How pharmacies quietly drain your budget and what to do about it – Nadine Higgins
You’re probably thinking “how bad could that possibly be?” The answer was fairly alarming. I’d estimated we spent on average about $50 a month at the chemist. With two small boys who kindly bring us home every bug known to man, Pamol and Vicks feature heavily, particularly in winter. But when I totted up what […]
Retrain your taste buds: How to enjoy food with less sugar and salt
According to the Heart Foundation, New Zealanders currently eat around 9 grams of salt a day, which is more than double the recommended amount. And when it comes to the sweet stuff, we consume around 107g of sugar a day (the equivalent to approximately 27 teaspoons), which is more than double the recommended amount. Lily […]
Daylight saving sleep tips: How to reset your body clock after the shift
What happens to our brain and body clock when daylight saving switches over? Daylight saving, O’Keeffe says, causes what’s called “circadian disruption”. “Everyone has a body clock in the brain that needs to be synchronised to the sun in order to stay healthy and function well. And of course, when we move our bodies to […]
How to protect your finances if you are at risk of getting dementia – Diana Clement
Once your capacity reduces, managing day-to-day money can become difficult. You might forget to pay bills, or lose track of bank accounts. Being too trusting could lead to unauthorised use of bank cards, or pressure to “help out” financially, or just scams. The list goes on. Around 500 New Zealanders are diagnosed with dementia every […]
How to declutter your financial life – Diana Clement
Now’s the perfect time to check phone plans and utility bills. Are you still paying for services you don’t use, or have discounts for your plans expired? Chances are you can phone the supplier and ask for new discounts. Think long and hard about whether you have any long-forgotten financial obligations. Are you still named […]
NZ’s Best Beach 2026: Top 50 finalists revealed – here’s how to vote for the winners
For the next fortnight, we’ll criss-cross the country, north and south, coast to coast, to whittle down the 50 candidates you’ve chosen in five categories: family, camping, surfing, city and hidden gems. We’ve been rolling down state highways and negotiating coastal byways for almost a decade now, since we first asked readers to vote for […]
Divorce coach Fran Young: How to spot a cheating husband and enjoy life after marriage
Where did you grow up? In Pukekohe, my dad was a market gardener, and mum owned a takeaway. As a kid, I used to thin lettuce, grade and wash carrots. When I was 10, I helped in the takeaway – it was slave labour. After I graduated at Waikato Uni I went to Japan and […]
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 […]
Christmas Dinner Recipes: How To Make A Non-Traditional Meal This Festive Season
Make your Christmas one to remember with some alternatives to your usual favourites. Salmon Fillets Wrapped in Bacon with Hollandaise These salmon fillets are elegant and prepared in a flash. The key to quick hollandaise is having the butter bubbling hot when you add it to the egg yolks. Once you have mastered this, there’s […]
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 […]