As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, an analyst living in London explains where they pay more and where they pay less compared to New Zealand.

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Gender: Woman.

Age: 32.

Ethnicity: Pākehā.

Role: Senior analyst living in London.

Salary/income/assets: $143,000 a year.

My living location is: Urban.

Rent/mortgage per week: My partner and I pay about $1,000 a week to rent a little one-bed in London.

Student loan or other debt payments per week: $0. I really hated being in debt, so I paid off my student loan aggressively over two years.

Typical weekly food costs

Groceries: $130 for two adults, which covers four or five dinners, lunches and breakfasts, plus snacks, delivered to our door. The blessings of supermarket competition!

Eating out: $184 per week. Across a month, this looks like one dinner out, multiple bakery stops every weekend, and semi-regular coffees and drinks. I’m aware this is a bit ridiculous and am working on reducing it.

Takeaways: $0. We ate pizza last week, but it’s the first takeout we’ve had in over a year.

Workday lunches: $20. I try pretty hard to pack lunch, but forgetting even once means an instant $20, easy.

Cafe coffees/snacks: $50. I am a recovering coffee snob who slums it on terrible $3 work espressos. A decent flat white costs $9-10 in London, and even then is but a pale memory of Coffee Supreme or People’s.

Savings: I save about $2,300 a month. When I lived in New Zealand, I could do almost double that, on a similar salary, but it gets eaten up on rent here.

I worry about money: Never.

Three words to describe my financial situation: Solid, hopeful, informed.

My biggest edible indulgence would be: Fancy olive oil and Maldon sea salt… someone got a little bit too excited by Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat.

In a typical week my alcohol expenditure would be: $50 for a few pints.

In a typical week my transport expenditure would be: $90 for the tube. Expensive but genuinely brilliant compared to the half-hourly buses back home.

I estimate in the past year the ballpark amount I spent on my personal clothing (including sleepwear and underwear) was: $3,000. I had to buy a bunch of new winter and work clothes, all on the pound.

My most expensive clothing in the past year was: $700 for a new mint green winter coat. I love her.

My last pair of shoes cost: $250 for some casual trainers.

My grooming/beauty expenditure in a year is about: $1,000 or so, predominantly on hair cuts and fancy skincare.

My exercise expenditure in a year is about: $500 for my multiple social rugby teams!

My last Friday night cost: $300 for tickets to the theatre and fancy cocktails. This was super unusual, but we were celebrating a much loved friend’s birthday.

Most regrettable purchase in the last 12 months was: $300 for a TV that gets progressively more broken by the day.

Most indulgent purchase (that I don’t regret) in the last 12 months was: I took my mum, sister and partner out for a really fancy meal to celebrate my sister’s graduation. It cost at least $900.

One area where I’m a bit of a tightwad is: Replacing things like bras, socks and PJs.

Five words to describe my financial personality would be: Learning discipline for first time!

I grew up in a house where money was: Available, and then all of a sudden, not. I had a very fortunate childhood. My parents were able to afford things like music lessons, extra tutoring and occasional trips overseas. I wanted for nothing. Then my mum got sick and our financial situation changed overnight. These days, I try and fund nice treats like dinners out to make my parents’ situation a little more bearable.

The last time my Eftpos card was declined was: Can’t remember.

In five years, in financial terms, I see myself: Owning a house and paying for childcare. Starting to properly save for retirement.

I would love to have more money for: A house deposit, and paying off my parents’ debts.

Describe your financial low: I went through periods of intense financial stress at university, while many of my friends received stipends from their parents. It makes me a little mad to think that we often loan students less in living costs per week than their rent.

I give money away to: Family members in need and charity appeals.