10 Reasons Your Right Hand Is Itching (Wealth and Luck)

Photo showing a pair of hands with one hand scratching the palm

Do you ever itch your right hand and wonder what it means? You’re not alone! Superstitions abound when it comes to the meaning of an itchy right hand. Here, we will explore some of the most common superstitions about this phenomenon. An itching right hand or palm may mean good luck is coming your way … Read more

How We Got Rid of Half Our Stuff and Downsized Our Lives

Photo showing a large room with boxes on the floor with text overlay that reads How We Got Rid of Half Our Stuff and Downsized Our Lives

Ten years ago, my husband and I were living in a large home with loads of stuff all around us. We had a toddler, a low income, and a large mortgage payment (relative to the income, anyway). Our house was damaged in the Christchurch earthquake, and we could not renovate it until we had a … Read more

Is Booking.com Safe? Is it Reliable in 2025?

A woman with a laptop in front of her showing the website of Booking.com

If you’re ever arranging your own accommodation, then it’s pretty likely that you’re going to come across Booking.com at some point. Vast numbers of people from across the planet make hotel bookings via the platform on a daily basis. In fact when you search for a hotel – or even self-catering accommodation – Booking.com listings … Read more

77 Cheap (or Free!) Things To Do When You’re Bored

A woman slouching on the table with her upper body over some papers.

Do you ever find yourself staring at the wall wondering what to do when you’re bored—but don’t want to spend money? Good news: boredom doesn’t have to cost a cent. With a little inspiration, you can fill your spare moments with free or super-cheap fun—things that lift your mood, get stuff done, or even make … Read more

What is a Fiver Party and How Does it Work?

Photo of four happy children with with their hands raised in a kids party

Text to (insert number on invitation): “Does (child) like Paw Patrol/Shopkins/other plastic junk that I really don’t want to buy but must?” (I don’t say that last bit). Grab the item, take it to the cashier, and ask for a gift exchange receipt, just in case. This is the routine I go through 5 or … Read more

How to Claim Unclaimed Money with IRD

You might be pleasantly surprised to learn that you have unclaimed money sitting with the IRD just waiting for you to claim it. If you have a MyIR account it’s easy to claim online. I’ll outline the steps below with images – these are from my own MyIR account. How to Claim Unclaimed Money with … Read more

12 Life-Changing Benefits of Living in a Smaller Home

Living in a small home with a family

I’ve been living in a small house with my family for over three years now. I was quite apprehensive about how living in a smaller home would work for us, but I can say now that downsizing was the right choice. Don’t get me wrong, living in a small house with a family has not … Read more

Is Aldi Coming to New Zealand? What You Need to Know

Image of front of Aldi store with blue sky in background

If you’ve read the news in the past few days, you might have heard rumours that Aldi is considering coming to New Zealand. This came from a number of news outlets after Nicola Willis stated she would open up the grocery sector to a third player OR work to break up the existing duopoly of … Read more

Is Pureprofile Legit and Worth Trying in 2026?

Pureprofile is an online survey site based in Australia, with panels in New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom.  Pureprofile is one of the best-paying sites for New Zealand and Australian survey takers. In this blog post, we’ll discuss why we think it’s worth your time. Pureprofile is considered one of the best survey sites … Read more

16 Best Paid Surveys in New Zealand for 2026

Are you interested in taking paid surveys in New Zealand? Well, you’ve come to the right place.  Getting paid to do surveys is an easy way to earn extra money from home (it’s one of my top side hustles).  There are many options for online survey companies in New Zealand, but not all are equal, … Read more