When The Wireless team looked at the responses to research Colmar Brunton conducted for us, one message came through loud and clear: Y'all are worried about money.
Nearly every night I would be lying in my bed thinking "when will I be out of debt and be free from money.
It's different for everybody. For some people, it's worrying about how they're going to pay their rent this week because their income is low or non-existent.
For some it's feeling like they can't afford luxuries because all their money goes on bills and savings. And for some it's the spectre of paying off a student loan, and what they'll live on when they retire.
Several people told the researchers things like: "I don't earn a lot but I have to live with it so I'm on a tight budget, nearly every night I would be lying in my bed thinking 'when will I be out of debt and be free from money'."
That seemed like a good reason to open the site with it, especially since our first monthly theme was "Free". It's a universal issue. No one ever thinks they have enough money. And people are surprisingly frank talking about it.
We have stories on debt, investment, savings, and budgeting. For the first feature, I headed up to Gisborne, where incomes are low, and employment is often uncertain. We spoke to people who are "good with money" and people who are in some fairly dire financial straits, including one on the verge of bankruptcy.
Of course, this is an issue that we'll keep coming back to. Because it makes the world go round.
Photo: Unknown
