- Kayla won $30,000 and used it to marry Jim, reduce debts, and pay down their mortgage.
- The prize transformed their approach to money, inspiring savings and renovations at their Waikato home.
- She advises this year’s On The House winner to focus on long-term goals.
When Waikato saleswoman Kayla won $30,000 last year in The Hits OneRoof Live Free competition, she knew straight away what she would do with the money – pay down her mortgage and fund her wedding to her fiancé Jim.
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What she didn't expect from the contest was that it would change her attitude to money.
“We have such a different perspective on money now, having won such a lump like that. It really puts it into perspective how you should be handling your money,” Kayla told OneRoof.
“We managed to get married, we managed to knock a little bit off the mortgage, and we managed to knock our credit card debt off as well. Surprisingly, we still had a little bit left over at the end as well, and we’ve just kept adding to it.”
Kayla and Jim used their winnings from last year’s Live Free contest with The Hits and OneRoof to fund their wedding, pay down debt and kickstart their savings. Photo / Supplied
Kayla said she and Jim saw the money as a fresh start and they have “100% jumped onto the savings bandwagon”.
And that’s her advice to this year’s winner of The Hits-OneRoof contest, now dubbed On The House: figure out your long-term goals.
Kayla and Jim have thrown themselves into their often-delayed renovation of the 1980s house they bought over five years ago. They’ve painted the inside, put in a new laundry, tidied up the kitchen and added a backyard shed. Kayla is proud of Jim, who has turned into a DIY handyman guy.
When Kayla won the Live Free competition, she told OneRoof that she felt her late mum, Paula, had helped. Paula had died at the end of 2021, and Kayla’s stepdad Paul then fell ill and died 18 months later, putting many of their plans on hold.
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But holding a photo of her mum when she chose the key that unlocked the door to the prize money, and an old message from her mum that popped up in her Facebook feed, made her feel guided.
The couple set their wedding date for November 2025 on the anniversary of their first date 11 years ago.
“Having lost Mum and my stepdad Paul, I was nervous to go ahead and do it because I was like, ‘I don’t know how I’m going to feel’. The fact that we won the money and all the signs and everything from Mum, it was a given. We had to,” Kayla said.
A stunned Kayla is congratulated by The Hits host Matty McLean as she opens the door to $30,000 last year. Photo / Supplied
Kayla and Jim with The Hits breakfast hosts Ben Boyce, Megan Papas and Jono Pryor. Photo / Supplied
“The day was just insane. Just everything fell into place. It was so beautiful. I think Mum’s done us the biggest favour that she possibly could have.”
Kayla said that researching what to do with such a life-changing sum helped them focus on their goals. “You know, a lot of people will look at $30,000 and not think that it’s a lot of money. But for us, you know, we’re just ordinary people – it was life-changing.
“We made it life-changing, and we couldn’t be happier.”
The winner of On The House will be announced on Friday, with the lucky entrant set to get a door-knock from The Hits stars Jono Pryor, Ben Boyce and Megan Papas.
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