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Money Maverick NZ

Empowering you with the knowledge and tools to understand your situation and your options, so you can make your own informed choices.

No products, no commissions. Fully funded through many EAP providers. Honest guidance, your best interests at heart.

29/01/2026

We made an offer. Then it turned into a multi-offer situation. Blind auction. No idea what the other side offered. They could have gone fifty thousand dollars less and we would never know.

Before we made the offer, we went to our lawyer and mortgage broker to get the right conditions in place. Finance, builder's report, LIM, and valuation. Ten working days to meet them.

The seller accepted. We were conditional.
Here is what that cost up front.

$713 for a builder's report.
$953 for a valuation.
$310 for a LIM.
$1,850for the lawyer.

Nearly three thousand dollars cash up front, even though we get five thousand back once it settles.

Get your lawyer and mortgage broker sorted before you start making offers. Not after you find the house. Before. When you are in a multi-offer situation, you have got twenty-four to forty-eight hours to decide. If you are scrambling to find help, you are already behind.

These conversations cost you nothing. Not having them can cost you thousands.

Part four next week when we're hopefully unconditional!

27/01/2026

We went conditional on a house this week. It took four years longer than we had originally planned.

Back in 2021, we had a choice. We could buy at peak prices and lock ourselves into safe jobs to service the debt. Or we could take a risk on self-employment and wait at least three years before we could even qualify for a mortgage.

We chose to wait.

It felt like watching everyone else get ahead while we stood still.

But by the time we made our offer this year, my income alone was larger than both of us combined back in 2021.

Here is the lesson. Stop overestimating what you can do in one year. Stop underestimating what you can do in five.
One year is nothing. Five years can completely change your life.

If you are feeling behind on the property ladder right now, zoom out. What decision could you make today that would not pay off for three years, but would completely change your position in five?

This week I am sharing the full story of how we bought (are buying?) our first home.

Part two drops tomorrow.

16/01/2026

Someone asked: "How did you and your wife make the mental switch to living on one income?"

$32k. $63k. $97k. This year I'm looking to crack six figures for the first time. It's been a fight for three to four years. My wife worked the first two. We've only been on one income for the last two.

As a dad, we often don't know how to help. Society tells us to provide. So when the baby is crying for Mum and we can't figure out why, we turn to what we know. Fixing stuff. Cleaning. Working more.

Communication is hard. You might not talk properly for five days. Then it all blows up. Like a shaken bottle. Had one on Sunday. Not great at the time. But things have been easier since.

I can't control the mess around the house. A mess means the family is having fun. I can only control how I respond to it.

15/01/2026

Two years ago I was drinking, playing video games, and following ice hockey. Classic Canadian.

I don't do any of that anymore.

Not because those things are bad. But because we chose to have three kids under five and build a business. Something had to give.

Life is always hard. But you get to choose your hard. I chose this. And I'd choose it again.

14/01/2026

I'm a financial coach and I don't own a house.

Not because I can't afford one. Renting gave us options a mortgage never could.

In 2021 we were ready to buy. Height of the market. Three week old baby. Everything lined up. But I wanted to start a business. So we lived off our savings instead of using them for a deposit.

First year in business I earned $32k. If we had a mortgage, that would have been a disaster. I would have been handcuffed to a salaried job.

Renting gave us breathing room. You might have options right now that disappear the moment you sign.

13/01/2026

Money is a really good distraction from what you know you need to do.

I used to work 60 to 70 hours a week. A second job. Went back to study. Always too tired to deal with what was really going on.

The debt became the excuse for everything.

Is debt controlling your life in ways you haven't admitted yet?

12/01/2026

"Budgeting isn't about restriction." You've heard it. But it's not the thing that makes it click.

10/01/2026

Many people I work with say the same thing in the first five minutes: "I'm so embarrassed about where I'm at."

There's nothing to be embarrassed about. You're here. That's what matters.

The hardest part isn't the money stuff. It's the shame, the overwhelm, and the feeling that you should have figured this out by now.

But here's the thing. You're not behind. You're not bad with money. Personal finance is a learnable skill, and you just haven't had someone in your corner who genuinely cares about your wellbeing, not your wallet.

Financial coaching isn't about being lectured or sold products. It's about having someone help you understand your options so you can make your own informed decisions.

In one hour:
• You'll know exactly where you stand
• You'll have a clear next step
• The anxiety lifts

No overwhelming paperwork. No products to buy. No judgment. Just practical support to help you take control.

Whether it's debt management, budgeting, retirement planning, investment questions, separation or just figuring out where your money goes, this space is for all of it.

You come as you are. We work with what you've got. And you leave feeling like you can actually do this. If money stress is stealing your sleep, let's sort it.

Visit moneymaverick.nz or send me a message to get started.

08/01/2026

You can only genuinely focus on three major things at any given time. And I reckon most people are trying to juggle way more than that.

Work, kids, fitness, sorting your money, social life, a side project, home renovations, learning something new. That's eight things, but you've only got bandwidth for three.

So what happens? Everything gets half your attention, nothing really moves forward, and you end up feeling like you're failing at all of it.

But here's what changes everything. When you pick your three things and actually focus on them, they become routine, they become automatic, and once something's in a routine, it drops out of your top three. Which means you've got space to add something new.

One out, one in, that's how you actually make progress without burning out.
I wrote about this properly on the blog, including the part I didn't mention in recent video about protecting your three things from distractions, and how money stress takes up way more energy than you realize.

Link in comments.

06/12/2025

Today is about reviewing subscriptions again, from a different angle.

Subscriptions hide in plain sight. Music apps. Streaming. Fitness platforms you opened once. Each charge feels small on its own.

Take $15 per month as an example. Over a year, $180 disappears without a moment of thought. $180 pays for school shoes. Or a family day out. Or a power bill top up during winter.

This is not about removing enjoyment from your life. This is about noticing where money leaves without intention. Awareness creates choice. Choice creates control.

When you review subscriptions, you create a pause. You decide what earns a place in your budget and what does not.

Open your banking app. Scan the list calmly. Keep the ones you value. Remove one you forgot about.

Future you benefits from one quiet decision today.

05/12/2025

December feels crowded when you hold everything in your head. Work functions, family gatherings, school breaks, and community events all compete for attention. Nothing feels clear until you write the month down.

List every December event and add a rough cost beside each one. Your mind settles once the plan is on paper. You move from guessing to clarity.

Once the list is in front of you, your decisions become easier. You choose the events that matter to you. You skip the ones that drain your time or money. You also see which community events fit without pressure.

This process sets clear expectations for your family. Everyone knows what is coming and what each event might cost. You remove surprises and create a calmer December for everyone.

05/05/2025

Budgeting is what you plan to do.
Tracking is what you actually do.

If you do not know where your money is going,
you are just guessing,
and guessing is not a financial strategy.

You do not have to be perfect.
You do not have to feel bad.
But you do have to start paying attention.

Reflection:
Do you know what you actually spent last week — or are you hoping it was fine?

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