"Money is not everything, but it's right up there with oxygen!"
Lisa Dudson, Financial Educator, Acumen and Shareholder, Saturn Advice.
Money. It's the driving factor behind many life choices, but is it the be-all and end-all?
'Me and My Money' is a weekly feature that investigates Kiwi attitudes towards money and what drives the choices they make.
Newshub spoke to Lisa Dudson, a financial educator at Acumen and author of 'The New Zealand Money Guide' about the merits of diversified investing, checking in before spending hard-earned money and that although happiness is driven from within, money makes life easier.
What's an example of a goal that you've set for 2020?
To get back to working a four-day week.
Are you a saver or a spender?
A saver mostly, although I spend more now that I'm well set up financially - particularly on travel.
You need a new dishwasher. Are you mainly driven by quality, price or both?
Both: I consider value rather than price.
Give an example of a recent purchase that you consider was great value for money:
I purchased a 5.5 star cruise to Alaska at 84 percent off.
Have your buying habits changed from in-store to online?
I buy consumable products, like health products and books online because I know what Im getting.
For larger ticket items and clothing I buy in-store as I like to see or try [it] on.
If you have spare money to invest, what would you invest in?
I have a range of investments in my portfolio, including owning businesses.
I like property due to the leverage factor and the sharemarket for the returns, diversification and liquidity.
I like business because I enjoy the activity of it.
What was your last impulse or 'fritter' purchase and how did you feel about it afterwards?
Nothing comes to mind. I rarely fritter money, unless I count things like buying new clothing that I don't really 'need'.
Do you have a household budget?
I used to in the earlier days of building my wealth.
Does having more money increase happiness?
I think happiness is driven from within.
Having money does make life easier, albeit the process to get money involves time and hard work.
Money is not everything, but it's right up there with oxygen!
What's your golden rule for saving money?
Whenever I spend any money, I ask myself if it's a good use of my hard-earned money.
How much cash do you have on you right now?
I just looked in my wallet and its $73.20.
