Employee Buys His First Home - “No Magic, Just Routine”

Oct 12
2 min read

Zeducation: How a Pacific dad used budgeting, family routines, and leadership habits to buy a first home. Practical takeaways for teams who want real skills that stick.

Basily Palu moved from Tonga to Aotearoa New Zealand in 1996 at age 16, joining family already here “looking for a better life.” The only son among five siblings, he’s now a husband and father of six, and for about eight years has worked as a 2IC (second-in-command) machine operator at Fletcher Reinforcing.

Through Zeducation, he’s completed several Auckland Council's Project Ikuna programmes such as Assertiveness & Self-Confidence, Introduction to Leadership, Leadership Confidence, Conflict Resolution, and Money Confidence—which he says transformed his perspective: “Before I take the training, my vision was only narrow; after the course, it’s wide.”

That shift translated into new habits: budgeting and saving toward a deposit, swapping bought lunches for home-cooked meals (and losing 10+ kg), and leading his family in weekly meal-planning on a set budget. Ultimately, those changes helped Basily and his family buy their first home in Huntly—a five-bedroom house on a 1,019 m² section because, as he puts it, “buying a house… that’s the biggest dream for your family.”

How a Pacific dad used budgeting, family routines, and leadership habits to buy a first home. Practical takeaways for teams who want real skills that stick.

What were some of the key things you learned or gained from the courses? 

Basily describes the program as a mindset shift: “Before I take the training, my vision was only narrow. After the course, it’s like wide—I could see more opportunities.” The biggest changes were practical: “It gave me the motivation to start saving and do budgeting,” and foundational: “Before, I can’t identify the difference of want and need… I’d just look at something and buy it, but it’s not important.”

How did you apply your learnings from the course in your workplace? 

Daily habits changed first. “When coming to work, I always buy lunch. Now I cook from home and save any cent,” Basily says. The change also improved his wellbeing: “I'm more healthier… I think I dropped more than 10 kg,” swapping fast food for home-cooked meals with chicken, salad, and vegetables so he could save money and show up with more energy on the job.

How has your financial wellbeing changed?  

The biggest milestone is the house: “We bought in Huntly which has five bedrooms and the land is 1,019 square meters.” At home, the family now plans together: “We set a plan on what we’re going to eat Monday to Sunday. And the kids cook on a routine. We only spend like $300 on our shopping.” He also cut weekend spending: “Before I was drinking a lot of kava… now I only go once on Saturday and spend like $20.” For Basily, he says: “I save more and spend with a plan.”

What are your hopes for the future— what is next for you?

Basily’s vision is generational: “I’m thinking we can build two or three houses on the section—maybe my kids can stay there together.” He wants to pass forward the lessons he’s learned: “That’s the only thing I make for my kids… to help them succeed.” For now, he’ll keep working steadily and teaching his children the same budgeting and saving that made the dream possible.

If you want your people saving smarter, communicating clearer, and leading with purpose, let’s talk. Zeducation helps organisations build real skills that show up at work and at home.