Me and My Money: Dione Forbes‑Ryrie

Dione Forbes-Ryrie
The managing director of Les Mills talks about financial fitness. Photo credit: Supplied.

"I have six or so bank accounts on the go.

"Having a specific purpose for saving makes it way more meaningful."

Dione Forbes-Ryrie, managing director at Les Mills NZ Group.

Money.  It's the driving factor behind many life choices, but is it the be-all and end-all?

'Me and My Money' is a weekly feature that investigates Kiwi attitudes towards money and what drives the choices they make.

Newshub spoke to Dione Forbes-Ryrie, managing director at Les Mills about using a SodaStream to save money and waste, recycling wardrobe items to make way for new things and using multiple bank accounts to encourage saving.

Share a goal that you've set for 2020.

A couple of goals are paying off a loan I took out in 2010 to buy into Les Mills and spending four weeks in my favourite village in France. 

One month in, both are looking doable. 

Are you a saver or a spender?

Both in equal measure. Yes, it is possible.

You need a new dishwasher.  Are you mainly driven by quality, price or both?

I do need a new dishwasher! The Fisher & Paykel we recently inherited from my late Dad stopped working after 30 years plus.

Quality and price are equally important to me: if I can’t have both, I go for quality.

Give an example of a recent purchase that you consider was great value for money:

A SodaStream. I love sparkling water, but not the single use bottles it comes in. The  SodaStream is great for my wallet and the planet.

Have your buying habits changed from in-store to online?

Absolutely. I love Google and that’s where all my shopping journeys begin in terms of research. 

Any repeat orders are almost always online, but I still buy the majority of my clothes and shoes in-store as the fit is critical to me. 

If you've got spare money to invest, what would you invest in?

Property - preferably with the opportunity to add value e.g. a do-up. 

What was your last impulse or 'fritter' purchase and how did you feel about it afterwards?

I went out to buy asparagus and came back with two pairs of shoes (and the asparagus)!

Afterwards, I had to decide on two pairs of shoes to give away to a girlfriend or charity (Dove).  I have a rule that anything coming into my wardrobe needs to be matched by something being recycled out.

Do you have a household budget?

Not as such, but we have a separate account that all household expenses are paid from so we are conscious of the spend.

Does having more money increase happiness?

For me personally, yes. I know how I like to live my life and money makes that possible. 

I don’t think the answer to this question is a one-size-fits-all though. 

I spend time in Kenya every year and interact with many people who have less but seem at least as happy as I am.

What's your golden rule for saving money?

I have six or so bank accounts on the go (all suffixes of the one main account).  

They each have a purpose, e.g. a ‘travel’ account which I put money into every pay day.

Another account is called ‘refurb’ and this is building up a fund to refurbish the place my husband and I recently purchased. 

I find having a specific purpose for saving makes it way more meaningful.

How much cash do you have on you right now?

$20,000 Kenyan Shillings (NZ$306) and $1,850,000 Indonesian Rupiah (NZ$208). 

Not particularly useful in Auckland, but I’ll spend it when travelling this year.