The cost of being: A manager who ‘hates paying full price and always wants a deal'
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Gender: Female.
Age: 45.
Ethnicity: Kiwi and Pasifika.
Role: Full time senior manager, with hubby and two kids (preschooler and primary).
Salary/income/assets: Earn $200,000. Own our home and investment property. $200,000 in KiwiSaver. $500,000 life insurance.
My living location is: Suburban.
Rent/mortgage per week: $750 per week, shared with hubby. We are paying about $350 a fortnight more then the minimum payment, to pay it off faster and reduce the interest.
Student loan or other debt payments per week: Paid off my $65,000 student loan. Pay the credit card in full every month. Only debt is mortgages. Rental mortgage is $2,000 per fortnight, rent doesn't cover it, so we top up $1,000 every fortnight. Didn't realise we were buying at the top of the market! Repayments are interest only, but saving so we can make a lump sum payment when our five year term ends.
Typical weekly food costs
Groceries: $450 for two adults and two kids.
Eating out: Rare. We are homebodies.
Takeaways: Up to $400 on UberEats. Some weeks only $100, others closer to $300. It's not cheap but we have stressful lives and it makes our evenings easier. I cook for the kids and we eat takeout.
Workday lunches: Try not to eat out, will take leftovers or make a sandwich.
Cafe coffees/snacks: $20 for coffee. Necessity to function.
Savings: $1,000 per fortnight. But we dip into it for big bills/rates etc.
I worry about money: Rarely.
Three words to describe my financial situation: Comfortable, fortunate, secure.
My biggest edible indulgence would be: Extra virgin olive oil from New Zealand – around $30 a bottle.
In a typical week my alcohol expenditure would be: Zero. Our partying days are behind us!
In a typical week my transport expenditure would be: $80 petrol I think. Hubby fills the cars up so not really sure. Have a fuel efficient SUV.
I estimate in the past year the ballpark amount I spent on my personal clothing (including sleepwear and underwear) was: $400 – mostly for work clothes and I buy my fave brands from Trade Me. Saves me a fortune and not contributing to fast fashion, better for the planet.
My most expensive clothing in the past year was: $50 for a pair of jeans. I am the queen of deals and bargains.
My last pair of shoes cost: $40 pair of Lightfeet jandals. Like walking in a cloud, great arch support. Live in them year round.
My grooming/beauty expenditure in a year is about: $3,500. Sheesh that is a sobering number, haven't added it up before. But my job requires me to be well groomed and I can afford it. Beautician is $200 six weekly ($1,600 pa). Hairdresser is $215 six weekly ($1,690 pa). $200 for makeup.
My exercise expenditure in a year is about: Nil. Walking at beaches/parks etc.
My last Friday night cost: Nothing. Chilled at home.
Most regrettable purchase in the last 12 months was: $25 for a jacket that I bought on Trade Me which looks horrible on me. What was I thinking?!
Most indulgent purchase (that I don't regret) in the last 12 months was: $100 for a body massage.
One area where I'm a bit of a tightwad is: Everything. I hate paying full price and always want a deal.
Five words to describe my financial personality would be: Relaxed, careful, flexible, risk-averse, clinical.
I grew up in a house where money was: Often really tight and not discussed. As a kid I worked and gave my parents my paycheck (cultural norm) so I didn't build up proper savings. Had poor financial habits until I met my hubby, who taught me how to be a good steward of it.
The last time my Eftpos card was declined was: Many years ago.
In five years, in financial terms, I see myself: Better off. Having paid off more mortgage debt and earning more from having progressed up the corporate ladder.
I would love to have more money for: Debt repayment. I can't wait to be mortgage free! It's a few years away.
Describe your financial low: Defaulted on a debt many years ago. Not intentional, mail went to an old address. Stuffed up my credit for seven years. Never want to go through that again.
I give money away to: Approximately $200 a year to Givealittles.
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Regional councils, which have the legal responsibility and authority to prevent this from happening, have known about the issue for at least 20 years. To suggest farmers and local authorities don't know the source of this threat to human health is disingenuous at best. Cottage owner backed My good friend Lou, of Crossans Cottage ( ODT 26.7.25) fame, has been dealt a low blow by the Central Otago District Council and I wish to express my anger, disappointment and confusion at the actions of council. (Oh I forgot to add frustration.) The council seems happy to hand out permission to those with bulging back pockets to build whatever, wherever and whenever but when it comes to this amazing woman who saw a dream in a few dilapidated stone walls to call it her own they have made her dream a nightmare. With the blessing of the descendants of the original owners she put in the hard yards to create an orchard and an amazing garden, which has made her self sufficient, alongside the most beautiful living space. No electricity but that's not a bother. I have been witness to an extraordinary Christmas cake being cooked in the oven of the coal range. Come on CODC show your softer side (if you have one) and accord this lady some empathy and a bit of gratitude for the fact she has restored our heritage in her own way. Draft apology Can we say to the CODC to pull its horns in, and cease its harassment of Mrs Lou Farrand ? One of the charms of Roxburgh is its collection of delightful old stone buildings, reeking of history. They would rather she demolish, and live on the streets? 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Providing peace We are a group of older Dominican women and are very concerned about the money and resources being put into armaments. NATO countries have increased their spending and it seems to us like an arms race we have experienced in our lifetime. This did not lead to protection or peace in the past and we are sure it will not do so now. The result was war on a large scale. It is of considerable concern to see that our government is following this trend and lauding evermore war preparations. A recent Faith and Reason column (Opinion ODT 18.7.25) provides statistics on what is happening. We do know what will prove to provide for peace is a very different direction. It will be to provide adequate shelter for everyone, healthcare from cradle to the grave, lifelong education, mutual respect for differences, giving shelter to migrants and care of our common home the earth. Sitting back How long does the world sit back and watch the appalling genocide of the Palestine people? Of all the countries in the world I would have thought Israel would have been the last country considering what they endured during World War 2, yet they are doing exactly the same to the people of Palestine. We have learned nothing from history I can't believe the world sits back and watches Israel kill innocent men women and children with the backing of many countries around the world. New Zealand led the world in the 80s with its anti-nuclear stance, although that didn't stop the warmongers of the world. But it made a statement to the world: as yet we hear no outrage from this government. Let's start by kicking the Israeli ambassador out of the country and to stay out till a ceasefire and peace talks begin Palestinians are dying in their thousands not only by bullets but by starvation possibly the worse kind of death imaginable. How many deaths is the world willing to put up with before they do something? Council thanked I would like to thank our Dunedin city councillors for their support of the Green Party's proposal to sanction Israeli politicians for occupying Palestinian territory. Night after night we see on our television screens the unimaginable suffering of Palestinian men, women and children whose only crime is to be born Palestinian and live in Gaza. One feels so helpless wondering why the rest of the world appears to do so little to stop this appalling situation. Now I hope other political bodies will follow the example of our council. Government complicity If I was to judge New Zealanders reactions to, and opinions of, the horror being played out in Gaza, by our government's official response, I could be forgiven for thinking that as a nation we deem this to be just another one of those conflicts in foreign parts; a situation where both sides are similarly responsible and should get around the table and sort out their differences. Winston Peters and the government's response appears to be driven by how other nations are responding (waiting for the other bystanders to speak out) rather than reflecting, not only the outrage but the emotional reaction of normal New Zealanders in the street and on the couch. Many of us are moved to tears or physically sickened by the daily stories and images representing the systematic destruction of the Palestinian people. To most decent people around the world, this is genocide. New Zealand was once considered a leader in international issues; speaking out against racism, environmental issues, climate change, anti-nuclear stance, to name just a few. However, this government has swiftly reduced us to a nation of followers happy to wait for other nations to act first before we squeak "yeah us too!" Our government will go down in history as having sat on its hands and waited until it was too late and thus become complicit in the horror. A little to give I note Givealittle has made it virtually impossible to get any money into Gaza for fear this money might fall into the hands of Hamas, even when the money is gathered for a known family in Gaza. This ostensibly because under New Zealand's Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism regime the funds could fall into the hands of Hamas, designated as a "terrorist" entity. So, while Gaza burns, while Israel deliberately minimises access to life necessities such that we see many civilians starving and even more children dying, Givealittle is concerned the funds could be used by someone linked to Hamas. So do we just look on helplessly as Mr Netanyahu and his government continue their deadly purge? Forgetting never again The meaning of "never again" has been forgotten. What has been remembered is the historic lesson on how to implement the process of destroying a specific group people. How is this done? Over decades you bully, humiliate, stigmatise, control and dehumanise the group. You systematically destroy cultural institutions — schools, universities, museums, places of worship and anything else that expresses the identity of the people. You move them from place to place, surveil their every move, destroy their homes, farmland and orchards. In the process you destroy communities, sow hatred and suspicion and also teach your children to hate. You deny your actions are responsible for the formation of resistance groups. You then use a horrific revenge attack as an excuse to destroy the entire population. Bomb and starve, cut off aid and blame it all on the people themselves. Prevent any objective reporting by banning journalists and assassinating local journalists. Convince the world that what you have done must never be seen in a negative light because of your past suffering. As the eternal victim no one can speak out against you. Governments and the media play the game. Stay silent, let the suffering continue until the broken and destroyed people can be hidden. Your greatest success may be that you will have destroyed memory. What? Did these people ever exist? The land was always yours. What happened to "never again"? Will our government and others ever take meaningful action or will they remain complicit? Solar farm In response to Ian Breeze on the proposed Helios Energy solar farm (Letters ODT 23.7.25), the benefits from photovoltaic power in lowering carbon emissions are real, but such facilities are not environmentally neutral as is suggested. Over a decade, I drove weekly between Durham and London along the M1 motorway and saw multiple building sites in designated areas of natural beauty. At first, I assumed this was housing but after the first photovoltaic panels appeared I realised this was different. Working at the Durham Energy Institute, (on nuclear power) I asked colleagues about what this was about; farmers were paid to set aside land for environmental reasons and the panels, in theory, are not buildings. Therefore, Peter Rabbit could frolic as usual and plants can grow around the infrastructure. This has not turned out to be true; the environment was impacted; this is a form of creeping urbanisation, a curse that affects countries in Europe as much its does New Zealand. There is a better way. In many countries planning consent for all new buildings can include mandatory rooftop solar. Tax credits are available for converting existing roof tops and carparks. Imagine all the large supermarkets and stores across Dunedin with solar panels on the roof and as shades in the car park? Imagine the impact on energy security as on sunny days we can reduce the hydro output, mitigating the impact of dry years and reducing natural gas imports. We need wind and solar. We are behind the global curve. With our hydropower as a strategic reserve (supplemented by a pumped hydro scheme at Lake Osbourne) we have an opportunity for solar and wind — we are closer to the equator than countries with significant solar power — to provide a secure source of energy. We held a referendum I refer to the letter from Dr Bernard Fouke (Letters ODT 24.7.25) and his statement: "I challenge the government to submit a referendum to let the public decide if the taxing system should be changed to support an adequately sized public system". May I suggest such a referendum has taken place. It was our last general election, both parties put forward their tax policies. Neither proposed a capital gain tax or adjustment to superannuation. During Covid we saw a $60 billion injection primarily for our health response. This is double our annual health budget. The interest on this loan is $3b annually. So the present government is injecting an extra 10% of the health budget into our health system to continue to pay for our Covid response. If 20,000 were saved from death by the government's Covid response, $60b divided by 20,000 equals $3 million per person. The question is, can we borrow more money or change a tax system that many may resist? The consequences will be the next generation will have to pay for the debt we incur today. Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: editor@
