The cost of being: a retiree who watches grocery prices ‘like a hawk’

As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a retiree explains how they carefully spend their NZ Super.

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Gender: Female.

Age: 74.

Ethnicity: Pākehā.

Role: Retired.

Salary/income/assets: NZ Super, minimal interest from a small term deposit.

My living location is: Urban.

Rent/mortgage per week: Zero.

Student loan or other debt payments per week: None.

Typical weekly food costs

Groceries: Around $100 a week for me and the cat.

Eating out: That would be great!

Takeaways: Occasionally fish and chips – $12.

Workday lunches: I’m not working.

Cafe coffees/snacks: Coffee with friends weekly, $12.

Other food costs: I grow salad ingredients, lettuce, tomatoes, zucchini and masses of herbs. I save seeds and also get them given to me. Maybe $30 every few months.

Savings: I save whatever is left over every second Monday night before the super payment comes in. My granddaughter is heading off overseas with a school group and I want to give her some spending money. I’m at $720 and hoping to get to $1000.

I worry about money: Always.

Three words to describe my financial situation: Watching every dollar.

My biggest edible indulgence would be: Butter and cheese. But no longer a regular purchase.

In a typical week my alcohol expenditure would be: Zero, but it’s been a huge problem and expense in the past.

In a typical week my transport expenditure would be: $30 petrol fortnightly. I make good use of Welly’s excellent bus service and my Gold Card.

I estimate in the past year the ballpark amount I spent on my personal clothing (including sleepwear and underwear) was: $200, much of it from op shops. Undies etc from Farmers.

My most expensive clothing in the past year was: A $60 coat from the Sallies. It’s beautiful and will outlast me.

My last pair of shoes cost: About $12 from Temu. Very comfy and have lasted well.

My grooming/beauty expenditure in a year is about: Long hair that I trim myself and sometimes a family member who is a hairdresser will do a head of foils for me. I pay her $50 and last time she texted me that she had put the cash back in my letter box, she’s a kind soul.

My exercise expenditure in a year is about: I walk a lot and my daughter gave me new sneakers for Christmas. I googled the price, $200. Wow, I’m so thankful.

My last Friday night cost: A barbecue at the neighbours’, I took a bottle of bubbles leftover from Christmas and a dish of marinated tomatoes and home grown basil and a homemade focaccia. Around $10, tops.

Most regrettable purchase in the last 12 months was: A grass trimmer from Bunnings that has a sort of fishing line reel attachment that cuts the lawn. It didn’t work properly and the line tangled and broke. It was a piece of crap and I threw it in the bin. $100+. You get what you pay for. One of the kids does it for me now, free.

Most indulgent purchase (that I don’t regret) in the last 12 months was: Whittaker’s chocolate.

One area where I’m a bit of a tightwad is: I watch grocery prices like a hawk, don’t take my eye off the till display at the checkout and always get a receipt. I buy very little processed food and virtually no red meat except for a bit of mince.

Five words to describe my financial personality would be: A very cautious, watchful spender.

I grew up in a house where money was: Not discussed. Dad was a teacher who often worked a second job in the school holidays and Mum worked in a shop. We had what we needed but few luxuries and oddly not ever given budgeting advice.

The last time my Eftpos card was declined was: I check my bank balance twice a day so, never.

In five years, in financial terms, I see myself: Having run out of money. I’ll be nearly 85 and won’t be able to afford to maintain my home. Unless I find myself a rich, sick husband I’ll have to rely on dying hahaha.

I would love to have more money for: A holiday, I haven’t had one in years.

Describe your financial low: Three redundancies in the last few years before I retired which drained most of my savings. My KiwiSaver cleared the mortgage but left me with very little and then I had a large plumbing bill and had to replace the hot water cylinder a few months after that.

I give money away to: NZ Labour Party, Sweet Louise and Malaghan Institute.