As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a full-time law student, part-time retail worker living in a cold Aro Valley flat explains how she gets by.
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Gender: Female
Age: 21
Ethnicity: Pākehā New Zealander.
Role: Full-time law student, part-time retail worker.
Salary/income/assets: ~$16k a year.
My living location is: Suburban.
Rent/mortgage per week: $258, living in a freezing cold flat with five other flatmates.
Student loan or other debt payments per week: 0
Typical weekly food costs
Groceries: $90
Eating out: $0
Takeaways: $20
Workday lunches: $40
Cafe coffees/snacks: $25
Other food costs: n/a
Savings: Not really able to save, maybe $50 a week if I’m lucky!
I worry about money: Always.
Three words to describe my financial situation: Nervous, stagnant, minimal.
My biggest edible indulgence would be: Coffee.
In a typical week my alcohol expenditure would be: $30
In a typical week my transport expenditure would be: $30 – mostly just the bus but usually a few Ubers on nights out in the weekend. Would say $20 for ubers, and $10 for bus on a tertiary discount.
I estimate in the past year the ballpark amount I spent on my personal clothing (including sleepwear and underwear) was: $300
My most expensive clothing in the past year was: My Dr Martens – secondhand bought off a mate but still $150 which is the most I’ve spent in a hot minute.
My last pair of shoes cost: $150 for the aforementioned Dr Martens
My grooming/beauty expenditure in a year is about: $200
My exercise expenditure in a year is about: $494
My last Friday night cost: $0 (thanks Covid)
Most regrettable purchase in the last 12 months was: A $200 textbook that I never opened.
Most indulgent purchase (that I don’t regret) in the last 12 months was: A gorgeous vintage Kate Sylvester dress from Recycle Boutique. Only $100!
One area where I’m a bit of a tightwad is: Electricity bills. I am such a nag to my flatties to turn off the lights and only use heaters/clothes dryers etc when we have free power after 9pm.
Five words to describe my financial personality would be: Spontaneous, easily-convinced, coffee-focused.
I grew up in a house where money was: Talked about so we knew what to realistically expect. We were always comfortable but my parents made sure we knew what was reasonable and what wasn’t.
The last time my Eftpos card was declined was: Yesterday at the dairy… I keep all my money in an account not directly connected to my card (in a largely unsuccessful effort to stop my spontaneous spending) so there was some fast and awkward money transferring to pay for the Panadol and orange juice I was buying.
In five years, in financial terms, I see myself: Paying off an Everest-sized mountain of student loan debt from a job that hopefully is at a company that pays enough to let me live but isn’t rich and evil enough to make me regret my life choices.
I would love to have more money for: Heating my house. They aren’t lying when they say that Aro Valley is cold and dark.
Describe your financial low: Borrowing money from my little sister to buy plan B emergency contraception… two years ago in my second year of uni.
I give money away to: The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund when I can, and the Cancer Society of NZ.