Summary

Castle and Kids earn more, save more and do more than other Kiwi Achievers, and are more confident about the future. These married New Zealanders, many with kids still at home, live a busy lifestyle, constantly trying to balance their work and leisure time while making the most out of every hour of the day. They are optimistic about the NZ economy, but are somewhat anxious about their own finances due to over-extending on mortgages and investments. So they have cut back on a few luxuries while watching their superfunds slowly increase. Few have university degrees, instead getting educated through technical or commercial colleges. While many Castle and Kids believe the government is doing a good job running the country, they can’t help feeling that the fundamental values of the society are under threat.

Walk with Me

Amy’s got it into her head that we can’t get by another day without redoing the main bathroom. There’s always something. Last year it was the deck! Still, I joke about it, but I do quite like reading the paper out there on a Saturday morning. 

It’s an hour’s drive to work and back, so it’s nice to be able to come home to your own purpose-built castle. Well, mostly mine—some of it’s still the bank’s. We could have paid it off by now but we refinanced a couple of times to buy an investment property.

Amy is a primary school teacher for the local intermediate school, while I work for the local electrician company. We get by fine and have rewarded ourselves with the odd holiday over the years, here and overseas.

Life hasn’t always been easy, but Amy and I have worked hard, so why not enjoy it. The kids are going to be off soon (and probably to the city), so I want to make the most of having them around. We spend a fair bit of time together, whether it’s going to the footy or just hanging around watching TV.