115. I Feel Like I’m The Only One

About this episode

Jennifer shares her financial struggles and insights about managing money in a marriage while feeling isolated in her journey.

Jennifer first emailed me in early 2023 after listening to all my podcasts. She knew I was a big advocate for parents teaching kids to invest and had a few questions, including one detail that really caught my attention. Her then 17 and 19-year-old children didn’t know they had a small amount of money coming their way at 25. She wanted to keep it secret, plus they had zero interest in investing. That sparked an ongoing email exchange, and nearly three years later, we’re here, with Jennifer finally agreeing to share a much deeper financial story than she first intended. She genuinely thought she was the only one in her position, struggling to make ends meet, trying to get out of debt, and managing a solo financial journey within a happy marriage. This episode is a frank look at how so many couples who think about money very differently are actually dealing with it today, and why her experience is far more normal than she realised. I know there will be people listening who see themselves in her story and come away with reassurance, clarity, and a sense of what’s possible.

People in this episode

Host: Ruth

Guest: Jennifer

Topics covered

• personal finance
• investing
• debt management
• financial education
• parenting and finance
• couples and money

Keywords

• financial story
• money management
• investing for kids
• debt
• financial journey
• couples finance
• parenting

Mentioned in this episode

Places: New Zealand

More episodes of The Happy Saver Podcast - Personal Finance in New Zealand

• 121. The Missing Will · May 27, 2026 · 1h 13m
• 120. Rebuilding After Divorce · April 29, 2026 · 1h 11m
• 119. Revisit with Rachel and David: Out of Property, Into Funds · April 8, 2026 · 44 min
• 118. Living Well, Spending Less · March 10, 2026 · 53 min
• 117. Owning Rental Property Is a Business · February 17, 2026 · 1h 8m
• 116. Separating Finances After Decades of Marriage · January 27, 2026 · 42 min