121. The Missing Will

121. The Missing Will

Author: Ruth - Personal Finance Blogger May 27, 2026 Duration: 1:12:45
Today, we hear from Petra, whose life has taken her from the UK to Australia and then to New Zealand, with a few moves back and forth along the way. Auckland is home for now, but aged 60 and widowed about five years ago, Petra is still rebuilding her life without the love of her life beside her. She shares the deeply personal story of losing James suddenly at just 53, and finding herself forced to untangle a complicated financial life while grieving. For decades, they did what many ordinary families do: worked hard, raised children, bought houses, carried big mortgages, spent money as it came in, and often “jinked and jived” financially without any real long-term plan. It was only after James’s death, through life insurance, superannuation payouts, years of accumulated assets, and the difficult discovery of a missing will, that Petra began to understand the bigger financial picture. This was never how she imagined financial freedom would arrive. Her story is about far more than money. It is about love, loss, resilience, wills, insurance, investing, family, and learning, often far later in life than expected, how to create security, confidence and choices when life changes.

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: 50

The Happy Saver Podcast - Personal Finance in New Zealand
Podcast Episodes
95. On the Verge of Lasting Change. Hopefully. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:23
When I received an email from a guy called John saying that he and his wife Betty have gone from being terrible with money and trying (unsuccessfully) to grow wealth via debt to completely changing their mentality to one…
94. Continuous Improvement [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:40
Ruby stumbled across The Happy Saver in October of 2022, prompting her to email me with a couple of questions. She’d recently signed up with Sharesies and was testing the waters by investing $20 a week, and had a few que…
Part 6: INVESTING [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:18
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Part 5: DEBT FREE [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:06
Get out of debt, and stay out of debt. I think of debt as a phase of life that I moved through. That period has passed, and I’ve moved on. Jonny and I have been entirely debt-free since our early 30s, and I encourage you…
Part 4: KIWISAVER [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:03
The fourth part of this six-part series is one of the easier topics to cover, KiwiSaver. Joining KiwiSaver is a no-brainer, and it still surprises me when I meet people who are not in it. I’m always looking ahead and doi…
Part 3: EMERGENCY FUND [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:10
The best thing I ever did was set some cash into a bank account, which we could instantly access in a financial emergency. It is an amount of money set aside in a specific bank account to be used for bailing myself out i…
Part 2: BUDGET [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:21
In the first episode in this series of six, I quickly showed you how to calculate your net worth. It will take a little longer today, but I want to explain why you need to keep an eye on how and where you earn and spend…
Part 1: NET WORTH [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:06
Welcome to the first episode in a short six-part series. On my blog, thehappysaver.com, I created a comprehensive Financial Independence Series of six blog posts where I mapped out a plan to help you on your way to becom…
93. Revisit with Nic: In the process of making a financial U-turn! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:12
Today, I have an update on Nic from Episode 78, released in March 2023. A lot can happen in a year, which I wanted to share with you today. When Nic and I spoke in early 2023, Nic was still very new to the whole concept…
92. An adventurous 19-year-old [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:37
I met 19-year-old Josephine in mid-2023 when she emailed me with some questions about money. I actually already knew a little about her because her Mum and I have been in contact for a number of years, chatting about per…