Gaslighting can mar holiday gatherings. Here’s how to identify, avoid it

Gaslighting in your family can be disguised with loving and caring messages that seem to demonstrate warmth and interest. Your aunt may ask: “Did you find that special someone yet? You know, you could talk to a professional about how to date,” leaving you feeling insecure and second-guessing yourself. Gaslighting can also be overtly aggressive […]
How to spend a Dunedin weekend with your university-aged kid

Not wanting to interfere with study, we still found time on Friday to visit picturesque St Clair. A short drive from the centre of town, in storm or sun, this beachside suburb is a delight. Theo told me of his regular surf trips along this coast, although it was dumpy that day so we lunched […]
How to access KiwiSaver funds after separation – The Ex-Files

If you were contributing to KiwiSaver before the de facto relationship started, the simplest method is to take your KiwiSaver balance at the end of the relationship, subtract the balance from the start of the relationship and the difference is the amount attributable to the relationship. Alternatively, you can calculate the amount attributable to the […]
Slow-cooking secrets: How to master flavourful meals with ease

First, a clarification. The terms “slow cooker” and “crockpot” are often used interchangeably. Technically, “Crockpot” is a brand name for one of the original slow cookers invented in the 1970s. These days, however, most slow cookers share the same essential design: a removable ceramic or porcelain insert housed in a metal casing with a heating […]
How to get through to people who need a financial wake-up call – Diana Clement

Sometimes, sadly, people need to ‘bottom out’ before the wake-up happens, and they can make radical changes to the way they live, said Tom Hartmann, Sorted’s personal finance lead. That doesn’t mean that caring contacts can’t try. Approach the conversation with empathy, not judgment. If you didn’t care, you wouldn’t be involved – and showing […]
How to stop living payday to payday – Diana Clement

When that happened, the couple sought advice through a mentor at Moneywise Manawatū. They were advised to use the No Asset Procedure, which is a type of insolvency, which enables people to clear existing debt. That gave them breathing room. Until discharged, however, the pair couldn’t borrow or get credit cards. “It’s like being blacklisted,” […]
How to rediscover joy at work in 2025

Our increasing levels of work disillusionment are correlated to a growing consciousness that we have more choices. What is harder to explain is what stops us from finding more fulfilling work. We found that the crux of being trapped in what we’ve dubbed a “Groundhog Career”, was a growing gap between the diversity of opportunities […]
Roast vegetables: How to get the most out of them this winter

Timing and preparation Vegetables have varying cooking times. To ensure even cooking, cut vegetables into uniform sizes. Denser vegetables like potatoes and carrots may need a head start. Arrange them on a baking tray and roast for 10-15 minutes before adding quicker-cooking vegetables such as Brussels sprouts and cauliflower. Pre-boiling For particularly dense vegetables like […]
Mary Holm: How to kill debt without selling that classic car or treasured artwork

If you really love your classic car, perhaps keep it if you can, rather than sell it. Photo / 123rf Q: I’m in my mid-forties, with the mortgage on our family home about $150,000 remaining. Our other assets – in various states of liquidity across shares, index funds, crypto, classic car – are also about […]
How to protect your career after kids with ‘couple maths’ – Cooking the Books

Each week BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald’s Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it’s the longterm planning that can make a big difference to your finances. Hosted by Frances Cook. Having kids is a joy and delight, but often also a big hit to the finances, and even the career. It’s […]