The cost of being: A political adviser finishing their master's degree
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a political adviser and master's student describes their financial situation.
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Gender: Female.
Age: 23.
Ethnicity: Pākehā.
Role: I work full time as a political adviser and am a master's student.
Salary/income/assets: My salary is $75,000 a year.
My living location is: Urban.
Rent/mortgage per week: $240 per week, not including other expenses like power and wifi. I live with two other flatmates and we split everything equally.
Student loan or other debt payments per week: My student loan is pretty high because I didn't work for most of my undergrad and have also added to it with the master's degree I'm currently finishing up – I get paid monthly so it's about $550 out of each pay check.
Typical weekly food costs
Groceries: I would say I spend about $100 a week on supermarket trips – I'm a terrible cook and get decision paralysis in the aisles, so it tends to be on snacky stuff and a lot of beverages. My shelf in the fridge is always empty!
Eating out: I eat out quite a bit on weekends (mostly at cafes) – I would estimate I spend about $30 a week on that.
Takeaways: I get takeaways during the week if I feel like I need a big dinner which I usually don't have the ingredients to cook – maybe $50 a week?
Workday lunches: $30 a week. Usually lunch for me is just a protein bar from the supermarket, but sometimes I branch out and go to a café or out with co-workers.
Cafe coffees/snacks: $15 per week (not counting my lunchtime protein bars as a snack – that's a meal!).
Other food costs: None.
Savings: I put anywhere from $500 to $1000 a month into my savings account (depending on outgoings). I would love to get more adept at investing, because my savings account is starting to have what feels like a useless amount of money to just be sitting there.
I worry about money: Sometimes.
Three words to describe my financial situation: Growing, impulsive, fortunate.
My biggest edible indulgence would be: Trying new cafes at the weekend – and smoked Havarti cheese!
In a typical week my alcohol expenditure would be: Unfortunately after a few weeks of sobriety I am back on the Courtenay Place grind. $50 a week.
In a typical week my transport expenditure would be: Nothing, because I walk everywhere. Even in winter.
I estimate in the past year the ballpark amount I spent on my personal clothing (including sleepwear and underwear) was: I think it would be about $1500, I got a new job last year so had to get some more professional office stuff, but I like to shop vintage/ second hand so a lot of my clothes are from Depop or stores along Cuba St.
My most expensive clothing in the past year was: I think it was a pair of Doc Martens I bought a few weeks back for $360. Still mustering up the courage to break them in.
My last pair of shoes cost: $280 for some nicer running shoes because my old ones hurt me.
My grooming/beauty expenditure in a year is about: Probably about $2000 (embarrassing!): $300 a year on hair-related activities, I replace my (very simple) skincare routine every few months which costs about $50 dollars, don't get through makeup too quickly so probably about $100 a year on that, and get my nails done monthly for about $100.
My exercise expenditure in a year is about: My gym costs $7 a week (so $364 a year?) – which I really make the most of and use almost every day.
My last Friday night cost: Nothing, unless you include the cost of my degree because I was working on my thesis the whole evening.
Most regrettable purchase in the last 12 months was: A pair of shoes I made the mistake of buying online, which didn't fit and which I forgot to return.
Most indulgent purchase (that I don't regret) in the last 12 months was: New bedding. I love my bed.
One area where I'm a bit of a tightwad is: Socks. Hate buying socks. But other than that, I'm not sure I'm a tightwad at all – maybe with having people pay me back, but I feel like that's fair.
Five words to describe my financial personality would be: Fun, I could die tomorrow.
I grew up in a house where money was: A frequent and stressful subject because my dad owned his own business and my mum always worked hard too. I felt a lot of anxiety about it growing up because of the negative ways it was discussed, but I was always fortunate to go to great schools and never had to worry about having food on the table.
The last time my Eftpos card was declined was: I don't think it has. I always know how much money is in my spending account.
In five years, in financial terms, I see myself: Student loan paid off (I hope I pray!), on a higher salary, renting somewhere nicer. It's not on my radar for the next while to even think about buying a house.
I would love to have more money for: International travel! I want to do Euro summer at least once.
Describe your financial low: Just last year, when I was doing an unpaid internship and tutoring at uni for extra money – I never felt like I had enough, had basically no savings, wouldn't eat much, and would have about $30 to my name some weeks after rent and bills.
I give money away to: The SPCA.
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