I hope you're staying safe during lockdown and enjoying some time with those in your bubble.  I'm sure we're all doing a lot of reflecting on where we're at and what our lives are going to look like post lockdown.

The good news is that we're all spending a lot less money as we're not out socializing or pursuing our normal recreational activities.  The downside is that for a lot of people their income is going to be impacted so there is a greater need to plan out what the future is going to look like.

If you're not impacted financially by the lockdown then there is a fantastic opportunity to look at what you can save and potentially pay your mortgage off faster.  Check out this piece we wrote last year with some helpful tips there. 

We've teamed up with Dunedin based budgeting software firm "Pocketsmith" to offer you a discount on their service (only $5/mth for first 3 months) so that you can plan and track your spending habits both from the past and in to the future with your new budget.  

Here is the link to get this discount.

Pocketsmith is like the "Xero" of budgeting systems.  It takes the information from your bank statements automatically and categorizes it for you so you can see what percentage of your spend you're making in various areas and how that looks over time.  You then set targets and can measure yourself against them.

There is a myth out there that budgeting is only for people who are struggling to make ends meet but i can assure you that's not the case.  What we see time and time again is that budgeting is a key tool for almost everyone who is achieving financial success.  It's the old adage "You can't manage what you don't measure" 

So I encourage everyone to spend that small amount of money signing up with Pocketsmith and make the most of this opportunity to sharpen your finances and achieve your goals!

Stay safe everyone!

Adam, Claire, Greg and the My Mortgage Team