E tu kahikatea, hei wakapae uroroa Awhi mai, awhi atu, tatou, tatou e - Kahikatea stand together: their roots intertwine, strengthening each other.  We all help one another and together we will be strong

What is MoneyMates?

MoneyMates is a peer-led support programme based around the concept of sharing and learning together as a group. Participants learn from others and gain control over their financial lives to make longer-term behaviour changes.

What happens in a MoneyMates session?

Facilitators help a group of participants to talk openly about money and finances (not necessarily about specific details of their own debt, but about, choices, options and behaviours).

Together, over several weeks you can:

• learn more about getting control of debt, budgeting and cash flow management, financial products, safer lending and growing their resources
• learn from other people who are in similar situations, share your own insights and knowledge and build support networks with people going through the same experiences
• access other information and support such as online forums, helplines and the Sorted Website                                 
• build up your networks with your whānau and your community.

Topics covered:

Your Money Personality

• Money Quiz
• Money personalities
• How we relate to money

Needs and wants

• Identifying needs and wants
• How to have difficult money conversations

Goals

• Goal setting
• SMART goals
• Planning for change
• Behaviour changes

Keep track of money

• Spending diaries
• Budgeting
• Do it yourself budget

Paying off your debt

• What debt really is
• Understanding the costs (money and emotional) of debt
• Managing debt

Borrowing sensibly

• Credit cards
• Credit rights
• Credit contracts
• Your credit rating – what it is and how to improve it

Save

• How to save
• Compound interest
• Kiwisaver

Get a fair share

• Taxes
• Entitlements
• Know what’s available in your community
• Helping the group to create its own learnings, sharing advice and opportunities

Pay it forward

• Ways to share what we’ve learned across our whānau and community
• Becoming a MoneyMates facilitator