NEW RETAIL STORE

Hato Hone St. John has opened a new retail store in Rolleston. The store is located at Shop 4, 57 Tennyson Street. The official opening took place on Saturday, July 1st, with new Store Manager Deb cutting the ribbon. The store is selling a range of quality used clothing for the family, footwear and accessories, plus a range of bric-a-brac, for every use. So pop along to grab those essential items or to have a look at what’s on offer. If you have any items you may wish to donate, take them along to the shop on weekdays between 10am - 4pm, and they will happily rehome these for you.

Thinking of volunteering for Hato Hone St. John? Pop into the store and have a chat with Store Manager Deb, or you can follow the online application process by visiting: join.stjohn.org.nz and apply for job #47316.

Over the past few years, Hato Hone St. John have been gradually adopting ‘Hato Hone’ in their name and logo. The name was not gifted by iwi - it is a literal translation of Saint John to Hato Hone. The name and logo will be applied to new items only. So effectively it has been a cost-neutral exercise for St. John.

Fixed Costs Vs Discretionary

When you apply for a housing loan, the bank or your adviser will analyse your spending habits and regular payments.

There is the ‘discretionary spending’ that you can reduce or stop altogether, such as takeaways, entertainment etc, and there are the ‘fixed costs’, which will carry on once you have a loan.

The fixed costs include rates, insurance, basic food costs and of course the mortgage payments, and anything else that will continue after you have your loan, like transport costs and hobbies.

It is really important that you do a realistic budget so that there are no surprises when it comes to living with a mortgage. Be honest with yourselves. If you have hobbies that you are not prepared to give up, then factor the costs in. The math's is simple - income must exceed expenses, with allowances for an increase in costs. If it is tight, then you need to make changes to either income or expenses to make it all work.

When considering where to buy a home, do you buy a house close to where you work to reduce transport costs or get another job close to your new home that hopefully pays better. Are schools a consideration, or access to other services you require.

Once again, it all comes down to the simple equation - income has to exceed outgoings, so make a budget!

See advertisement alongside for contact details.

Ginny Nelson.