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!

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.

Read More
Love and money, Personal, Money mindset Sophia Golfinopoulos Love and money, Personal, Money mindset Sophia Golfinopoulos

Budgeting, saving, and making space for each other’s needs & wants

As a couple, my husband and I have always been extremely open and honest about money. While personal finance books constantly cite money as the #1 topic couples fight about, I feel like my husband and I have avoided this due to a few reasons:

I took it upon myself to manage our money, purely out of curiosity and eagerness to try out the tips in all the books I read;

We are both the same with money - neither much of an impulsive spender or obsessive saver;

We talk about our money goals, and are on the same page when it comes to our personal goals, careers, kids, etc;

We both contribute to our fortnightly couple's budget, allowing both of our needs & wants to be met.

Today I'd like to share with you how we do this fortnightly budget. It's super quick and easy to set up and maintain, and of course, free!

Read More

Follow me on @mindfulwithmoneynz

 
How we're saving money as a young family 👶 - Not upgrading our home yet or going on big holidays until both children are 5+ - Weekends with one no-spend day, one affordable café day - Borrowing most books, swapping toys - Meal planning ea
Mindful with Money 3rd edition is HERE! Grab your copy from the link in my bio - PDF or physical copy ❤️ Mindful with Money is a memoir about my personal finance journey - from being a broke 21 year old living paycheck to paycheck, drowning in cons
Sharing a recent money win - and options to help if you also have little ones in ECE! 👶
Tax refund or tax bill? Here's how to read your income tax assessment, which IRD is sending out to you between now and July! 💸 Remember: if you or a loved one has ever received support from the government - via public healthcare, student loans/allo
In NZ money news this week: government announcements, the average KiwiSaver balance, first home buyers' deposits, and more 💸 #newzealand #nz #moneynews
I've shared how I'm investing for my children's financial future - here's the why ✨️ Fun fact: all 3 of my children's investments are run by certified ethical B corps 🤍 Let me know if it's helped with ideas for investing for your own children!
Some of the changes happening tomorrow! How will these changes affect you? If so, for better or for worse? Would love to hear your thoughts 💸
Around 143,000 families will receive an extra $50 per week to help with rising fuel prices, the NZ government announced today. These families will already be eligible for the In-Work Tax Credit under the Working for Families Tax Credits scheme - in
Our EPAs sorted! ✔️ This has been on our financial to-do list forever, so it's a relief to have it done. Thankfully, our life insurance provider subsidised $1000 of the cost of this as part of their legal advice benefit! Do you have an EPA, or do y
Financial green flags in our relationship, and part of how I knew he was The One ❤️ What financial green flags do you look for in a partner?
Are you financially 'average'? From NZ's average household income to average savings, I decided to delve into some stats today - a fascinating look at how we're doing as a country! 💸
In NZ money news this week: the cost of living, longer prescriptions, changes to Best Start, KiwiSaver hardship withdrawals, and property asking prices 💸