Matariki & Mid-2026 Budget Review & Future Plans

This Friday, we observe Matariki (the Māori New Year, marked by the rising of stars in the Pleiades constellation) as an official holiday in Aotearoa. The day/spirit of Matariki is meant to be one of reflection on the past and hopefulness for the future: remember, reflect, and reset. 

Matariki provides an excellent time for a mid-year check-in on many fronts. The holiday is particularly important to me this year, as it is a time that is meant for remembering loved ones who have passed away, especially those we've lost since we last observed the holiday. That is especially important this year. 

I will be taking a full day this long weekend to remember my dad and other loved ones and friends who have passed away. 

There is also a 'feast' component - celebrating the present - and a looking to the future and resetting piece.

Last weekend, some friends and I gathered for a mid-winter Fourth of July/Christmas in July/birthday/other celebration. There was a lot of food. 

As for the future, in 2024, I wrote down my hopes, dreams, and aspirations for the year ahead: 

• My aspirations for the next year don't extend much further beyond submitting and defending my PhD. Half of that came true. I submitted in March 2025. 
• I hope that my complex does not get sold and I do not have to move, but if I do have to move, I find a lovely, large, sunny, furnished flat with two bedrooms, two bathrooms (one with bathtub), with car park that I can rent out, within my budget and easy walking distance to my office. Bonus if the complex has an outdoor pool with sun exposure, a hot tub, gym, and a workspace or rooftop. My complex did not get sold.
• I also hope that my family makes it through the next year intact and without getting more ill than they are right now. Dad made it to Matariki 2025, but unbeknownst to us, lung cancer had already started to take hold by then.
• My dream would be that at next year's check in, I've successfully earned my PhD, have more financial avenues to pursue to increase my income without increasing my stress levels too much, and that I have had the time and mental and emotional space to address the non-work goals I've been ignoring for the past 10 years, particularly my physical health. The stress has only increased since last year.

In the next year, by Matariki 2027: 

• I want peace and stability and hopefulness that things will just get better and better - in health, family and friends' health, in my career, and in my home. A marked decrease in stress and a huge leap in hope.
• I want my PhD nightmare to be over, including the papers I'm supposed to publish from it. 
• I want to have a good doctor (or doctors) who listen to me and treat me with care, in the hopes of addressing my ADHD, fatigue (iron), and what I think are perimenopause issues. 
• I would like to have found a regular exercise and stretching routine that I can keep up with even with my ADHD, designed to mitigate the effects of any health issues I have, and to prevent deterioration due to aging.  
• I want to expand my social circle, or at least keep in better contact with the friends I already have, increasing the frequency with which we speak and hang out. 
• If my energy and time supports it, I would like to volunteer or become more involved in a non-profit organisation. 
• In my dream world, I would work flexibly, about 0.5 FTE or 20 hours/week, and make enough to live how I'd like to, including travel if I feel up for it then. That would be about $50K/year.
• I'd like to have the stability, space, health, time, and support to grieve properly for my father. 

January - June 2026 Budget Review

 

Income: $39,560.07 (after tax) 

Salary: $37,189.35

Lending Crowd loan principal and interest payment: $634.68

Zagga principal and interest payment: $46.04

Carpark rental income: $1,690  

 

Spending: $26,753.30     -       67.2% of income

Rent: $14,824

Groceries: $2,472.69 (41% of the year's budgeted amount) 

Power/Internet: $1,065.02 (59%)

Eating out: $1,104.23 (37%)

Charity: $435 (73%)

Cell phone: $111 (46%)

Medical: $2,730.78 (2.28%) - WAY over budget!

Misc: $3,860.58 (32%)

 

Within that Misc category, I spent $0 on alcohol, $245 on entertainment, $640 on self care, $528 on fees, $412 on gifts, $751 on goods and wants, $521 on transportation, and $10.40 on travel. 

 

 

Remainder: $12,826.74

 

Overall, very few surprises (overall breakdown below). I didn't have a flatmate so rent and utilities were astronomical - 40% of my income from January - June. I spent a lot of money on medical expenses, including getting private health insurance (my doc said she wouldn't treat me if I didn't have it) and paying out of picket for the shingles vaccine, which was very very pricey. 

Fixed costs: 53.6% (housing: 37%; medical: 7%; groceries: 6%; utilities: 3%; cell phone: 0.6%)

Flexible costs: 13.6% (Eating out: 3%: charity: 0.6%; misc.: 10%)

After tax saving: 32.8% 

I keep saying I went 'wild' while I was earning a full salary, but that isn't really true. I have been so busy, stressed, and sad about the loss of my father and preparing for my PhD defense, and so fatigued from all of that plus incredibly low ferritin, that I really haven't had the time or energy to actually go 'wild.' I also don't really buy stuff in NZ - that is more of a US thing.

 

Starting 1 July, my salary goes down to 0.7 of full time until end August. I've taken in a flatmate to help cover rent and utilities and have tightened up my budget in anticipation of this. I'm still not sure what to do about post-August. There are a few things that are potentially in the works, so I'm not freaking out and applying for jobs quite yet. 

July + August 0.7 FTE Approximate Budget

Rent: $1,375 (this varies between $1100 and $1375 depending on how many Fridays [rent payment due dates] there are in the month)

Groceries: $500 

Power + Internet: $200

Eating Out: $200

Charity: $60

Cell phone: $17

Medical: $350

Misc: $1,000

Aim to save: > $768 

 

I'll be in the US in September and part of October, and have a bare bones budget for those months, with no income. As my return to NZ approaches in October, I should have more answers and will adjust my budget and plans accordingly. Worst case scenarios: 

1. I am employed by my project's partner organisation. They take a lot in overheads, but I get proper employment perks and the opportunity to earn more. My income will be about $2K/mo after taxes. The rest of my living expenses will be pulled from savings. I have $25K set aside for this scenario, and the next one.

2. I have to go freelance and deal with US self employment tax issues. I live off of the $25K I set aside for this scenario until the first tranche of funding comes in (probably January/February 2027). My income will be about $46K for ~12 hours of work per week. 

3. No employment options AT ALL. I apply for JobSeekers. I live off of the $25K I set aside and look for a new job in NZ that fits my interests. If I don't get anything interesting by my last $5K, I put in my three week notice for my flat, and move back to the US to live with my mom. 

Crossed fingers something works out. 

 

June 2026 Budget Review

 June 2026 Budget

This is the last month I am earning a full salary. Things were extremely comfortable. I'm able to spend and save at levels like never before.

Income: $6,176.12

Salary: $5,760.60

Lending Crowd repayments: $145.90

Zagga repayments: $9.62

Garage rent: $260 

Spending: $4,473.33 (72.4%)

Remainder: $1,702.79 (to get transferred to US brokerage account, along with $990 from my new flatmate's bond - total $2692.79 NZD transferred via Wise, and $1,528.46 USD will be invested)

Spending categories (budgeted amount in parentheses):

Rent: $2,420 - no flatmate

Groceries: $351.73 ($500) - I cut out a lot of grocery store junk food and am mostly just eating when hungry lately (my eating out is atrocious this month though!). 

Electricity & Internet: $233.52 ($300) 

Eating out: $277.69 ($250) - Pizza hut pizza in honor of my dad after my defense ($55.43); thai from ya-so ($101.80); McDonalds three times 2 x @ $15.70 a pop, $28.60 once; Lowbrow cheeseburger and kumara fries and salad and chicken ($60.46). Since it's my last month of full time salary and I had passed my defense, I went overboard here a little! 

Charity: $35 ($50) - $5 to the nice lady playing violin outside of the grocery store; Heart Assoc. Lotto tix ($30)

Cell phone: $17 ($20) 

Medical: $337.75 ($100) -  Southern Cross premium ($237.49); nailbrush and multivitamins from the Warehouse ($23.29); Liquid paracetamol, probiotic, fiber gummies from Chemist Warehouse ($76.97); 

Misc: $750.64 ($1K)

alcohol: $0 

entertainment: $0 

self care: $143.10 - $61.50 for a haircut; $81.60 for a massage

fees: $75.80 - $10 fee for Cityhop membership; $40 for chatgpt monthly fee; $9.90 for trademe ad fees for flatmate search; another $15.90 in trademe ad fees to promote my ad

gifts: $0 

goods and wants: $372.75 - $3.50 for pop up hamper from look sharp; $25.41 for solar garden lights from mitre 10 or bunnings; $99 for a new digital scale, resistance bands, and two sweatshirts from kmart; $21.50 for new house slippers from the warehouse; $146.92 for 4x plants for flatmate interviews; new heater for flatmate's room; 2x teal silicone oven gloves to match my kitchen rug; 4x lithium batteries for room heater remote from the warehouse; $76.42 for two power scrubbers - hand held and extended pole - to clean off my bathroom ceiling which has dirty drips from the skylight and to clean off the algae from the balcony and patio tiles. 

transportation: $95.58 - flamingo or lime scooters x 6 - I'm trying to cut down on these! $79.01 cityhop car for 1 day.

travel: $63.41 - taxes on Singapore awards flight next year for fam reunion in Seattle

Savings and Funds Activity Update

• Since I've met all of my short- and medium-term savings goals, I'm no longer saving money, just investing it.
   
• My Squirrel balance sits at about $61.5K, with $7,792 of that invested in various peer-to-peer loans at $100 each at 4.75% to 6.5% p.a. 
  
  
• I keep investing more and more in the peer to peer loans, but I'll probably cap it at $10K or a certain percentage of my Net Worth.
  
  
• I have about $94.6K in Rabobank earning between 1.3 and 2.55% p.a. 
  
  
• I have one Zagga investment ($1K total) now. 
   
• I am (still) waiting for Lending Crowd to start up again.
  
  
  

Net Worth Tracking

NZ Savings (cash): $148,317.23 NZD. This does not include investments in peer to peer loans.

Peer to peer lending: $9,165.39 (Zagga, Squirrel, open principal at Lending Crowd)

• LendingCrowd: $427.62 NZD - principal still owed, repaid with interest in weekly installments
• Zagga: ~$930 NZD 
• Squirrel: $7,792 NZD

Kiwisaver: $144,731.65 NZD

US investments: $77,835.52 USD

Total Net Worth - NEW METHOD (June 2026): $338,462.68 NZD

I now only count long-term savings and investments in my Net Worth. This month's NW represents an increase of $7,660.40 NZD since last month, and an increase of $36,168.71 NZD since the beginning of the year. 

What is counted in my Net Worth now: 

• $60K NZD Former House Down Payment Fund (I will drip feed this into US investments)
• Kiwisaver (NZ retirement)
• Roth IRA
• Traditional IRA
• Berkshire Hathaway investment fund (non-dividend yield fund)
• Non-retirement investment account
  
  
  

FIF Tracking

NZ restricts foreign investments to $50,000 NZD (cost basis), otherwise you end up paying NZ tax each year - 5% of the total value of the investments each year, regardless if you sold or not. That sounds horrible and complicated, so I am tracking the cost basis of investments in my US brokerage account (I invested in my IRAs prior to moving to NZ and retirement accounts are exempt from the FIF). 

To avoid accidentally going over, I have turned off automatic reinvesting of any dividends.

Some hopeful news: the current NZ government has said it will increase the FIF threshold to $100K, and also change how the tax is levied if you go over the FIF 'de minimus' threshold. The changes would mean I could not only invest more than $50K NZD (cost basis) but also exceed the $100K FIF threshold and only pay tax if I sold the investments:

"This expansion would also allow all New Zealand residents who are subject to double tax due to citizenship or right to work in another country (primarily migrants from the United States) to use the RAM for their listed shares as well, regardless of the date they migrated. This is known as the extended RAM and is required because tax paid under traditional FIF calculation methods may not be creditable against United States taxes." 

Crossed fingers that they do something good for once. They are mostly good-for-nothings.

Cost basis value of US investments in NZD: $32,048.54

Able to invest without hitting FIF in NZD: $17,951.46

 

June 2026: A Mixed Bag & Legal Dispute

Life Update

GRIEF

• No update here, so I'll repeat last month's update (again): This continues to be the centerpiece of my life. It is my immediate feeling when I wake up, as I go about my day, and as I drift off to sleep. It permeates everything. I think it may be getting worse as reality sinks in. A true living nightmare.
  
  
• June was the seventh full month without my dad. June also contained Father's Day. There are always tears, esp for those milestone holidays and when thinking about my defense and how he isn't here to celebrate. I'm SO LUCKY I have so many people around me wanting to celebrate my accomplishments, but my heart just feels sadness about the one key missing person not able to be there.
  
  
• During every weekly phone call with my Mom and sister, I bring him up. Sometimes I just need to say his name and for other people to tell me they miss him just as much as I do. I just want him involved in the conversation as usual, I guess. Even though I'm atheist/agnostic, in case he is somehow able to listen, I need him to know he is still a part of our lives and thoughts. 
  
  He'd normally be interrupting and dominating the conversation. It's a bit boring and quiet and rote without him, and I miss his boisterous, sometimes obnoxious energy so much. It's just all so hard.
  
  
• I finished the group grief counseling course in May, but the lessons I learned persist. There was a guy in the group who was grieving the loss of his job. That has become pertinent to my life, as I was let go from my 18 year job in June, my landlord is planning to put my flat of 12 years up for sale, and my Mom will be selling the house I grew up in from age six and have visited almost every year since leaving at 18 (so 30 years of month+ long visits plus 12 years of living there full time). All of this change is incredibly, horribly painful. 

 

PhD & WORK 

• My PhD defense is done. I passed with revisions to my written thesis to do. It took them a whole month to provide the list of amendments they expect, so now I have three months to do them. The problem is that I'm going to be in the US starting Sept 1. So I really have less than two months in all actuality. I will NOT be doing work in the US. Plus the Uni is going to end my access to well, everything, including office365, after my contracts end on 31 August. 
  
  
• My grief peaked while prepping for the defense. The amount of digging inside of myself to make myself get out of bed/start studying while I was bawling...oh man. I scraped to the very bottom of myself to do that. I've just been so empty except for the sadness. I feel no joy at being done. This is a problem because so many other people that got me through it are happy for me and wanting to mark the event, but I can't bring myself to enjoy it, or even fake it. This past weekend, a friend held a 'Christmas in July/Fourth of July/birthday/PhD defense' party that was partly in my honor, and I kept feeling myself shrink and the sadness creep in. Part of that was the drinking I'm sure. I cannot drink when I have strong negative feelings inside - they just take over completely. 
  
  
• There is a bigger summary of the defense in my last monthly update - I wrote the May update after the defense was already done.
   
• Pertinent: right after my defense, my boss said she had gotten a notice that my contract was expiring soon and we would need to talk. My 18-year job was at risk. My other contract with my employer lasts until end August, but then it looks like I have nothing on the horizon.
  
  
• So yes. The job saga. After my defense in the first week of June, I followed up with my department head, who was looking into ways to keep me around, and that his understanding was that my 18 year contract was going to be renewed but my secondary post doc contract was ending on 31 August. I was overjoyed at this news! That is exactly what I wanted. He said that he had a meeting scheduled the next day with the HR people and he'd confirm. 
  
  He had just had surgery so I was being respectful of his time but a week passed with no update, so I followed up. He then said HR said that there was zero way for me to keep my job. He and my boss met with me and said that HR "can't" renew, but were very unfamiliar with the details as to why, since 
  
  1. the funding is guaranteed as continuing, 
  2. the need for my work is continuing, and 
  3. my boss, the funders, and the School want me to stay and keep doing the good work I've been doing. 
  
  The last week of June, my boss kept saying everything would be fine, they'd figure something out - until she had a meeting with one of the Deans to run some final ideas by them. 
  
  They turned every. single. option. down. I am not allowed to work on a short contract or go casual or even subcontract for the Uni. Why? Well, your guess is as good as mine. 
  
  HR keeps saying I'm a 'liability' and a 'risk' and "if the funders want her so badly, THEY can hire her" and they think that my 18 years of knowledge that I've built up as a researcher and project manager for my research programme while working for the Uni is "pure admin" that "anyone else will be able to pick up quickly" so therefore it shouldn't be a problem to get rid of me. They have run my boss around in circles and never give clear answers, apparently. 
  
  And throughout the ENTIRE process, HR have never once asked to meet with me, told me that my job was ending, nothing. It's been crickets, and my supervisor and HoS have said to let them handle it, so I haven't reached out to them directly.
  
  It is purely a University policy thing preventing me from continuing. I therefore want the EXACT policy and law they are basing their decision on, but they have never provided it. So as any good US American would do, I turned to the legal system. I have a union rep now and they are handling it. She is great. She first set up a meeting with HR so we can ask questions and hopefully get real answers. That is all I wanted! 
  
  HR then, on the last day of my contract, responded that they couldn't meet with me and the union rep until a few days later when they KNEW that my rep had union activities happening - she had sent out a Uni-wide blast about it. Apparently this is a routine stalling tactic to run out the clock on my contract and make life harder for me and the union. So my union rep recommended escalating and I acquiesced. I don't know how many details I'm allowed to go into here but essentially now lawyers are involved and I'm working 'as usual' in protest of the issues with my contract ending illegally (allegedly). 
  
  My boss keeps assigning me work, meeting me, etc. like normal. I dunno. But I guess I'm doing the work for free now? 
  
  I'm also lucky that my boss has a few other options up her sleeve. She approached someone at my project's partner organisation to see if they would hire me instead. It would require a 1/3 paycut and a doubling of the overheads that the funders will have to pay, but would at least give me minimal employment to keep me on the project and in the country. Luckily, I have cultivated a lot of relationships through the years and the person in charge of pulling together a case to hire me is one of my best friends in NZ. I feel so fortunate that so many people are trying to keep me in the mix. Honestly, it makes me cry.
  
  I'm not holding my breath for either the union rep to get results nor the hiring at the other organisation to come through, but I appreciate all the work people are doing, and at the VERY LEAST, after 18 years, I feel that Uni HR owes me some answers. I'm hoping that the union rep can at least get me that.
   

HEALTH & LIVING

• With my 18 year job fiasco, no matter what happens, I'm down 3/10's of my salary in July and August. I put out a flatmate ad and after a few interview disasters, finally found someone I think I can run into in the kitchen and not hate life. She is not ideal - she is very young, just here to learn English (so no job), and is only here until November - but the income helps massively with the financial stress and my gut says she's gonna be fine in the short-term. I still check references, but at this point I just listen to my gut when it comes to who I choose to live with!  
  
  
• I have not been going to the gym. I'm just down in the dumps, never feel like going. It is the task switching aspect of it for me, plus wanting/needing to get certain bits of work done, plus the amount of time in my day it takes up. I wish I could get focused on my physical health again, but my grief just has taken over my life completely. Even going for a walk feels like too much.
  
  
• I still haven't followed up fully on my urgent care visit where they found blood in my urine during an acute gut pain attack (left side so not appendix!). I took another test and this time no blood but they found white blood cells. I'm supposed to go see the doc but the last time I saw her she told me my symptoms were in my head so I'm looking for a new doctor. 
  
  
• I've still been able to avoid most junk food and am eating less - mostly when I'm hungry. This turns out to be about mid-afternoon and half way through the evening, or about twice a day. I'm focusing on protein and whole foods, but dark chocolate (with fruit), cheddar cheese, and sandwich meat sneaks in there quite a bit. 
  
  
• I'm trying to get my supplements sorted. I still take fish oil, probiotics, some fibre, multivitamin, and B12. I still need to add back iron, magnesium, and get more fiber in there, but those all can cause gut issues. I ran out of Vit D and K and biosil drops.
  
  
• I did research and found a physio I want to try out, but when I went to make an appointment, I got a notice saying they are not taking new clients! Now I need to do more research. GRRR.
  
  
• I also want to go to the dermatologist and get a ferritin infusion since I stopped taking the iron pills. I set up my free optometry check up through work since I get that perk as a staff member until my current contract ends. Lots to do!

 

TRAVEL & FUN 

• June was mostly me trying to recover emotionally and mentally from my defense, plus navigate the job stuff. My friend did take me out for brunch at a new place and for a little walk around a nice park, and I visited that same friend at her new place about a half an hour away. 
  
  
• I still have a weekly 'date' with some friends to catch up and watch a tv show. Those resumed. I introduced my friends to K Pop Demon Hunters and their reactions were exactly as I'd hoped!
  
  
• My feelings about travel right now are just a repeat of last month: I saved up for so much travel post-PhD! But post-my dad passing, I do not feel like being anywhere except my home, cozy in solitude and in my comfy bed, or with my family in the US. Nowhere else has any sort of appeal right now. I want familiarity and low energy activities. The travel I do is usually the exact opposite of those things, and I can't fathom spending tons of money just to lay in a strange bed, not seeing or experiencing the new sights and culture around me - I may as well just stay home in a controlled environment if I'm going to just want comfort.
  
  

FAMILY

• My sister found out there is something wrong with her blood counts last month. The docs referred her to a cancer clinic but their first opening isn't until August, so we have to wait until then to get answers. 
   

MONEY THOUGHTS & MOVES

• With the high rent, gym membership, and new private health insurance, my spending is way above normal. This was the last month of full time salary I'll have for the foreseeable future (the job market in NZ is abysmal).
   
• My 0.7 FTE income is only guaranteed through 31 August. That is not expected to renew. Right now, I have zero job or income prospects after that date.
  
  
• My usual car service, Mevo, went into receivership and I had $1500 NZD worth of credit with them that I bought with a US credit card. I complained to chatgpt and they said to write into the US consumer financial protections office. The bank the credit card is with investigated. In June they awarded that money back! It is sitting as credit on a card I canceled long ago so I have to write to them to get the money sent to me in a check form I guess.

MONTHLY CHALLENGES

• Previously my challenge was to get back on the healthy exercise train, but I keep failing. I have made some strides with eating less junk, though. But I give UP on the rest, I can't do it right now. I just try to get through the days as best I can.
  
  I have so much on in July and August that I don't expect this to change anytime soon. Maybe when I return from my US trip in mid October. Right now I am just doing the easiest self care possible (e.g. massages) and trying to get back in touch with my brain and body.

Some Good News

Some (rare) good news as June starts:  

• As I reported in the May update, I passed my long-awaited and (more recently) dreaded PhD defence (NZ spelling). While my emotions about doing it without my father are very fraught, and I have felt nothing except sadness since, little leaks of relief about it being done are starting to creep in. I do have revisions to make, however, so the journey is not completely over, unfortunately.
  
  I haven't celebrated properly yet because of all of the emotions. It just doesn't feel like a celebratory moment without my father around. But I think other people are going to force it to be celebrated. I'm not sure how I feel about that yet.
  
  
• My previous car service, Mevo, went into receivership. I had $1500 NZD (!) worth of credit with them that I bought with a US credit card when this happened. I have sadly succumbed to buying 1 month's worth of a chatgpt subscription (apparently Claude is better now, but I only just got that message), but in this case, it paid for itself, many times over! 
  
  I complained to it about the situation. It said to write into the US consumer financial protections office to try to claim a refund for those costs based on the company not fulfilling their duties and providing value for the service. It walked me through every step and even helped to draft the complaint letter. That was on April 3. 
  
  The bank the credit card was with (which is now closed) investigated and today, June 7, I found out that it was going to reimburse me about $1,250 USD. I asked for about 1500 NZD, or $875 USD's worth, so this is very surprising. 
  
  I didn't t have a ton of hope that I'll get any of that money back, so this is a huge bonus!

May 2026 Life Update and Budget Review

Life Update

GRIEF

• No update here, so I'll repeat last month's update (again): This continues to be the centerpiece of my life. It is my immediate feeling when I wake up, as I go about my day, and as I drift off to sleep. It permeates everything.
  
  
• May was the sixth full month without my dad. The reality of the situation - I will never talk to, hug, or be able to see my dad every again, and he'll never be able to see, huge, or talk to me again (which is almost worse?) is hitting, and HARD. I cry every day still. Not always huge wracking sobs, but the tears come often.
  
  
• I finished the group grief counseling course. It was the best thing I've done for myself in a very long time. Now that it is over, I will need to make space and time for my grief. It spills out into my life naturally anyway, but it was very beneficial to me to have an allocated weekly event where I just focused on that one thing. Knowing that it was there helped me get through the tough weekdays.

 

PhD & WORK 

• Last month, I reported that: My supervisor asked AGAIN (again) about my defense. I am so tired of fighting for this boundary that I gave in and said she could give the signal to start planning it again. If I fail, I fail. I am so sad and emotional over it and have warned her what happens every time I think of it, so it'll be her fault if I blow it. I can't muster up enough resolve to fight anymore. 
  
  
• My PhD defense was subsequently scheduled for the first week of June.
  
  
• While preparing for the defense, the grief was overwhelming. I had so much to do to prep, and the supervisor that was supposed to help me went MIA. So I was swimming on my own. I felt so abandoned - not only by my supervisor, but by my dad. He was supposed to be there helping me get through it! It's not like it was his choice, but it still brought all the hurt to the surface. 

  I had a full break down two days before the defense and just had to go to bed to cope. It took everything I had in me - every single ounce of strength and resolve - to get up and continue prepping. I ended up staying up all night the night before (it was scheduled for 8:30 am) to prepare. It was a good thing I did! Most of what they asked about, I prepared responses for less than 10 hours prior. Who says you can't ADHD cram for a PhD?! ha.

• It was a weird experience. Oddly informal almost. It was completely over Zoom. There were six people there, including me, and two of those people were not allowed to speak. All of the strict rules were not as strict as I thought they were, but the questions were more difficult than I anticipated. I was told I only had 20 minutes to present my ENTIRE PhD, and practiced and cut content like crazy to get it to 19 minutes and something seconds. Only then for the person that ran the meeting to say that it was fine if I went over time and took like 25 minutes!! Gah, what are rules FOR?! 
  
  Also I was told that the examiners could only ask me questions that they'd sent in the examiner's report last year. But they ended up asking me tons of totally additional questions that I couldn't have prepared for! 
  
  I was sleep deprived, on the verge of tears, terrified of going over time and looking stupid, and just nervous the whole time - what if this was 12 years down the drain? - and I did not do as well as I could have. My answers rambled, my voice shook, and I was super awkward interacting with the examiners. 
  
  Eventually the examiners ran out of questions and went away for ~5 minutes to discuss the result. During that time, my supervisors and I were left on the Zoom. Immediately, the Bad Co-supervisor started telling me all the things I should have said instead. He made it all about himself and said that he couldn't even look at the camera. 
  
  However, my nice supervisor was super nice and said I sounded thoughtful and knowledgeable in my answers. At least I made the right decision keeping her as my main supervisor instead of the co-supervisor, as was the plan at the start!
   
• So, the result: I passed. Technically this is June news I'm reporting in the May update, but this is blog-worthy news! 
  
  I have thesis revisions I have to make, but it is close to being over. 
  
  After closing the Zoom, I collapsed in sadness and tears. Instead of being relieved or happy, I'm devastated. I feel AWFUL about it. I know I'm supposed to feel so good about it. 
  
  Once I stopped crying so hard, I called my mom and sister to report the news. Missing were my dad's proud yells and excitement. He was always the louder parent, and I'm missing that exuberance right now.
  
  I refused all the friends that wanted to immediately celebrate with me - I just am not in that headspace right now. Any celebration would end with me faking happiness or with me in tears, sobbing. I told them all I needed the weekend to process and do self care and take care of my living space, and that is what this first weekend of June is for, no one and nothing else. 
  
  
• Right after my defense, my boss said she had gotten a notice that my contract was expiring soon and we would need to talk. I'm very likely losing my 18-year job soon. My other contract with my employer lasts until end August, but then it looks like I have nothing on the horizon.

 

HEALTH & LIVING

• Still no flatmate. I will be looking for one soon.
  
  
• I have not been going to the gym. I'm just down in the dumps, never feel like going. It is the task switching aspect of it for me, plus wanting/needing to get certain bits of work done, plus the amount of time in my day it takes up. I wish I could get focused on my physical health again, but my grief just has taken over my life completely. Plus I was defence prepping (or worrying about defence prepping) for most of May.
  
  
• I had a dentist appointment this month: cleaning and dentist check up and X-rays. Very expensive - nearly $500!
  
  
• I went to urgent care in May. One day my left lower side felt a bit cramp-y but I thought it was just my period coming. The next day, I had a normal day at work but when I went home, the pain got really really strong. It was horrible. All I could do was curl up in bed and endure. Then I started vomiting violently. Not from the pain, though, something in my gut was just ...wrong.  
  
  The second round of vomiting without any relief from the pain saw me calling my friends who live two apartment buildings down from me to see if they could take me to the urgent care. It was about 9 pm at that point, and I'd been in excruciating pain since 5 pm with no relief. 
  
  They gave me some strong pain meds - which thankfully worked to relieve 90% of the pain - and took a urine sample. It came back with red blood cells and indicating an infection, so sent me away with a script for pain meds and antibiotics. I've now finished the antibiotics and my gut is still a little tender once in a while. 
  
  I'm supposed to take another urine test to confirm nothing is still going on there.
  
  
• Perhaps relatedly to my gut issues and the PhD stuff (see section, above), I've started to eat a whole lot less over the past few weeks. I'm just weirdly not very hungry most of the time. During the PhD, I used eating as an excuse to take breaks. I have to eat, sleep, etc. to live right? Eating became a way to avoid my PhD, guilt-free. That and maybe due to perimenopause, I gained weight and was teetering on the edge of 70 kg. That is too much for my frame, and I don't recognize myself anymore. 
  
  I hope not being as hungry leads to less snacking and eating for no reason. So far, so good. 
  
  
• My supplements game is a bit off: After my ER visit, I stopped taking the iron pills. I am just worried I'm doing some sort of damage to my gut/intestines as it causes severe constipation. I ran out of magnesium and multivitamins. I still take fish oil, vit B12, Vit D and K, and Biosil drops almost every day. I still need to add back iron and get some fiber in there, but those both can cause gut issues.
  
  
• I need to set my physio appointments up -  have done research and found one I want to try out. 
  
  
• I also want to go to the dermatologist and get a ferritin infusion since I stopped taking the iron pills.

 

TRAVEL & FUN 

• May was mostly me prepping for my defence, though I did go out to celebrate a friend's birthday. 
  
  
• I still have a weekly 'date' with some friends to catch up and watch a tv show, but I had to skip the last few as I was super busy with defence prep. 
  
  
• I saved up for so much travel post-PhD! But post-my dad passing, I do not feel like being anywhere except my home, cozy in solitude and in my comfy bed, or with my family in the US. Nowhere else has any sort of appeal right now. I want familiarity and low energy activities. The travel I do is usually the exact opposite of those things, and I can't fathom spending tons of money just to lay in a strange bed, not seeing or experiencing the new sights and culture around me - I may as well just stay home in a controlled environment if I'm going to just want comfort.
  
  

FAMILY

• My sister found out there is something wrong with her blood counts last month. She still hasn't gotten an appointment to get tested. Her doc didn't refer her properly or something, and it took my mom going with my sister to her follow up appointment for anything to happen. But the referral place doesn't even have appointments available for several months! 
  
  Also my sister had a few mental health crises and was threatening her own life and ended up in the hospital twice in May. 
   

MONEY THOUGHTS & MOVES

• With the high rent, gym membership, and new private health insurance, my spending is way above normal. That is just how it is right now.
   
• It is looking like I will lose my job starting in September this year, but my boss wants to keep me on my project. One option is to go freelance. I'm waiting for my employer's final decision on this.
  
  
• ChatGPT saved me some money already and potentially thousands! Firstly, my electricity and power company changed my plan to a more expensive one due to a meter upgrade requirement, but the meter subcontractor has not contacted me to get access to my meter to upgrade it, for over 7 months now. On the AI's behest, I complained and they now offer me a 44% credit to my account on my bill every month. That's already a few hundred bucks. 
  
  Secondly, my usual car service, Mevo, went into receivership and I had $1500 NZD worth of credit with them that I bought with a US credit card. I complained to the AI and they said to write into the US consumer financial protections office. The bank the credit card is with is now investigating. I don't have a ton of hope that I'll get any of that money back, but they didn't immediately reject my complaint, so that is something!
  

MONTHLY CHALLENGES

• Previously my challenge was to get back on the healthy exercise and eating train, but I keep failing. Therefore I give UP. I can't do it right now. It is time I face it and just try to get through the days as best I can.
  
  June will be another month like this. I just need self care and to get back in touch with my brain and body.

May 2026 Budget

I am earning a full salary now so things are extremely comfortable. I'm able to spend and save at levels like never before, but next month is the LAST month of full salary.

Income: $6,091.17

Salary: $5,654.42

Lending Crowd repayments: $81.40

Zagga repayments: $10.38

Garage rent: $325 

Previous month overage: $19.97 

Spending: $4,998.48 (82.1%)

Savings: $1,138.69 

Spending categories (budgeted amount in parentheses):

Rent: $3,025 - no flatmate

Groceries: $320.85 ($500) - I'm just not as hungry lately; and have been eating down my freezer.  

Electricity & Internet: $205.67 ($300) 

Eating out: $102.20 ($250) - I've been eating more red meat but don't necessarily want to cook it: Burger Fuel ($60.50); Downlow Burgers ($41.70)

Charity: $80 ($50) - Coastguard Lotto ($50); Heart Assoc. Lotto ($30)

Cell phone: $20 ($20) 

Medical: $834.67 ($100) -  Southern Cross premium ($237.49); dental clean and check up ($466.90); Urgent Care visit ($100); antibiotics scrip ($0.28)

Misc: $360.09 ($1K)

alcohol: $0 

entertainment: $0 

self care: $0

fees: $137 - $10 fee for Cityhop membership; $12 Chaotic Neutral patreon; $40 for chatgpt monthly fee; $75 monthly ANZ credit card fee (travel insurance); 

gifts: $142 - flowers for mothers day

goods and wants: $35 - toaster for house to replace busted one

transportation: $46.09 - flamingo scooters x 14; this is getting to be a bit of a bad habit.

travel: $0 

Savings and Funds Activity Update

• I transferred $1K NZD to Squirrel. That balance sits at about $61K, with $7,092 of that invested in various peer-to-peer loans at $100 each at 4.75% to 6.5% p.a.
  
  
• I have about $94K in Rabobank. 
  
  
• I have one Zagga investment ($1K total). One was drawn down. I converted this $ into USD and about $650 US is sitting in my US bank account ready to be invested in my US brokerage account.
   
• I am (still) waiting for Lending Crowd to start up again.
  
  
  

Net Worth Tracking

NZ Savings (cash): $157,370.39 NZD. This includes investments in peer to peer loans.

Peer to peer lending: $8,607.08 (Zagga, Squirrel, open principal at Lending Crowd)

• LendingCrowd: $569.31 NZD - principal still owed, repaid with interest in weekly installments
• Zagga: ~$940 NZD 
• Squirrel: $7,092 NZD

Kiwisaver: $141,115 NZD

US investments: $77,005.75 USD

Total Net Worth - NEW METHOD (May 2026): $331,539.39 NZD

I now only count long-term savings and investments in my Net Worth. This month's NW represents an increase of $11,315.16 NZD since last month, and an increase of $29,245.42 NZD since the beginning of the year. 

What is counted in my Net Worth now: 

• $60K NZD Former House Down Payment Fund (I will drip feed this into US investments)
• Kiwisaver (NZ retirement)
• Roth IRA
• Traditional IRA
• Berkshire Hathaway investment fund (non-dividend yield fund)
• Non-retirement investment account

April 2026: Budget Review and Life Update

Life Update

GRIEF

• No update here, so I'll repeat last month's update: This continues to be the centerpiece of my life. It is my immediate feeling when I wake up, as I go about my day, and as I drift off to sleep. It permeates everything.
  
  
• April was the fifth full month without my dad. The grief keeps getting worse and worse as reality starts to sink in.
  
  
• I am on Week 11 of an online group grief counseling now. It is so very helpful. I am going to be sad when it ends at 13 weeks. What will I do? I don't know, but I will need to make space and time for my grief. If I don't, I know it will spill out into my life anyway.
   

HEALTH & LIVING

• No update here, so I'll repeat last month's update: Still no flatmate. I'm not even going to look for one until after my PhD defense. Again, I say, what is money for if not a situation like this? 
  
  
• No update here, so I'll repeat last month's update: I have not been going to the gym. I'm just down in the dumps, never feel like going. It is the task switching aspect of it for me, plus wanting/needing to get certain bits of work done, plus the amount of time in my day it takes up. I wish I could get focused on my physical health again, but my grief just has taken over my life completely. 
  
  
• I have kept on the fish oil, magnesium, multivitamin, vit B12, Vit D and K, and Biosil drops regimen. I still need to add protein and fiber in there. 
  
  
• Relatedly, I recently realized that I feel better and more full when I eat red meat. I do not like the way beef and lamb taste in NZ (they are fully grass fed, which sounds like a good thing until you realize that that makes the meat very game-y to the US palate), so this is a problem. Part of the reason has to be because my ferritin is still very low, due to (TMI) heavy bleeding. I think I'm in full blown perimenopause but my doctor keeps denying my requests to investigate and treat it.
  
  
• I need to set my physio appointments up -  have done research and found one I want to try out. I think I'll go after some work stuff calms down. 
  
  
• I always have trouble in April. I always check out for like a week. That happened again this year. I could do nothing but call in sick and lay in bed. A few weeks later, I'm starting to feel a little better, but a lot of work piled up while I was away. 

 

TRAVEL & FUN 

• No update here, so I'll repeat last month's update: Still none of that is happening, though I have a weekly 'date' with some friends to catch up and watch a tv show. It is stabilizing and nice. They are so kind. I also went with some friends to see Project Hail Mary, which was wonderful. The audio book is incredible. My other friend's cat died and she moved about an hour away, so it is hard to see her. Another friend is having serious family issues, so she has been busy with them. Yet another friend moved to the bottom of the island. I am running out of friends. :(

FAMILY

• My sister found out there is something wrong with her blood counts. I'm scared.
  
  
• It was my Mom and Dad's 50th wedding anniversary recently. It was intensely sad. 
  
  

PhD & WORK 

• I am totally overwhelmed. There is so much to do and so much pressure, and I just am not coping well.
  
  
• My supervisor asked AGAIN (again) about my defense. I am so tired of fighting for this boundary that I gave in and said she could give the signal to start planning it again. If I fail, I fail. I am so sad and emotional over it and have warned her what happens every time I think of it, so it'll be her fault if I blow it. I can't muster up enough resolve to fight anymore. 
  
  

MONEY THOUGHTS & MOVES

• With the high rent, gym membership, and new private health insurance, my spending is way above normal. That is just how it is right now.
   
• It is looking like I will lose my job starting in September this year, but my boss wants to keep me on my project. One option is to go freelance. I just thought of another option: I could ask my Kiwi colleague who owns her own business in my field to hire me as a staff member contingent on the project funding coming through. If she agreed, I would not have to deal with US and NZ self employment tax issues. Plus, as long as she charged less than 115% overheads on my salary like the Uni does, I would be better off financially than if hired by the Uni.
  
  
• My usual car service, Mevo, went into receivership and I had $1500 NZD worth of credit with them. I have disputed the charges as services not rendered with the US consumer financial protections office because I bought that credit on my US credit card in 2025. They are investigating, but I don't have a ton of hope that I'll get any of that money back.
  
  

 

MONTHLY CHALLENGES

• Previously my challenge was to get back on the healthy exercise and eating train, but I keep failing. Therefore I give UP. I can't do it right now. It is time I face it and just try to get through the days as best I can.

April 2026 Budget

I am earning a full salary now so things are extremely comfortable. I'm able to spend and save at levels like never before. 

Income: $8,921.43

Salary: $8,577.64

Lending Crowd repayments: $73.41

Zagga repayments: $10.38

Garage rent: $260 

Spending: $4,921.43 (55.2%)

Savings: $4,000 - $2,216.65 saved to Squirrel and earmarked towards my $25K Freelance Consultancy Start Up Fund. $783.35 transferred to my US bank account to pay credit card bills/automatic savings. $1K kept in my NZ bank account to be able to pay off my NZ credit card bills. 

Spending categories (budgeted amount in parentheses):

Rent: $2,240 - no flatmate

Groceries: $416.49 ($500)  

Electricity & Internet: $497.15 ($300) - 2 month's worth

Eating out: $184.07 ($250) - Breakfast with friends ($35.87); Pizza Hut ($58.04; Better Burger ($24.66); McD's ($28.80 + $16.10 + $2 + $18.60)

Charity: $260 ($50) - donation to grad school fund to help undergrads get field work experience, which is essential to people in my career 

Cell phone: $20 ($20) 

Medical: $472.85 ($100) -  supplements (Vit C, fiber, B12, L-thianine), medical insurance premium, blood pressure cuff, large pill organizer for supplements)

Misc: $600.87 ($1K)

alcohol: $0 

entertainment: $0 

self care: $113.16 -  1x massage; brow wax and tint, lash tint

fees: $109.99 - $10 fee for Cityhop membership, $59.99 sheet set for primary bedroom (flatmate room); $40 for chatgpt monthly fee

gifts: $47.97 - $2.04 for the bag to mail cousin some NZ gifts; $33.95 shipping costs; $4.99 mother's day card; $6.99 for cute bookmark magnets for mom

goods and wants: $206.48 - camp stove fuel in case of power outage during forecasted big storm ($10.99); $116.52 stuff from American store; $59 wireless earbuds; $19.96 moved to May income

transportation: $123.27 - flamingo scooters x 6 ($22.98); $7.80 for ferry from Devonport to Auckland CBD; $92.49 cityhop car for 1 day to do errands

travel: $0 

Savings and Funds Activity Update

• I transferred $2,216.65 NZD to Squirrel. That balance sits at about $60K, with $6,390 of that invested in various peer-to-peer loans at $100 each at 4.75% to 6.5% p.a.
  
  
• I have about $94K in Rabobank. 
  
  
• I still have two Zagga investments ($2K total).
   
• I am (still) waiting for Lending Crowd to start up again.

• I have now saved up for my last short-term goal of $25K to live off of after my job loss in September. I have no other short or medium term goals left to save up for. Any funds left over at the end of the month will now get transferred to USD to pay for my US credit cards and invested in US investments. 

   

Net Worth Tracking

NZ Savings (cash): $157,200 NZD. This includes investments in peer to peer loans.

Peer to peer lending: $8,993.92 (Zagga, Squirrel, open principal at Lending Crowd)

• LendingCrowd: $657.66 NZD - principal still owed, repaid with interest in weekly installments
• Zagga: ~$1945.77 NZD 
• Squirrel: $6,390.49 NZD

Kiwisaver: $134,317.74 NZD

US investments: $74,933.69 USD

Total Net Worth - NEW METHOD (April 2026): $320,224.23 NZD

I now only count long-term savings and investments in my Net Worth. This month's NW represents an increase of $25,483.83 NZD since last month, and an increase of $17,930.26 NZD since the beginning of the year. 

What is counted in my Net Worth now: 

• $60K NZD Former House Down Payment Fund (I will drip feed this into US investments)
• Kiwisaver (NZ retirement)
• Roth IRA
• Traditional IRA
• Berkshire Hathaway investment fund (non-dividend yield fund)
• Non-retirement investment account

March 2026: Monthly Round Up

Life Update

GRIEF

• This continues to be the centerpiece of my life. It is my immediate feeling when I wake up, as I go about my day, and as I drift off to sleep. It permeates everything.
  
  
• March was the fourth full month without my dad. The third month anniversary was a doozy, and so I was apprehensive about this 4th one. It hit me but not as badly. Something about the three month mark made it more intense, but the feelings of loss became deeper, quieter, and more...instilled inside of me at my core in the 4th. I've never been so grateful to not have a flatmate. I just keep breaking down in tears when I remember things like how he danced to make us laugh, and all the things he did for me and my mom and sister. How even at his worst, grumpiest, and in the most pain, he always kept trying. For us. We were so lucky to have him in our lives.
  
  
• I am on Week 7 of an online group grief counseling now. It is very different from my usual activities, but look forward to it every week. There is a lot of God talk, and I vacillate between being agnostic and an atheist, so that bit of it is not my bag, but the sense of community I feel - even through the screen since it is online - is the heart of the value that it brings. I am going to be sad when it ends at 13 weeks.
   

HEALTH & LIVING

• Still no flatmate. I'm not even going to look for one until after my PhD defense. Again, I say, what is money for if not a situation like this? 
  
  
• I have not been going to the gym. I'm just down in the dumps, never feel like going. It is the task switching aspect of it for me, plus wanting/needing to get certain bits of work done, plus the amount of time in my day it takes up. I wish I could get focused on my physical health again, but my grief just has taken over my life completely. 
  
  
• I used my Southern Cross health insurance for the first time, for a fee to see the nurse to get my second dose of Shingrix. 
  
  
• I did some research into supplements and am now on the fish oil, magnesium, multivitamin, vit B12, Vit D and K, and Biosil drops train. I need to add protein and fiber in there, and I think I'll be done. 
  
  
• I researched physios as I want to work on my posture and creaky joints and bones this year. I have a $300 physio allowance with my Southern Cross membership, and a full body assessment from my preferred place is $150. I can have two follow up $75 appointments later in the year as well.
   
• I have been feeling dizzy, so I didn't want to gym it very hard. I started going to Yoga Nidra once every few weeks, which is basically like guided mediation. I loved it. I also try to go to stretch class.

 

TRAVEL & FUN 

• Still none of that is happening, though I have a weekly 'date' with some friends to catch up and watch a tv show. It is stabilizing and nice. They are so kind. I also went with some friends to see Project Hail Mary, which was wonderful. The audio book is incredible. My other friend's cat died and she moved about an hour away, so it is hard to see her. Another friend is having serious family issues, so she has been busy with them. Yet another friend moved to the bottom of the island. I am running out of friends. :(

FAMILY

• My sister went into the hospital again this month. She is having a lot of issues adjusting to life without Dad, understandably.
  
  
• My aunt went to the hospital as well. We are all worried for her. She had a stroke and heart attack a few years ago and has been on a lot of medication. That medication apparently stopped working for a bit and she had to get new meds. 
  
  
• Things are hitting my Mom hard now I think. She is always distracted and not paying attention on our weekly phone calls. She gets absorbed by her candy crush saga-like games and is using that to distract herself from her pain. It is hard to watch and I am starting to feel like I have lost my Mom as well. 
  
  

PhD & WORK 

• It is going. Some of it is great fun and an awesome distraction, and some parts of it are fine to slightly annoying to have on my plate, but overall, it is the best thing I have going right now. 
  
  
• My supervisor asked AGAIN about my defense. I started crying immediately and said something vague about end of May, maybe. The defense is still my biggest emotional trigger so it will take me longer to feel ready for it. 
  
  

MONEY THOUGHTS & MOVES

• With the high rent, gym membership, and new private health insurance, my spending is way above normal. That is just how it is right now.
   
• It is looking like I will have to go freelance starting in September this year. Either that or I will have no house, no father...AND no job. However, I am written into next year's budget, so income is virtually guaranteed through June 2027. My head of school said he is looking into how I can be made a permanent staff member contingent on the external research funding instead - I would earn much less than I would as a freelance contractor, but I would not have to deal with complex US and NZ taxes and things like quarterly tax payments. On the plus side, if I have to go freelance, that means I can earn Social Security credits in the US, which I do not qualify for right now. 
  
  
• I sent off my US tax forms. Whew.
  
  
• My usual car service, Mevo, went into receivership! I do not know what that means, but I know it is bad. I still have $1500 worth of credit with them that will just...be worthless if they do not pull out of this slump. I have disputed the charges as services not rendered with the US consumer financial protections office because I bought that credit on my US credit card in 2025. This also means I do not have a reliable way to get around for all of the errands I do with a car!
  
  Not having a car nearby will save some money in the long run, if it continues, but when I do absolutely need a car, it will be much more expensive. Cityhop was my previous go-to, but they got rid of their evening 60% off rates and that prompted me to switch to Mevo in the first place. They are just not as affordable, nice of a car selection, or as convenient as Mevo. Hey, at least this will get me walking more places!
  
  
• Work owes me $4800 in reimbursements for research costs.
  
  
• I started thinking more seriously about retirement. Some rough basics and decisions:
  
  
• I am already at my goal of having $40K in basic annual income during retirement, assuming a conservative growth rate and a 4% withdrawal rate. I therefore *could* consider myself CoastFIRE right now and never contribute another dime to retirement (but I don't think I want to do that). 
   
• I will keep contributing the base Kiwisaver amount ($1,042.86, or $87/mo) that qualifies me for the annual government contribution ($260.72) each year. It isn't much but at least it is something...
  
  
• I need to move ~$32K NZD in my NZ savings to USD and invest it in my brokerage account. This will take me up to the NZ FIF threshold, if I'm understanding everything correctly. I do not want to surpass the $50K NZD in cost basis amount in US investments (outside of retirement accounts) because of the crazy tax rules in NZ.
  
  
• I need to live in NZ for 5 years after turning age 50 to qualify for NZ Super at age 65. Right now that would be worth $26K NZD per year, before tax. I should be able to receive NZ Super no matter where I live in the world.
  
  
• I could start partial retirement at 59.5 if I started pulling funds from my Traditional and Roth IRAs at that age. I would still need to work until at least 62.
   
• If I work as freelance for ~3-4 years between now and age 62, I will be paying into US SS tax and will qualify for US Social Security. This would help because I could move up my partial retirement timeline to 62 instead of 65. The US SS $$ will help "bridge the gap" between partial retirement and full retirement at 65.
  
  
• It does not help me at all to wait to take US SS in my case, because NZ Super decreases by the amount of my US SS income. All that waiting will do is change the % of income that comes from the US vs NZ. I will have the same income (the NZ Super amount) no matter what. [Obviously this discounts the idea that either of those funds will run out, which is a total possibility!] 
  
  
• I will therefore start taking US SS at 62. I will need to supplement my income, using a combo of part time work and/or pulling from savings and/or my Roth and Traditional IRAs until I hit 65, when a bunch of things happen:
• NZ Super starts 
• I can start pulling from my Kiwisaver

 

MONTHLY CHALLENGES

• Previously my challenge was to get back on the healthy exercise and eating train, but I keep failing. NZ fall is always a hard transition for me, it suddenly being so dark, cold, and rainy all of a sudden, so I need to go easier on myself I think. In April, I want to commit to:
  
  
• making small changes in my eating habits: meal planning, cooking healthy meals, and cutting down on junk food/unhealthy snacks. Mostly, I want to not buy junk food at the grocery store. If I don't buy it, I can't eat it...

• going to Yoga Nidra and Stretch classes once every other week, at a minimum. Well, starting this Friday. I already missed last Friday and Monday because the gym was closed for Easter. But hopefully I should make it a few other times...

March 2026 Budget

I am earning a full salary now so things are extremely comfortable. I'm able to spend and save at levels like never before. In March, rent and medical spending was very very high.

Income: $6,113.55

Salary: $5,764.82

Lending Crowd repayments: $83.51

Zagga repayments: $5.22

Garage rent: $260 

Spending: $5,063.48 (83%)

Savings: $1,050.07 - saved to Squirrel and earmarked towards my $25K Freelance Consultancy Start Up Fund

Spending categories (budgeted amount in parentheses):

Rent: $2,240 - no flatmate

Groceries: $442.57 ($500)  

Electricity & Internet: $82.43 ($300) 

Eating out: $271.06 ($250) - $95 for friend's birthday dinner (Safran), includes drinks and part of her meal; Zambrero burritos ($80); $8 for popcorn and $7 for skittles to eat during Project Hail Mary movie; $20 for Tanpopo with friends before movie; $63 for pizza for me and my friend from Sal's

Charity: $30 ($50) 

Cell phone: $17 ($20) 

Medical: $1,005.02 ($100) - $390 for dose #2 of Shingrix (I think it is worth it!); $450 for southern cross health insurance premium for 2x months; $170 for supplements

Misc: $795.40 ($1K)

alcohol: $0 

entertainment: $120.56 - 3x tix to a comedy show ($85); $18 for an album on bandcamp; $18 for IMAX project hail mary tix (student discount + gift card balance); 

self care: $133.27 - 2x massages 

fees: $0 

gifts: $151 - flowers for mom's birthday last month

goods and wants: $240.42 - 12 stamps ($56); $9.50 for glass jar and frame from daiso; $11 ceramic stovetop cleaner; $112 for NZ sized envelopes (US ones are different???), wireless ear buds, and lotion from the warehouse; $2.50 for a rubber brush from kmart; $49 for novelty tshirt. 

transportation: $150.15 - 11 trips on escooters around town, including a few very long rides because mevo wasn't available, and a friend's ride because she wanted to try it out. 1 Mevo car trip for $40.

travel: $0 - Although I bought $3K NZD worth of flights to the US later this year. The $3K was taken from my $5K 2026 US trip fund, which was sitting in savings. The money didn't come from my monthly income so I'm not sure how to count it here.

Savings and Funds Activity Update

• I transferred $1K NZD to Squirrel. That balance sits at about $55K, with $5600 of that invested in various peer-to-peer loans at $100 each at 4.75% to 6.5% p.a.
  
  
• I have about $94K in Rabobank. 
  
  
• I made one $1K Zagga investment this month, bringing the total investments to two at $2000 total. I receive about $5.22 per month from my first investment.
   
• I am (still) waiting for Lending Crowd to start up again.

• Standard text: I've met all of my short and medium term savings goals, and then some. In lieu of goals, I have decided to save up for the eventuality that I will have no home and no job this September. This slush fund will also serve as a start up fund in case I go freelance as well. I am calling it my "Freelance Consultancy Start Up Fund" for now. I aim to save up $25K to cover the minimum costs to survive one year. Any funds left over at the end of the month will get split between my US investments and this fund. Any interest I earn from my savings will also go towards this fund. I have < $600 more to save.

   

Net Worth Tracking

NZ Savings (cash): $156,642.11 NZD. This includes investments in peer to peer loans.

Peer to peer lending: $8,304.32 (Zagga, Squirrel, open principal at Lending Crowd)

• LendingCrowd: $726.17 NZD - principal still owed, repaid with interest in weekly installments
• Zagga: ~$1946 NZD 
• Squirrel: $5,632.38 NZD

Kiwisaver: $121,516.64 NZD

US investments: $67,798.66 USD

Total Net Worth - NEW METHOD (MARCH 2026): $294,740.40 NZD

I now only count long-term savings and investments in my Net Worth. This month's NW represents a decrease of $17,432.44 NZD since last month, and a decrease of $7,553.57 NZD since the beginning of the year. 

What is counted in my Net Worth now: 

$60K NZD Former House Down Payment Fund (I will drip feed this into US investments), Kiwisaver (NZ retirement), Roth IRA, Traditional IRA, Berkshire Hathaway investment fund (non-dividend yield fund), non-retirement investment account.