The cost of being: A late-20s professional on the hunt for their first house
Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.
Gender: Female.
Age: 29.
Ethnicity: Pākehā.
Role: Governance advisor.
Salary/income/assets: Income $107k, asset one car, currently house hunting.
My living location is: Suburban.
Rent/mortgage per week: Rent is $420 per week between two of us for a three-bedroom unit (we rent from family, so get a really good deal).
Student loan or other debt payments per week: I pay about $180 from my salary a week in student loan repayments. No other debts.
Typical weekly food costs
Groceries: We budget $200 a week for two of us but will often go over – we have a lot of room to cut back if need be.
Eating out: We go out maybe every other month and will spend $250-$300 on a nice dinner.
Takeaways: $80ish a week? Sometimes more, sometimes less.
Workday lunches: I'm really good at bringing food from home, so maybe $30 a month.
Cafe coffees/snacks: I bring a coffee from home but love a second coffee sometimes, so maybe $15 a week?
Other food costs: We do have a veggie garden but grow from seeds purchased two years ago, so just the cost of soil if needed.
Savings: Between my partner and I, we save around $3.5k a month, which is mostly going towards our house deposit right now. I save an extra $800 a month in my personal account.
I worry about money: Sometimes.
Three words to describe my financial situation: Secure, optimistic, BETTER!
My biggest edible indulgence would be: A tub of pesto – sometimes I just need to do it.
In a typical week my alcohol expenditure would be: If I'd answered this last year it'd have been a lot different answer, but right now not more than $10 a week, if that.
In a typical week my transport expenditure would be: $0 – I have an EV (actually maybe $15 a month for power?), and my partner's petrol is paid for by his work. We carpool into town together.
I estimate in the past year the ballpark amount I spent on my personal clothing (including sleepwear and underwear) was: I hardly ever buy myself clothes… I did spend $200 on a dress recently for an upcoming run of weddings. So maybe $2000 in the past year?
My most expensive clothing in the past year was: The $200 dress! Very expensive for me…
My last pair of shoes cost: $49.99 – a pair of sandals for a formal dinner.
My grooming/beauty expenditure in a year is about: I get my nails done every three weeks which is around $100 and my legs waxed every three weeks which is $85. I don't wear makeup apart from mascara but I do get my eyebrows microbladed. Soooo including skincare… $5,000 a year?
My exercise expenditure in a year is about: Gym membership is $16 per week, and just purchased a new swimsuit, estimate $1,000 per year.
Most regrettable purchase in the last 12 months was: I have purchased three PlayStation games in the last year that I have not played…
Most indulgent purchase (that I don't regret) in the last 12 months was: I spend a lot of money on books. I have about 50 books that I haven't read yet. But I love my book collection and regret nothing.
One area where I'm a bit of a tightwad is: I hate spending a large amount of money on one thing. I'm terrible for buying cheaper quality things and then needing to replace them quicker. It's something I'm working on!
Five words to describe my financial personality would be: Impatient, impulsive, learning, risk averse.
I grew up in a house where money was: Not really spoken about. I found myself in a lot of debt as soon as I left home because I was a fool who didn't understand credit cards.
In five years, in financial terms, I see myself: Living in my own home with my partner (hopefully my spouse at that point…) with maybe(?) one child and $100k in savings/investments.
I would love to have more money for: Books! I've been put on a self-imposed spending ban :P
Describe your financial low: Five years ago, I was $15k in debt, no savings, part-time job on minimum wage living paycheck to paycheck and absolutely stressed about my finances with no real financial literacy. I've come a long way.
I give money away to: SPCA and City Mission.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NZ Herald
3 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Shane Te Pou: 6 ways Christopher Luxon can save his Prime Ministership
Luxon spent enough time in corporate management to know that a CEO delivering numbers like that is in danger of getting the chop. He also likes to boast of his credentials in doing 'turnaround jobs'. Well, he needs one now. So, how can Luxon get his Prime Ministership 'back on track'? It's the economy, stupid New Zealand's economy isn't just bad – it's one of the worst in the developed world. We had a deep recession last year; other countries did not. And we're looking at round two. Partly, that's due to the Government suddenly cancelling, delaying or scaling back a bunch of infrastructure work, which contributed to the large loss of construction jobs. Partially, it's soaring energy prices killing our manufacturing sector. You can launch all the policies with energetic names like Investment Boost and Going for Growth you like; it doesn't matter if none of them move the needle. You spend your time trying to blame Labour for spending during a pandemic, while borrowing even more yourself for tax cuts; it doesn't create a single job. You can't spin away a crisis. It's time to take this seriously. Increase government investment and fix the energy shortage. Talk to us like adults You can practically hear the groans across the suburbs each Monday morning as Luxon whines 'well, what I would just say to you is' before repeating the same old talking points on his weekly media round. You're not trying to sell us soap, Mr Luxon. Show us you have a brain and treat us like we have brains, too. Give us genuine, considered thoughts and answers on the issues facing New Zealand. Is Christopher Luxon looking likely to be the first National Prime Minister to last only one term? Photo / Mark Mitchell Have a heart Before the National Party conference, party president Sylvia Wood said the problem is voters aren't seeing Luxon's 'humanity'. I agree. It's hard to see the humanity when he labels poor New Zealanders as 'bottom-feeders', scraps the pay equity process for 180,000 low-income workers and restricts access to emergency housing. If he is a humane guy, it's time to show it. As a Christian, Luxon must know Matthew 7:16: 'By their deeds you will know them.' Spend more time at home When Luxon said he was going to be a Prime Minister who didn't spend a lot of time inside the Wellington beltway, I don't think many of us realised just how far away he planned to be. I'm a man who likes to travel, but Luxon is taking it too far. At least one overseas trip a month, often on some pretty thin premises (what was he doing in Papua New Guinea the other week?) and with very little to show for it in diplomatic outcomes. Spend less time in the Koru Club and more time at the desk. Don't be afraid to change direction No one could accuse Luxon and his ministers of lacking self-confidence. They've ripped up ferry contracts, water reforms, light rail plans, the state house building programme, the RMA Act, the NCEA and more – all with the blithe assumption that they'll come up with something better. It's not exactly working out great, eh? Maybe it's time to revisit some of those impulsive decisions. Maybe it wasn't a great idea to borrow $14 billion for tax cuts and increase the Government's debt. Maybe, it's time to have the humility to adopt some of the Opposition's ideas, rather than reflexively scoffing at them. Pull the minor parties into line Luxon failed from the start to exert any authority over Act and New Zealand First's ministers. Casey Costello's dealings with tobacco companies should've seen her sacked. Karen Chhour's bootcamps disgrace would normally see the portfolio taken off her. Luxon's done nothing. Yeah, Winston Peters and David Seymour can threaten to pull down the Government if Luxon disciplines their ministers. But would they? It would cost them more than him. Have some guts – look them in the eye and see who blinks first. All is not lost for Luxon. But he's looking more and more likely to be the first National PM to last only one term, or less, unless he changes his ways.
NZ Herald
20 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Kiwis moving to Australia: Incomes, house prices and interest rates compared
It means houses in major Aussie cities cost about 6.5 times the typical salary compared with eight times in New Zealand. Even Sydney comes out ahead of Auckland, with its houses at 8.5 times the price of typical city salaries compared to 9.2 times in the City of Sails. And there are other pain points for New Zealanders. The Herald estimates Kiwis pay around $839 or 42% more at the pump each year for every 14,000km driven. Yet it isn't all good news in Oz. Sydney resident and former Aucklander Keitah Tuleitu's family were hit hard by a curveball last year. Having lived in Australia for seven years, they earlier told the Herald they had been feeling comfortable and planning to buy a house in 2024. Instead, they spent much of the year raiding their savings. 'I would say 2024's been a struggle because my husband did lose work for a period of time,' Tuleitu said when the Herald checked back in this week. It's a reality check that backs warnings from property commentator Nick Goodall of analysts Cotality for Kiwis to look beyond headlines about salaries. Goodall cautions that the big salary advantages from industries like mining can create the impression that every job is better paid in Australia and advises people to look closely at opportunities and hidden costs when pursuing their chosen professions. The exodus has worried many New Zealand commentators. The Herald's business editor at large, Liam Dann, has been warning of a brain drain as New Zealand's young, trained and educated people move to Australia. While new migrants from other countries are replacing many of the Kiwis who go to Australia, experts believe this creates a churn in jobs as people come and go and the most experienced are lost. Winners and losers: City-by-city comparisons Looking deeper into Australia's affordability advantage, some cities stand out as potentially better opportunities for Kiwis than others. Mining hotspot Darwin emerges as the ultimate financial sweet spot, boasting the highest salaries at $173,000 (NZD) yet the cheapest house prices at just $588,000, according to Australian National University income data and Cotality house prices. At the other extreme, Dunedin residents earn barely half what their Darwin counterparts make – resulting in a staggering $93,000 income gap between the highest and lowest-paid cities. Tauranga delivers another shock. Its $690 weekly rents now exceed Melbourne's $670 – a regional New Zealand city outpricing one of Australia's largest metropolises. The city salary pecking order tells a harsh story for New Zealand. All five top-earning cities sit across the Ditch, while New Zealand's best, Wellington, manages only sixth place, according to ANU and Infometrics' NZ income data. Comparing public servant hotspots, Canberra's residents typically earn $154,000 compared with Wellington's $134,500 – a $20,000 gap between the two capital cities. Adelaide leads the property growth with 7.8% in annual house price gains, while Wellington has suffered the steepest decline at minus 6.2%. New Zealand's Christchurch and Dunedin offer the cheapest rents in either country at $550 weekly – but Infometrics income data shows residents earn just $90,000 and $80,500 respectively. Keitah Tuleitu with her extended family. She's made Sydney home despite tough times last year. Pros and cons of life over the Ditch Cotality's Goodall said Kiwis are being drawn not only by better wages but also by a more optimistic feeling in Australia about the economy. Australia has weathered the downturn better than New Zealand, where unemployment has risen faster as house prices have stayed flat, he said. Kiwis have repeatedly listed higher salaries and strong economic prospects as the top attractions when talking to the Herald. Maths teacher Liam McMahon told in 2023 how he scored an instant $31,000 pay rise just by moving to Melbourne from Hamilton. Architect Kyle Anaru started 'accumulating savings straight away' after moving to the Sunshine Coast in 2023, while beauty therapist Bridget Jane told last year how she and her fiance left Queenstown on the hunt for salaries that better matched house prices. But Goodall's 'not all rosy' warning has also shone through in Herald conversations. Anaru was among Kiwis saying how hard it could be to find rentals, while Jane had to live far from Melbourne's centre for affordable rent and talked about a more high-pressure working environment in Australia. Teacher McMahon was also among many missing 'family, friends and Hamilton day trips', while others miss New Zealand's culture. Tuleitu, meanwhile, highlighted how the highs and lows can come in both countries. In 2023, she told the Herald how higher Sydney salaries had meant her family were living 'comfortably' while still donating to their church. It was in contrast to the struggle her parents had gone through in New Zealand, she said at the time. However, their recent struggles had forced them to 'pick' at their savings and reset their goals. Nevertheless, with most of her family having joined her in Australia, she has become an Aussie citizen and says she isn't coming home any time soon.
Scoop
2 days ago
- Scoop
Kiwis Leaving Clear Vote Of No Confidence In Luxon
Data from StatsNZ shows more people are leaving New Zealand as the cost of living keeps getting worse under National. 'The number of New Zealanders leaving is a clear vote of no confidence in Christopher Luxon and his government,' Labour finance and economy spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. 'Christopher Luxon promised his business experience would make things better, instead he's making life worse. New Zealanders are being forced to leave to find opportunities that should be available here. 'Almost 72,000 New Zealand citizens have given up hope for a better future here in New Zealand in the year to June 2025, the highest since 2012. That's more than the population of Napier gone, all thanks to this government failing to deliver on their promises. 'No one should have to leave their country to build a future. It doesn't have to be this way. 'We can build a future where young people want to stay, put down roots, and help shape a thriving Aotearoa. 'Labour is focused on rebuilding opportunity here at home while easing the pressure households are feeling right now,' Barbara Edmonds said.
