How much money do you want in your hand each month? That’s your goal. Next, get clear on your starting point…How much do you actually have after tax in your hand each month right now? The difference between the two is your gap. Let's close it and get closer to your goal before 2027 gets here.

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most people's minds are a complete mess. They're worried about Bitcoin, day trading, Trump's 50-year loans, and whether they should invest or pay down debt. Meanwhile, they haven't finished chapter one of getting their finances sorted.

Luke and Mikey break down why messy thinking kills progress: you're trying to get from chapter one to five without reading two, three, and four.

If you can figure out how to focus and clean up your thoughts, you're clear on your direction.

We cover the woman in the red dress (shiny object syndrome), why successful people do boring things consistently for years, and how to use the "love-hate exercise" to figure out what actually matters. Plus why saying no to everything else is more important than saying yes to the right thing.

Opportunities are unlimited throughout your lifetime. Focus is not. Choose wisely.

Find Mikey:

https://instagram.com/mikeysmithofficial

https://guardiansmith.co.nz/

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Out of interest, I asked the KTC audience how their year was via Instagram. Let's go through some replies. Some raw ones there! And interestingly, 66% said that 2025 was better than expected. For all of us, let’s have a moment to reflect. Ask yourself, was 2025 better than you expected? Next, ask yourself this ripper… ‘What would I need to do in 2026 to have a GREAT year?’.

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blake Evans is 21 years old and generated $1.7million in revenue last month (November 2025). He's running a global e-commerce empire from his bedroom.

Blake breaks down the reality of making serious money online, selling his car to fund his business, losing most of his friends, and the journey from working at Wendy's to earning more in a month than the top 1% of Kiwis make in a year.

We cover the loneliness of entrepreneurship, why he doesn't care about haters anymore, and how posting lifestyle content brings in new audiences. Plus his advice: pick something and stick to it instead of jumping between shiny objects.

Most people his age are worried about assignments. Blake's worried about scaling to eight figures.

Find Blake: https://instagram.com/blakeevansnz

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Earlier this year a statistic from a Censuswide survey said Kiwis are checking their devices up to 50 times an hour. Another report said people get around 146 notifications daily. Recently, Gmail rolled out a new feature: you can now see all the email lists you’re subscribed to in one place. One glance, and you’ll probably realise you are subscribed to way more junk than you thought. I am!

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Half the stuff you buy, you can't actually afford. But debt dealers have found a way to break down payments so your future self can pay for today's bad decisions.

Luke and Mikey explore what would happen if all consumer debt was banned tomorrow: new car sales would drop 80%, white wear would last 15-20 years instead of 7-10, and people would focus on skills and experiences instead of stuff they can't afford.

Debt is a form of slavery. You're pledging your future self to pay for things you want now. Meanwhile, buy now pay later increases average order value by 40% because people add extra items when they're not paying real money.

The cage is disguised as convenience. You think you're using their money, but they're using your behaviour to make you spend more.

Stop being the bank for your future self. The journey matters more than the transaction.

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I headed into BDO to talk with their interns about what uni doesn’t teach you:

- How not to get stuck in survival & status mode

- How most people don’t like their jobs (and how to avoid that)

- Using your interests outside work as your advantage

- Money traps: debt, status spending & trying to look successful

- What freedom really is and how to start aiming for it now

If you’re a student or grad who wants more than just a paycheck and a job title, this is for you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thanks to everyone who came along to KTC Unplugged 2025. Here's some thoughts from behind the scenes and some insights from the night.

Hope to see you at the next one!

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If everything you do is safe and predictable, then the outcome will be safe and predictable too. This was a tough life lesson for me to accept. But it seems to be very common nowadays that a lot of people expect extraordinary outcomes with zero actual risk. There’s nothing wrong with these choices, but they’re safe choices. You can’t reasonably expect unsafe rewards from safe behaviour. Our lack of eduction OR acceptance of this can lead to envy.

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ryan breaks down his journey from employee to business owner: 12 years working for others, multiple failed attempts at partnerships, and finally finding a seller in Ashburton. We cover the 8-year vendor finance deal that made it possible, why his house losing $45K in value didn't stop him, and how he's now building the practice he always dreamed of.

The reality? Most optometrists stay employees forever. Ryan refused to accept that path, even when deals fell through and relationships ended. He kept pushing until he found the right opportunity.

From Specsavers pathway programs to independent practice owner, sometimes the long way around is the only way that works.

We cover cash flow challenges, paying loans with after-tax income, building community connections, and why small town optometry beats city employment. Plus his next vision: owning a deer farm while running his practice.

Twenty years from childhood dream to business reality. Persistence pays off.

Find Ryan:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-o-connor-827a9562/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanoconnornz/

Website: https://www.asheye.co.nz/

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Get tickets to the 2nd annual in person 'keep the change unplugged' event: https://www.ticketmaster.co.nz/keep-the-change-tickets/artist/3925924

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most first home buyers think they need 20% deposit and will take 8-16 years to save it. Meanwhile, house prices keep rising faster than their wages.

Jared from Tamaki Regeneration breaks down shared home ownership. We cover how it works with banks, why it's not a scam, and how families are getting keys to new homes in 2-3 years instead of waiting decades.

There is hope. You just need to know where to look.

Find Jared

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-partridge-21615694/

Website: https://tamakiregeneration.co.nz/

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Get tickets to the 2nd annual in person 'keep the change unplugged' event: https://www.ticketmaster.co.nz/keep-the-change-tickets/artist/3925924

I believe 100,000 kiwi with better financial literacy will create a better New Zealand. The Generate KiwiSaver Scheme are helping me reach this goal. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most employees think their boss is “making a killing.” In this episode, I break down the hidden costs of running a business, the real risks owners carry, and why comparing your hourly rate to what the client pays is a massive misunderstanding. Strap yourself in.

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Survive to 25" was bullshit. We're halfway through 2025 and it still feels brutal. But the data is starting to tell a different story.

Luke and Mikey break down what's really happening and why 2025 might be looked back on as the economic bottom. We cover the fatigue everyone's feeling, why people are leaving at record levels, and the regional differences across the country.

The reality? Some are crushing it while others are struggling. The difference isn't luck, it's taking control of your income instead of waiting for someone else to save you.

Find Mikey:

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/officialmikeysmith/

Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikey-smith-25999548/

Website https://guardiansmith.co.nz

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Get tickets to the 2nd annual in person 'keep the change unplugged' event: https://www.ticketmaster.co.nz/keep-the-change-tickets/artist/3925924

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We hit pause on the day-to-day noise and take a step back to ask ourselves the big questions. Where do we want to be in 12 months? What about in 5 years? What needs to happen this quarter to get us moving? We talk openly about what’s working, what isn’t, what work we want to do, and where we want to push ourselves. Summer and the end of a year is great time to do this. Take it seriously too! You don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need to get started. Take some time to dream. Make a plan. Share it. Act on it. Review the plan quarterly. Take more action on it.

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Someone once told me to focus on my strengths. I said how. They showed me the Gallup’s StrengthsFinder to figure out what I’m actually good at, and what to stop wasting time on. Then the maximiser in me wanted to go deeper on this so I linked up with an incredible human.

In this episode, I’ve convinced my secret strengths coach, Suze Oh, to join me for a deep dive into how understanding your natural talents can change the way you work, lead, and live. It certainly did for me.

We unpack my Top 10 strengths (yep, the real list), talk about how they show up in business and life, and how you can use your own strengths to make more progress with less burnout.

If you’ve ever wondered why you’re wired the way you are, this one’s for you.

Find Suze Oh

Website: https://www.thinkplando.co.nz

Email: suze@thinkplando.co.nz

Chat: https://calendly.com/suzeoh/

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Get tickets to the 2nd annual in person 'keep the change unplugged' event: https://www.ticketmaster.co.nz/keep-the-change-tickets/artist/3925924

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every week in NZ, people turn down overtime, stop pushing for bonuses, or refuse side work because they think it’s not worth it. Is that right? Some are even convinced they received less, for working more. The old accountant in me couldn’t help but step in and ask a few questions to try to help.

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For 12 months, 70,000 New Zealand citizens have left to live overseas. 60% went to Australia. That's the highest we've ever seen.

Our most popular guest yet, Professor Paul Spoonley is back to break down what's really happening: we're losing young graduates, skilled workers, and even 30-somethings who've been in our workforce for years. Meanwhile, net migration has dropped to just 10,000, we've "emptied the coffers" on population growth.

The economics are brutal, Australia's offering higher wages on top of relocation fees, while NZ graduates are unable to find jobs whilst sitting with massive debt, so why not move somewhere that pays more?

We're facing a 250,000 worker shortage over the next 20 years, but we're losing our best people to countries that value them more.

New Zealand has changed. The question is: are we adapting fast enough?

Find Paul Spoonley on X: https://x.com/PSpoonley

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Get tickets to the 2nd annual in person 'keep the change unplugged' event: https://www.ticketmaster.co.nz/keep-the-change-tickets/artist/3925924

I believe 100,000 kiwi with better financial literacy will create a better New Zealand. The Generate KiwiSaver Scheme are helping me reach this goal. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Only 21% of people globally are engaged in their work. That means almost 4 out of 5 people are turning up each day to something that doesn’t really light them up. Crazy, right? Well, probably bloody normal based on the stats. But for me, that’s hard to relate to. So I asked the Keep The Change audience: “Why stay in work you’re not actually engaged in?"

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most Kiwi families have no idea what's coming when their parents age. Then they get hit with legal bills, family fights, and financial shocks they never saw coming.

Emily Silby breaks down the legal reality every family will face: enduring power of attorney, wills, retirement village contracts, and rest home subsidies. We cover the 30% deferred management fee, why you don't actually own anything in a retirement village, and what happens when your parents can't make decisions anymore.

The numbers are brutal: median rent is $600/week, but retirement village fees can hit $400/week on top of your million-dollar entry fee. Meanwhile, 85 is the average age people enter rest care - if they ever do.

If your parents don't have wills and enduring power of attorney sorted, you're setting your family up for expensive legal battles and court applications.

We cover relationship property traps, residential care subsidies, and why leaving it to the kids to figure out is the worst possible plan. Plus the MSD loan scheme that keeps people out of limbo when houses won't sell.

Don't wait until crisis hits. Get the legal structure sorted now, while everyone still has their marbles.

Your future self will thank you.

Find Emily

Email: emily@rejtharlaw.co.nz

Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/emily-silby-a5181290

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Get tickets to the 2nd annual in person 'keep the change unplugged' event: https://www.ticketmaster.co.nz/keep-the-change-tickets/artist/3925924

I believe 100,000 kiwi with better financial literacy will create a better New Zealand. The Generate KiwiSaver Scheme are helping me reach this goal. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.