My Money Sorted: Charlie Charlie

A bit about Charlie: Born and bred in Ōtara, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Charlie Charlie works for Skills Update as a financial capability educator within the Pasifika community, and is also a facilitator for Sorted at Work. You might have spotted his recent appearance on The Morning Shift x Sorted podcast 'Sussed, Sorted, Shifting – Navigating Finances for Couples’. He loves helping people and says the feeling he gets when he does so is what keeps him going.

What’s the best money advice you’ve ever been given?

The best advice I ever received about money was from a friend I had a chat with about investing. He’d been investing in shares and property for seven years and helped me understand what compound interest is and how it works. My mind was blown because growing up I only learned about how compound interest works against us and didn’t get the opportunity to learn how it can work for us. It encouraged me to start my own investing journey, which has been an awesome one.

Are you a spender or a saver?

I’m more of a saver. This year, my wife Jenny and I have had to tighten up our budget ahead of taking our kids on our first overseas trip to Sāmoa as a family, which is super exciting!

I’ve always been more inclined to save than spend. I recall getting $5 from my grandmother when I was younger and only spending $1.50 and putting the rest in my piggy bank.

What’s been your proudest money moment?

When I proposed to Jenny, I told her I wanted us to pay for our wedding without borrowing money or getting loans. That required us to pull right back on our spending and go into full budget mode. We gave ourselves two years to save as much as we could and ended up paying for our whole wedding ourselves.

What makes you feel sorted when it comes to your money?

When our money system moves our finances automatically to pay bills and for saving and investing. Money can sometimes feel really complicated, but having structured money systems in place allows our money to move freely without us having to lift a finger. It just makes life so much easier and is one less thing for me and Jenny to worry about.

What money beliefs have you inherited from your whānau?

I remember as a kid feeling so cool when my parents opened my first bank account and I got a small bank book with my name on it! I’d collect cans and pile them in this huge bag, and at the end of the month my dad would take it to the metal man in exchange for money that would go into my bank account. My parents taught me that “nothing worth having comes easy” and instilled a strong work ethic in me to work hard for what I want to gain and achieve.

If your bank account could talk, what would it say to you right now?

It’d say to sacrifice that one coffee or pie and invest the $5 towards a better tomorrow. I budget really well and give myself an allowance to enjoy life as well, so I feel like I wouldn’t really miss that $5 if I invested it. It doesn’t seem like much now, but investing it could have huge effects in the future.

When you think about your retirement, what do you see?

A life in which everything is real chill, and not as busy and fast, and I can do things that continue to make me happy, like spending time with whānau, travelling, enjoying beautiful food and doing it all with my lovely wife. I’d still love to have the chance to help people and offer hope to those who need it most. I believe my purpose here on Earth is to help people, regardless of what that looks like, so I’d love to continue doing that.