"All of our life, so far as it has definite form, is but a mass of habit - practical, emotional, and intellectual - systematically organised for our weal or woe, and bearing us irresistibly toward our destiny, whatever the latter may be." ~ Williams James Beginnings are not grand. They are mostly humble, and the subsequent steps,…

Big topic! It's hard to know where to begin. Let's put aside all the other core parenting requirements under the banner of 'investing', including proper nutrition, quality time, good role modelling and boundaries and focus on the financials, shall we? If you're a Kiwi parent, you'll wonder about KiwiSaver as a starting point for investing. This used to…

Buy now, pay later is a great idea until it's not. With the rising cost of living resulting in skipped payments and late fees, the reality of all too easy borrowing facilities is coming home to roost. Since After Pay and the like came to New Zealand around five years ago, the Buy Now, Pay Later approach…

When people ask me about money, I always preface the conversation with two points: Firstly, I can not give you personalised financial advice under NZ laws and regulations. That's the boring bit. While I have over 15 years of experience as a personal finance writer and commentator, I am not an authorised financial adviser. I never…

I'm a big one for exercise. Running, walking, cycling, yoga, gym, whatever, just moving is good for your body and mind. Researchers at Yale and Oxford Universities found that regular exercise instils greater well-being than more money in your bank account. Read more about that in Business Insider here. I'm the last to advise against a gym membership,…

If you live in New Zealand, and haven't already set up a MY IR account via Inland Revenue, do so immediately. As well as being able to keep track of your income, taxes paid, and KiwiSaver (yes you can track all that via your KiwiSaver provider as well), you can also now easily claim your deductions for charitable…

It's easy to look at all the things that are going wrong during a pandemic and want to drown yourself in some online retail therapy or a supersize order from Super Liquor, but try your best not to go there. While it's understandable to feel helpless, hopeless and paralysed to do anything other than binge watch…

A few years ago, I was the victim of identity theft. It's taken me about five years to write about it, such was the horror. Like other crimes, victims often feel they are to blame. My situation wasn't any different. Although lives weren't lost in this particular crime, a lot of money was, including IP,  and 15…

Cliche but true, you are what you eat, your thoughts dictate your reality and your daily habits define you. The human body is a sophisticated bit of machinery in its ability to convert food into energy, fat and or waste so you don't become a banana after eating a banana. But as all of us know…

In the Hindu religion, there are approximately 33 million Gods. They come in many forms including flowers, insects, animals and larger than life characters with the power to destroy and create. I can't say I'm familiar with even a fraction of them but one which has a prominent place on my wall, and in my life…

"Put your heart, mind and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success." Swami Sivananda  Life is not easy these days, but I'm not sure there was ever a time in history when it was smooth sailing for us humans. I hear so many troubling stories lately about our youth, too many…

​​A great quote came my way yesterday by spiritualist/writer Byron Katie. ​“Nothing comes ahead of its time, and nothing ever happened that didn’t need to happen.” It’s a reassuring thought amid the uncertainty and confusion of life and during those times when we are plagued with the whys, and whens and hows and grating impatience at things…