Genesis

Money IS important, but other things are even more important eh? The human psyche is one that most of us take for granted the 'God given rights' we have, such as water, health friends, our car our home etc all pretty much are things we expect. Money is something you have to work hard for and it makes life comfortable.

Mind you if one had all the water they could drink, tonnes of chums, was bristling with health, a car on the drive and your own home.....wouldn't life be an utter bastard without money????????

Whether you like it or not money is very important. I would rather have it than not. Money worries (or the lack of it) cause huge stress in one's life.

And indeed what you do with it and your attitude to what you have is very important. I too knew a couple of very wealthy people...probably 2 of the most unbalanced people I have ever known and in one case an incredible sad, mean, miserable git.

downunderpom

I agree. I've been rich. I've been poor. Rich is more fun, because it gives you more options. Ask Mrs DUP what she remembers most about our first three months in Oz and she'll tell you - "Being hungry." When we went to Oz we were beyond broke. You lost $80K in a Finance company's foul-up. I lost hundreds of thousands of pounds when the planes hit the Twin Towers, and the market I was in dried up. I expected things to get back to normal, and kept paying staff for 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, then the money was all gone, and I had to close the business. It was annoying, but it didn't break me. I didn't spend all of my time moaning and going "Oh, if only!!" I got up, dusted myself off, and said "Now, how can I fix this?"

The thing is, if you have ENOUGH money, you can be happy. What that "ENOUGH" figure is, depends on the person. For some $50K a year would be a fortune. For others $50K a year wouldn't be enough to keep them in Guccis.

Like I said, I prefer to be rich because it gives me options. I'm still working on getting it all back, and I will. Of that there is no doubt. But that's because I look ahead, rather than bemoaning the past. My motto is "What can I do for myself and my family today?" As I'm one of those "ethical businessmen" you hear about, what's good for me benefits others. I make sure of that. I spread the wealth, and not just in monetary terms. Jobs are good, and if I can offer them I do. Also, encouragement. That's a gift without price.

What have you done for yourself and your family today? And no, I'm not just asking this question of Genesis, even if it seems that way. I'm asking all of you.

Genesis

Very sage words. I am on the parenting course. I am fully aware I am letting the side down now on a number of levels but I am making that effort you speak of. As for getting stuff back like you are doing I am afraid that is beyond me. I don't have your market savvy (it sounds like you know what you are doing) and also alas I lack that drive to GET money. Nothing wrong in having it that drive, I wish I did.

Even when I had my own little cleaning company in the UK I only worked 20hrs a week because that was all I really needed, time is more important to me personally, again nothing wrong with a person doing a 16 hr day as long as everyone is happy.

And further to that you don't join the police to be wealthy eh? But I do get annoyed when someone sells you a duck and it turns out to be a turkey and those in charge let it happen. I have lost shit loads (the proceeds of a small inheritance) before this on the stock market, never really bothered me. What does bother me is the WAY this money was lost (not telling the truth and the watchdogs doing nought) and of course I would rather have spent the money or given it to my kids that to some wealthy and apparently dishonest speculator.

trafford

I was that proverbial Gucci addict (though for me it was Chanel and Celine). It's not that I wish misery on anyone else, DUP, but it is good to hear from someone who has been through the mill and has come out the other end. I would agree about it easier having money – less stressful at least! We always said we wanted to go back to NZ, but we could never envisage giving up the large income here in the UK and the business we built from scratch. Well, fate certainly intervened to change that situation! I believe/hope that things will eventually stabilise, and like you said DUP, only by going through some problems can you end up in a better place. Sometimes only hindsight and the experience and support of others help us understand what lessons life is teaching us. I do wish fate would up the GBP though!!!!
That is a real shame Genesis. I haven't lived in NZ for 15 years, but read some news about the various financial companies that went bust with loads of investors money. It feels like being robbed, I imagine. And you know the money is not likely to come easy again. We had some bad debts from companies - some of the companies were worth over £1Billion, and you would have considered the CEO/FC to be professional and trustworthy - but some were sharks and saw it as doing smart business because we were smaller and less "switched on". One man even told us he was doing us a favour teaching us the pitfalls, while he walked away without paying the final £110k of his invoice. Not the smartest tools my OH and I!!!!
Today, despite the problems of work, I came home and sat with my children eating dinner and having a laugh. And I am now indulging my OH by letting him watch “Outback Truckers” on tv. I am on an express elevator to heaven for that one!

BEVS

My OH will watch this if he can. Also the one about the logging teams & the dreaded 'Man v Wild' .

scottishstacey

Its as if they are making programs about anything these days lol. My oh fancies himself as one of those ice road truckers. The outback one looks quite good tho

trafford

My OH is an infallible "sh*te telly programme detector". It's like he doesn't even need radio times or the sky menu. You wouldn't have thought it was possible to have so much reality tv about men, trucks, logs and car chases. There's even a programme about a reclamation yard that he likes to watch. What's the tv like in NZ? Can we get British Sky over there? My brother reckons you can pay for a subscription here in the UK but still watch it over there in NZ somehow?

Genesis

5 Billion NZ$ was lost when 45 odd of them fell over in NZ. The commerce commission let it happen so did all the so called 'guardians' who were the 2nd tier 'check' if you like.

No kiwi govt had bothered to tighten up regulation...she'll be right or couldn't be arsed....take yer pick. No wonder NZ was dubbed the 'wild west of the fiscal world'!!

I chose Hanover as they were sold as being the most conservative of ALL the 48 odd companies and accordingly were the ones paying the least interest...9% about 2% over the bank at that time. That is why I ironically avoided Bridgecorp who were offering 13%. My choice was apparently shrewd and well thought out..yeah right!! Why would you not do it??? It turns out the bastards were using our money in such a way that were being exposed to a risk that should have returned around 13%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Again I say I can accept loses and have done, but not when we were lied to let down and left to sink...BLOODY SHAMEFUL!!!

Had I KNOWN that it would have stayed in the bank. Yes, I was a mug to trust them but 17000 others got taken in and we lost around half a billion betwixt us in just this one company.

downunderpom

"Reality TV" is an oxymoron, watched by morons.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff-nation/...lead-us-astray

scottishstacey

We're all morons then.

TommyLuck

The equivalent of saying "I'm not fat, I'm big boned".

The self-professed "realists" I know, socially or at work, seem to lack ambition, are not adaptable and abhor change.

The optimists tend to thrive.

At least a pessimist is honest about their view.

Not a true science, but the correlation is there - you make your own luck and all that.

Assanah

Well, good for you that you are moving to NZ. This country seems to be filled with the 'realists' that you know. Enjoy

love30stm

Steve88

Hi, Becky here - we are in a position now where we have made equity on our house by doing it up and we have more money than we have ever had.... (although compared to some it's still not much!) - but for us it has given us choices which we could never have dreamed of before.... emigrating being one of them!

The only problem is it's thrown up all sorts of dilemmas...... do we take it over with us (considering the crap exchange rate)......or tie some of it up in a little property here in UK to rent out..... or remortgage/borrow more (to access some equity) and then rent out our current house...... Do we take out a buy to let or take our chances with our current deal/lender....... will house prices go up or down? Will exchange rates get any better in the near future?.......agggghhhhh!!!

So many decisions to make and risks to take - me eds spinning!!! Think we need to go talk to a financial advisor... (I never thought I'd say that a few years ago!!)

Sorry to bombard everyone with my thoughts/anxieties ..... money is the root of all evil!!

Genesis

HiFX's Dan Bell looks at the correlation between the NZ$ & the gold price & the potential for US money printing to end; Suggests NZ$ could be down to US75c by year's end
From www.interest.co.nz

Give a glimmer of hope for you. The kiwi may come off the boil as above, we all know it will, we just don't know when.