July 6, 2025 • 20 mins
What would you sacrifice for your long-term financial goals? In this week’s Money Diary, we meet someone who made a bold, unconventional choice... moving countries solo, leaving her husband behind, and taking on a whole new life to set up their future. From rural Japan culture shocks to rapid salary growth and a financial strategy that’s anything but ordinary, this ep is full of unexpected turns, big mindset shifts, and proof that building wealth doesn’t always look the way you’d expect.
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Acknowledgement of Country By Nartarsha Bamblett aka Queen Acknowledgements.
The advice shared on She's On The Money is general in nature and does not consider your individual circumstances. She's On The Money exists purely for educational purposes and should not be relied upon to make an investment or financial decision. If you do choose to buy a financial product, read the PDS, TMD and obtain appropriate financial advice tailored towards your needs. Victoria Devine and She's On The Money are authorised representatives of Money Sherpa PTY LTD ABN - 321649 27708, AFSL - 451289.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
My name is Aatasha Bamblet. I'm a proud First Nations
woman and I'm here to acknowledge country t Glenn Young
Ganya Niana Kaka yah y and beIN ah Waka Nian
our gay In Mbina yakarum jar Dominyamka Domaga Ithawaka Woman,
damon Imlan bomber bang Gadabomba in and now in wakah
Ghana yak rum jar Watnadaa. Hello, beautiful friends, we gather
(00:24):
on the lands of the Aboriginal people. We thank acknowledge
and respect the Abigin people's land that we're gathering on today.
Take pleasure in all the land and respect all that
you see. She's on the Money podcast acknowledges culture, country,
community and connections, bringing you the tools, knowledge and resources
for you to thrive.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
She's on the Money. She's on the Money. Hello, and
(01:08):
welcome to She's on the Money, the podcast that lets
you do pervy about other people's money habits for educational purposes,
of course. Welcome back to another one of our money
darries where we get the absolute pleasure of sitting down
and talking with one of our incredible She's on the
Money community members all about their journey. Let's jump straight
into it, because this week I got a message and
it sounded exactly like this, dear, she's on the money.
(01:30):
My solo mother raised my brother and me for the
majority of our childhood. Until I was around thirteen years old.
I would watch my mum sit there for hours shuffling
money around across credit cards just to pay bills. We
didn't go without, but we knew things were tight. Fast
forward to twenty eight I've completed a four year business degree.
I've paid off a thirty thousand dollars student loan in
(01:53):
five years, started working full time, and received eight pay
rises in the space of five years. Then two months ago,
I left my job to take a work opportunity in
Japan for the next two years, but I left my friends,
my family, and my husband back home in the interim.
Money doarist welcome to the show. That's big.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
It's massive. Thank you, Victoria.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
That is so big, Like, I don't know what it
would take to get me to move countries, to leave
my friends and my family and my husband. So before
I get to know the nedy gritty of your story,
I'm going to ask the same question I ask everybody money, Doris,
to what grade would you give your money habits If
I asked you to give them a grade from A
through to F, I.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Would give myself a B. I have come a long way,
especially in the last five years, but there is still
a long way to go.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
I feel like I need to know more because it
sounds like you're pretty savvy. You've paid off a thirty
thousand dollar student loan in only five years, and you've
got eight pay rises in the space of five years.
Money Darist, can you tell me a little bit more
about your money story.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Yeah, So, like you said, my brother and I grew
up with the solo mum, and I knew it was
tight watching her manage her finances, and my dad was
kind of in and out for the majority of my
childhood and he kind of was the person who lived
out of his back pocket. So growing up, I didn't
have the best role models with money. And then when
(03:18):
my mom met my stepdad at age thirteen, we moved
in with him and his children and they have Kiwi fruit,
avocados and dairy. So from there I had the opportunity
to start working in the family business, and I got
the opportunity to learn about diversification, and they're not afraid
to spend money to make money, and it gave me
(03:40):
a whole new perspective on managing money, not being scared
of it, and yeah, just really working hard to achieve
something that's crazy.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Tell me a little bit more about that journey and
about I guess what that means for you now?
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Yeah, obviously, like working in Kiwifruit in New Zealand, there
are lots of opportunities if you're willing to work hard
for it. So I was given an opportunity to work
in a company through my step dad, so he knew
the context there and I started off just at ground
level there and about three months I was moved up
(04:19):
to supervisor. Six months after that I got promoted, so
I see, and then shortly after that I was made manager.
All through I give credit to my stepdad for helping
me get a foot in the door in the industry there,
but also teaching me hard to work really hard and
encouraging my passion to work in horticulture.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
So tell me what does it mean to work in
keyw fruit?
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Is this?
Speaker 2 (04:44):
I don't know. We've all seen the tiktoks where in
Japan the apples are like thirty dollars each and pressteine.
Is that the type of I guess fruit production you're in.
Talk to me what does it mean to actually grow
keyw fruit in Japan.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
It's a learning expert sperience, that's for sure. The climate
here is crazy. It is hot in summer, like thirty
degrees plus. It's cold in winter. It snow's here. You're
having to irrogate to keep the plants alive. The soil
is completely different from New Zealand. So this whole process
has been a learning curve, not an easy one at that.
(05:20):
But yes, it's obviously we grow for Zesprie, so the
brand as a premium so we're trying to grow a
premium product here. And yeah, put a beautiful piece of
fruit on the shelf.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
That's very cool. So talk to me a bit more.
You've made this decision to literally leave your home country
and go to Japan to work for the next two years.
What type of position is that going to put you in.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
I'm not fully sure when I get back to New
Zealand what work will look like for me. Currently, I'm
in a management position looking after like can we fruit
start to finish? So I'm hoping it's more like operations
manager role or something about higher up. But yeah, I
(06:06):
do love growing and being outside and working with the team.
It's a really good feeling.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
I love that. And are you moving overseas to get
I guess, more experience or like so that you come
home to a better career, or like what has possessed
you to go. I'm leaving my friends and my family
and my husband for the interim.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
The money was a bergue, and obviously the experience of
growing in a different country and just to grow myself
really personally and professionally.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Yeah, you're only twenty eight. I feel like you're still
a baby. I feel like I am a baby. You
are not, really, I just feel like anyone younger than
me must still be a juvenile. But money, Doris, I
want to know what is your official job title and
how much money do you earn?
Speaker 3 (06:48):
My official job title is KP thru Orchard Manager and
I'm earning one hundred and forty thousand dollars gross.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
One forty wow? And is that like, is there tax
implications of earning in a different country.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
I get paid back in New Zealand into my New
Zealand bank account, so there's some tax things that go
on in the background that the company deal with for
me on my behalf.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
That's pretty cool. And is this kind of like a secondment,
Like you said, you work for like zespre which is
a premium keyw fruit brand. Have they kind of like
sent you over there and there might be opportunities when
you get back home. Is that kind of how it works?
Speaker 3 (07:25):
So I work for a different company back home, but
Zesprey is the marketing side of the fruit that we sell,
So they're like a single desk that all gold Kiwi
fruit goes through.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
They're my favorite client just for the record.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Yeah, they're pretty good in terms of back home. I've
always wanted to work for Zesprey. That again, that's not
sure where that will lead yet.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Oh I reckon if we manifested, it could happen. Talk
to me. You've moved overseas, you're earning one hundred and
forty grand. What are your big money goals? What are
you currently working towards.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
It's always been my dream to buy my first home
and live the key we dream out in the countryside
somewhere with a few animals. But lately my mindset's changed
a bit. Now after realizing that buying a home for
me to live in isn't actually an investment. So now
I'd say my money go is to more heavily invest
(08:22):
and just plan some more travel.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Awesome, So let's go to a really quick break because
on the flip side, I want to know more about Japan.
I want to know more about investing and debt, invest
in worse money habits. So guys don't go anywhere. All right,
money diarist, we are back, and I want to know
you have a very nice income. You've moved all the
way overseas to be able to I guess save and invest.
(08:46):
What's the plan around investing? Are you investing or what
are your thoughts on it?
Speaker 3 (08:51):
I do invest a tiny bit. I have one than
two hundred and fifty five dollars invested in Cheers this.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
I feel like you've got the right accent. You've got
the right accent to be investing in Chersias.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
Yeah, just not fully confident in what I'm doing here,
So little bits at a time.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
No, that makes absolute sense, And like would the big
money goals you're working towards if you've got like aggressive
savings accounts, or is the plan to get a little
bit more confident with investing, Like, what are we looking
at when it comes to finances.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
I put into Kiwi service, so I've got forty seven thousand,
two hundred dollars in there, and that's in an aggressive fund,
so it's meant to be returning nine point six percent.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Oh nice.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
And then I have sixty one thousand, three hundred in
a savings account, but that's only returning two point three percent.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
And what's the plan with that? Or are you just
a big saver?
Speaker 3 (09:42):
I would love to invest quite a bit of what's
just setting in my savings account is it's not really
doing much for me, So I guess the next step
would be to talk to a financial advisor on where
I should be putting that money.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Very fair, so talk to me about what the future
looks like. That's a lot of savings and I feel
like you are absolutely killing it. Is the plan to
save up as much of your salary as possible. Like
do you get any type of living away from home
allowance or anything that kind of helps you live in Japan?
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Yes? So the house I'm in is fully provided, so
I don't pay rent, I don't pay power, I don't
pay internet. I have a vehicle fully provided for me.
I get to return fly it's home to New Zealand
a year, which my husband can also use as well
to come and visit. I am funneling away as much
money as possible. Living costs in Japan are very low.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
I was about to say, I've heard that living costs
in Japan are low, So like, talk to me, like,
what are the biggest culture shocks, Like what's it like
going from living in New Zealand, which is a very
western way of living to living in Japan? And like
I saw you before on your zoom camera before we
decided to turn them off to make the internet work
a little bit better. And I was like, oh, she's
(10:55):
definitely in a very Japanese establishment at the moment.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Yes, my house it's very Japanese. The doorways are tiny,
We've got tatami mats on the floor, and it's very Japanese.
And the countryside where I am living the biggest culture shock.
To be fair, it's probably been quite easy to transition here.
It's more so maybe the food. The food is totally different.
(11:18):
It's delicious, but definitely not what I'm used to. Communication
is massive, like trying to talk to people and rural Japan.
There's just not much English happening. See you if to
Google translate everything.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
I was about to ask, like, how's your Japanese if
you're living and working in Japan. Is that something that
you're working on or you came fully prepared? What did
that look like?
Speaker 3 (11:37):
No, I'm working on her. I would like to start classes.
I'm only coming up to my third month here, so
I've still been settling in a bit about Yes, I
would love to start learning Japanese. But for now, I
have a full time translator who works with me on
the orchard, so I can convey to USS, to the team,
and if I need to go to the doctors or whatever,
she's always there to help me.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Oh my god. So hold on this company that we're
working for, fully provided home, fully provided car. You've got
two return flights back and forth through New Zealand each year.
There's a translator that follows you around. Like this sounds
like a good gig. How did you fall into going?
Speaker 3 (12:13):
You know what?
Speaker 2 (12:14):
This is what I want to do? Like did you
just apply? I know you said that your father in
law is somehow involved. I need more info. How do
we get a job like this because it sounds like
a dream.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
So I've been working in Kiri for it for five
years now. I am one of my good friends that
I went to university with. Her dad is who I'm
working for at the moment, and he's asked me three
times to come over, actually, but I kept laughing at
him and saying no, And I actually hid a horse
and stuff back home so I couldn't anyway. Once he
passed away last year kind of freed up my responsibility somewhat,
(12:48):
so I decided to play with the idea and talk
to my husband and see what he thought about it.
And we both thought it was an amazing opportunity, a
good way to save a fair chunk of money each
month so we could buy a house when I got home. Yeah,
I guess the opportunity just presented itself, but I did
(13:08):
not go searching for it.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
That's really cool. Talk to me, how do you have
that conversation with your husband, because I don't know if
mine would be that down for me literally leaving for
two years, What does your husband do and how did
that conversation come to fruition.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
My husband is also in ky Fruit, so we used
to work for the same company.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Very cute, I assumed, given your father in law. I
was like, this is a family affair.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Yeah. Yeah, we worked for the same company. So I
grew the kii fruit back home and he would tell
the grower winter harvest to get the Optomen payout and
obviously provides support throughout the year. So he came on
to work for my client our clients as well. So
that's how we met. How I approached the situation, I
(13:55):
kind of just brought it up lightheartedly a couple of times,
and I guess the time I brought it up, things
weren't quite right with work or family or animals, so
just kind of kept pushing it to the side, and
then it got brought up again, so we sat down
and had a bigger conversation about it. He couldn't come
(14:16):
with me because he has an eleven year old son
back home. Oh right, so that's why we have to
do the long distance. But yeah, he'll be coming over
in September with his son again, so we're going to
plan a few cool trips and hang out as a
family then. But for now, we're making the best of
the situation for the long term goal.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Yeah, that is very cool. Honestly, the idea that you
guys can basically save I would say almost your entire salary,
Is that right?
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Yeah, Well, my total outgoing expenses are only two four
hundred and sixty one a month, so I'm pretty much
saving four thousand, six hundred each month.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
That's actually so cool, And I like that you're so specific.
You're like, well, my outgoings are x and my savings
are Like that is very cool. You mentioned before, like
I'm a bee and I've come along Wait in the
past five years. Talk to me about what that means,
because you just showed me before your money story you
wrote in you said, you know, for your business degree,
I paid off my thirty thousand student loan in five years,
(15:15):
and like I've had eight pay rises in the space
of five years. Like, what do you mean You've come
a long way? Where did we start?
Speaker 3 (15:21):
Like?
Speaker 2 (15:22):
Were you not good at money? What did you mean
by that?
Speaker 3 (15:24):
Yeah? I was not good at money. I guess I
didn't know how to manage money very well. From my upbringing.
There was never savings or that I saw anyway. It
was always a lot of stress, in a lot of
anxiety around money during school, like school holidays, I would
go out and work on the orchard once we had
(15:46):
moved and with my step dad. So I guess that
was my introduction to learning how to work hard for
money and not taking it for granted that money would
always just keep flowing as well.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Yeah, that's so fair.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
Yeah, that was the basis of where it started to
change for me. And then in university, obviously no students
really have an encounter, so to speed back, I did
have a part time job and some student allowance that
helped me get by. I think it was university when
I stumbled across your podcast, actually, and I was just
addicted to it. You help me build my spreadsheet for
(16:23):
all my finances. I love that I've done all this
stuff that I didn't know I did. You're like, you
helped me do this, and I'm like, Slay, of course
I did. Yep, I was absolutely right there. I remember, Yes,
I just started taking accountability for my money.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
It's really hard, though. I feel like if you've grown
up with a different money story, then finally taking accountability
can be really hard or really challenging. Like it's not
like at the end of the day, I try to
make it sound sexy, but it's not that fun, Like
it's not that exciting, but it's really important, right right, Yeah,
So talk to me. Do you have some good money habits.
(16:56):
If so, what do you think your best money habit is.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
I would say my best money habit now is not
impulse buy. I think things through for a long time
before making the actual purchase, and I know where all
of my money goes thanks to the spreadsheet that you
helped me create. Love.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
I'm glad that I was there. I definitely remember it.
I was absolutely there. And on the flip side, what
do you think your worst money habit is?
Speaker 3 (17:21):
I have money sitting there, but it's not doing much
for me, So getting that to its highest potential, I feel.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
Like that's not a bad money habit though, Like I
feel like you are in the right place to learn
and grow and change. And I mean, you said I
have what was it twelve hundred and fifty five dollars
if I'm not incorrect on Shares's, and like you've already
got like a really nice amount of savings and you've
got plans to kind of increase that. I feel like
you're on the right track and we all just kind
of do it in our own time.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
Yes, yes, we do.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Any other bad habits you would like to share.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
Occasionally I'll sign up for like a subscription service for
the free week, and then I feel get to cancel it.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Yeah, I feel like that happens to the best of us.
Like I feel like it's a rite of passage. So
tell me, if I said, money Diarist, what would it
take for you to get to become an A plus?
What would that look like?
Speaker 3 (18:12):
I would say, do some more research on investing and
where I want to put my money so it can
work best for me. Work out whether buying my first
home is actually what I want to do or if
it's more investment property or stocks or something like that
I want to put my money in. And also not
(18:34):
feel guilty about spending money when I do want something.
Sometimes I feel like I should be saving as much
as possible and not just assuming that because I have
a decent income that I'm allowed to spend as much
as I want kind of thing.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
Yeah, I feel like it can be hard, especially when
you're making such a big sacrifice, like you're literally in
another country, so you're like, no, I need to say
that as much possible. But then also, girl, you are
twenty eight in another country. You also need to live
a little bit and like make some memories and enjoy
the journey as well.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
Definitely. I've been putting four hundred a month away for
when my husband comes to visit, my mum comes to visit.
We can do little micro trips around Japan.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
Oh, that will be literally so cool. When is your
mom coming?
Speaker 3 (19:20):
She comes in two weeks.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Oh, so you've got heaps to look forward to because
you're a mom coming in two weeks and then your
husband coming in September. I feel like that's a good
amount of breakup.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
Yes, definitely, and then I get to go home at
Christmas for three to four weeks.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
Oh, how good is that? I feel like it's all
lining up money, darrist I have loved learning about you.
I've loved learning a little bit about Kiwi fruit and Japan.
Thank you so much for coming on the show. It's
been an absolute pleasure having you on. And I know
the community You're going to listen to this and be like,
well that was fun. That was a wild ride getting
to know exactly what happens when you, I guess, decide
(19:55):
to get good at money and then make a really
big change because of it is very cool.
Speaker 3 (19:59):
Yeah, definitely, thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
No, of course, it's been a pleasure. The advice shared
on She's on the Money is general in nature and
does not consider your individual circumstances. She's on the Money
exists purely for educational purposes and should not be relied
upon to make an investment or financial decision. If you
(20:23):
do choose to buy a financial product, read the PDS
TMD and obtain appropriate financial advice tailored towards your needs.
Victoria Divine and She's on the Money are authorized representatives
of Money. Sheper Pty Ltd A b N three two
one six four nine two seven seven zero eight AFSL
four five one two eight nine
My name is Aatasha Bamblet. I'm a proud First Nations
woman and I'm here to acknowledge country t Glenn Young
Ganya Niana Kaka yah y and beIN ah Waka Nian
our gay In Mbina yakarum jar Dominyamka Domaga Ithawaka Woman,
damon Imlan bomber bang Gadabomba in and now in wakah
Ghana yak rum jar Watnadaa. Hello, beautiful friends, we gather
(00:24):
on the lands of the Aboriginal people. We thank acknowledge
and respect the Abigin people's land that we're gathering on today.
Take pleasure in all the land and respect all that
you see. She's on the Money podcast acknowledges culture, country,
community and connections, bringing you the tools, knowledge and resources
for you to thrive.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
She's on the Money. She's on the Money. Hello, and
(01:08):
welcome to She's on the Money, the podcast that lets
you do pervy about other people's money habits for educational purposes,
of course. Welcome back to another one of our money
darries where we get the absolute pleasure of sitting down
and talking with one of our incredible She's on the
Money community members all about their journey. Let's jump straight
into it, because this week I got a message and
it sounded exactly like this, dear, she's on the money.
(01:30):
My solo mother raised my brother and me for the
majority of our childhood. Until I was around thirteen years old.
I would watch my mum sit there for hours shuffling
money around across credit cards just to pay bills. We
didn't go without, but we knew things were tight. Fast
forward to twenty eight I've completed a four year business degree.
I've paid off a thirty thousand dollars student loan in
(01:53):
five years, started working full time, and received eight pay
rises in the space of five years. Then two months ago,
I left my job to take a work opportunity in
Japan for the next two years, but I left my friends,
my family, and my husband back home in the interim.
Money doarist welcome to the show. That's big.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
It's massive. Thank you, Victoria.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
That is so big, Like, I don't know what it
would take to get me to move countries, to leave
my friends and my family and my husband. So before
I get to know the nedy gritty of your story,
I'm going to ask the same question I ask everybody money, Doris,
to what grade would you give your money habits If
I asked you to give them a grade from A
through to F, I.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Would give myself a B. I have come a long way,
especially in the last five years, but there is still
a long way to go.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
I feel like I need to know more because it
sounds like you're pretty savvy. You've paid off a thirty
thousand dollar student loan in only five years, and you've
got eight pay rises in the space of five years.
Money Darist, can you tell me a little bit more
about your money story.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Yeah, So, like you said, my brother and I grew
up with the solo mum, and I knew it was
tight watching her manage her finances, and my dad was
kind of in and out for the majority of my
childhood and he kind of was the person who lived
out of his back pocket. So growing up, I didn't
have the best role models with money. And then when
(03:18):
my mom met my stepdad at age thirteen, we moved
in with him and his children and they have Kiwi fruit,
avocados and dairy. So from there I had the opportunity
to start working in the family business, and I got
the opportunity to learn about diversification, and they're not afraid
to spend money to make money, and it gave me
(03:40):
a whole new perspective on managing money, not being scared
of it, and yeah, just really working hard to achieve
something that's crazy.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Tell me a little bit more about that journey and
about I guess what that means for you now?
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Yeah, obviously, like working in Kiwifruit in New Zealand, there
are lots of opportunities if you're willing to work hard
for it. So I was given an opportunity to work
in a company through my step dad, so he knew
the context there and I started off just at ground
level there and about three months I was moved up
(04:19):
to supervisor. Six months after that I got promoted, so
I see, and then shortly after that I was made manager.
All through I give credit to my stepdad for helping
me get a foot in the door in the industry there,
but also teaching me hard to work really hard and
encouraging my passion to work in horticulture.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
So tell me what does it mean to work in
keyw fruit?
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Is this?
Speaker 2 (04:44):
I don't know. We've all seen the tiktoks where in
Japan the apples are like thirty dollars each and pressteine.
Is that the type of I guess fruit production you're in.
Talk to me what does it mean to actually grow
keyw fruit in Japan.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
It's a learning expert sperience, that's for sure. The climate
here is crazy. It is hot in summer, like thirty
degrees plus. It's cold in winter. It snow's here. You're
having to irrogate to keep the plants alive. The soil
is completely different from New Zealand. So this whole process
has been a learning curve, not an easy one at that.
(05:20):
But yes, it's obviously we grow for Zesprie, so the
brand as a premium so we're trying to grow a
premium product here. And yeah, put a beautiful piece of
fruit on the shelf.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
That's very cool. So talk to me a bit more.
You've made this decision to literally leave your home country
and go to Japan to work for the next two years.
What type of position is that going to put you in.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
I'm not fully sure when I get back to New
Zealand what work will look like for me. Currently, I'm
in a management position looking after like can we fruit
start to finish? So I'm hoping it's more like operations
manager role or something about higher up. But yeah, I
(06:06):
do love growing and being outside and working with the team.
It's a really good feeling.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
I love that. And are you moving overseas to get
I guess, more experience or like so that you come
home to a better career, or like what has possessed
you to go. I'm leaving my friends and my family
and my husband for the interim.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
The money was a bergue, and obviously the experience of
growing in a different country and just to grow myself
really personally and professionally.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Yeah, you're only twenty eight. I feel like you're still
a baby. I feel like I am a baby. You
are not, really, I just feel like anyone younger than
me must still be a juvenile. But money, Doris, I
want to know what is your official job title and
how much money do you earn?
Speaker 3 (06:48):
My official job title is KP thru Orchard Manager and
I'm earning one hundred and forty thousand dollars gross.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
One forty wow? And is that like, is there tax
implications of earning in a different country.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
I get paid back in New Zealand into my New
Zealand bank account, so there's some tax things that go
on in the background that the company deal with for
me on my behalf.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
That's pretty cool. And is this kind of like a secondment,
Like you said, you work for like zespre which is
a premium keyw fruit brand. Have they kind of like
sent you over there and there might be opportunities when
you get back home. Is that kind of how it works?
Speaker 3 (07:25):
So I work for a different company back home, but
Zesprey is the marketing side of the fruit that we sell,
So they're like a single desk that all gold Kiwi
fruit goes through.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
They're my favorite client just for the record.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Yeah, they're pretty good in terms of back home. I've
always wanted to work for Zesprey. That again, that's not
sure where that will lead yet.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Oh I reckon if we manifested, it could happen. Talk
to me. You've moved overseas, you're earning one hundred and
forty grand. What are your big money goals? What are
you currently working towards.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
It's always been my dream to buy my first home
and live the key we dream out in the countryside
somewhere with a few animals. But lately my mindset's changed
a bit. Now after realizing that buying a home for
me to live in isn't actually an investment. So now
I'd say my money go is to more heavily invest
(08:22):
and just plan some more travel.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Awesome, So let's go to a really quick break because
on the flip side, I want to know more about Japan.
I want to know more about investing and debt, invest
in worse money habits. So guys don't go anywhere. All right,
money diarist, we are back, and I want to know
you have a very nice income. You've moved all the
way overseas to be able to I guess save and invest.
(08:46):
What's the plan around investing? Are you investing or what
are your thoughts on it?
Speaker 3 (08:51):
I do invest a tiny bit. I have one than
two hundred and fifty five dollars invested in Cheers this.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
I feel like you've got the right accent. You've got
the right accent to be investing in Chersias.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
Yeah, just not fully confident in what I'm doing here,
So little bits at a time.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
No, that makes absolute sense, And like would the big
money goals you're working towards if you've got like aggressive
savings accounts, or is the plan to get a little
bit more confident with investing, Like, what are we looking
at when it comes to finances.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
I put into Kiwi service, so I've got forty seven thousand,
two hundred dollars in there, and that's in an aggressive fund,
so it's meant to be returning nine point six percent.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Oh nice.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
And then I have sixty one thousand, three hundred in
a savings account, but that's only returning two point three percent.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
And what's the plan with that? Or are you just
a big saver?
Speaker 3 (09:42):
I would love to invest quite a bit of what's
just setting in my savings account is it's not really
doing much for me, So I guess the next step
would be to talk to a financial advisor on where
I should be putting that money.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Very fair, so talk to me about what the future
looks like. That's a lot of savings and I feel
like you are absolutely killing it. Is the plan to
save up as much of your salary as possible. Like
do you get any type of living away from home
allowance or anything that kind of helps you live in Japan?
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Yes? So the house I'm in is fully provided, so
I don't pay rent, I don't pay power, I don't
pay internet. I have a vehicle fully provided for me.
I get to return fly it's home to New Zealand
a year, which my husband can also use as well
to come and visit. I am funneling away as much
money as possible. Living costs in Japan are very low.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
I was about to say, I've heard that living costs
in Japan are low, So like, talk to me, like,
what are the biggest culture shocks, Like what's it like
going from living in New Zealand, which is a very
western way of living to living in Japan? And like
I saw you before on your zoom camera before we
decided to turn them off to make the internet work
a little bit better. And I was like, oh, she's
(10:55):
definitely in a very Japanese establishment at the moment.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Yes, my house it's very Japanese. The doorways are tiny,
We've got tatami mats on the floor, and it's very Japanese.
And the countryside where I am living the biggest culture shock.
To be fair, it's probably been quite easy to transition here.
It's more so maybe the food. The food is totally different.
(11:18):
It's delicious, but definitely not what I'm used to. Communication
is massive, like trying to talk to people and rural Japan.
There's just not much English happening. See you if to
Google translate everything.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
I was about to ask, like, how's your Japanese if
you're living and working in Japan. Is that something that
you're working on or you came fully prepared? What did
that look like?
Speaker 3 (11:37):
No, I'm working on her. I would like to start classes.
I'm only coming up to my third month here, so
I've still been settling in a bit about Yes, I
would love to start learning Japanese. But for now, I
have a full time translator who works with me on
the orchard, so I can convey to USS, to the team,
and if I need to go to the doctors or whatever,
she's always there to help me.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Oh my god. So hold on this company that we're
working for, fully provided home, fully provided car. You've got
two return flights back and forth through New Zealand each year.
There's a translator that follows you around. Like this sounds
like a good gig. How did you fall into going?
Speaker 3 (12:13):
You know what?
Speaker 2 (12:14):
This is what I want to do? Like did you
just apply? I know you said that your father in
law is somehow involved. I need more info. How do
we get a job like this because it sounds like
a dream.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
So I've been working in Kiri for it for five
years now. I am one of my good friends that
I went to university with. Her dad is who I'm
working for at the moment, and he's asked me three
times to come over, actually, but I kept laughing at
him and saying no, And I actually hid a horse
and stuff back home so I couldn't anyway. Once he
passed away last year kind of freed up my responsibility somewhat,
(12:48):
so I decided to play with the idea and talk
to my husband and see what he thought about it.
And we both thought it was an amazing opportunity, a
good way to save a fair chunk of money each
month so we could buy a house when I got home. Yeah,
I guess the opportunity just presented itself, but I did
(13:08):
not go searching for it.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
That's really cool. Talk to me, how do you have
that conversation with your husband, because I don't know if
mine would be that down for me literally leaving for
two years, What does your husband do and how did
that conversation come to fruition.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
My husband is also in ky Fruit, so we used
to work for the same company.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Very cute, I assumed, given your father in law. I
was like, this is a family affair.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Yeah. Yeah, we worked for the same company. So I
grew the kii fruit back home and he would tell
the grower winter harvest to get the Optomen payout and
obviously provides support throughout the year. So he came on
to work for my client our clients as well. So
that's how we met. How I approached the situation, I
(13:55):
kind of just brought it up lightheartedly a couple of times,
and I guess the time I brought it up, things
weren't quite right with work or family or animals, so
just kind of kept pushing it to the side, and
then it got brought up again, so we sat down
and had a bigger conversation about it. He couldn't come
(14:16):
with me because he has an eleven year old son
back home. Oh right, so that's why we have to
do the long distance. But yeah, he'll be coming over
in September with his son again, so we're going to
plan a few cool trips and hang out as a
family then. But for now, we're making the best of
the situation for the long term goal.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Yeah, that is very cool. Honestly, the idea that you
guys can basically save I would say almost your entire salary,
Is that right?
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Yeah, Well, my total outgoing expenses are only two four
hundred and sixty one a month, so I'm pretty much
saving four thousand, six hundred each month.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
That's actually so cool, And I like that you're so specific.
You're like, well, my outgoings are x and my savings
are Like that is very cool. You mentioned before, like
I'm a bee and I've come along Wait in the
past five years. Talk to me about what that means,
because you just showed me before your money story you
wrote in you said, you know, for your business degree,
I paid off my thirty thousand student loan in five years,
(15:15):
and like I've had eight pay rises in the space
of five years. Like, what do you mean You've come
a long way? Where did we start?
Speaker 3 (15:21):
Like?
Speaker 2 (15:22):
Were you not good at money? What did you mean
by that?
Speaker 3 (15:24):
Yeah? I was not good at money. I guess I
didn't know how to manage money very well. From my upbringing.
There was never savings or that I saw anyway. It
was always a lot of stress, in a lot of
anxiety around money during school, like school holidays, I would
go out and work on the orchard once we had
(15:46):
moved and with my step dad. So I guess that
was my introduction to learning how to work hard for
money and not taking it for granted that money would
always just keep flowing as well.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Yeah, that's so fair.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
Yeah, that was the basis of where it started to
change for me. And then in university, obviously no students
really have an encounter, so to speed back, I did
have a part time job and some student allowance that
helped me get by. I think it was university when
I stumbled across your podcast, actually, and I was just
addicted to it. You help me build my spreadsheet for
(16:23):
all my finances. I love that I've done all this
stuff that I didn't know I did. You're like, you
helped me do this, and I'm like, Slay, of course
I did. Yep, I was absolutely right there. I remember, Yes,
I just started taking accountability for my money.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
It's really hard, though. I feel like if you've grown
up with a different money story, then finally taking accountability
can be really hard or really challenging. Like it's not
like at the end of the day, I try to
make it sound sexy, but it's not that fun, Like
it's not that exciting, but it's really important, right right, Yeah,
So talk to me. Do you have some good money habits.
(16:56):
If so, what do you think your best money habit is.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
I would say my best money habit now is not
impulse buy. I think things through for a long time
before making the actual purchase, and I know where all
of my money goes thanks to the spreadsheet that you
helped me create. Love.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
I'm glad that I was there. I definitely remember it.
I was absolutely there. And on the flip side, what
do you think your worst money habit is?
Speaker 3 (17:21):
I have money sitting there, but it's not doing much
for me, So getting that to its highest potential, I feel.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
Like that's not a bad money habit though, Like I
feel like you are in the right place to learn
and grow and change. And I mean, you said I
have what was it twelve hundred and fifty five dollars
if I'm not incorrect on Shares's, and like you've already
got like a really nice amount of savings and you've
got plans to kind of increase that. I feel like
you're on the right track and we all just kind
of do it in our own time.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
Yes, yes, we do.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Any other bad habits you would like to share.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
Occasionally I'll sign up for like a subscription service for
the free week, and then I feel get to cancel it.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Yeah, I feel like that happens to the best of us.
Like I feel like it's a rite of passage. So
tell me, if I said, money Diarist, what would it
take for you to get to become an A plus?
What would that look like?
Speaker 3 (18:12):
I would say, do some more research on investing and
where I want to put my money so it can
work best for me. Work out whether buying my first
home is actually what I want to do or if
it's more investment property or stocks or something like that
I want to put my money in. And also not
(18:34):
feel guilty about spending money when I do want something.
Sometimes I feel like I should be saving as much
as possible and not just assuming that because I have
a decent income that I'm allowed to spend as much
as I want kind of thing.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
Yeah, I feel like it can be hard, especially when
you're making such a big sacrifice, like you're literally in
another country, so you're like, no, I need to say
that as much possible. But then also, girl, you are
twenty eight in another country. You also need to live
a little bit and like make some memories and enjoy
the journey as well.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
Definitely. I've been putting four hundred a month away for
when my husband comes to visit, my mum comes to visit.
We can do little micro trips around Japan.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
Oh, that will be literally so cool. When is your
mom coming?
Speaker 3 (19:20):
She comes in two weeks.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Oh, so you've got heaps to look forward to because
you're a mom coming in two weeks and then your
husband coming in September. I feel like that's a good
amount of breakup.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
Yes, definitely, and then I get to go home at
Christmas for three to four weeks.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
Oh, how good is that? I feel like it's all
lining up money, darrist I have loved learning about you.
I've loved learning a little bit about Kiwi fruit and Japan.
Thank you so much for coming on the show. It's
been an absolute pleasure having you on. And I know
the community You're going to listen to this and be like,
well that was fun. That was a wild ride getting
to know exactly what happens when you, I guess, decide
(19:55):
to get good at money and then make a really
big change because of it is very cool.
Speaker 3 (19:59):
Yeah, definitely, thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
No, of course, it's been a pleasure. The advice shared
on She's on the Money is general in nature and
does not consider your individual circumstances. She's on the Money
exists purely for educational purposes and should not be relied
upon to make an investment or financial decision. If you
(20:23):
do choose to buy a financial product, read the PDS
TMD and obtain appropriate financial advice tailored towards your needs.
Victoria Divine and She's on the Money are authorized representatives
of Money. Sheper Pty Ltd A b N three two
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