Welcome! I’m Sophia, the author of Mindful with Money (@mindfulwithmoneynz). I’m passionate about all things personal finance, currently work in the NZ financial industry, and hold the NZ Certificate in Financial Services (Life, Disability & Health Insurance; General Insurance; Residential Property Lending) and NZ Certificate in Money Management. This blog is my money diary, and I hope it gives you plenty of helpful tips and inspiration on your own personal finance journey!

Sophia Golfinopoulos Sophia Golfinopoulos

What’s in the Millennial ETF?

Did you know there was an ETF based on the consumer behaviour of millennials? Here’s what this ETF covers, notable companies currently in the ETF, and its current top 20 holdings!

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Life insurance, and why your family can’t ‘just sell the house’

Have you ever heard a friend or family member say this? 'I don't need life insurance. If I die, my family can just sell the house!' Here's why it's not that simple, and why you need life insurance to protect your loved ones and remove financial stress when you’re gone.

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How we are ‘beating’ inflation

Inflation has a hit a 30 year high. So how are we beating inflation and keeping up with the increased cost of living? For my husband and I, it’s a combination of lifestyle choices, earning more, and cutting costs.

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What are managed funds? Investing in managed funds explained

Think you're new to investing? Chances are, you're already an investor!

If you're one of 3 million New Zealanders in KiwiSaver, you already invest in what's called a managed fund. So what is it? Today I’ll be explaining managed funds, and how to invest in one.

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Reflecting on my money in 2021

Happy holidays, everyone! I hope you had a wonderful, wholesome Christmas and are enjoying your holidays, especially after the year it’s been. With only 3 days till 2022, I thought: what better time to reflect on 2021?

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6 money journalling prompts for 2022

Can you believe we're almost in 2022? With only 3 days to go, here are 6 helpful journalling prompts to help you reflect on the year it's been, celebrate your successes, and let go of anything that's no longer serving you, so you can level up your money in 2022!

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Budgeting & cashflow, Personal, Love and money Sophia Golfinopoulos Budgeting & cashflow, Personal, Love and money Sophia Golfinopoulos

What we did with a $27,000 pay rise

From June to July this year, my husband and I were both very fortunate to receive a pay rise: an increase of $14,000 for my income, and an increase of $13,000 for his. Our last combined pay rise had been $6000 in 2019 (a story I share in the first edition of my book), so we were stoked to have more than quadrupled this number with a combined pay rise of $27,000!

So what did we do with it? Here are the four things we did with our extra income.

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What is provisional tax?

What is provisional tax, and how does it work in New Zealand? Today I’d like to share with you what it is, how it works, and the different options available to you if you are a provisional tax payer.

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