Money avoidance is more common than we admit, but it doesn’t have to run the show. In this edition of Ruth's Two Cents, Ruth reminds us that we should look first, fix later, and start rebuilding confidence one small money moment at a time.
Money tips
Overcoming financial challenges can be tough, but knowing you’re not alone can be the difference between surviving and thriving as you tackle them. After a tough year and a ‘hit the ground running’ start to 2021, there are a few common financial challenges we’re all facing right now, so we’ve done a deep dive into what’s going on in everyone’s wallets.
Money tips
How do you avoid a back-to-school budget blowout? Ruth shares six steps that will help reduce the stress that is associated with this expensive time of year! Uniforms, stationery, extracurricular activities and school trips, she’s got it covered!
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One of the household manager’s biggest challenges is filing and retrieving things. Warranties, invoices, receipts, insurance policies, instruction manuals. Where are they when you need them? And what happens if a family member needs a document when you’re not around? In this article, Dora shares three ways to use PocketSmith’s Attachments feature to create order from chaos.
Money tips
All parents will know the simultaneous joy of dropping the kids off on their first day back at school (yay, quiet house!) and the dreaded knowledge of how much emptier their pockets are (boo, back-to-school expenses!). Ruth The Happy Saver shares her experiences now that her daughter’s started high school. Non-Kiwi readers, prepare to be shocked at how much our school uniforms cost!
Money tips
Every parent or caregiver knows how valuable it is to teach children good money habits when they’re young. But where to start? We’re lucky enough to live in a time where that information is not only readily available but can also be reinforced anytime and anywhere. Here are four apps you can use to improve your kid’s financial literacy.
Money tips
Child-friendly internet of the early 2000s may seem medieval compared to today – primitive, outdated and a little bit lawless. But like any standard ancient society it did have its king, and that was Neopets. Chloe reflects on the prime website of her childhood and the unintentional money lessons she gained from it.
Money tips
A good portion of today’s workforce have a student loan. The years-long commitment to repaying it can feel like a heavy burden, but it shouldn’t stop you from living the life you want. Emma from The Broke Generation answers your questions on how you can still thrive while paying back your student loan.
Money tips
Achieving financial independence might have different connotations when you’re 25 compared to when you’re 55. Whatever it looks like to you, it’s never too late to take stock of your current financial situation and see how adopting a fresh approach can help you achieve your goals faster.
Company
Starting a new job can be scary but exciting, difficult but rewarding too. Among learning new skills and meeting new people, newest addition to the PocketSmith team Chloe shares her thoughts on how her first few months have gone.
Money tips
In Ruth’s home, conversations about money happen everyday, and helping her daughter level-up financially comes as naturally as equipping her with essential life skills like cooking! In her latest article, she shares six tips for teaching kids about money.
Money tips
For many Gen Zs and millennials, student loan repayments can be a depressing part of our everyday realities. If you’re chipping away at your loan in Australia, New Zealand and the UK, this article’s for you. We’ve rounded up our top tips on managing and repaying your student loan like a pro.
Money tips
Can video games teach kids essential life skills? Head of Marketing Dora sits down with her two sons, aged 8 and 12, to see what they’ve learned from their favorite game, Minecraft. Turns out it’s not all about crafting swords and battling mobs, but a surprising amount of economics as well.
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If you’re one of many global citizens required to file an FBAR, you’ve probably lost many hours to spreadsheets and cursing. Fret not, for we’re about to show you how to use PocketSmith’s nifty features to make the process straightforward - no expletives necessary!
Money tips
Financial forecasting can help you plan out your personal and business finances, and transform the way you manage your money. By looking at how your money, budget and income is likely to perform in the future, you can better plan for savings, investments and hitting your financial goals.
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Data Connections is ready for its first showing! We're moving into the public alpha phase, meaning you can play with Data Connections in a sandboxed environment. Read on for details!
Money tips
21st century living is complicated as it is. Ruth The Happy Saver shares the story behind her family’s trusty old dining table, and how it inspires her to live simply and frugally. She shows us different ways sustainable living is within our reach and shares seven practical household tips!
Money tips
The proliferation of online share trading platforms has propelled ethical investing into the mainstream. Many of us are now asking how to combine our personal values and social responsibility with an investment strategy. Ruth Henderson shares six tips on how to do that.
Money tips
Working from home can be an uphill battle of staying focused, staying productive, and trying to survive yet another Zoom call. But thankfully there are some great apps for working from home that’ll help you stay on track.
Company
We've been rebuilding the technology that connects PocketSmith to bank feeds, improving feed reliability and the experience of managing bank feeds. It'll also set us up for a future where you're able to freely connect to your data from multiple sources. Expect a public alpha release in February!
Product feature
PocketSmith has one of the most powerful and easiest to use cashflow forecasting engines on the market. In this article, we show you four ways you can use our nifty budget calendar to see into the future, and achieve your financial goals.
Money tips
Despite making her peace with her fluctuating levels of productivity throughout the nine months she spent working from her living room in 2020, Emma has found a few tricks that keep the productivity juices flowing – most of the time!
Money tips
When your neighbor unveils their latest model electric car, or invites you over to christen their new swimming pool, it’s hard not to feel a tiny stab of… something. Whether that feeling is envy or relief, is entirely up to your mindset. Ruth Henderson encourages us to discern between the type of Joneses we encounter. Some, she says, we should avoid, and others, we could learn great money lessons from.
Money tips
Whether you’re a lover or a hater of the WFH life, there are more costs involved beyond your tax deductible power bills and office supplies, so bear these sneaky spends in mind if you’ve been tasked with deciding how you’ll work in the future.
Company
Homemaker is a very evocative word. A page straight out of 1950’s “Good Housekeeping”, it conjures the image of a subservient wife relegated to the kitchen. The problematic stereotype remains, but so too does the importance of a home and how we function within it. Co-founder and CEO Jason proposes challenging the term, and redefining it to honor the unsung leaders and problem-solvers of every uniquely flavored household.
