Budgeting
Planning & budgeting
Saving & investing
KiwiSaver
Tackling debt
Protecting wealth
Retirement
Home buying
Life events
Setting goals
Money tracking
Plan your spending with a budget
Getting advice
Studying
Get better with money
What pūtea beliefs do you have?
How to save your money
How to start investing
Find a financial adviser to help you invest
Your investment profile
Compound interest
Net worth
Types of investments
Term deposits
Bonds
Investment funds
Shares
Property investment
How KiwiSaver works and why it's worth joining
How to pick the right KiwiSaver fund
Make the most of KiwiSaver and grow your balance
How KiwiSaver can help you get into your first home
Applying for a KiwiSaver hardship withdrawal
How to use buy now pay later
What you really need to know before you use credit
How to get out of debt quickly
Credit reports
Know your rights
Pros and cons of debt consolidation
Credit cards
Car loans
Personal loans
Hire purchase
Student loans
Getting a fine
What happens if I start to struggle with moni?
How to protect yourself from fraud and being scammed
About insurance
Insurance types
Insuring ourselves
Wills
Enduring powers of attorney
Family trusts
Insuring our homes
Losing a partner
Redundancy
Serious diagnosis
How to cope with the aftermath of fraud
Separation
About NZ Super
This year's NZ Super rates
When you’re thinking of living in a retirement village
How to plan, save and invest for retirement
Manage your money in retirement
Find housing options in retirement
Planning & budgeting
Saving & investing
KiwiSaver
Tackling debt
How to use buy now pay later
What you really need to know before you use credit
How to get out of debt quickly
Credit reports
Know your rights
Pros and cons of debt consolidation
Credit cards
Car loans
Personal loans
Hire purchase
Student loans
Getting a fine
What happens if I start to struggle with moni?
View all
Protecting wealth
Retirement
Home buying
Resources
Videos
Podcasts
Just wondering
Help with the cost of living
In need of financial help
Booklets
Glossary
Blogs
View all
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
My Money Sorted: Ema
3 Comments
Five ways to shop smarter this Black Friday
1 Comment
My Money Sorted: Charlie
1 Comment
What’s with insurance in 2024? Five things to do when your premiums surge
1 Comment
My Money Sorted: Gordon
1 Comment
Guided by Matariki, it’s the perfect time to think ahead
1 Comment
Use verification code from your authenticator app. How to use authenticator apps.
Code is invalid. Please try again
Don't have an account? Sign up
Or log in with our social media platforms
A Sorted account gives you a personal dashboard where you can save your tools, track your progress and you'll also receive helpful money tips and guidance straight to your inbox.
Or sign up with our social media platforms
Comments (1)
Comments
20 November 24
Great read! Keep doing the awesome work you’re doing. Our people need this!
No one has commented on this page yet.
RSS feed for comments on this page | RSS feed for all comments