The Happy Saver Podcast - Personal Finance in New Zealand · Ruth - Personal Finance Blogger

111. Moving Closer to Financial Independence

·54 min·5 clips

Marion is 50 and speaks anonymously for herself and John, who is 53. They talk with Ruth in mid-August 2025 while preparing to sell their home and move from the Greater Wellington region to Canterbury. Their story begins in the Netherlands, where both were born, and then follows them to New Zealand. That move matters because it shapes how they handle change, work, and where money should go. Marion works for herself and has done so for years, with income that can be uneven. During COVID, it sometimes stopped entirely. The couple managed by living off John's income and saving hers, which gave them breathing room when her work slowed. In 2012, they felt settled enough to buy their first house in New Zealand. After selling their home in the Netherlands, they used cash to buy an 800-square-metre section for $150,000 and build a 108-square-metre house for about $200,000. They stayed mortgage-free. Around 2016, they moved again as their needs changed. This time they sold the first house for $400,000, built a larger 180-square-metre home on a 2,000-square-metre section, and kept the total around $450,000 by combining equity with savings. Even without a clear investing strategy, they kept putting money aside. Their earnings were solid enough for that approach to work, with John on about $80,000 gross and Marion on about $40,000 gross. Over time, retirement became the real pressure point. They started to wonder whether New Zealand superannuation alone would be enough at 65. They tried investing in the early 2000s and again around 2008, but they did not rush into KiwiSaver. At first they were unsure they would stay in New Zealand, and they did not like the idea of money being locked away until 65. After getting advice, they took over managing their own money completely. Now their next step is to sell the house and decide where life goes from here.

As heard by us

A practical money story about saving, housing choices, and planning for retirement.

The episode centers on a Dutch-born couple's money story, and its appeal comes from choices that build over time: moving country, relying on self-employed income, living mortgage-free, buying with cash, and keeping retirement in view.

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Why you'd press play

A mortgage-free Kiwi couple shows how saving without a clear goal still led somewhere.

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