Cultural change

With the upheaval of cultural change from the stoneage tupunas to the present day Maori, the emphasis has long shifted from the tribe to the family unit; from the pataka to the bank; from communal labour to individual employment; from self-sufficient servicing to special skills.

The thing which emerged from this head-on shattering crash of Maori Culture with Western might, is the dominant use of money. On it, be it called the ‘gold standard’ or the ‘almighty dollar’, nations have risen or fallen. It would be extraordinary if no guileless Maori floundered on it, when its own protagonists have fallen countless victims to this medium of exchange — this powerful taniwha of progress and advancement — money!

In history all taniwhas or rampaging dragons with fiery tails have been slain or tamed by brave knights or astute men. Maui lassoed the fiery sun dragon and forced it to travel at a speed which met his needs.

With purposeful planning, the ‘money taniwha’, like the errant sun god, can also be harnessed to serve our needs. It can be told where to go and what to do. It can be stopped from slipping through our fingers!

You may well ask how — with the cost of living soaring, and the multiple problems arising from it that perplex and worry. You are not alone in this. Up and down the country, all over the world, other families are wrestling with it too. The tried and successful home managers know the answer is simply — to budget! Budgeting like dieting is much disliked by many because of the ‘hoha’ of the extra thought and effort needed to make it work, or for the plain reason, false pride!

Budgeting means planning

Budgeting is essentially a matter of planning. A husband and wife concentrating their combined thought-power on obtaining things they need and want most, can find budgeting a saviour and a most agreeable, absorbing exercise in happy home management, to their mutual advantage. A budget does not stifle joy. It builds a man up ten feet tall knowing he owes no one nothing he cannot pay. His ‘put-it-away’ days take care of the future.

The tupunas said ‘Eat your treasures care-

fully’. The modern elder exhorts ‘Eat your money carefully’, meaning spend wisely, and look after what is left. Bank it!

You may be tempted to say if you have read this far, ‘What did our tupunas know about money budgeting … they never had any!

How very true. However, they had the prime factor necessary to make any budget, stone age or modern, work successfully. They had the will to look reality in the face and cope with it. This triumphant quality they left on the winds of change for the seeing eye to snatch, and use! Many, but not enough, have already snatched it and are using it to their great content.

This ability in present day terms simply means the courage to look our bills in the face and ask ourselves, ‘are we keeping them in check?’ … ‘or falling foul of them with our creditors?’ This is all any budget plan requires to kick it off to a good start.

Budgeting, then, is knowing where your money is going, not wondering where it went. It is planned use of the weekly pay packet to get the most for your money. It is a diligent endeavour to stay debt free, to get the best

returns from money spent as family needs arise, thus ensuring the utmost satisfaction to the whole family unit.

It takes everything into account, safe-guarding the family from the loss of security, prestige, and joy caused by a financial crisis. In short, a budget plan operates to provide for the family's needs and relaxation. It eliminates wasteful spending by improved purchasing power, curbs impulsive buying and ensures happy security and advancement.

Today more and more Maoris are turning to the Household Budgeting Advisory Service or the Budget Counselling Scheme. They are glad of its free and dedicated ‘know-how’ to fit their expenditure to their income, and thus ultimately become independent, self-reliant and happy members of the community.

Budgeting is voluntary

This scheme was ushered in at Kaikohe in 1960 by Dr Paewai and his group who were deeply interested in the well-being of their fellow-citizens, trapped in the mesh of the ‘money-goround’. It serves all sections of the community who seek its help.

Because of its value to the community it is encouraged by the Government but it is in no way, controlled or directed by it. It is a purely voluntary service, advertised only by those satisfied people who have benefited by following its expert advice to become debt-free happy citizens. Because of this, it has spread through-out the island on demand. Wherever it is working, it is operated by groups of local people who want to help. They know from experience how hard it can be to make income cover needs, and how greatly a budget plan can stretch or save the money. They help you only if you seek them out, and you can cease to use their services at any time. However, very few people, once they join up, drop out before they are clear of debt and able to run their affairs in a business-like manner.

Many people seek the help and assistance of the Household Budgeting Advisory Service not because of debt, but because they wish to learn how to use their money more effectively for various reasons. Some have other problems, like health, education, discipline, the temptations of drink or gambling, and hire-purchase, which can all be involved in household budgeting or home management. The advisers or sponsors can either help in these matters or get the expert advice and assistance of people who can.

How Budgeting works

The Household Budgeting Advisory Service in dealing with its member clients in money matters, favours a cheque account system. Their advisers or sponsors do not handle your money. They only help you to plan your spending and to make your payments.

They confer with their clients every week and compare bills with budget. They discuss and advise on spending, saving and pocket-money for everyday pleasure. They help you till it is quite clear you are used to working on a budgeting-plan system and dealing with cheques, and can take over your own affairs entirely yourselves. Bills are paid by the husband or wife with their joint account cheques.

Many Maoris today look back with gratitude and well-being to the Service. Cleared of heavy commitments (as some have been) they face the future ten feet tall, able to look after themselves and their families because, under the expert and dedicated guidance of the Budgeting scheme, they have mastered the ‘most value’ ritual of the pay packet.

So, if you dread the loss of a few days work through sickness … if your creditors are pressing for payment … if you are anxious about taking on new housing or other responsibilities … if you don't know where the money goes … if your children are going short of necessary things, seek the help of the Household Budgeting Advisory Service.

Little Mary Anne asked, ‘Are we Maoris or Pakehas Mum?’

‘We're Maoris of course!’ her mother replied.

‘I thought so,’ Mary Anne said, ‘Only Pakehas have play lunch!’

That very day mother went out and bought a case of apples—so Mary Anne can have one for play lunch every day,' she confided to her husband.

‘To prove your daughter's a pakeha,’ her husband said slyly.

‘To prove,’ she emphasised, ‘that I can get her the play lunch she needs. We have to go on a budget-plan!’

She hit the nail on the head that time! The next day she got Household Budgeting advice. Mary Anne has never lacked play lunch since!