115. I Feel Like I’m The Only One

115. I Feel Like I’m The Only One

Author: Ruth - Personal Finance Blogger December 17, 2025 Duration: 57:49
Jennifer first emailed me in early 2023 after listening to all my podcasts. She knew I was a big advocate for parents teaching kids to invest and had a few questions, including one detail that really caught my attention. Her then 17 and 19-year-old children didn’t know they had a small amount of money coming their way at 25. She wanted to keep it secret, plus they had zero interest in investing. That sparked an ongoing email exchange, and nearly three years later, we’re here, with Jennifer finally agreeing to share a much deeper financial story than she first intended. She genuinely thought she was the only one in her position, struggling to make ends meet, trying to get out of debt, and managing a solo financial journey within a happy marriage. This episode is a frank look at how so many couples who think about money very differently are actually dealing with it today, and why her experience is far more normal than she realised. I know there will be people listening who see themselves in her story and come away with reassurance, clarity, and a sense of what’s possible.

Money conversations can feel awkward, but they don't have to be. On The Happy Saver Podcast-Personal Finance in New Zealand, host Ruth brings her perspective as a longtime personal finance blogger to break down that barrier. Each episode is built around real stories from everyday Kiwis, exploring the nuanced and often personal relationship people have with their finances. You'll hear frank discussions about how money influences life choices, for better or worse. The focus is on practical, grounded experiences within the New Zealand context-where people save, how they invest, and whether those strategies actually pan out over time. Ruth guides conversations that delve into both financial victories and those moments that feel like train wrecks, always with an eye toward learning. The underlying question is how to design a life rich in experience without spending a fortune to get there. This isn't about theoretical jargon; it's about the applied reality of making dollars and sense work together in Aotearoa. By listening to this podcast, you gain a collective wisdom from a community navigating the same economic landscape, from everyday budgeting to long-term investing goals. Ruth facilitates a space where money is simply a tool to be understood and mastered, one honest story at a time.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

The Happy Saver Podcast - Personal Finance in New Zealand
Podcast Episodes
108. Living by Design, Not by Default [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:14
In today’s episode, you’ll hear from an awesome couple, Kate and Taka, aged 33 and 34, who are doing life and money a little differently, and doing it well. From the moment we started talking, I could tell they’d put a l…
107. Revisit with Hamish: An investor with military precision! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:55
This is a revisit episode, I enjoy doing these because I like you wonder, “Whatever happened to…?” I last spoke with Hamish in 2021, Episode 50, An Investor With Military Precision, back when he was a 27-year-old solo ho…
106. Revisit with Neil: A Financially Complicated Breakup [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:41
This episode revisits my August 2022 conversation with Neil in Episode 69, A Financially Complicated Breakup. Now 52, Neil has lived in New Zealand for 20 years, working in IT since moving from the UK in 2005. He retaine…
105. A Lumpy Journey – No Need to Go Anywhere in a Straight Line [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:59
In this episode, I chat with Tracey, a long-time reader and listener of The Happy Saver who first came on my radar through her detailed Debt Free Questionnaire in 2022. Tracey and her husband have reached what's known as…
104. I Have Stopped Sleepwalking Through My Finances [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:07
After my long kōrero with Sammy to prepare this episode, my head was spinning from all the twists and turns of her story. After 57 years of personal and financial trauma, last year, in 2024, Sammy had her “aha” moment wh…
103. 20-Year-Old on the Path to Financial Freedom [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:27
In November 2024, I attended Black FI-Day, New Zealand’s first financial independence hui. Nearly 40 people gathered for this three-day event to share their financial journeys. One of them was Amelie, the person in the s…
102. Once you have won the money game, stop and enjoy life. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:05
Today, I’m sharing the financial ins and outs of Alan and Katie Donegan, the world-travelling English couple behind Rebel Finance School. Over the years, we have become friends, and learning about their journey to financ…
101. Pushing Themselves - Financially Going For It! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:05
I first met today's guest, Ajith, when he emailed me with a couple of questions back in 2024. He’d come across The Happy Saver while on the hunt for some motivation to keep pushing towards the goal that he and his wife A…
100. A Solo Journey to Financial Independence [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:04
In mid-October 2024, I brewed a coffee, sat down, and gave Poto a call. She’s been a long-time listener of the podcast, drawing on insights from past guests to help guide her decisions over the years. Back in 2021, she a…
99. Work, Life, Balance: With Plenty of Free Time! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:26
This week, I’m making a bit of an exception and chatting with someone who was a bit reluctant to talk about money. Which is ironic, given this is a podcast that talks about money. Rob, a 33-year-old plumber from Western…