When Rachel was a kid, she watched her dad meticulously track their car's fuel and mileage. Now, two decades later, she does the same with her shoes. Walking everywhere means her shoes wear out quickly, so she tracks their usage and expenses in PocketSmith. This simple habit helps her budget better and ensures she gets the most value from each pair, ultimately saving money.
Money tips
Have you considered making your side hustle your main gig? As a relatively new entrant to the world of self-employment, Emma is well acquainted with what it takes to make the jump from a full-time, salaried position. Check out how she prepared to transition into being her own boss!
Money tips
Long gone are the days where a down payment on your dream home could be easily achieved by saving hard. Working towards a home deposit now requires a bit more finesse. As a master of creativity herself, Ruth The Happy Saver shares some outside-the-box thinking for reaching your deposit goals.
Interviews
We asked some of our wonderful users to share how they use PocketSmith to be productive with their money and plan for the future. Read how Steph and her husband use PocketSmith to keep on top of their spending and plan for their financial future with features like the net worth tracker.
Money tips
Perhaps you’re paying for one too many streaming subscriptions that you don’t use or it could be the coffee you buy on the way to work each morning. Whatever it is, everyone has a financial vice and it can be incredibly difficult to give up. Identifying your financial vices is the first step to being able to control them and put you back on track with your finances.
Money tips
When was the last time you took a hard look at your finances? Last week? Last month? Erin Lowry’s book “Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping By and Get Your Financial Life Together” explores all the basics of financial management that you need to know when getting started on your personal finance journey, and Anton shares his thoughts on the book.
Company
Having a solid foundation of financial literacy is a hugely beneficial and often under-serviced skill. As staunch believers in “knowledge is power” when it comes to your money, we thought we’d share how some of the team teach ourselves about personal finance, what education we received at school, and who inspires our financial journey.
Money tips
With 2022 continuing to be the year of The Great Resignation, we thought we’d ask our friend, Ruth The Happy Saver, for some tips on changing jobs and careers. After all, this Jill of many trades has done everything from driving trucks at a gold mine, to working for the Lotteries Commision, and now, as a successful blogger and podcast host!
Money tips
If you’re new to investing, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer amount of jargon that’s thrown at you. While it can seem daunting, it’s important to gain an understanding of some of the basics to help build a strong knowledge foundation. Here are some of the most important investing terms that you should learn.
Interviews
We asked some of our wonderful users to share how they use PocketSmith to be productive with their money and plan for the future. Read how Nicole uses PocketSmith to make sure she stays in the black and keep tax time as painless as possible.
Interviews
Underinsurance in New Zealand is a significant problem, particularly in the life, trauma and health space. We chatted with Financial Adviser Elle Wuthrich to understand more about life and health insurance cover, why we should consider it, how much we need and how to find a trustworthy adviser.
Money tips
The end of the financial year can feel like an arduous and admin-heavy time, especially if you earn secondary income through something like a side hustle or investment portfolio. Follow Emma’s checklist to get your finances ready for the end of the fiscal year and keep the tax man happy.
Money tips
Oh to be young and have the freedom of your entire life ahead of you. But you aren’t a teenager anymore and it could be the right time to start thinking about your future finances — how do you want to spend your retirement? Lavishly or pinching pennies? Starting early can put you on the right path.
Money tips
From YouTube to TikTok, young people have never been exposed to as much financial information as they are now. But with more teens gaining interest in a subject as nuanced as investing, it’s important that they’re equipped to confidently make the most of it. We’re sharing how the next generation can develop a strong foundation to start their investing journey.
Product feature
Recent changes to the CCCFA legislation in New Zealand have made borrowing more difficult, and it mirrors a tightening of the mortgage market worldwide. See how you can use PocketSmith’s tools to reduce the stress and increase the success of your mortgage application.
Money tips
It seems like every other day that you see a headline about some company pledging to go net-zero emissions by 2050. The primary method they use is carbon offsetting. You might have even purchased carbon offsets yourself. But what are they, and are they actually a viable solution for solving our emission problems?
Interviews
We asked some of our wonderful users to share how they use PocketSmith to be productive with their money and plan for the future. Read how Sam crunches the numbers of his family’s finances with PocketSmith’s powerful reporting and helpful visualization features.
Money tips
Mind the leak! It’s pretty normal to experience hairline cracks in your budget from the day-to-day stresses of life, but it’s important to keep them in check. Emma shares how you can spot those leaks and plug them up before they become an absolute deluge.
Money tips
Side hustles aren’t just a hobby, they’re a job and they can make an excellent addition to your resume for demonstrating your skills to further your career. Hiration co-founder Aditya Sharma shares how you can add your side hustles to your CV and put your expertise on full display.
Money tips
Whether it’s due to economic uncertainty or self-imposed for movements like the Great Resignation, the average worker will experience unemployment at least once or twice. Ruth The Happy Saver reminisces about her own experiences with unemployment, and shares what you can do during this period to keep moving forward to your next stage in life.
Money tips
In late 2021, the NZ government introduced legislative changes aimed at protecting Kiwis from high-cost loans and unaffordable debt. One unintended result is that banks now closely scrutinize your spending habits when you apply for finance. Mortgage Lab CEO Rupert Gough explains how using PocketSmith to track your expenses can make all the difference to your application.
Money tips
Many people get calls regarding the debt they don’t own, but you’ve got some tools up your sleeve to dispute your debt and deal with such creditors. Lyle Solomon from Oak View Law Group breaks down the recourse available to our friends in the USA if you’re being hounded by pushy debt collectors.
Interviews
We asked some of our wonderful users to share how they use PocketSmith to be productive with their money and plan for the future. Read how Tara uses PocketSmith to track her spending and stay accountable to her budget to meet her savings goals!
Money tips
So your account has been hacked or there’s been suspicious transactions in your bank account — now what? In the final part of our fraud series, Emma from The Broke Generation shares the steps you can take if you ever fall victim to a scam so your money stays intact.
Company
As the sun rose on a brand new year, co-founder and CEO Jason found himself ruminating on the ‘what’, ‘when’ and ‘how’ of 2021. As for the ‘why’? That’s going to be PocketSmith’s focus for the year ahead, and it can be yours too. Read on for Jason’s thoughts about approaching your ‘why’ with intent to help you reach your goals.
