The cost of being: A screen industry worker who 'refuses to pay for crap'

As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a film freelancer explains where their money goes.

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Gender: Female

Age: 47

Ethnicity: Pākehā

Role: Film freelancer, parent to two teens, eldest and youngest sister in complex whānau.

Salary/income/assets: Approximately $100,000 a year. Homeowner, car.

My living location is: Suburban

Student loan or other debt payments per week: None! I paid my student fees as I went which is kind of incredible as I was only working part time, but I really didn’t want any debt and we were trying to purchase a house at the same time. I was a "mature student".

Groceries: $200 for four of us. We don’t eat a lot of meat, the pantry is always stocked full of the basics and I am good at whipping up something yummy and nutritious out of not much. I’ll do a big shop once every few months for extras like cleaning products etc, and buy things on special.

Eating out: Try and do date night for two once a week but it’s more like once a month. Usually that costs $100-$200. I took the four of us out on Friday and spent $150, so that was reasonable (drinks included).

Takeaways: I try to avoid… but the rest of the family indulges in this… would be $80 a time usually, approx imately once a fortnight.

Workday lunches: Salad, made at home for the office or catered if on set. We are very lucky to be fed in our industry and I am grateful for that!

Cafe coffees/snacks: Very occasionally I’ll get a cafe treat, usually when catching up with my mother-in-law.
We have a coffee machine at work so I don’t pay for coffee ever. Again, GRATEFUL!

Other food costs: I try to plant basics in spring for easy summer meals, so about $20-30 on seedlings/seeds.

Savings: I save a quarter of my earnings when I am working, and none when I’m between jobs. As a freelancer I am tucking money away to live on when I am funemployed. There are no treats during these times! Just the basics, and the joy of free good times like nature, reading, spending time with friends and bushwalks. I would like to travel sometime in the near future, take the family away, but I’m waiting for the right time. Making sure the mortgage is taken care of is the priority – it took us 20 years to buy our home and it was HARD SLOG. Very challenging times and I was very angry at the housing market. I feel very lucky to have managed to purchase our beautiful home for under $1m.

I was saving more when my income was higher, but am currently putting $200 a week into regular savings accounts, $300 a fortnight into KiwiSaver, and $200 a fortnight into Sharesies. I do have anxiety about having "enough" for the future, whatever that might entail.

I worry about money: Rarely

Three words to describe my financial situation: Smart but precarious.

My biggest edible indulgence: Ceviche. Either at a restaurant or made fresh at home. Or cheese.

In a typical week my alcohol expenditure would be: Too much… probably about $60, that’s a few bottles of wine spread over the week. Or if a special occasion, a nice bottle of bubbles.

In a typical week my transport expenditure would be: Petrol $100, public transport $20 (I’m very keen on using the new train line in Tāmaki where I can, ie for going out, but I use my car for work as I need to haul so much stuff around and go to out-of-the-way places).

I estimate in the past year the ballpark amount I spent on my personal clothing (including sleepwear and underwear) was: $1000. I try to only buy secondhand (apart from socks and undies) because there is already WAY TOO MUCH STUFF on the planet. In my work I also have access to a lot of clothing and so I add to my wardrobe from that.

My most expensive clothing in the past year was: A black leather Isabel Marant cinch belt. It was $648 but I got it for half that in the costume sale, and more for the fact that it’s an exquisite piece…

My last pair of shoes cost: $40, a pair of brown suede and sheepskin slipper boots on sale at the warehouse, for comfort around home during the cold months.

My grooming/beauty expenditure in a year is about: $700. I buy Antipodes skincare twice a year, I have a toner I use in my hair (a colour tube and bottle of that lasts about 18 months). I’ve stopped getting manicures cause even though I love the feeling of fresh nails I just can’t anymore with the toxicity of them and environmental impacts. I don’t go to the hairdresser (trim my own hair), I get a wax once every six weeks. My makeup lasts a long time, and I get gifted makeup from a family member who often has surplus. I use Aleph makeup lightly and have a wonderful broad colour eyeshadow palette from Mecca for when I’m going all-out. Also just inherited A LOT of lip colours from my mama who was a big make up buyer and loved Smith & Caughey's sales.

My exercise expenditure in a year is about: $1000 total. $750 on gym membership, I go at least twice a week. Just splashed out on a fancy yoga mat, that was $150. Otherwise my gym gear and shoes I’ve had for a few years and I look after it well. My gym tights and bra were leftover from a job.

My last Friday night cost: $300 but that’s unusual!! I took the family out to a show and then dinner.

Most regrettable purchase in the last 12 months was: No regerts.

Most indulgent purchase (that I don’t regret) in the last 12 months was: Italian slate tiles for our shower floor which needed repairing. I LOVE showering on black slate.

One area where I’m a bit of a tightwad is: I’ve become less of a tightwad and more of an abundance mindset and it has truly changed my relationship with money… it flows to me and I make it grow. I used to be much more tightwaddy but now I am happy to pay for quality, I refuse to pay for crap, and I really believe there is enough stuff in the world so I try to support local makers, providers and people who do important and meaningful mahi.

Five words to describe my financial personality: Indulgent, savvy, aware, abundant, thoughtful.

I grew up in a house where money was: Tight, but made to work, and quality was important so sacrifices were made in order to have good things/experiences too.

The last time my Eftpos card was declined was: Last week when I forgot to press confirm when transferring money over to the day to day expenses account.

In five years, in financial terms, I see myself: Having set myself up with a solid financial plan, so I can retire and live a simple and abundant life by making shrewd financial decisions and investments.

I would love to have more money for: The mortgage and travel, but I understand this is where I am in my life, so for now it’s OK.

Describe your financial low: 20 years ago when our first daughter was born and there was NO film work – both my husband and I are freelancers and there was nothing happening that year. I had been picture framing while pregnant and he was driving a delivery truck, we barely made enough to cover the measly rent of $350, I was SO careful with money, I planted a basic food garden and sold stuff on Trade Me, then when our girl was five months old I got a job doing casual days in costume. That’s how I ended up where I am today.

I give money away to: Disaster funds, Givealittle pages, various charities.