122. Renting, Investing and Building Financial Freedom

122. Renting, Investing and Building Financial Freedom

Author: Ruth - Personal Finance Blogger June 17, 2026 Duration: 57:37
Anna has developed strong money habits through years of study, careful saving, and living well below her means. After following the traditional advice to buy a home, Anna and her partner, Thom, began to question whether home ownership really suited the life they wanted. Once they ran the numbers, they made the bold decision to sell their house, rent a home that better fits their lifestyle, and redirect their surplus income into sharemarket investments instead. Anna’s story is about much more than money. It’s about questioning lifestyle creep, rethinking housing as the automatic path to wealth, biking instead of driving, budgeting with intention, and creating enough financial margin to have real choices. She and Thom are still early in their journey towards financial independence, but they are already experiencing what it can look like in practice: breathing room, flexibility, and the ability to choose how they spend their time.

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
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…
98. Life and times of a property investor, turned global traveller. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:16
In today's episode, I will be sharing the financial journey of Jack, a Kiwi from the lower North Island. Jack found The Happy Saver when he was searching for podcasts on money. As an investor in rental property, he was l…
97. Revisit with Chris and Rosemary: These two are not mucking around! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:50
Today’s episode is an update on North Island couple Chris and Rosemary. Their first episode came out in March 2021 — it was episode number 49. Since then, we’ve kept in touch, and today’s episode is an update on where th…
96. Reality Check [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:49
Today's episode began with an email from a Kiwi couple in their mid-40s, who asked to be called Tokyo and Rio, inspired by the show Money Heist. Tokyo reached out just before Christmas 2023, sharing how a sinking fund sh…