Five languages of love; Six homemade blunders to lower your home's worth; Seven people who fail in finance; Eight point checklist for personal financial health; Nine salary crushing moves

By Amanda Morrall

Don't ask me why today I'm working in numbers, more than usual.

It's something I emphasised this morning while I was instructing some yoga students how to breathe mindfully and deeply observing the tri-part breathe; the inhale, the exhale at the pause and interchange at the completion of each.

For my column today, I'm working from 5 to 9 in a mashup of personal finance tips, foibles and aspects. And because I like five, that's our starting point.

1) Five languages of love

Anyone who has ever been through relationship counselling will be familiar with the "five languages of love.'' These languages were identified to help quarrelling couples who struggle to communicate, effectively, understand how there are different forms and expressions of love. (Read more here).

I'm raising this here in the context of my money blog because one of the languages of love is gift buying, which of course costs money and can lead to trouble, particularly if there is a shortage of money in the bank.

It's important to recognise there are different emotional currencies in relationships. Remember, money is the leading cause of divorce.

Acts of service rate huge with me and I am grateful today to a special someone. 

2) 6 mistakes that devalue your home

For most of us, our home will constitute our single most valuable asset. Whether it's your own home or an investment property, you want to ensure that you don't do anything to devalue its worth.

In an Auckland market, this might be considered impossible and yet there are some practical tips to take on board from in this piece from Mint.com looking at the six common mistakes.  

Smoking is a big no, no, which should be obvious just from a health perspective alone. So too is the dodgy DIY job.

3) 7 people who fail in finance

Planning a career in finance because you think that's where your riches will be made? If you fall into one of the seven following personality types identified by Investopedia you might want to look for an alternative career.

4) 8 point check list for personal financial health

If you're a regular reader, you'll know that being sorted on the personal finance level involves more than just having a KiwiSaver account. If you've forgotten the different areas of financial health, here's an eight point checklist via The Motley Fool.

5) 9 mistakes to avoid when you ask for a raise

Asking for a raise is so awkward, most of us don't bother to do it. But friend, you are so worth it. Here's nine crucial and common mistakes to avoid, via the HuffingtonPost, before you go begging.

Not asking is one of the mistakes.

For your A-Z personal finance guide here's how to order a copy of Amanda's book Money Matters: Get your Life and $ Sorted. The book is also available in ebook format as well via Amazon. Take Five is published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. You can also follow Amanda on Twitter @amandamorrall; check out her previous Take Fives here.