98. How to Financially Thrive Throughout the Holidays

12/03/24 • 38 min

The holiday season is here, and with it comes increased spending pressure. With recent Worldline data showing Kiwis spent $2.65 billion in just the first three weeks of December, we're diving into how to navigate this expensive period without breaking the bank.

Key Questions Discussed:

What's a reasonable budget for Christmas gifts?
How can you plan for holiday expenses?
What are smart alternatives to traditional gift-giving?
How do you manage social expectations during the holidays?
What free or low-cost summer activities can you enjoy?
How do you track spending during the festive season?
When should you start saving for the holidays?
How do you say no to expensive holiday plans?

Key References:

Worldline Consumer Spending Data 2023
NZ Herald Holiday Retail Report
RNZ Christmas Shopping Analysis

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Disclaimer:
Investing involves risk including the possible loss of principal and there is no assurance that the investment will provide positive performance over any period of time.

The information provided should not be relied upon as investment advice or recommendations and should not be considered specific legal, investment or tax advice.

Any information we provide is general only and current at the time of writing.
Kernel Wealth Limited is the manager and issuer of the Kernel KiwiSaver Plan and Kernel Funds scheme. The Product Disclosure Statements are available at www.kernelwealth.co.nz

Key Questions Discussed:

What's a reasonable budget for Christmas gifts?
How can you plan for holiday expenses?
What are smart alternatives to traditional gift-giving?
How do you manage social expectations during the holidays?
What free or low-cost summer activities can you enjoy?
How do you track spending during the festive season?
When should you start saving for the holidays?
How do you say no to expensive holiday plans?

Key References:

Worldline Consumer Spending Data 2023
NZ Herald Holiday Retail Report
RNZ Christmas Shopping Analysis

The information provided should not be relied upon as investment advice or recommendations and should not be considered specific legal, investment or tax advice.

Previous Episode

97. City vs Rural: Where Should You Buy Your Home?

Is the grass really greener (and cheaper) in the countryside?
Today we're exploring the financial reality of city versus country living in New Zealand. With Auckland's median house price at $970,000, we'll investigate whether moving to regions like Gore, where houses trade around $400,000, could be your ticket to mortgage-free living.

Key Questions Discussed:

What are the current house prices across NZ's main centres?
Which NZ towns offer homes under $500,000?
How do job opportunities compare between city and country?
What are the hidden costs of regional living?
How do income levels vary between urban and rural areas?
What lifestyle factors should you consider before moving?
Is mortgage-free living worth the lifestyle change?
How accessible are essential services in regional areas?

Key References:

OneRoof Property Data 2024
Stats NZ Census 2018
Regional Council District Reports
Couple use their Auckland deposit to buy house in Gore mortgage-free

The information provided should not be relied upon as investment advice or recommendations and should not be considered specific legal, investment or tax advice.

Next Episode

Money Q&A: Is the Global 100 Diversified?

In this Q&A episode, we tackle a common concern about the Kernel Global 100 fund: concentration risk. With just 10 companies making up over 58% of the fund*, we'll explore whether this concentration is a feature or a bug of market-weighted indices.

Specifically, we chat about:

What is market-weighted indexing?
How does equal-weighted indexing differ?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of concentration?
What risks should investors consider?
Why do some companies dominate the index?
When might concentration be beneficial?

As at 30 October 2024.

The information provided should not be relied upon as investment advice or recommendations and should not be considered specific legal, investment or tax advice.