Your money matters

10 ways to save money on your power bill

Can we afford a mortgage and a SAHP?

Three questions to ask yourself before getting life insurance

Thinking about life insurance isn’t the most fun way of passing a Sunday afternoon. Who wants to spend their time pondering all the things that could go wrong? Can’t we just sort of close our eyes and hope for the best? Well, not really. See, the …

Financial planning and retirement tips for mums

Dr Pushpa Wood urges mums to start saving for retirement – for the sake of their own wellbeing as well as the next generation of savers. A recent study by Australian consultancy group Rice Warner (commissioned by not-for-profit organisation Women …

How to simplify your life and be happier

Simplifying your life is the first step towards creating a new, authentic you - and less can really be more, explains Jodie Hedley-Ward. Children need nature, fresh air,paint, bubbles and love. Believe it or not, they can learn to live quite …

Budgeting for a baby in NZ

Feeling broody? Take the time now to start considering the dollars and cents of adding to the family. How do you get financially ready for a baby? In an ideal world, the only currency you'd need to increase the size of your family would be love. …

Money talks: teaching kids about financial literacy

When is the best time to start teaching kids about the value of money? Hannah Davison talks about sowing the seeds for financial literacy.  I don’t remember many conversations about money in childhood, but I do remember my mum sending me out to …

What help is available for solo parents in New Zealand?

Whether you’ve become suddenly single, or are contemplating leaving your relationship, one of the biggest obstacles and struggles is money.  How you’ll manage alone is a daunting concept - but it doesn’t have to be. There is help available to you - …

5 questions to ask before starting home renovations

We bought our first house, a tiny 100-year-old cottage in a middle-of-the-road Auckland suburb, a year before our first child was born. We loved it, and aside from painting over the lavender walls of the master bedroom (‘master’ is a tad grand. …

KiwiSaver hacks for maternity leave

It’s a well-known fact that, in our society, women carry more of the child-rearing load than men. What’s not so well known, is that women tend to be poorer in retirement than men. This is because that time spent caring for family is usually time out …

Life hacks for when you have a new baby

Congratulations, you’re a new parent, and life has turned wonderfully, crazily, upside down. You’re tired and emotional, but so in love with your new family. We’ve got some tips to help make those first foggy few months a little easier on you all. …

Family trusts

Is it time to join the throngs setting up a family trust?  Thousands of New Zealanders can't be wrong but look out for recent law changes, writes legal expert Kirsten Ferguson.  New Zealanders love trusts. With at least one trust per 18 New …

6 tips for growing your money

Wouldn’t it be great if there was an app that could make you rich? Just imagine: with one click the download bar fills up along with your bank account. Sadly, growing your money takes longer and is far more complicated than a simple software …

Your home: mortgage or rent?

What’s the best way to put a roof over your family’s head? Chances are you're reading this because you're about to, or have recently, become a one-income family. Perhaps you’re ready to head back into the workforce, or maybe you're looking to buy …

Tips for decorating kids' bedrooms on a budget

A child’s bedroom is a perfect space to use a save and splurge approach to design and decorating. Deciding where to save and splurge can be a challenge, so we’ve come up with some inspiration and tips that won’t break the budget.  So, how is your …

When the unexpected happens: take cover

It’s hard to know what your family will need when the unexpected happens. we asked the experts for their advice on how best to insure against life’s risks. There’s nothing like starting a family to make you more aware of your responsibilities! The …

5 things to consider before spending on baby gear

It’s a primal instinct to want to be fully prepared for baby’s arrival. It’s only natural to want the best of the best for our offspring. But the nesting urge (or perhaps it’s really a spending urge) is stronger in some of us than others, and in …

20 ways to save – starting today!

Have a budget – and stick to it - Make sure your budget is realistic by using your bank statements from the previous three months to get an accurate picture of where you spend your money. Going over your previous months’ spending will highlight …

Essential spending in pregnancy

Congratulations, you’re pregnant and walking on air! Before you rush off to buy the latest in maternity wear and designer baby gear, stop, take a breath and read this article. Babies pull on the purse strings as well as the heartstrings, and you may …

Tips for reducing your credit card debt

Paying via plastic can bridge the gap between bills coming in and the arrival of your monthly pay cheque. It can also help pay off larger items over time, and can be good for getting rewards. The key words here are ‘pay off’. Neglect those monthly …

Making money count: tips for organising your family budget

Get in the best financial shape you can! Make financial wellness your top priority - starting now! Setting up clear goals and objectives for what you want to achieve will help; try these suggestions for how you can become more financially …

Childcare options and their cost

Choosing childcare can be a daunting experience for a parent. Maybe it’s best to tackle this task as you would a job hunt: be thorough, do your homework, and start your quest early – as in at least six months before you'll need it. Before you dive …

Teaching kids about money

If I stop and reflect I can still clearly recall the sound of a coin dropping into my piggy bank when I was child. It was a soft kind of ‘thunk’ if the piggy bank was empty, as the coin bounced off the rubber plug at the bottom. It was an extremely …

Ways to save before baby arrives

Are you planning to have a baby? Even before you need a pregnancy test, it’s a good idea to make a budget. Write down everything you spend over a month, and note the areas where you could potentially save money. The key to successful household …

Buying a home: three mortgage scenarios

Your long-awaited bundle of joy is due very soon, and you’ve bought the bassinet, the buggy and the baby batman onesie. Perhaps you’ve re-examined your budget and found that a new house is achievable. Or you’ve realised your little nest just isn’t …

Great ways to save around the house

There are numerous ways to save around the house without resorting to digging down the back of the couch to pay for your groceries. It’s just a matter of budgeting, smarter spending - and recognising the difference between our ‘wants’ and ‘needs’. …

10 ideas for affordable family fun

Does your budget have a ‘fun allowance’? It’s easy to lump having fun in your ‘miscellaneous’ category where it can get overshadowed by unexpected expenses. We’re not talking about spontaneous holidays overseas or buying designer gear, just that …

Credit card tips for surviving Christmas

Christmas is a time of giving and we all know how easy it can be to get carried away with holiday spending. That time of year can also be stacked with a load of other financial demands too, such as paying your holiday deposit, paying for more petrol …

KiwiSaver tips for parents

Save with ease and retire in comfort. Joining KiwiSaver is a quick, hassle-free way to start building your retirement nest egg or to start saving for your first home. If you're employed, you can choose to contribute 3%, 4% or 8% of your gross …

10 ways to live the simple life

I sometimes have fantasies about how simple life would be if we lived in a world like Little House on the Prairie; wearing soft cotton nightgowns, running through the long, gently swaying grass of the prairie early in the morning to fill up our …

5 financial things to get sorted before baby arrives

Planning for a baby is hugely exciting, but there’s more involved than just deciding what colour to paint the nursery. You’ll need to calculate how much baby is going to cost and investigate what assistance you’ll need after baby is born. And don’t …

A SAHP's tips for paying off a mortgage

Parents, and expectant parents, rarely make decisions lightly. We analyse every detail, every possible outcome and every alternative route, to reassure ourselves that we’re doing the right thing for our family. So deciding to leave the workforce and …

Money: 10 healthy habits to start right now

Whether you’re trying to save, clear debt, or simply find a way for your income to come in as fast as your out-goings go out, it’s always worth coming at the task from a new angle. Gain some fresh enthusiasm for healthy money management with this …

Keeping finances from impacting your relationship

Right from the very first date, money has a way of putting pressure on relationships. A man may be more than happy to open the woman’s door, take her coat and pull back her chair, but when it comes to picking up the bill, good-old-fashioned …

Gift-giving on a budget

We all go through seasons when we feel the pinch, and for young families these seasons can be regular and long lasting. If you find yourself bracing yourself for upcoming birthdays and festive seasons it’s important to remember you’re not alone, and …

7 ways to save on your utilities bills

Planning for a baby is the perfect time to create a budget and get to grips with household bills, especially the big ones that cover the essentials of life such as our power and water. Finding the best deals, and clever ways to save is extremely …

5 clever ways to deter yourself from spending

We’ve all been caught red handed in the red, but some of us seem to find it harder to extract ourselves than others. OHbaby! shares some tips to help you get back in the black. Focus on your saving incentives. Does your bank have an account that …

6 financial things you can do for your baby

Babies, bless them, are born with twinkles in their eyes, not dollar signs. It’s their prerogative to blissfully sleep, feed and roll about, oblivious to the price of fish, or Auckland real estate for that matter – and that’s what we love about …

How to have a holiday on a budget, with a baby

Holidaying with baby could sound like an oxymoron – the effort required to care for a precious baby is increased when you relocate from home to vacation destination. That’s not to say it can’t or shouldn’t be done. Family holidays are a valuable …

5 easy household saving tips for families

I often get the feeling that my hard-earned money doesn’t really like my company; I mean, why else would it disappear so fast when I reach for it?! When you’re budgeting for a family it can seem as though the bills have control, so I set about …

10 practical ways to save on your grocery bills

One day, experiencing déjà vu as I wore down the kitchen work triangle – cook top-sink-refrigerator-cook top-refrigerator-sink – I started doing the maths: there are two adults and three children in our household. We eat three meals a day, seven …

5 surprisingly positive things about having a credit card

Any parent will tell you there’s nothing that can prepare you for the changes that a baby will make on your lifestyle. Things change overnight: one evening you're heading to off to post-work celebrations, the next you're dashing out to the …

Tips for getting the most out of your credit card rewards programme

Who doesn’t love getting a reward? Whether it’s that tenth free coffee, a discount on your petrol or a sample-sized bottle of your favourite shampoo, a reward creates a load of goodwill all round. It does mean committing to a certain store, or …

Parents reveal their best baby-related investments

Oh the benefits of hindsight! If only we knew back then (pre-baby) what we know now (post-baby). Although that’s not possible, our corporate knowledge need not be lost. Read on, as parents in the throes of raising children share their best …

How Plunket helped my babies

New Zealand’s Plunket Society has a long history and a great reputation – for good reason. Mother of three Pippa Henderson reflects on specific ways Plunket supported her and her growing family, demonstrating how this iconic Kiwi organisation is …

10 family-friendly budgeting tips

Raising children usually means a season of household expenditure going up, and income inconveniently going down. Try our tips to make the family budget stretch that little bit further. 1. Keep an eye on your electricity bill and watch out for power …

Ten Ways To Warm Up Your Home

Ten ways to warm up your home, from cheap and cheerful to better call your bank manager. 1. Stop heat disappearing under your doors with a home-made draught stop, made out of fabric remnants and filled with rice. Cost: Approximately $25, or less …

8 Handy Gadgets: How Do They Rate?

As recently as our mother’s generation, people got excited over swapping their wringer washing machine for an automatic one, revelled in the wonder of their new microwave and celebrated the acquisition of a tumble dryer.  Nowadays we are spoilt for …

Family Friendly Energy Saving Tips

Raising a family takes a lot of energy. Here are some tips for saving money on your power bill while still keeping everyone warm, dry and well-fed.  CookingA young family is likely to use a lot of electricity in the kitchen, and ovens are the …

Starting your own business

Frances McInnes started out with one product and a homemade website, yet built a well-known maternity brand that reaches customers worldwide. Here are her tips for other business mums preparing to launch. The key to getting started is a unique …

Get sorted with the best power plan for your family

Your electricity plan may be the last thing on your list as you prepare for a baby. Rebecca Reed explains why it is worth checking that your plan suits your family. There are thousands of things to think about when you’re starting a family. It can …

Kitting out the kids: save/spend

It’s ridiculously easy to spend big bucks on your small fry’s clothing, but there are actually countless ways of saving without compromising where it matters. Pippa Henderson helps bridge the gap between wallet and wardrobe. I was a child of the …

Private Health Insurance - A Must For A Young Family?

Financial adviser Jon Collier puts the case for why private health insurance is a must for young families.  If your child ever suffers a serious illness or accident and requires immediate emergency treatment, we are fortunate in New Zealand to have …

DIY or Buy? - Benefits of Doing It Yourself

Take your pick of fun ways to be green and healthy on the home front. Ruth Brown looks at the benefits (or not) of do it yourself over going shopping.  The news about our planet is increasingly dire - oil is running out,  the Earth is getting …