The cost of being: A supermarket assistant on a working holiday visa

As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a recent arrival from the UK talks us through their financial comings and goings.

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Gender: Female.

Age: 34.

Ethnicity: European (moved to NZ in February 2025 on a three-year working holiday visa).

Role: Supermarket assistant.

Salary/income/assets: $25 an hour – hours vary but usually between 35-40 a week. I guess it’ll be about $52k before tax a year overall. I bought a car for $3,700 when I moved here. I’ve got about $70k in savings back in the UK, mostly in a pension fund. As I’m not a Kiwi I can’t sign up for KiwiSaver, and I can’t contribute to a pension back in the UK so I’m trying to save as much as possible to put into a pension fund wherever I end up settling down. So far I’ve saved $2k for my future pension.
I’ve also saved another $950 into an emergency fund, and $350 towards my next holiday exploring another part of New Zealand.

My living location is: Rural.

Rent/mortgage per week: $180 rent a week. Shared house with five others.

Student loan or other debt payments per week: None. I paid off my student loan years ago.

Typical weekly food costs

Groceries: $80-$100 a week. We get a 10% discount on products not on offer, which adds up very quickly.

Eating out: About $50 a fortnight. Dining is really different here, so I choose somewhere different to go twice a month.

Takeaways: $0 – I cook at home to save for the restaurant experience.

Workday lunches: We get first pick of expired food, so whatever’s going!

Cafe coffees/snacks: $20 a week. As with eating out, I try to go somewhere different every week. I’m not into adventure sports, which a lot of tourists come here for, but the memories I’ve got from the cafes and bakeries I’ve visited since moving here will be with me for life.

Other food costs: None.

Savings: I’m lucky enough to be able to save a lot of my salary up front. I split my savings into non-negotiables (pension savings of 16% a week of my gross salary), emergency fund, and sinking fund for fun things.

I worry about money: Sometimes.

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

My biggest edible indulgence would be: The veggie pie from Ubake. It was love at first bite.

In a typical week my alcohol expenditure would be: Zero.

In a typical week my transport expenditure would be: $50 a week on petrol. The lack of public transport here was a shock to the system. I moved here from a National Park in the UK, and have definitely been spoiled by £2 bus rides and hourly bus services… Luckily work’s only a 20-minute walk each way, so I only need to use my car at the weekend when I’m off looking for a new bakery to visit.

I estimate in the past year the ballpark amount I spent on my personal clothing (including sleepwear and underwear) was: $900 – it sounds a lot, but when I decided to come over to New Zealand, I realised that I would need some sturdy clothing for my life here. I brought two carry-on bags with a decent capsule wardrobe but wanted to replace my old winter coat.

My most expensive clothing in the past year was: A Land’s End winter jacket. It cost $300 on sale in the UK but it’s been a godsend with the snow in my town this winter. Being warm is absolutely priceless.

My last pair of shoes cost: $220 for Blundstone Rotoflex safety boots. I bought them as soon as I moved here. The steel toe has already saved my own toes at work. I love them and will wear them until they fall apart.

My grooming/beauty expenditure in a year is about: Usually I spend $400 a year on makeup, moisturiser, and hair care. I cut my own hair, but use a lot of conditioner as I like to swim. Makeup is a lot more expensive here than in Europe, so I won’t be buying replacements for my lipstick or mascara when they run out. It should decrease my grooming expenditure to about $300.

My exercise expenditure in a year is about: I used to spend $60 a month on pool membership in the UK. Luckily I get free access to the local pool through work which is saving me a fair amount. I will need to get ice spikes so I can tramp more safely in the snow (I left mine in the UK).

My last Friday night cost: $20. I bought some knitting yarn, and some popcorn and watched a film while making socks.

Most regrettable purchase in the last 12 months was: I bought the Lingodeer lifetime package for $160 because I thought the high price would guilt-trip me into studying Mandarin regularly. It turns out it’s just made me feel guilty for spending a lot.

Most indulgent purchase (that I don’t regret) in the last 12 months was: I put a $600 bid on an upgrade to premium economy with Air New Zealand for my flight over. I won, and had the most decadent flight of my life: a seat that I could sleep in without pulling any muscles, top notch service, and a delicious breakfast that set me up for the 6am arrival into Auckland.

One area where I’m a bit of a tightwad is: Makeup/ beauty/ grooming.

Five words to describe my financial personality would be: Trying to find [the] right balance.

I grew up in a house where money was: The cause of a lot of problems. My dad had a gambling addiction, so my mum worked really hard to keep us afloat.

The last time my Eftpos card was declined was: February 2025, when I first arrived here – I hadn’t told my bank that I was going abroad. Oops.

In five years, in financial terms, I see myself: Hopefully sitting on a decent pension fund, and still able to enjoy weekly bakery trips.

I would love to have more money for: A house. More realistically: premium economy plane tickets so I could fly my mum over in style for a holiday here.

Describe your financial low: In my 20s I was a stay-at-home partner. I left that relationship at 31 with no work experience, no money in my bank account, and negative self-esteem. I feel like I’m a decade behind my peers: taking a working holiday and saving my first $100k. But I’m really proud of myself for getting this far.

I give money away to: I don’t donate money to charity, but I do volunteer my time at least once a month for charity events/ fundraisers/ starting charity groups. I was part of a group that started a parkrun in my local area back in the UK. I love being part of communities that are free and accessible to everyone.