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As national governments continue to tackle the economic effects of the COVID-19 crisis, a new way of looking at the economy is rising to the surface. Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) is an alternative to neoclassical economic theory, with many of its theories and tenants currently being tested as the world struggles to react to the global pandemic. If MMT's biggest proponents are right, everything we thought we knew about public finance could be wrong.

New Zealand is the envy of the world right now, with COVID-19 almost eliminated and society returning to a new kind of normal. The economic, political, and viral stability of the country has been linked to an uptick of interest in the property market, as offshore buyers look on closely, Kiwis return home, and city residents look forward to making a tree change in a post COVID world.

As coronavirus restrictions continue around the globe, access to living space is shrinking as the world gets smaller and more localised. Whether it's your town, your suburb, or your property, people have been forced to lower their horizons and spend time in the confines of their own backyard. Current restrictions are designed to place limits on novel experiences and minimise social contacts in order to control COVID-19. While this situation is incredibly challenging on many levels, it also creates opportunities to explore the smaller spaces that lie just beyond your door.

In a world defined by deliberate and organised action, sometimes the incidental things make all the difference. Incidental activity is a valuable form of daily exercise, with small incidental movements accumulating throughout the day as the result of your normal routine. While not a complete substitute for discipline and organisation, these small movements add up over time to improve your physical and mental health. Incidental exercise doesn't happen at the gym, which makes it an ideal solution in a COVID-19 world.

The reality of COVID-19 continues to affect economic growth, as health and isolation measures endure in direct response to the pandemic. Household spending is down on a universal basis, with the economies of Australia and New Zealand severely affected despite relative success in containing the virus. The situation is changing by the day, with leading industry research company IBISWorld publishing an in-depth breakdown of how the pandemic is currently affecting the Australian and New Zealand economy.