Lynette Beer is a Financial Mentor at Te Aroha Family Budgeting Services
Tell us about your role as a Financial Mentor and what got you into it?
I joined Te Aroha Family Budgeting Service 7 years ago - some years after I had retired. I saw an advertisement in the local paper advertising the position and thought “this sounds like me”. I had spent my working life in Office and Administration management roles and had a real appreciation for the way my personal finances were handled – my mother, from when I was very young, had stressed the importance of how money was handled because we did not have very much and things were very tight in those days.
What is something people might not know about the work you do?
Our work as FMs is not only about helping folk gain the confidence to handle their money responsibly, but to also listen to their stories. The majority of clients start off by wanting someone to just listen – I’m sure for many it is a great weight off their shoulders to just talk and know that here at last there is someone who is firstly prepared to listen, and then set about suggesting ways to help them without criticism.
Further through the process, our clients become confident and responsible, have goals in front of them and the ways and means to achieve them.
What new trends are you seeing for whānau in this economic climate?
The current climate of what seems to be ever rising costs for food, petrol, rents, etc. is a constant worry. The advent of Buy Now, Pay Later has also contributed to financial difficulty for those in our communities who are least able financially to climb out of this debt.
My work as a FM has enabled me to help clients beyond Financial Mentoring especially those who are unwell – in these situations I have been able to provide help where required voluntarily and this gives me great satisfaction and appreciation of what the more vulnerable folk in our society have to deal with.
Tell us about the most rewarding moment in your work
Ultimately, there is no end of pleasure in seeing clients come out the other side of being in severe debt and hardship and to at last see their lives moving ahead. Being able to put food on the table and afford small luxuries especially for their children. The joy when a debt is finally repaid is huge for both client and Financial Mentor – it has been teamwork with both parties working in tandem for the ultimate result. As far as I am concerned, our clients are all heroes for taking that giant step in asking for help.