My Money Sorted: Shiane

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

I feel like I’m yet to be given it. I come from humble beginnings and great money advice is a somewhat scarce commodity, although I did read something a while back that’s stuck with me: “Money’s not the goal, freedom is”. 

Some of my own favourite money tips are:

Are you a spender or a saver?  

I’m a spender with the hopes of becoming a saver. Neither my partner nor I were taught financial literacy growing up; we’re only now learning in our early 30s with the hopes of passing that knowledge onto our tamariki.  

What’s been your proudest money moment?  

I was fed up living payday to payday, so this year I decided to seek help from a budget adviser. It may not seem like a big money moment, but I’m fiercely independent and proud, and my partner and I don’t often accept help from anybody, so for me it was.

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

I’ve recently learnt about cashflow projection, which is just a fancy way of looking at your income and expenses ahead of time. Like most things in life, nothing is set in stone, but this gives me the ability to adjust my budget as needed, so we’re not scrambling to pay for things down the track. I feel sorted knowing where we could be if we continue down this path.

What money beliefs have you inherited from your whānau? 

Believe it or not, to answer this question, I literally had to ring my mum and siblings to find out if we had any money beliefs! “Money doesn’t grow on trees” was the only saying I heard regularly growing up. What I’ve come to realise is that money trauma goes back generations for our whānau, and by whānau I mean Māori people, Pasifika people. It’s not all doom and gloom, though. I’m determined to pass on what I learn to all who can relate through shared experiences or hardships. Financial literacy is not just for the well off. 

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

“I see you trying and I’m proud of how far you’ve come.”   

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

Whenua. A little homestead, with a wraparound porch on our own whenua. Somewhere our kids, their kids, friends and extended whānau can gather to enjoy good food and great company and just be. That and passive income – when things like interest from savings or investments, dividends from shares, or rent from an investment property are doing the work for you – of course!