As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a young sparky explains where their money goes, and the advantages of learning a trade.
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Gender: Male.
Age: 21.
Ethnicity: Pākehā.
Role: Residential/solar sparky.
Salary/income/assets: $35 an hour baby. Based off 40 hour weeks that’s $72,800. Overtime and callouts probably add a few extra dollars in the mixing pot too.
My living location is: Suburban.
Rent/mortgage per week: $200 for a room in a shared flat with me and three other mates. $25 a week on wifi/power.
Student loan or other debt payments per week: I am so stoked that I don’t have a student loan.
Typical weekly food costs
Groceries: $100-$120. Shopping is boring. The attention required to plan out meals pushes me over the edge. I have my go-to meals and I normally will cook enough to jam leftovers for a few nights.
Eating out: $40, it feels like bad money management but I guess the economy only works if you keep the money flowing.
Takeaways: Saturday morning pies, $6 – worth every penny.
Workday lunches: Got into the habit of making sandwiches everyday. Serious moolah saver.
Cafe coffees/snacks: Caffeine makes me crazy. Hot chocolates on the other hand… $5 a week. Sometimes a pie too.
Savings: $200 a week into a house fund, $150 into an expenses account. $120 for spending. The rest goes into “short term savings”.
I worry about money: Sometimes.
Three words to describe my financial situation: Secure now qualified.
My biggest edible indulgence would be: Smoked salmon; broccoli and smoked salmon pasta.
In a typical week my alcohol expenditure would be: A tidy $0. People always seem to assume you want beers for helping them with little jobs… and they’re right.
In a typical week my transport expenditure would be: $0 if I’m not going on any missions – work van baby. $100 will do me a drive to the coast or the mountain and back.
I estimate in the past year the ballpark amount I spent on my personal clothing (including sleepwear and underwear) was: $100, got some nice shorts when I was in Indonesia recently but mostly just hit the op shops.
My most expensive clothing in the past year was: 320,000 rupiah on aforementioned pair of shorts.
My last pair of shoes cost: $10, dress shoes for a 21st.
My grooming/beauty expenditure in a year is about: Hahahaha, true beauty is on the inside. $0!
My exercise expenditure in a year is about: $5,200 – thats a new mountain bike, flights to Indonesia surfing, a few ski trips in NZ and general mission costs in the weekends. Also a membership at the local pool during winter.
My last Friday night cost: $50, share of expenses for a mission to the coast.
Most regrettable purchase in the last 12 months was: $500 on a pair of ski goggles – a bit silly really, my ex-flatmate could’ve got them at cost. Hopefully with a bit more skiing I’ll stop regretting it.
Most indulgent purchase (that I don’t regret) in the last 12 months was: Tools, laser level, mains crimpers, multi-function tester. They’re expensive but man do they pay themselves off.
One area where I’m a bit of a tightwad is: I guess buying myself smoko, I’m pretty religious with packing lunch.
Five words to describe my financial personality would be: Learning how to manage it.
I grew up in a house where money was: Not given the omnipotent status that its usually treated with. We were financially stable (mostly payed off a mortgage when I left home) and my parents chose to invest their money into traveling with us and experiences rather than trying to build their assets.
The last time my Eftpos card was declined was: Pretty sure my phone bill declined as I was writing this because I haven’t put more money in the old spendings account.
In five years, in financial terms, I see myself: Hopefully chucking down a house deposit.
I would love to have more money for: I have the perfect amount of money. I think it’s easy to get carried away wanting more but I think there is a lot better places that money could go right now.
Describe your financial low: In between leaving my first company and starting with the company I’m at now there were a few sketchy moments.
I give money away: Sporadically. When the right opportunity hits me.
