As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a 27-year-old who works for a software company explains their approach to spending and saving.
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Gender: Nonbinary.
Age: 27.
Ethnicity: Filipino/American.
Role: Customer experience at a SaaS company/theatre hobbyist/SPCA volunteer.
Salary/income/assets: $72,500 per annum, assets about $30k in savings.
My living location is: Suburban.
Rent/mortgage per week: $600/week (rent) shared with my husband.
Student loan or other debt payments per week: None!
Typical weekly food costs
Groceries: $300 every couple of weeks between two of us and three pets (a dog and two cats),
Eating out: Around $50 for our weekly Aunty Mena’s meal.
Takeaways: Around $100 for the two of us, we do takeaways probably once a week.
Workday lunches: Too much – around $200. I just CBF to pack a lunch most days and I often convince myself that I deserve a little treat.
Cafe coffees/snacks: Maybe $20? Not much, I get free coffee at work.
Savings: We’re not currently saving actively, as my partner lost his job last year and hasn’t had much luck finding a new role. That said, we have about $30k in savings not including KiwiSaver.
I worry about money: Sometimes.
Three words to describe my financial situation: Comfortable, lucky, draining (because our savings are actively going down).
My biggest edible indulgence would be: Magnum Almond (dairy free).
In a typical week my alcohol expenditure would be: $0. I’m not much of a drinker aside from special occasions, and in that case I would buy a $20 bottle of wine four to five times a year, if that.
In a typical week my transport expenditure would be: Petrol: around $20 (we have a hybrid and an EV so not too much per week). Electricity: hard to say – maybe an extra $20 a week to charge our Leaf? Train: $12-ish for the one day a week I use it. Parking: $70-ish for early-bird parking four days/week
I estimate in the past year the ballpark amount I spent on my personal clothing (including sleepwear and underwear) was: This one is embarrassingly high. Probably nearing or just above $5,000 for JUST me, not including my husband. I have a bad habit of shopping sprees that I’m trying to break.
My most expensive clothing in the past year was: Allbirds wool runners ($240) and my wedding dress (around $300).
My last pair of shoes cost: $80 – some nice sandals, sea foam green/strappy, worn for my wedding.
My grooming/beauty expenditure in a year is about: Skincare products (pretty basic/bare bones but I spend a lot on sunscreen), hair care (a bit much because I have long, curly, thick hair), lash lifting three to four times a year, a handful of makeup items for special occasions. Overall cost comes to about $1,000/year, maybe more if I decide to get a professional haircut (which is almost never).
My exercise expenditure in a year is about: Between gym membership, a new yoga mat and physical therapy from dancing on concrete for three months (long story), about $1,000 (the gym membership is what gets that quite high).
My last Friday night cost: $10 in petrol to go to the beach and back.
Most regrettable purchase in the last 12 months was: A $70 charge for a subscription that I didn’t know I was paying for. Wack.
Most indulgent purchase (that I don’t regret) in the last 12 months was: An appointment with a private psychiatrist to get treated for ADHD. Around $1,000 all said and done and worth every cent.
One area where I’m a bit of a tightwad is: Any home goods that I deem “luxury” – fancy sheets, decor, cookware, furniture (my husband furnished our house almost entirely with secondhand furniture from TradeMe).
Five words to describe my financial personality would be: Can’t take it with you.
I grew up in a house where money was: Tight, but my dad was excellent at budgeting so we made do. We had everything we needed, but I didn’t realise until later in life that most families went on regular holidays and trips.
The last time my Eftpos card was declined was: Never (yet).
In five years, in financial terms, I see myself: Hopefully saving more actively and building up our nest egg to have a bebe.
Describe your financial low: University (eight to nine years ago) – negative bank balance, overcharge fee, unemployed, empty fridge, “let’s get Uber Eats!”, dumbass.
I would love to have more money for: Travel (and maybe another cat).
I give money away to: My friends – I will always shout someone lunch or get them a snack if they need it. I figure they can get the next one or help me out when I need it. I also donate to the odd Givealittle, especially if a pet is involved. I suppose my pet expenses count here as well – they don’t pay rent but I love them anyway.
