That’s a wrap!
National Strategy partners are a crucial part of Sorted Money Month as we collaborate across the financial capability sector to boost New Zealanders’ financial wellbeing every August. Thank you for your involvement in 2025 – here’s to another successful campaign!
Coordinated by Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission, Sorted Money Month runs annually from 1 to 31 August. Past themes have encouraged people to find any excuse to make time to make the most of their money (‘Pause. Get Sorted’ – 2023, 2024) and to build their financial resilience by starting an emergency savings fund (‘Stressed or Sorted? The difference is an emergency fund’ – 2025). We’ll keep you posted on plans for 2026.
Sorted Money Month community fund
Our community fund provides small grants for not-for-profit organisations to support their local community with events and other initiatives that promote financial wellbeing during August. This year’s successful organisations and activities included:
She’s Worth It: Emergency fund challenge
A free community initiative designed to help women take their first empowering steps toward financial security. Weekly emails, downloadable tools and social media content throughout the month guided participants through a practical, no-shame approach to building an emergency fund.
Light of Life Homework Club: Money Month workshop
An event to teach young people about financial literacy and the dangers of scams. Light of Life Homework Club hosted a guest speaker at a workshop to help lift the financial wellbeing of the learners in their club and their families.
Sissys Making Cents: Social media campaign
Thirty-one days, four competitions, 16 prizes, two challenges, and a bunch of information and resources shared by two māmā trying to normalise conversations around money. Raquel and Erina of @sissys_making_cents highlighted the importance of emergency savings to their 600-plus Instagram followers, sharing tips, tools and resources throughout August.
Ngā Tāngata Microfinance Trust: Build your buffer event
A free family event that shined a light on the importance of emergency savings. There was a free sausage sizzle, games and a cultural performance, as well as budgeting services, financial mentors and financial institutions ready to help people start building their emergency fund.
Vaiola Pacific Island Budgeting Service: Empowering Pasifika mums event
An event to bring a boost Pasifika mothers in South Auckland’s Māngere. Financial mentors who can speak Tongan and Samoan were on site at this event focused on the importance of budgeting and emergency savings to help attendees become more resilient in the face of unexpected expenses.
Tamaki Budgeting (EAHBS): Beating the emergency event
An Amazing Race-style experience with stations (pitstops) providing information on a range of common emergencies, including health, utility, tenancy, employment, car maintenance, food security and death in the family. This event also featured presentations by financial experts, interactive workshops, informational material, and opportunities for attendees to ask questions and share their stories.
Birthright Hawke's Bay Child and Family Care Trust: Cook and save event
A cooking demonstration for community members with a focus on cost-effective ingredients, as well as discussions around building a ‘back-up pantry’ to spread meals further, and sustainable food systems. A presentation on emergency savings and preparing for unexpected costs also took place.
Hamilton City Libraries: Get sorted at Dinsdale Library workshop
A budgeting workshop offering access to important financial organisations, resources and information. There was a guest speaker and budgeting books and resources available to help attendees to financially succeed in today’s world, despite the cost-of-living challenges.
Waihi Budget Service: Free pulled pork buns
Pulled pork buns were on offer for the local community every Tuesday in August, alongside financial mentors available to chat and free financial resources including cheap-eats cookbooks, Sorted brochures and powers-switch information.
Kainga Aroha Community House: Stressed or sorted? Emergency fund conversations
Weekly pop-up displays outside Te Awamutu banks with Sorted flyers and saving charts to give away, as well as a prize draw to ‘Win a Block of Butter a Day in TA’. Thirty-one blocks of butter were given away; to enter the competition, participants answered the question ‘What do you consider to be an emergency?’