Money Week Q&A: Ria Vandervis
Actress, Shortland Street
Ria Vandervis is one of those people who seems to be able to do almost anything. Early on, Ria won a prestigious scholarship to study architecture but later moved on to pursue her dream of acting, and she’s killing it. She’s worked in TV and film in New Zealand and Australia for the last ten years. In the beginning, she battled the Power Rangers as the villainess Miratrix. We loved her in Underbelly and as Detective Christie Mills in Harry. Ria is well known in New Zealand for her role on Shortland Street as the talented import from a New York crime family, Dr. Harper Whitley.
She’s also part owner and director of Konstruct, which is an apparel and promo products business. And you might even spot Ria at a wedding, she’s a marriage celebrant too! She claims lawn mowing as a hidden talent, so think twice before you challenge her to a mow-off. For such a busy person we were lucky to get in touch with her. Here are her thoughts on our money questions.
What did you do with your first paycheck?
My first paycheck was so long ago that I can’t remember what I spent it on! I have always been quite enterprising though; before my first official job at North Dunedin Eagle Boys Pizza when I was 14, I would clean my parents’ friend’s cars when they were over visiting, and expect payment for it.
What’s the most money you’ve found?
Once when I was walking on a street near the Star Casino in Sydney, I found a $100 note on the ground. I picked it up as there was no one in sight, and didn’t even spend it at the casino.
What’s the best money advice you’ve received?
The best money advice that I wish I had received would have been to start saving money in my early 20’s. I look back on my spending habits then and realise that I wasn’t thinking of the future at all, and consequently when I decided it was time to look to buy a house and really ‘adult’, I had very little to go on with.
How do you manage your money today?
Today I manage my business finances with Xero and I am just about to embark on a PocketSmith journey for my personal finances, as up until now I haven’t really managed my money at all.
What is a money goal you are currently working towards?
Currently I am trying to focus more on saving, rather than living week-to-week without a plan. Making a grocery/food plan on a Sunday for the week ahead is a really crucial part of this plan for us, as we spend a huge amount of money on food and eating out.
