Many Kiwis have the means to gain financial well-being, but just need a strategy to get there. We share our top five tips for putting together a successful money strategy.

I’ve never wanted to be rich, just comfortable enough that when the bills come in, they get paid without needing to look around the room to see what could be put on TradeMe. So, what does financial security mean to you? Take a moment and write down what it means to you. Perhaps completing the sentence below could help?

I will know I am financially secure when _________________.

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What would your life look like or feel like if you were winning financially? How will you know when you reach your definition of financial security? This table demonstrates how financial well-being can be understood as both about the present and the future and is at the same time about feeling secure and free.

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Many Kiwis believe they’re just not cut out to enjoy this sort of financial well-being; that being in control of their finances and having financial freedom is simply out of reach. Instead, they get paid, they pay the bills (or those that they can) and spend the rest (if there is any left).

For many people, surplus is just not a word in their vocabulary.

How good would it feel to have money leftover to allocate to a holiday fund, a savings account, top up the bills account, put some money down for the kids’ Christmas presents? It feels pretty good, let me tell you.

For me, it certainly wasn’t always that way, but I wanted, needed even, to make a change as it was doing my head in to be “skint”. And I don’t like canned spaghetti that much!

Google “financial well-being” and you’ll never be short of things to read. Often, the search results will use lingo and some techniques that can sound like a foreign language. Many people start with these Googled tips and then give up or don’t try to get things sorted because it’s too hard or they don’t want to look silly.

I want to let you in on a secret: You can experience financial well-being regardless of your income.

Sitting down with a financial adviser and talking about your situation can be hugely empowering, because there is always something we can do to get things heading in the right direction. We’ll break down your personal situation and identify the things you’re doing right (well done you!) and where there’s room for improvement.

So, turning into the wind and facing this head on, what we don’t want to do is bombard you with technical lingo only to have you think, “Nope. Too hard!” Instead, what follows are my top five easy-to-initiate tips to get you on the road to financial freedom and five quick wins that you can implement today.

Graham Goodisson is a Registered Financial Adviser with Velocity Financial. No investment decision should be taken based on the information in this blog alone. A disclosure statement is available free of charge upon request.