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!
Why we cancelled our $40,000 wedding
One of my biggest life lessons on values-based spending. Here’s my story on what happened when my husband and I planned our wedding from 2018-2020.
I’m taking a year of parental leave to care for my new baby. Here’s how I’m making it work.
We’re expecting! Being fortunate enough to take 13 months off paid work, here’s how my husband and I are making it work - from creating a parental leave budget, increasing our income & savings, using government benefits, and trimming our expenses.
How the cost of living crisis has affected us and our money
During the cost of living crisis, my husband and I sold a house, bought a house, had a baby, and refixed our mortgage. Here’s how the cost of living crisis has affected us and our money, and how we’re enjoying life without sacrificing our sanity.
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.
Lockdown diary #1: staying sane with books, TV & ASMR
Happy Sunday! It’s officially our second weekend in lockdown in New Zealand. Today, I’d like to share with you six things keeping me sane this lockdown, from TV and movies to books and ASMR.
Five books to read in lockdown
Right now, New Zealand is in lockdown due to our first positive case of COVID-19 in six months. It’s hard to describe my emotions at the moment: a mix of anxious, discouraged, optimistic, restless, determined, devastated, and content.
If you’ve also been on an emotional rollercoaster, I’d love to share with you five books to read during lockdown - five of my favourite books, and words that are perfect for this strange time we’re in.
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!
I quit my job (without another lined up)
A few weeks ago, I shared with some close friends that I was working through a 'job quitting list'. Working through a to-do list, I was going to quit my job - without another lined up. If you are in the same boat, and if for any reason you are also quitting your job without another lined up, I wanted to share the things I did to financially secure my husband and I.
Follow me on @mindfulwithmoneynz
