--- title: NZ Home Loan Blog | Emily Doran --- [0800 030 646](tel:0800030646) - Search - [Contact Us](https://nzhl.co.nz/contact-us/) - [Find Us](https://nzhl.co.nz/find-us/) - [Client Login](https://nzhl.co.nz/login/) [![NZHL](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/hubfs/Nzhl_January2019%20Theme/Images/logo-footer-nzhl.png)](https://nzhl.co.nz/) - [Home Loans](https://nzhl.co.nz/home-loans) - - [Change to NZHL](https://nzhl.co.nz/home-loans/switch-to-nzhl/) - [Buying your first home](https://nzhl.co.nz/home-loans/first-home/) - [Buying your next home](https://nzhl.co.nz/home-loans/next-home/) - [Interest rates](https://nzhl.co.nz/home-loans/interest-rates/) - [Home Loan calculators](https://nzhl.co.nz/home-loans/tools-calculators/) - [FAQ](https://nzhl.co.nz/about-nzhl/faq/) - - [How much could I borrow?](https://nzhl.co.nz/home-loans/tools-calculators/) - [Where's my nearest office?](https://nzhl.co.nz/find-us/) - [How much deposit do I need?](https://nzhl.co.nz/home-loans/first-home/getting-a-deposit/) - [Insurance](https://nzhl.co.nz/insurance) - - [Your Life](https://nzhl.co.nz/insurance/your-life/) - [Your Health](https://nzhl.co.nz/insurance/your-health/) - [Your Home and Car](https://nzhl.co.nz/insurance/your-home/) - [Your Income](https://nzhl.co.nz/insurance/your-income/) - [Request a quote](https://nzhl.co.nz/insurance/request-a-quote/) - [FAQ](https://nzhl.co.nz/about-nzhl/faq/) - - [NEW! 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The Child Cancer Foundation stands shoulder-to-shoulder with every family who... [Read More](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/the-big-hoot) #### [Downsizing - a year down the track](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/downsizing-year-track) - Emily Doran - 14th of March 2018 [![houses1250x350](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/hs-fs/hubfs/houses1250x350.jpg?width=688&name=houses1250x350.jpg)](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/downsizing-year-track) Over a year ago, while pregnant with our second child, we decided that instead of getting a bigger house to accommodate our growing family that instead it would be a good time to [downsize our home](https://nzhl.co.nz/articles/upsides-of-downsizing-your-home/).... [Read More](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/downsizing-year-track) #### [A mini break on a mini budget!](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/mini-break-mini-budget) - Emily Doran - 28th of February 2018 [![plane1250x350](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/hs-fs/hubfs/plane1250x350.jpg?width=688&name=plane1250x350.jpg)](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/mini-break-mini-budget) Have you ever found that dedication wains at some point? Especially when you are paying off a mortgage over a period of many many many years? You start out so motivated to knock this sucker off, you... [Read More](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/mini-break-mini-budget) #### [What is XRACE?](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/what-is-xrace) - Emily Doran - 19th of February 2018 [![](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/1_-BLINDFOLD-HAWERAcrop.jpg?width=688&name=1_-BLINDFOLD-HAWERAcrop.jpg)](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/what-is-xrace) You may have seen us giving away free XRACE tickets or talking about XRACE on Facebook and thought to yourself, what on earth is XRACE? [Read More](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/what-is-xrace) #### [Team NZHL Women Beyond Cancer...where it started. My Story.](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/team-nzhl-women-beyond-cancer-started-story) - Emily Doran - 14th of February 2018 [![NZHLwbc1250x350](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/hs-fs/hubfs/NZHLwbc1250x350.jpg?width=688&name=NZHLwbc1250x350.jpg)](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/team-nzhl-women-beyond-cancer-started-story) It all started with an off hand conversation in the lobby of the Wanaka Event Centre. I was chatting with Adam Fairmaid (of [GODZone](http://godzoneadventure.com/) team) who asked me if I had entered the 2018 race in Fiordland. I’d... [Read More](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/team-nzhl-women-beyond-cancer-started-story) #### [Teaching Kids About Bank Robbers](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/teaching-kids-bank-robbers) - Emily Doran - 30th of January 2018 [![bankrobber1250x350](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/hs-fs/hubfs/bankrobber1250x350.jpg?width=688&name=bankrobber1250x350.jpg)](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/teaching-kids-bank-robbers) Hey a huge well done to you!  Yes YOU! [Read More](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/teaching-kids-bank-robbers) #### [Move on from post-holiday financial guilt](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/move-post-holiday-financial-guilt) - Emily Doran - 23rd of January 2018 [![bags1250x350](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/hs-fs/hubfs/bags1250x350.jpg?width=688&name=bags1250x350.jpg)](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/move-post-holiday-financial-guilt) If you’ve recently woken up thinking about how much you spent in December, you’re not alone. Leading up to the Christmas holidays, [Kiwis’ spending surpassed the year before](http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/money/2017/12/kiwi-shopper-s-christmas-spending-higher-than-2016-paymark.html) by 5%. [Read More](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/move-post-holiday-financial-guilt) #### [The hidden costs of free education](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/hidden-costs-free-education) - Emily Doran - 17th of January 2018 [![kids1250x350](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/hs-fs/hubfs/kids1250x350.jpg?width=688&name=kids1250x350.jpg)](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/hidden-costs-free-education) Most parents with school age children will already know this, but as a parent with my first child heading off to school, I'm discovering that my daughters 'free' education is actually going to cost... [Read More](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/hidden-costs-free-education) #### [Your summer reading sorted - Top 5 NZ Personal Finance Blogs](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/top-5-nz-personal-finance-blogs) - Emily Doran - 12th of January 2018 [![summerreading1250x350](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/hs-fs/hubfs/summerreading1250x350.jpg?width=688&name=summerreading1250x350.jpg)](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/top-5-nz-personal-finance-blogs) Summer holidays is a great time to catch up on all the things one never gets to do during the rest of the year, like reading. Here are my top five picks for the best NZ personal finance blogs. [Read More](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/top-5-nz-personal-finance-blogs) #### [5 Reasons your contents insurance may be invalid](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/5-reasons-contents-insurance-may-invalid) - Emily Doran - 13th of December 2017 - [Advice](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/tag/advice) Before the unexpected time comes when you need to make a claim, you’ll want to make sure none of these apply to you. [Read More](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/5-reasons-contents-insurance-may-invalid) [Next page](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/author/emily-doran/page/2) ##### Popular Posts [![Should you break your loan?](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/hs-fs/hubfs/shutterstock_1233077740.jpg?width=300&name=shutterstock_1233077740.jpg)](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/should-you-break-your-loan) [**Should you break your loan?**](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/should-you-break-your-loan) 11 June 2015 In my recent article I spoke about the[impact of the OCR if you are floating](http://www.nzhl.co.nz/are-you-benefiting-from-the-ocr-drop/). Today I’ll... [![5 reasons lenders decline mortgage applications](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/hs-fs/hubfs/applicationdeclined-525x350.jpg?width=300&name=applicationdeclined-525x350.jpg)](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/5-reasons-lenders-decline-mortgage-applications) [**5 reasons lenders decline mortgage applications**](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/5-reasons-lenders-decline-mortgage-applications) 24 March 2016 There is nothing worse than dreaming of your own home, putting time and effort into... [![Credit Card Tips](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/hs-fs/hubfs/creditcards-487x350.jpg?width=300&name=creditcards-487x350.jpg)](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/credit-card-tips) [**Credit Card Tips**](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/credit-card-tips) 14 January 2016 In today’s increasingly online world, credit cards are becoming less of a luxury and more... [![Buying cars: the worst finance habit?](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/hs-fs/hubfs/carpurchase-548x350-1.jpg?width=300&name=carpurchase-548x350-1.jpg)](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/buying-cars-the-worst-finance-habit) [**Buying cars: the worst finance habit?**](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/articles/buying-cars-the-worst-finance-habit) 15 November 2016 If I had to describe my worst financial habit, along with a number of my friends, it... 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