Archive for March, 2009

A week end Newspaper in New Zealand outlined some statistics that I find hard to believe but from all accounts they are true. In the Sunday Star Times in the Article ” That’s rich : now wealthy say they are struggling ” the writer  Jenni McManus  outlines the 2008 accounts of one well healed New Zealander .

These includes   Mortgage Costs  $194,000 School Fees from $18,000 per child, Nanny $45,000, Gardener $9,000, Babysitter $7,500, Car Costs $14,000, Marina Fees $28,000, New Clothes $60,000 ,Flowers $5,200, Botox $9,000, Waxing $400, Gifts $15,000 , Food $23,400.

Salary required to fund such extravagance ….somewhere over $500,000!!! per year.

Whilst the percentage of New Zealander’s able to boast such a salary is very small….that people can be so proverse is sad .. in fact pathetic.

Interesting things are getting tougher even for the wealthy. The beach houses are going under the hammer   (some using the excuse that the kids no longer need them) Some people have been victims of finance companies collapsing ….others are getting significantly lower interest rates on their bank deposits.

Family trusts in some cases have lost vast amounts of money.

How ” the mighty have fallen”!!!

And trees are a good comparison …once you cut them down you can not put them back up again. And the fallen may just struggle a little to get back to the dizzy heights that they once aspired to.

So how mighty has your crash been?  If you spent $519,000 a year on the products and services I mentoned at the start of this article I probably wont be too sympathetic.

But If you are genuinely struggling, never give up hope…there will be an upside…it is just a little difficult to know when that will be.

In the meantime ride  the waves keep afloat and remember to struggle takes away energy and draws the attention of sharks.

And that is not a good ask.

See You Soon

Lindsay Walker

29th March 2009.