When people ask about my approach to budgeting, they often expect spreadsheets, percentages, or investment tips. But for me, budgeting is not primarily about numbers. It is about responsibility.

Budgeting is stewardship.

It is the deliberate decision to manage what I have today in a way that protects tomorrow.

Since embarking on my PhD in June 2023, I have become hyper-aware of my finances. My PhD came with funding for three years, but not enough to fully execute fieldwork and international logistics. In 2024, I sought out additional funding and was successful in securing another three years. A PhD based away from home is expensive.

I take extra responsibility now to monitor my expenses and distinguish between what I really need versus what I want to spend on. I reflect back on my first house purchase in New Zealand in 2012, where an accountant taught me a valuable lesson: write out all daily and weekly expenses, total them, then track my spending. It is a skill I am grateful for today, especially as I now manage over four hundred thousand New Zealand dollars for my PhD. In practice, I manage just NZD 150K of that; the remaining NZD 260K goes toward my monthly stipend.

In a world where research funding fluctuates, where international logistics shift without warning, and where infrastructure varies across countries, uncertainty is not theoretical; it is daily reality. But I have learned that systems matter. In my PhD work, I build systems before collecting data. I establish processes before shipping specimens. I strengthen foundations before expecting outcomes.

The examples I will use include building systems on the ground like a standard labelling system to manage large specimen samples (more than 17,000). I designed and created a booklet for the research assistants to help them gain more information about the research and the infectious disease I am studying: scrub typhus. I also ensure that I attend to all my cultural protocols; giving respect to the indigenous people, civic spaces, and landmarks, as well as the mites and rodents that are viewed as sacred gods by the locals. I provide training and capacity building to local health professionals to help expand their knowledge, ensuring we are all aligned in our shared goal: to improve healthcare and the quality of life in the community.

Budgeting works the same way.

It is a system that holds stability when external conditions change.

I do not budget to restrict myself. I budget to reduce anxiety. There is quiet confidence in knowing that my obligations are covered, my buffers are intact, and my future plans are funded with intention. Financial clarity eliminates mental clutter and creates space for meaningful work.

For me, budgeting is also about intergenerational stability.

I come from a context where financial systems are unpredictable and opportunities can be limited by circumstance. Vanuatu fits in this perfectly. Budgeting carefully is about building something steadier, not only for myself but for the generations who may depend on me. It is saying: “I won’t leave my future to chance when I can design it with care.” I carry that same philosophy in my PhD work. I am building systems that will endure long after my research ends.

Real estate investment fits into this philosophy, not as speculation, but as structure. Property, when approached wisely, becomes a long-term stabiliser as I have learnt being a property investor. It is not about rapid accumulation or status. It is about building assets that generate options; and ensuring that my investments are intentional, my maintenance is planned, and my risks are absorbed without panic.

Resilience is rarely dramatic. It is built slowly; in emergency funds, in conservative assumptions, in disciplined saving. It is built when income increases but lifestyle does not inflate. It is built when long-term security is prioritised over short-term gratification.

In an uncertain world, control is limited. I cannot control funding cycles. I cannot control exchange rates or infrastructure limitations. But I can control how I allocate what I earn. Budgeting becomes the place where uncertainty meets intention.

It is easy to view budgeting as restriction. But I see it as alignment. Where do my resources go? What future am I quietly constructing? Does my spending reflect my values?

Stewardship requires honesty. It asks difficult questions:

• Is this expense building stability or eroding it?
• Is this purchase temporary comfort or long-term strength?
• Am I reacting emotionally, or acting strategically?

There is dignity in managing resources well and I feel my PhD reflects this. It reflects discipline, foresight, and respect for opportunity. Not everyone starts at the same financial starting point, but everyone can practice stewardship; within their means.

Budgeting, for me, is not about perfection. It is about consistency. It is reviewing, adjusting, recalibrating – something I practice daily in my PhD journey. It is acknowledging that plans evolve, but principles remain steady.

At its core, budgeting is about resilience.

It is the quiet architecture behind financial independence. It is the structure that allows risk-taking without recklessness. It is the preparation that makes opportunity usable.

Just as strong research requires strong foundations, strong futures require intentional financial design.

My approach to budgeting is simple: protect stability, build assets, reduce anxiety, and leave room for purpose.

Because stewardship today creates freedom tomorrow.

Take care where ever you are in the world. Leina xxx

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