My Money Sorted: Olive

A bit about Olive: Olive Coulson works for financial transparency charity Mindful Money. Mindful Money researches where New Zealanders' KiwiSaver and investment funds are being invested and makes this information available to everyone for free. 

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

That you can vote for the future you want to see with your wallet. I think it's easy to feel disempowered by the state of the world, but we have an incredible opportunity to bring change through our money. I feel good when I support local businesses, fair trade producers and companies that are challenging the status quo – because I'm supporting a system change that I want to see in the world.  

Are you a spender or a saver? 

I'm definitely a saver. I'd happily squirrel everything away, but I'm slowly learning that it's okay to spend money, and there can actually be joy in buying what I need or want.  

What’s a memorable money moment you can recall? 

My most memorable money moment was discovering the Mindful Money –where I now work. When I typed in my KiwiSaver details, I realised that more than 12% was invested in companies involved in weapons manufacturing, animal suffering, fossil fuels, human rights abuses, etc. As someone who shops at farmers' markets, buys cruelty-free products and watches their carbon footprint, I was shocked to learn that my money was undoing all my hard work, while also earning a low return! I instantly changed my fund provider and decided right then and there that I wanted to work for Mindful Money – and as luck would have it, they had a job vacancy.

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

Knowing that I have a diverse base of assets for personal security, and that my money is working to grow the world I want to retire in gives me a lot of peace of mind. I have some of my money invested in managed funds (invested on my behalf into a whole lot of diverse equities), and I know they aren't invested in anything that is hurtful. I also have some of my money in positive funds to help bring about the future that I'd like to retire in, supporting the clean energy transition and EV companies. The best part is that I have these investments automatically set up, so it doesn't require a whole lot of thought on my end. 

What money beliefs have you inherited from your friends and whānau? 

A mindset that money's hard to come by, so it's bad to spend it. I grew up in a home where money was scarce, so when it became a bit more available, I really struggled to allow myself to spend it, even when it was necessary. Flipping my internal script from being in a scarcity mindset to one of gratitude for having money and being able to spend it on what is good for me and my family and friends has been a very important journey for me. 

What would your bank account say to you right now? 

It's not too happy with me, because we just bought our first home! But that's in perfect alignment with what I want for my future, so it feels good.  

What’s been your proudest money moment? 

Probably going out on my own as a part-time contractor. It was really empowering being able to pick up different projects, and the supplementary income also made a huge difference in purchasing our house. 

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

An easy life in which I'm able to get involved with interesting projects, meet interesting people, travel and explore the world, and live in community.