed. My win is that you have given me confidence and the self-belief that I can manage my money, rather than leave it to 'luck'. I am fortunate that my husband and I are looking at early retirement, and while that is in the works (a business sale to wait for), we have implemented many of your ideas, such as a wealth tracker, a monthly finance meeting, and starting the RFS. He had always been the CFO in our household, so with me developing knowledge, it has been a huge win for us to feel like we're heading in the same direction. Our monthly meetings have also allowed us to make some big calls, with what feels like substantial amounts of money, with confidence. We have parted ways with our financial adviser and his ($120) a month fee for managing $100k, as we did an experiment and set up a Simplicity TWF and watched that grow enormously in a few months, while his fee kept our investment with him at a slow and steady pace. We have a loose plan mapped out for the coming years (mainly as we are waiting for the business sale), however, each monthly meeting helps strengthen those plans and keeps us moving forward in other areas so we don't feel stagnant and instead feel in control of our future, while we wait. I also have much more confidence understanding the investing world and it feels so great to know that we have everything under control and are in control of our own destiny. Your voice in my ears has been such a treat and I am eternally grateful for all that you do. Cheers. Anna
My goal two years ago was to raise my KiwiSaver balance. After reading The Happy Saver, I consolidated two superannuation accounts into one, gaining the grand total of $29,000. Long story short, it ballooned to $40,000. I had put it into a Growth Fund. Then I got some advice which wasn't quite right, and got the cold creepy feeling and decided to opt out of something I had decided to opt into at the last moment sinking everything into a cash fund until the moment was right. By perfect chance, not knowing how, as I am not a financial markets investor. As you know markets are volatile, and I rode out the bust cycle of the Iran war, to reinvest gaining $44,000. I know you say to put it all into one index fund, but I think at this stage I managed to lever my money for the best outcome. I have seen that sinking cold creepy feeling come back even with the most recent stock market flushes. My goal was to get $40,000 in my wildest dreams, it seems set to stay and I feel all the hard work I have done of reading The Happy Saver will at least now give me a greater chance in the next ten years to reach $50,000. Rachel
I really admire your focus and determination to create a better life for your family and everyone who follows your site. You’ve helped us stay committed to taking ownership of our finances, and that’s made a huge difference. Alongside JL Collins and The Simple Path to Wealth, and Mr. Money Mustache, you’ve truly changed our lives. We now have a financial engine that’s running strong, giving us both freedom and time. I’d say you’re responsible for a solid third of that. Thank you, Ruth. Bret
I love your blog Ruth! I want to thank you for convincing me (and by extension my partner) that getting 0% debt for solar wasn’t worth it, it was almost 2 years ago to the day. For how little power we use and for the risk of extra debt it really wasn’t worth it. I’m so glad we kept our strategy simple. My partner and I are paying down the mortgage and investing. In the last 2 years we’ve gone from $430k debt to $230k! I’m not sure what we had invested 2 years ago so don’t have a comparison number for that sorry. I did Rebel Finance School in 2025 thanks to your recommendation and loved it! My partner and I are doing it in 2026 (on catch-up) and are very excited for the options we will have in the future (currently 29). Thank you so much for all your mahi!!! Rochelle
Money awareness. The importance of planning for the future. We were living the good life but had no savings or emergency fund. The money comes, and we spend it. I felt we had a turning point when I stopped working and began managing the household. How come we always scramble during tax time, even though the husband earns a high income? Now, tax season comes, and no stress, we just pay it. Thank you! Azalea
Hi Ruth. Thank goodness for your very first post in your blog, and congratulations for the 10 successful and meaningful years of content creation! The biggest take aways from your podcast is that money being tabu in society is only doing harm, and we need to be more open and vulnerable to share our lessons so we all can improve our finances together. Could you imagine what would the future look like if kids were taught in school financial education, nutrition and mental health tips? Now, in terms of my personal journey, listening to episodes about couples who handled finances differently gives me ideas. I also find it inspiring how you and Jonny prepared your daughter for going to study without having to borrow money. Another great piece of advice from you is PocketSmith, Rebel Finance School (which I’m enrolled in at the moment), and the many financial books you have recommended (The Barefoot Investor, Die with Zero, The Simple Path to Wealth). Another great blog was the KiwiSaver provider comparison explaining why you left Simplicity. I’ve been reading you since 2023, when I had my first baby. Now I have baby number three, and I’m due to have a financial review with my hubby tomorrow, as I’m planning to return to work in a limited capacity next year and launch a new career. You give me lots of food for thought and subjects to discuss with my husband, who’s the typical Kiwi who loves property. I am a South American living in Aotearoa, so I feel especially inspired when you share stories of migrants like me. I hope this feedback shows a bit of how impactful your work is. Thank you again! Nancy
Hi Ruth. I came across you on YouTube with Frances Cook. This started my following you on Instagram and listening to The Happy Saver podcast which I love. The stories are interesting and lessons galore on how we can all fall into traps with not knowing enough about money. Also, to not be afraid of the future, which I was a bit scared of at 62, but to plan well and prepare for what is ahead, including those bumps in the road. Big Win for me is Rebel Finance School. These guys are so generous, not charging for all their experience, and so down to earth. Last year I watched them and am back again for 2026 school. I have recommended you and them to all & sundry whom I think will benefit from such sage advice. Second big win, (can I have 2), is both hubby and I have Sharesies accounts now and are investing in Total World Funds; we would never have had the courage to do anything apart from our KiwiSavers, which also got an overhaul and moved away from our bank default scheme. None of this would have been possible if your financial gurus hadn’t armed us with some information. Kind Regards. Robyn
Big improvement in household budget planning, two years of household expenses tracked using PocketSmith. Completed the RFS 2025 course as recommended in The Happy Saver. Over a year transferred/sold NZ (going nowhere!) and US shares and reinvested in Smart Total World ETF thanks to new knowledge gained from JL Collins books, numerous FI podcasters and stories at The Happy Saver. PS… A challenge for Jonny: Use AI to prepare a specific household inflation estimate for 2026 using Statistics NZ HLPI numbers and known monthly expenses from PocketSmith. Richard
The Happy Saver has given me the confidence to go from a 100% property portfolio and start the journey into investing in index shares, giving me more diversity that I feel I needed. Ruth gave me the tools and resources needed to research and follow index shares in real-life situations, which showed me the volatility of it and to not react or worry about it. This enabled me to make my own informed decisions. Before The Happy Saver, I had no knowledge of index funds and knew no one who invested in them. Following Ruth and Jonny’s journey, and having the chance to meet them in person and enjoy a home-cooked meal with them, made you feel like you were among friends and were following real, genuine, down-to-earth, humble Kiwis. I couldn't have found a better path to investing than what I have experienced with The Happy Saver. Wayne
It is still daunting, but you helped me trust the numbers that we HAVE reached FIRE (albeit I think it will be lean FIRE) and a month ago I handed in my resignation. I called it a sabbatical with no end term, so I still have a foot in the door, and it fitted easier in my head. Now, to start ticking off our bucket list. The husband and I have booked flights for a 3-month trip to Vietnam in August this year, a place we didn't get to pre-children. We managed to be one in the 33 minutes of sell out to book the Milford Track and have booked the Rakiura Track in March. Three months in Asia, back for Christmas with the extended family, then the summer in New Zealand. Do I start making plans for winter 2027 yet? Debbie
It helped open my eyes to investments outside of property by demystifying the share market and showing alternative paths! Shahlaa