State Blog

The importance of sticking to a renovation budget

A guide to understanding how to create a budget for a residential property renovation, how to stick to it, and how to manage a project when costs blow out.

How to find renovation potential in a house

A guide to finding potential in a residential property and what to look for in terms of renovation, painting, DIY, glow-up, flow and landscaping opportunity.

How to renovate a house with glow-ups and small DIY projects

A guide to adding value to a property or house by investing time in smaller DIY projects such as glow-ups rather than full-scale renovations.

How to grow your money by starting small

How to invest and grow money with only small amounts of cash by using saving accounts and schemes such as KiwiSaver and learning about compound interest.

How to teach your children about money and saving

How to teach your children about money and the best ways to save their pocket money and encourage good financial habits.

How to manage your wellbeing when life gets too busy

A real-life guide to managing yours and your partner’s mental health and wellbeing in times of stress and anxiety when family life, business and jobs get overwhelming.

Changing your lifestyle to beat the cost of living

Not keeping up with the Joneses: How to beat the cost of living crisis in New Zealand by changing your lifestyle to help manage your financial stress.

Three Tips To Improve Your Gut Health

Busy lives can become overwhelming and affect our wellbeing. Read Claire Turnbull’s three top tips to improve your gut health.

Why Saying No Can Be the Ultimate Self Care

Learn why saying no can be the ultimate hack for self-care.

How to Boost Your Energy and Fight Fatigue

Check out Claire Turnbull’s tips for boosting your energy and fighting fatigue.

Five Tips for a Better Nights Sleep

Check out Claire Turnbull’s five top tips for a better night’s sleep.

Three Tips for Better Health and Happiness

Read Claire Turnbull’s top three tips for better health and happiness.

Five Ways to Slow Down in a Busy World

Read Jacqui Maguire’s five top tips for slowing down your too busy life.

How to Take Care of Yourself so You Can Take Care of Others

Hey Small Spender! Teaching Children Financial Responsibility

Pocket money can be a great way to teach your children about financial responsibility.

How to Manage Distressing Situations

Learn how to manage distressing situations in your busy life.

Helping Our Kids Get Money Smart

Being smart with money is a great life skill for our children.

Riding the Money Wave With Your Partner

Life is full of challenges and change. Some are for good, some are not so good. It’s great to feel prepared for when life throws a curveball your way.

Setting Financial Goals With Your Partner

To help you and your partner get on the same page financially, having goals for your money is vital.

What To Consider When Combining Finances With A Partner

Getting on the same page as our partner when it comes to money helps us feel closer and more secure.

Helping Our Kids Understand Saving

Knowledge is empowering for children. They like to feel like they are 'in on things'.

Checklist For Busy First Home Buyers

Here’s some important things to look out for, to help you find that perfect home.

Spend Your Time Wisely

It's not an unlimited resource, so make the most of it.

How to Create Multiple Income Streams

Protect yourself from economic ebb and flow with additional income.

How To Stay On Top Of Your Wellbeing

We function better when we are healthy, but when we are busy we can forget to prioritise our wellbeing.

Do I Pay Off Debt or Save?

You are earning more than you spend - great! Now what?

Be Smart With Your Money

Managing your finances needn’t be a burden – do it right and you might even enjoy yourself.

Now is the Best Time to Plan for Retirement

The sooner you start putting aside money for retirement, the better off you'll be.

Sharing a Romantic Dinner for Two, at Home

A popular way for busy couples to reconnect is a nice dinner out - but the expense can prevent some families from making the time for these occasions.

Make Your Pantry Work for You

The most common mistake people make with their kitchen pantry is overstuffing it.

Five Family Dinners for $60*

Budget-food blogger Kathrine Lynch is known for her meal challenges - 62 cooked meals for $100 and Christmas dinner for $15 a head.

Creating A Wow Wardrobe

Everyone wants an attractive, well-organised wardrobe, but most of us live in a state of disarray.

How To Organise Your Linen Cupboard

Linen cupboards tend to get messy by degrees until, suddenly, you can't find what you’re looking for.

Feeding Fussy Kids

As a mother and food blogger, Kathrine Lynch has been there, done that and figured out a few tips and tricks.

Protect and Polish Your Home

We’ve been home more than ever, but that doesn’t mean we’ve done more around the house.

Six Of The Best House Moving Tips

We all know it can be a stressful and logistical nightmare, even with that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow (new house!)

Is Your Home Summer Ready

As the weather warms up, we get productive around the house in anticipation of New Zealand’s favourite time of year.

Updating Your Home the Sustainable Way

Sustainability is one of the world’s hottest topics. Here are our tips for getting a better-looking, better-functioning home without feeling guilty.

Coping with Too Busy Lives in the Run Up to Christmas

See some ways people cope when they’re too busy leading up to Christmas.

Everything You Need To Know About Insuring Your Engagement Ring

If you're planning on getting down on one knee this holiday season, make sure your engagement ring is insured before you do. After all, you want to get hitched without a hitch.

Show Your Kitchen Some Love to Increase the Value

It’s no surprise that if you’re selling your home, the kitchen can be a big selling point - or a big red flag!

Avoiding A Break In

The New Zealand Police reported that over 49,000 Kiwi homes were burgled over a 12 month period. So what can you do about it? Here are a few smart ideas.

Travel Tips for Holiday Makers

Planning an overseas get-away? Here are some quick tips for a well deserved chilled-out holiday – whatever happens.

Top Tips For Getting Your Home Ready To Sell

There are countless ways to add value to your home before you sell it.

How Much Is Your Stuff Really Worth?

As we travel through life accumulating belongings, it would be great if there was a magic calculator adding it all up as we go.

How to Clear Your Home of Clutter

You know you want to do it and you know it will be liberating, but it’s not feeling at all easy.

Take the Stress Out of Entertaining

Being well prepared and armed with the right kitchen appliances can make entertaining a breeze.

Buying Your First Home To Get On The Property Ladder

Buying your first home will likely be one of the biggest investments of your life and the numbers will seem huge.

Warming Your House Over Winter

There are a number of options for escaping the winter chills, but your choice needs to suit the size and construction of your home as well as your location and budget.

10 Easy DIY Home Renovations That Won't Break the Bank

Here are some quick and easy ways to refresh the look of your home, whether you’re getting ready to sell or simply looking for an uplifting makeover.

Smart Home Security Systems in New Zealand

Historically in New Zealand, to get a home burglar alarm you called one of the big security companies and they sent someone around.

The Quick Guide to DIY Home Security Systems

New Zealand has seen a surge in wireless internet connected systems you can usually install yourself.

Give Your Home a Top-to-toe Fire Safety Check

The risk of a fire in the home increases in winter as you start to use fires and more appliances like dryers and heaters.

Moving Into a New Home? Here’s How to Make It Safe

Before you settle in, it's a good idea to think about security and safety in your new home.

Spring Clean Your House in a Day

Here’s a handy to-do list which includes all the spots you've likely neglected for the past year – and how to tackle them like a pro.

A Quick Guide To Decluttering

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed while looking at your overstuffed wardrobe or struggled to find a place to store new items you’ve just bought, then this article is for you!

The Cure for Monday-itis

We’ve all dreaded Monday at some point in our lives. Here are our tips on how to deal.

How To Stretch Your Dollar Until Payday

Payday seems so far away and you’re trying to stretch your dollar as far as possible until then. Try these tips to tide you over until then.

How To Streamline Your Routines

Routines may get a bad rep but we think they’re essential for busy lives like yours.

Don't Get Burnt In A Bedroom

With one in six fires starting in the bedroom, we've put together a list of things you can do to help prevent fires starting in your bedroom.

Protect Your Home from Burglary

Good home security is one of the best ways to stop unwanted intruders coming into your home and taking your hard-earned belongings.

What Is Cybercrime

Cybercrime – it’s a term that is thrown around a lot, but what exactly is cybercrime? Why is everyone talking about it and how does it affect you?

The Different Cybercrimes & How to Prevent Them

Here are some common cyber threats and hacker habits; and what you can do to protect yourself from them.

Keeping Kids Safe Online

Kids are more connected than ever, but have you talked to them about the dangers online? Check out the tips here to make sure they're safe.

Social Media, Devices, and Security

It may seem like nothing, but living in a social media and technological world comes with threats to our security and privacy.

Staying Safe Online

Cybercrime is increasing - that’s a fact. In 2017, 1.14 million New Zealanders fell victim to some sort of cybercrime.

Do's & Don'ts of Office Parties

Office parties can be a lot of fun, but you don't want to be 'that person'. Read some do's and don'ts of office parties.

Keeping Your Furry Friend Safe

Household pets are responsible for over 1,000 house fires each year in the US.

Tips for a Successful Night Out Partying

Tips for a successful night out partying.

Don't Let It Burn

Did you know – it can take just 30 seconds for a small flame to become an out-of-control fire, and minutes for thick, black smoke to fill a home.

Lost Passport Overseas

Your passport is your ticket to the world, so when you lose one of the most important documents it can be a very stressful experience.