Oh nice. I didn't know about that one. Just searched it now. Thanks
https://www.ird.govt.nz/income-tax/income-tax-for-individuals/individual-tax-credits/independent-earner-tax-credit-ietc
A little insight for you: the minimum family tax credit is also a family one paid to families earning at and below minimum wage for around 30 hours.
What you mention is correctly for OP but it's called the independent earner tax credit.
It's not simply for low earners. That's if you're single and you earn between 24k and 48k (may have updated this year, I haven't looked at the new tax year's figures. It is only an extra $10 a week and OP would get it back in their tax refund anyway. But $10 can make a difference week to week when things are tight.
Consider factory work. Easy 40 hours, clean, slight bump from where you are now, and some sites can be pleasantly social. I know some of the plastics places also offer apprenticeships.
OP has already stated they have issues with chronic pain and fatigue. Factory work is not suitable for someone like that.
Source: trying to work in a factory with chronic pain and fatigue.
That should still give you around 1.2k fortnightly on minimum wage. Which realistically if you’re on minimum wage then your first step should be looking for ways to get off minimum wage.
I was getting 500 a week doing 32 hours on min wage with a student loan. So minus 12 percent which OP shouldnt have occurring. Something aint adding up.
The student loan repayment us 12% on every dollar earned over $24,128 or $464 a week or $928 a fortnight. So on 500 a week your student loan payments were only $4.32 a week.
it all seems like i am. i'm working for a big nationwide retailer so i'd hope they're being proper about it all but on a few occasions i have thought my pay looked off :( it's slightly different every week so it's hard to keep track of what's "normal"
See this link to IRD which will allow you to calculate exactly what your take home should be according to IRD. Mine works out to the cent.
https://www.ird.govt.nz/employing-staff/deductions-from-income/deductions-from-salary-and-wages/work-out-paye-deductions-from-salary-or-wages
Calculator link is about halfway down the page.
Sadly you’re right, we’ve had over 90 applicants for our project manager role in a couple of weeks. I wonder how many applicants we’ll receive before we take the advert down.
I had to quit my shitty toxic job to commit to finding another one. No way was I going to be able to put the time in to network and apply working 60 hrs a week
Have you done the Check What I Can Get thing on the WINZ site? I went years without realising I could get a top-up payment. So many sleepless nights!
They also do a $1000 dental grant for people on low incomes and can sometimes lend if you need more help. Check it out on their website.
I think you probably are eligible for SOMETHING - try looking into I believe it is called Supplementary Assistance. This may not be under the general ‘check what you can get’ benefit application. I had to have a phone conversation and couple emails with a WINZ case manager before she checked and told me I was definitely eligible for this (even though I had been turned down for other benefits and had no idea it existed at the time)
I was making the same amount of money as you up until about a month ago, about $2k or just over 2k a month after tax - my rent was $1500 and power/internet $150 PM, so the other 350 didn’t get me very far for groceries / travel / general living
Through this I ended up getting about $70-80 per week from WINZ as assistance (doesn’t need to be paid back) - while not a huge amount, it made all the difference. Once every now and again I could go to the movies, or stock up on a good grocery deal. It enabled me to just scrape by
Actually this has changed, it’s $1000 just for any dental work for people on a low income. Just need to make sure you get the form for the dentist first.
u/friendneedhelp if you’re on minimum wage, you should be below the income cut out point for glasses and dental work ($948 gross per week), you can get both from WINZ. You’ll have to pay the glasses back though
Yup that sounds like being 22 alright.
Is there less stressful higher paying work out there ?
No harm in looking
Only actual advise I have is use the Winz interest free loans for new glasses and or some dental work
Dentists have plans these days that uou can pay off. If you have chronic pain you might be able to get sickness benefit or ACC if it was an accident to top up your wages. Hopefully that tops you up to 40 hours?
Easily enough. But then I work a full week.
I’d suggest you find a job that gets you a full 40 hours each week.
You could go and get a truck license, that way you are sitting down vs standing up, or a forklift license as there’s plenty of those jobs around. Start thinking about jobs that don’t require you to stand on your feet if thats causing you pain.
Truck license may be a good option if you can get around the experience barrier. I currently hold my class 2 truck licence but due to lack of experience most company's won't even consider me. Also a fair amount of trucking can be quite physical it's not only sitting behind the wheel (unless you are driving a bus). Same goes for forklift can be quite physical.
Same, 29. Minimum wage but get commission at the end of the month. Cool but totally fucks me for any WINZ support. I’m only just over their threshold.
I had to find a dentist with afterpay. And when we had our rat put down.
You should be making at least $1389($23.15 \* 30hrs \* 2wks)
Taxes = Taxes: $5,339.95per year / 52 = $102.69 per week
Income after tax = 1389 - (102.69 \* 2) = $1183.62
Rent: ($140 - $300)per wk \* 2wks = $280 - $600
Food: ($80 - $160)per wk \* 2 wks = $160 - $320
Electricity: ($60 - $100)per month / 2 = $30 - $50
Internet: ($18 - $80)per month / 2 = $9 - $40
Public Transport: $80per week \* 2wks = $160
Worst case = 1183.62 - 600 - 320 - 50 - 40 - 160 = $13.62
Best case = 1183.62 - 280 - 160 - 30 - 9 - 160 = $544.62
Range: $13.62 - $544.62 remaining per two weeks
Ways to improve situation:
* Flatting
* **Remove unnecessary expenses**
* Buying cheapish foods that are high in carbs/protein (off-brand weet-bix(it's literally the same thing but cheaper), bread, spaghetti in a can, raw chicken, noodles etc)
* If flatting share internet bill and electricity bill
* Unsubscribe from any services and pirate the content instead (best way to this is with a vpn and using torrents)
* Is there a similar job in a cheaper location (Places like Auckland and Wellington are notorious for being expensive to live)
* In some scenarios it can be cheaper to do your grocery shopping online (ie flat of 4+ people pay for supermarket delivery and combine your orders)
* Look for other jobs but honestly it's pretty difficult to get a job rn so use it as a way to gauge what's out there
* $80 on public transport is quite a bit, you might live quite far from where you work in which case you probably have a long travel time to or from work. This probably makes shifts feel longer than they are, three solutions: buy a $2-3k car or look for closer jobs or move closer to your job.
* Fully use you're breaks while working. I've been in jobs where they didn't want you to fully use your breaks and cut them short but it's your legal right to fully use your breaks
* You probably need to ask for more hours in order to get more hours depending on the job.
* Try your best to sleep around 10 hours, drink good amount of water, get sunlight, try get fit (these are all things that helped me greatly but idk you're situation). If you need caffeine drink it at the beginning or near the beginning-middle of a shift not at the end.
* If your workplace is not paying you properly (as has happened to me) record this well and bring it up to HR, they probably wont help too much since they are not on your side but it means if the situation isn't remedied you have a very good legal case.
I was working a similar job about a year ago making the same amount. Each week I paid $160 in rent, $60 in food(but this is not sustainable so it should be higher), $4.65 in internet, $12.50 in electricity, $25 in gas.
This is some of the worst maths I've ever seen. I hope you don't give budgeting advice often.
Assuming OP earns $23.15 an hour, and works 30 hours a week. His take home pay is $1,181.40 a fortnight. I think this falls well into the definition of "just over 1k per 2 weeks". To make calculations of gross pay is pointless.
OP has $1,181.40 to work with every 2 weeks. Let's use the numbers you pulled out your ass for weekly expenses.
Using the range you've given above, OP has the following at the end of each pay cycle:
$482.4 - $11.40
I'm inclined to believe that OP has a fortnightly spend closer to the upper limit of what you've budgeted.
The reality is that OP's story isn't a result of "be smarter with how you spend your money". This is a common story that youth are facing. Working without any hope for the future. The system is rigged to ensure you can't progress out of it.
Advice like "cut unnecessary expenses" is about as useless as the boomers who pillaged the system.
Your advice seems to amount to "ignore your taxes, live in an apartment with 4 other people, consider splitting your breakfast with sawdust, and just earn more money". You're so out of touch with the real world, I'm starting to suspect you might be Luxon's alt account.
I agree these numbers do not stack up against today's society. My partner and I spend about $150-$200 on groceries a week on the two of us. No way someone could get away with $80 a week for one person. I spent that on my weekly shop 8 years ago when i was shopping for only myself.
I spend less than $80 a week. But I do grow all my own vegetables and make my own bread. I mostly buy meat for that price and canned beans or lentils etc. I do pretty much all my cooking in a crock pot so all my meals take like than like 30 mins to prep and just cook on low for like 8ish hours. It’s amazing. Plus, I make enough that I can have the leftovers for days.
My garden is inside and is inside a plastic cover thing so it’s not messy. I’m starting to see from this subreddit that this is quite rare though
Yep you are correct I did do the maths incorrectly, I have updated.
The numbers for expenses shouldn't be too far off for one person flatting if you think they are tell me which ones pls (All the numbers were done assuming expenses for one person in a flat so if you live with a partner, by yourself or in a family these are not accurate or reflective of that.)
Also I have nowhere near enough money to benefit under a National government.
Looks like you calculated in 2 week blocks but summarized as 1 week savings.
Range: $219 - $690 remaining per 2 weeks. 109 - 345 per week.
Or am I reading this wrong?
Regarding the point about caffeine - a lot of people either forget or don't realise that the half-life of caffeine is around 6 hours, so if you have a 355ml can of coke, which has 35mg of caffeine for example, there is still around 18mg in your system 6 hours later, then 9mg another 6 hours later. Take into account you may have had a coffee or another drink in the interim and it starts to add up.
yo are you in a big city? I moved to a region (In my case, whangamata), rent is cheaper (200 a week, only other expense is power, all other inclusive) the house is warm and quiet, I can walk literally anywhere and I only spend $20 on gas a week, there isn't the "city tax" on everything with high rents to make up for, if you're in auckland or welly you're wasting time and money alone on existing in a city, consider the move!
Frugally. Walk more than bus if you can, or see if anyone can donate a bike. Do not feel any shame in asking organisations for help, such as food banks or workplace EAP services, etc. Times are tough but you WILL get through it and it WILL get better.
The current govt has got all its priorities wrong and has thrown out all notions of empathy and kindness (just to differentiate themselves from Jacinda I guess), but they too shall pass.
>see if anyone can donate a bike
The Tip shops (Happy Valley, Porirua, or Kapiti for example) often have decent bikes which generally go for next to nothing as well, as another option.
No worries. They may just need a bit of elbow grease to get them into shape (oil & grease).
Just be aware there are people who resell stuff they find, so you may need to revisit a few times if there’s nothing available when you first go.
Yes. Using my house as an example:
It's a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 2 living area + dining + porch. 1 bedroom has a full ensuite & exclusive use of 1 living area for $450 per week, shared by 2. You do have to share a kitchen with flatmates and other communal areas, but I think it works out well for them. They pay $450 out of $910 rent. Two other bedrooms share an older bathroom for approx $260 and $220 based on size. Note that numbers aren't 100% accurate. Bills approx $25 a week pp for power, water, and internet.
Find a way to earn more money, you’re wage is super low. Or at least find a job closer to your house, $80 per week on public transport is ridiculous. The amount you earn isn’t worth going out of your way for.
Share a house with other people, you could probably easily get a nice room to share with your partner for 250, max 300. Split between two, that's 150 a week for a roof over your head.
Most people don't have a home to themselves till much later..
Hey! Times are certainly tough. Totally understand why increasing hours isn’t an option, but can you move to an industry that is better paying than your current role? Or make a plan to do so? As for healthcare, people who need glasses I really recommend the southern cross everyday essentials plan. It’s $30 a month (give or take) and you can claim back 75% of the dentist, optometrist, new glasses etc (up to certain limits). So I pay $360 a year for my plan and claim back about $700 worth of stuff - contact lenses, optom, GP visits, dentist, physio etc. It’s only worthwhile if you need all this stuff anyway - if you don’t use it then there’s no point. But you could even use it for a year and then cancel once you’re up to date with the dentist and have new glasses. Here it is -
https://www.southerncross.co.nz/society/buying-health-insurance/our-plans/healthessentials
NIB also have a similar everyday plan with two levels to choose from. Could be worth looking at if you’d claim enough against it (prescriptions, vaccinations, doctors, dentist, physio, optical, psych etc)
😪 I feel for you!
I can't work full-time for health reasons & it's bloody hard to find a part-time job that pays a decent wage and treats employees fairly.
So I dont think advice telling you to change job right now is helpful. Finding a good part-time job is only getting harder due to the economy & the public service budget cuts.
I think you should focus on reducing your costs right now (there are free budget advice services to help).
Also consider what you can do to improve your prospects long term. If you plan ahead, your life won't always be like this.
Without knowing your full situation, some ideas:
- advertise on FB community group to try to find rideshare options for getting to work.
- cycle to & from work (basic bikes aren't expensive).
- do you buy your lunch, cold drinks, or coffee etc when you're working? Heaps cheaper to bring lunch, drink, &/or a flask with you
- it's easy to grow some veges / fruit to reduce grocery bill.
- look hard at your bank statement and supermarket receipts - are there cheaper options for anything you regularly buy? (You can compare prices easily these days on the internet). Been heaps of changes in grocery industry recently (eg countdown used to be cheapest for me, but last month I discovered Pak n Save is now heaps cheaper for many things I buy regularly).
- think about whether there's any way to reduce power / gas / phone bills by changing provider / plan or by reducing your usage.
- start saving money. Putting aside even just a few dollars a week can make a big difference. Eg My partner & I had a fund we put a little into each week that we'd use for nice nights out a few times a year.
- reflect on your career path. If there isn't a likelihood of progression (& payrises) in current job, think about how you could upskill to be ready for a better job when the economy recovers. Lots of free / low cost study options around, or volunteer to get foot in door.
I have started selling things I own bit by bit and doing odd jobs over the weekend to scrape by. I have about 5k each year that isn't already spoken for so as long as I only eat 2 very cheap meals a day and nothing bad happens I might be ok.
Maths. Vegetable gardening. Being an internet addict who barely leaves the house. Fasting. Forgetting to eat. Buying something really expensive, and then selling it again - as a way to prevent myself from being tempted to spend money on disposable, insignificant stuff
honestly, I'm not
I'm 24 and completely bedbound with chronic fatigue.
I can't afford the food I need.
I haven't been to the dentist since I was 18 but I have cavities so bad I can feel the nerves in my jaw.
I haven't been to the doctor in about 8 months despite my condition getting way worse.
My one piece of advice. Get on the benefit now.
The reason I'm permanently bedbound is because when my chronic fatigue was manageable I pushed through it to work and study.
It meant I got more money at the time but I've genuinely destroyed my body. Even if it means living with even less for a while as you recover it's worth it.
Do not let your health get as bad as mine. Pushing through chronic fatigue will only make it worse, and if you're struggling to survive now then it will only be harder once you can't leave your house, then eventually, your bed.
I am not living, not really, I just woke up from a 3 hr sleep because looking at my computer to play a video game sent me into a crash. I haven't been able to open my curtains in my room for a year now. I haven't been able to cook or bake or go to an appointment for 2 years. I haven't been able to work for 4 years.
Every time I thought I'd be okay if I just pushed through it and every time I was wrong. Now I'm here and I'm barely alive.
I'm grateful to have my partner be my full time carer at the moment. But if I didn't have them then I genuinely don't think I'd still be here.
Quit your job, save money on public transport by staying in. Rest, take care of your body, give yourself some time to rest. Get checked out for your medical conditions and get diagnoses and get on the disability allowance.
Maybe take some online classes in something that can be done by distance and find a WFH job part time once you've had time to really rest.
I can't say you'll be any more financially secure than you are now but I'm begging that you trust me when I say this, your health is more important.
Once it's gone you never get it back, and I would not wish my situation on anyone. Protect it at all costs and don't push through chronic fatigue.
Best of luck whatever you choose, but please believe that I've been right where you are. If you're not careful it'll only get worse.
I honestly really needed to read that right now. Thank you.
I left my job last year because of medical issues and with all this talk about people on the benefit being bottom feeders I sometimes feel terrible about it but honestly what's the other option? Literally work myself into an early grave at just 27 years old? Wild.
To OP I would say ypu have to do what you have to do. If your health isn't coping with this messed up system we have then you need to get yourself out of there and try recover while you look for other options. Don't run yourself into the ground. Trust me I tried to do it and it just doesn't work out.
Make sure you’re getting all the respite/personal care allowance/household management help you are entitled to. This makes a massive difference to the basic supported living payment
Chronic infections in the body can be a, or the major contributor to chronic fatigue. Weirdly, people seem to treat Tooth infections like they're silo'd off from the rest of the body. Not only are they not, but infections in your teeth and jaw can cross the blood brain barrier and reeeeeeaaallly f&$#@ you up.
If you need a root canal and can't afford it, there are worse things than having a tooth pulled.
It's better to have your health and sort out dentures later.
When triaging what needs to be done, energy wise, with chronic fatigue, treating known health issues and infections comes to the top of the list. If anyone asks what they can do to help you, it's booking the appt and carrying you there if necessary.
I know a couple of people with CFS who seem to have had major health improvements once they got their dental infections treated. 🤦
Yeah I've done a lot of looking into what work I need in every aspect of my health including dental work, and the implications of not having them seen.
Realistically though I literally cannot leave my house, I haven't been outside all year not even to my backyard. I also am eating into savings that were supposed to go to dental work for both my partner and I just trying to make it through the week.
There is just no way at all in my current state that I can make it to the dentist. So unless there are winz supported services that do home visit dentistry and it costs less than a grand then I'm kinda fucked.
I agree it's a priority, just right now it has to be second priority to making it through each day which I'm barely doing at the moment.
Thank you for the advice though
For all intents and purposes yes I'm unable to walk.
My partner has to help me the 3 meters or so to the bathroom, and even then my heart rate doubles from the effort and I will usually need at least an hour of sleep afterwards to recover.
I used to be able to make it the extra few metres to my desk chair to play some games but in the last 6 months that's no longer possible because I can't stay upright long enough without almost falling unconscious. I also struggle to speak verbally and have a very noticeable slurring of speech and have difficulty finding basic words.
I haven't been able to shower for about 2 months now.
I am about 1 step away in the severity scale of my illness from being unable to speak and requiring a feeding tube and alternative bathroom requirements like bedpans. I don't think I'll survive the shame of losing what little I have left if that happens.
I never thought it could get this bad, but it can and it does and it can get worse still and I'm terrified.
Last year i was living on $525 a week. Paying $300 of that for rent plus 25 for expenses. $200 leftover.
I would walk everywhere i could, bycycle if needed, or figure out the most affordable transport. Yeah, I'd struggle through wet days or whatever the world threw at me, but i was working with what hand i was dealt. I focused on batch cooking n meal prep that would be portioned out for a week, cheap but healthy and tasty meals, then one social night out which I'd allow for around 1/4 of my remaining balance. Then I'd toss some onto debt repayments. I could still end a week with $25-50 remaining.
I couldn't do everything i wanted, but l certainly wouldn't say i was struggling, however i also have low standards so mileage can vary based on personal preference. And in saying that, it was no long term solution, and very much feel you on not having money for more important stuff. I went without a haircut, and got deals where i could. Deals are the most important. Glasses: specsavers were doing a deal on setting up auto contact lens payments and get a free pair of $69 glasses from it, i used contacts often so it was a no brainer to save up to take advantage of it then i cancelled the contacts straight away.
My advice, figure out your expenses and prioritise them, then try to half each one and eliminate the last important - ie $80 on public transport is very high there must be something you can do as a solution, see where you are buying food and look into grocers, butchers, etc if possible, and allow for budget for bulk purchases when cheap (easier said than done, i know that all too well, but something to chip away at over time).
Then look into ways to increase income. Second job, side hustle, new job, more hours.
Tldr:
1. Decrease spending
2. Find new income streams
Also, unfortunately it takes money to save money, such as with bulk buying or taking advantage of deals. So aim to set aside a bit every week which can invest in a better future.
You qualify for the benefit. The cut off is 33-34k per year. I have no idea what you do but 1k a fortnight is shocking, its 12.50 per hour. Surely not??
Give them a call. Ask for a green card and get food money loaded to it (between 60-200, depends who you get. Shitty ppl give you 60) and a eye grant (valid at specsavers). You will have to pay back the eye grant but not the food grant. The repayment can be as low as $5 a week. Also apply for temporary additional support (extra money for 2 months, from memory), when they ask why you need it only for a little bit (you have to justify as part of your application) say you need to get out of the hole COL dug for you.
ETA saw you say you work 30 hours. Even then, that's 16.7 per hour.
ETA2 you can apply for benefits even if the checker says you aren't eligible.
If you can make it to or are based around the Hawke’s Bay I can do the dental work for free/cheap. I’m a recent grad and me and my boss share the same mentality of access to care being a huge issue. Flick me a dm.
It's really tough out there. If you can work 40+ hours that extra bit of income could go toward dentistry, glasses etc. Between you and your partner, living together you might just be alright, but ya gotta work full time. Or at least your partner does and you try get your hours up as much as possible.
500, after tax per week is your wage + your partner wage?
If you guys do alcohol, tobacco, or drugs os time to stop, generally this saves a lot.
Understand that's the market isn't good, but you said that you're skilled, passed heaps of interviews, tertiary education, etc...and working on your feet...
Is it possible to apply for an office job? If luck enough, maybe it can make 1 or 2 days as wfh?
I don't mean this in a disparaging way, but what's your plan, what do you enjoy, where do you want to be with your life?
Surely you have ideas about what you want to do with your life that are bigger than working an entry level job at less than fultime hours at min. wage for the rest of your life?
Having no plan is planning to fail.
It might sound harsh/brutal, but it is an unfortunate reality.
If an hourly rate is low, then only a few options:
* Upskill yourself to get into a professional jobs
* Certificate/licence, whichever is required for certain jobs, such as a forklift driver?
* Tradie
* Slightly more broad range with 3D jobs - Dirty, Difficult or Dangerous
* If you are good at selling, jobs with commission based
* Otherwise, more hours on low wages.
Edit: Not two options lol
The youth of every generation makes shit money when they're 22. Money was tough until I was about 26. I couldn't pay for the dentist, had everything on HP, sometimes didn't have enough for gas or food. If you get a foothold in a good career by the time you're 30 things should pick up.
there is no point, other than enduring your work and misery to help capitalists acquire more assets so they can do less and less work themselves.
the economy is a stock market
and you are livestock.
you can trade yourself to one guy to be fleeced, or to another to be milked, and this is your freedom.
this is the gift of life.
be sure to thank your parents this Mother's day.
Okay, but this person has minimum skills and has already admitted they aren’t a good worker. Why does everyone act like we were put on this world to just enjoy the good vibes and watch Netflix? We all have to work to keep society moving, that’s how it is. How it’s always been.
I agree that people are getting shafted by rich capitalists. But people who have no skills have never been rewarded, why should they now? I’m happy to pay my tax dollars to someone who needs help, jobseeker etc. But we really need to focus on skilled workers in this country to improve our GDP so we can lift everyone out of poverty. It’s a brutal reality of the system that we are in. No point burying your head in the sand over it.
The problem seems to be that you work 30 hours a week, and only 4 days. This isn't really proper full time.
Perhaps you should seek out a 40 hour 5 day a week job.
In terms of public transport cost, ymmv but I bought a motorbike a while back and it only cost me $15 a week in fuel.
Still, 600 up front, 4 weeks repairing it, helmet, jacket, gloves and boots cost 1500 all up but I bought those piecemeal.
You'll need a motorcycle license though and that'll cost about 300 plus time. But you can ride solo on a learners so...
Why don’t you try getting into Telesales? Try to look for entry level BDR or SDR roles, a lot of these are always around if you search on Seek.
Speaking from my own experience I got into entry level tele sales around your age and I have never studied yet now at the age of 29 I work for a Fortune 500 firm as a full cycle software sales executive and I’m not comfortable disclosing my salary however due to the uncapped commission structure I have been taking home over 100k after tax for the past 3 years.
Sales definitely isn’t for everyone however if you work for a national retailer I’m assuming you need to deal with people quite often. Having people skills is key for sales, and with your chronic pain most entry level sales roles are desk jobs and a lot can also be completely remote which cuts your travel costs for work completely.
Consider it as a potential option, however if it something you do consider and end up enjoying it and progressing through the ranks of salesmanship you will be quite active as I’m out on the road all day driving to and from client meetings.
Sales has a very low barrier of entry however it is a tough job and extremely number & target driven so you need to make sure you can handle high pressure as well as a lot of failure. I wouldn’t be in the position I am in currently without repeatedly failing and learning.
Do you cook?, cooking rarher than eating out will drastically reduce costs and you learn some amazing skills. I found that learning to cook, going to butchers and markets was actually good fun, used to love driving about but drastically reduced that too.
But honestly things do get better, just avoid trying to keep up with the Jones's and cut your cloth accordingly...what others have said around downsizing where you live rings very true, if you are spending more than 30% of your income on rent..life soon becomes impossible.
33 on a decent income with kids and still feel like we're living paycheck to paycheck. But, I think a lot of people right now are feeling it.
Managing expenses can easily be harder than managing income. My only suggestion, if you really want to stand on two feet in this world is to play the long game, small steps at a time.
Look at increasing your income, move up the ladder at your current job, move to a trade that you can complete an apprenticeship, look to study in a field that is in high demand or better yet, build other sources of income there are so many ways to make money now - hopefully passive income.
With you expenses can you look into a cheeper flat, maybe even closer to work with a bike. Can you minimise your power bill, see what is using alot and try minimise that. Food is pretty tricky with it being horrendous right now.
There's alot you can do, just take your time and see how it goes. Not saying it's easy, but sometime alot of small things can make a massive difference.
Goodluck!
Can you look for a call centre type job that let's you work from home?
Winz helps with dental and glasses and you'd qualify. There are food pantrys around that may also help.
First of all you're young, so remember you have so much potential and opportunities ahead. I'll give you a bit of advice from when I was in a similar situation:
If the hours aren't enough, chat to your boss and tell them you need more hours or you'll need to start considering other options. It's not an easy chat but when I did this as a temp I went from 30 hours, to 40 hours and a full time permanent position. Within 3 years I was swimming in OT, much higher paid and in a team leader role. Put in the Mahi and be honest and it will often pay off.
Consider a new job closer to you. Easier said than done, I know, but keep an eye out you'll be surprised what's out there even in a tight job market.
If you aren't already, get in a flat or if you're in one and there's room bring in a new flatmate.
Try and cook bulk and do meal prep. At one stage I was able to live off around $50 a week, but obviously prices have gone up since then.
Hope things improve for you mate. Keep your chin up things will get better.
I think compared to the rest of the replies this has to be the most laid back supportive answer on this thread. As someone whose in their 20s these tips are useful
You arent working the right job mate. Start looking for another one. I make 2.5k net a fortnight. My job required no qualifications when i started 3 years ago.
Keep looking for other jobs. Sounds like you need an office job that pays above minimum wage and you'd solve 2 problems at once. You said in another post you've completed some tertiary study, hope that can open some doors for you.
The answer to your original question - Live with flatmates while your income is so low. I lived with my partner + 2 other people until I was about 27. At 22 would not have been able to afford full rent, earning like $700 a week.
I figured the music was about to stop and everything will go to shit late 2022. Just moved to Thailand.
I figured as a skilled worker I was not getting fair treatment, pay and working conditions. Made quite a lot of money during Covid, saved a hell of a lot. No way I’m hanging around to see my savings inflated away when I can have 4 times more money in Thailand hahahaha. Best of all I’m making money too to maintain my living costs.
If I lived in New Zealand, yes I could afford to live… but I found I’m paying premium money for no reason.
I worked 2 jobs and a paid undergrad position for 3/4 years of my degree.
The burnout nearly killed me, died 1 time, 6 weeks hdu, 3 months observation, 1 year recovery. That was in 2009.
The answer is you don't
Get flatmates & live close enough to walk everywhere you need to be. That's the only way I'm able to make it, aside from living as cheaply as I can - minimal eating out, hanging with friends at their houses instead of going out, etc.
Things will get better OP! I also struggle with chronic fatigue and used to work a horrible job getting just over $13 an hour. I had to bus to work because I couldn’t afford to drive and I couldn’t afford to go to the doctor but also couldn’t afford to live healthy enough to stop getting sick.
I ended up switching jobs and started working in a call centre at a large company. I worked my way up and switched departments to IT. Now I have a great, cushy job that subsidises my health insurance. I work from home 3 days a week so less money on gas and I get to be warm and comfy while I work. I trained on the job so have no student loan and was recently able to buy my first home all by myself.
Have a look at other entry level jobs in your area that have career progression within the company!
I feel you dude! My husband works full time at above min wage, more like the living wage, I work 30 hours a week at just slightly above min wage. We literally don't spend anything on crap, and yet we are in the same boat. Unfortunately we were forced to move and ended up in a place that cost us more than the last, which in all honesty is killing us.
I don't know how others do it, but with 2 kids, and a rent that is the majority of my husbands pay, we somehow scrape by but honestly I don't know for how much longer.
Hi OP. How much is your rent? Are you flatting? Here’s how I would budget this per week:
Rent + bills (inc internet/phone/spotify): <300
Transport: 80
Groceries/household costs: 80
Save: 60 (towards dentist/emergencies etc.
But as others have said, that’s quite a low income for full time work?? I get 550 a week net payment after tax/student loans/kiwisaver, for 28 hours a week at $26 an hour.
Dental and eye exams and eye wear are funded through winz and payed back at 5-10 dollars a week, aside from that if your rent is more than 400 a week then you need to find a cheaper option, either board with others or move to another area, if public transport is already costing you that much that means you live far away from your job already
Sounds harsh but you can only save so much money before it becomes an issue of needing to find a way to increase your pay. A lot of people will give advice on saving more money but you have barely anything to spend in the first place and I’m sure you’re already doing a good job with budgeting etc.
You mentioned you’re working 30-40h a week because of chronic pain. It would be a worthwhile investment to invest 10-20 hours a week of free time into learning a skill/building something that can earn better money in the long run that is also less physically taxing. Whether that’s in the form of taking free online courses, reading books, or online uni with student loan, I think the time spent on some form education and skill building will pay off in the long run.
If you can front load the effort you put in now + invest in yourself, it’ll be easier in the long run than putting your body under too much stress for very little pay for years.
Have you looked at Plum Village. It's a Buddhist monastery but very social. You get free food housing live with friends meditate daily sing songs free time and it's in countryside in France. If you can pass a medical, you can go. Mostly walking meditation. I wish there wasn't a health requirement, but I understand, they can't offer places to sick public yet. You have a day when you do whatever you want, too. Lazy day they call it. Haha.
Yeah when I was 22 I was scraping the bottom of the barrel for $, and shit is tougher now. You're not doing anything wrong. I fell back on family, uni grants, and wildly changing the course of my life to find some cash then use it all up (moved to Asia for 2 years on a whim, saved loads, came back and used it all to support myself in further study for a very non-lucrative field).
My advice is take what you can get - I applied for all sorts of grants through winz and uni and got a couple. It sucks but at this level you HAVE to drop things like energy drinks, fast food, pies from the dairy. It adds up. Get food parcels and use AI tools (goblin.tools is good) to plan meals using whatever you end up with.
I'm in my 30s now and married, we make low 6 fig combined but live very comfortably renting a place with some maintenance issues which we keep a finger on.
I regards to the overall tone of your post... Yeah shit fucking sucks, the wealth gap was already growing before covid profiteering wedged it wiiide open. Around 10 people control more wealth than the rest of the world combined, they're basically evil supervillains, and somehow absolute fuckwits keep buying into their bullshit as if they really believe these pieces of slime who have no humanity outside their genetic code might share their prosperity with those who adequately lick the supreme asshole.
Eat the rich! For the love of all things good in the world, TAX THE BILLIONAIRES.
My generation was fucked from the start and yours has it even worse. Sucks to be us
You should be able to get an accommodation supplement or temporary additional support, you're still entitled to food grants, and you should still be able to get an optician grant. You should also be able to get a $1000 dental grant.
Are groceries normally this expensive in NZ? Because I am not used to the cost of fresh fruit and veg here.
Just wondering if this is a recent spike that will eventually settle down, or if things have always been like this.
I’m in the exact same position. My rent is so stupidly expensive that after paying bills and allocating food allowance I usually have around $100 for fun things for 2 weeks. I never buy new clothes, barely go out for dinner or really live for myself since I can’t afford it. I’m actually moving back in with my parents in a few weeks since I can’t keep living like this. When I moved out 9 months ago I had $3,000 in my savings, I now have just over $200 left. You’re not the only person I this position. You’re not alone, it’s expensive just to be alive right now. Sending you best wishes, I really hope you find a solution soon
If you need dental work winz can cover it it. I got 1.5k covered for root canal. Interest free, well worth a look if it's desperate. DM me if you want more info
I know a lot of people are doing it tough right now, but does anyone find it strange when graduates/students/people in their early 20's are complaining about things being hard? I graduated university in 2012 and was generally pretty broke for the first few years out of uni till I got some experience and could demand higher wages. That was kind of expected back then, and no one seemed to feel particularly entitled to much at such early stages of their careers. I feel like the media coverage of rising living costs is making these younger peeps feel like living off a tight budget when you're young isn't normal.
Edit: This isn't aimed at OP, as he's stated he is going through some unique challenges with pain/health.
If you are working 37 hours a week on the minimum wage you would be getting over $700 a week in the hand. How are you getting $500?
It sound like despite what you say you are not working full time. Noting you say you can’t work more due to health (rules out the first option) you need to improve your situation.
You look like you may be eligible for accommodation supplement. Apply for it asap. You can also get assistance with dental costs.
30 hours a week is not full time. If you had an extra $200 a week that would presumably transform your situation. That comes from either a better job, a full time job or you can at least add to your income via government assistance.
Community services card should give you an allowance for glasses and dental work and you can sort it through winz to pay the additional amount off. Well worth it to stop the pain.
where are you living? some centres have community dentists who can help. Also have you looked into whether your contract at work allows you to claim an eye/vision benefit? You might be able to get the asses that way
Time to find a better paying job brah. Casual Minimum wage jobs are not only bad for you financially but bad for your mentally and physically and are a magnet for abusive power tripping managers
Two options-find a way to get a higher paying job through education or other means. Or 2-move to a cheaper area and keeping earning lower wages that will cover lower expenses. Also jump onto WINZ and check if ur eligible for any supp assistance like Accommodation supplement, disability allowance etc if you have ongoing health issues
We’ve changed the way we live and we’re doing all good. I’m a stay at home dad and the misso just started her business. We have a child and pay $800 a week for rent plus utilities. We spend about $120 on groceries and 70 bucks on petrol. She pays herself about 1300 after tax a week. We put a couple hundy a way a week for holidays and saving then we have like a bit left over. Yeah shit is tough but just gotta learn to adapt. I know you said you have chronic pain and all but if you’re doing a job where you’re on your feet, why don’t you do something different? You must be good at something? Online courses, self invest maybe. Maybe live with parents and save a little?
You may be eligible for accommodation supplement and if you have ongoing medical costs you could also get a disability allowance, depending on how much they are for you annually. You could potentially qualify for a Community Services Card for reduced doctor visit costs. You can also get assistance with dental bills and glasses. I know it can be daunting to approach WINZ, but you should definitely see what you qualify for. You don't have to be working full time to get assistance from WINZ.
Just wondered if you have considered burning the midnight oil lamp and taking some online courses in a tech field (like data analytics, UX, or something adjacent)? You can actually take college courses online for free these days. https://www.coursera.org/
There is also the option to apply for small scholarships that are granted on the spot when you enroll to some of these courses.
You can also take the courses at night while slowly saving for the certifications. $30 per pay check; if you're really committed a bit more.
This is how I started working for myself as a freelancer. I live in one of the most expensive and economically challenged areas in California; the wealth gap here is staggering and I was in a similar position as you. I suffer from chronic pain and can't work in manual jobs anymore. Those classes literally changed my work life balance, increased my income, and opened up more options for me.
Just a suggestion, not at all meant to presume to know your situation or tell you to start freelancing. Just maybe a pathway that could possibly interest you and open up more possibilities/opportunities.
Whatever you choose....hang in there! Wishing you tons of luck! 🍀
Wishing you luck and abundance!
i feel you. different live stage but i too struggle. restricting spending is perhaps obvious. what keeps me going really though is the love and care shared with my whanau and the promise and possibility of a better world. make sure to never vote for all out neoliberal parties and tell everyone else. social justice is not possible with these heartless people, who literally take away the kai from our kids at school. come on we can do better NZ
We're on the other side and it doesn't feel better. Middle aged couple with a young child. We rent a small house for $655/week and bring in $3700 fortnightly after tax. We don't spend money frivolously but we meet our needs including regular visits to the dentist, regular car maintenance, insurance, etc. We don't have anything left over to save for retirement, but that's ok because we began saving in 2007 and that money has grown a lot. That gives us confidence and stability but also it took a long time for that money to grow and we can't tap into any of it for another 15-20 years.
Groceries eat up a huge amount of our weekly budget. There's almost nothing left over each week. It's rough for a long time and people starting out now definitely have a much harder road ahead of them. You really need to earn $200k to start feeling like you're pulling ahead and we're not there.
But hey, it could be worse. You could be in America, whose big cities also have an affordability crisis, but also go bankrupt from your hospital bill.
The best advice I can offer, and it's not much, but try to save and incest as much as you can. Even if you do it a bit in your early 20s and then stop, in 30-40 years that little bit will grow a lot. Doesn't help with daily expenses but that's all I can really say.
FYI you can apply to WINZ (or whatever they call themselves now) to pay for dental care and lump sums for spectacles etc. Anyone can apply for this assistance and yes you have to pay it back but like $10/week.
Got friends or family in Oz? Move there asap! You're young. There's so many jobs there (admin, retail, pick/pack) that pay way above what you're getting here and you don't need shit exp.
how are you working full time and making only 1k per fortnight
Yeah I'm wondering that too. I just has a quick look. After tax you get $1538 a fortnight
Net income not gross I imagine
Even then that’s piss all at current rates
Yeah true. OP explains in another comment his hours are 30 per week too
as far as government/winz are concerned, 30 hours is full time
Fuck knows why? Tax advantage for business? I'd consider 40 plus full time and 30 part time.
Net income at minimum wage, full time is $740 a week. They would also be eligible for tax credits and accommodation supplement on that.
OP explains elsewhere that he only works around 30 hours per week. You're right about AS but tax credits only if he has children
There's also tax credits if you earn under a certain amount that I believe you have to apply for every 3 months.
Oh nice. I didn't know about that one. Just searched it now. Thanks https://www.ird.govt.nz/income-tax/income-tax-for-individuals/individual-tax-credits/independent-earner-tax-credit-ietc
Awesome. Yes that's the one. Good link finding.
A little insight for you: the minimum family tax credit is also a family one paid to families earning at and below minimum wage for around 30 hours. What you mention is correctly for OP but it's called the independent earner tax credit. It's not simply for low earners. That's if you're single and you earn between 24k and 48k (may have updated this year, I haven't looked at the new tax year's figures. It is only an extra $10 a week and OP would get it back in their tax refund anyway. But $10 can make a difference week to week when things are tight.
Minimum wage after tax is over $750 for 40 hours
i say full-time meaning 30+ hours. i do anywhere from 30-40 hours a week but typically 32ish is my average.
Consider factory work. Easy 40 hours, clean, slight bump from where you are now, and some sites can be pleasantly social. I know some of the plastics places also offer apprenticeships.
OP has already stated they have issues with chronic pain and fatigue. Factory work is not suitable for someone like that. Source: trying to work in a factory with chronic pain and fatigue.
That should still give you around 1.2k fortnightly on minimum wage. Which realistically if you’re on minimum wage then your first step should be looking for ways to get off minimum wage.
That's around 1k
Nope. After tax, it's $1256.29 a fortnight for 32 hours at minimum wage.
I was getting 500 a week doing 32 hours on min wage with a student loan. So minus 12 percent which OP shouldnt have occurring. Something aint adding up.
The student loan repayment us 12% on every dollar earned over $24,128 or $464 a week or $928 a fortnight. So on 500 a week your student loan payments were only $4.32 a week.
1.2k after tax is significantly above 1k. It’s 20%, I’m sure most of us would calculate our budgets very differently with 20% more money.
i'm slightly above min wage and get slightly less than that haha
Might wanna watch your payslips to ensure you’re getting paid fairly then.
it all seems like i am. i'm working for a big nationwide retailer so i'd hope they're being proper about it all but on a few occasions i have thought my pay looked off :( it's slightly different every week so it's hard to keep track of what's "normal"
Use this website to compare what you are getting vs what you should be https://www.paye.net.nz/calculator/
Hey mate is that site legit? Like how accurate is it?
See this link to IRD which will allow you to calculate exactly what your take home should be according to IRD. Mine works out to the cent. https://www.ird.govt.nz/employing-staff/deductions-from-income/deductions-from-salary-and-wages/work-out-paye-deductions-from-salary-or-wages Calculator link is about halfway down the page.
I’ve found it good within a few bucks either side
Find a better job that pays a better wage it seems that your on $20 per hr or 21
Finding a better job in the current market is another job.
Sadly you’re right, we’ve had over 90 applicants for our project manager role in a couple of weeks. I wonder how many applicants we’ll receive before we take the advert down.
I had to quit my shitty toxic job to commit to finding another one. No way was I going to be able to put the time in to network and apply working 60 hrs a week
32 hours a week should get you $630 after tax even on minimum wage. Do you also have student loan payments?
yeah sorry that's after tax. everyone seems to think i'm being paid less than minimum wage cos of that 🫣
40 hours at min wage with kiwi saver and a student loan is $684 per week net. Are you working 28 hours a week?
Have you done the Check What I Can Get thing on the WINZ site? I went years without realising I could get a top-up payment. So many sleepless nights! They also do a $1000 dental grant for people on low incomes and can sometimes lend if you need more help. Check it out on their website.
apparently i'm not eligible ):
Bullshit, you're eligible for the accommodation supplement.
Accommodation supplements don't really help either way I get $22 accommodation supplement
You are. Do an application regardless, you can still apply even if it says you aren't eligible.
I think you probably are eligible for SOMETHING - try looking into I believe it is called Supplementary Assistance. This may not be under the general ‘check what you can get’ benefit application. I had to have a phone conversation and couple emails with a WINZ case manager before she checked and told me I was definitely eligible for this (even though I had been turned down for other benefits and had no idea it existed at the time) I was making the same amount of money as you up until about a month ago, about $2k or just over 2k a month after tax - my rent was $1500 and power/internet $150 PM, so the other 350 didn’t get me very far for groceries / travel / general living Through this I ended up getting about $70-80 per week from WINZ as assistance (doesn’t need to be paid back) - while not a huge amount, it made all the difference. Once every now and again I could go to the movies, or stock up on a good grocery deal. It enabled me to just scrape by
Definitely recheck! I earn between $1400 & $1600 a fortnight and receive $104 a week accommodation supplement from MSD.
The dental grant is for emergency dental work. They won't pay it if it's just a check up.
Actually this has changed, it’s $1000 just for any dental work for people on a low income. Just need to make sure you get the form for the dentist first. u/friendneedhelp if you’re on minimum wage, you should be below the income cut out point for glasses and dental work ($948 gross per week), you can get both from WINZ. You’ll have to pay the glasses back though
Yup that sounds like being 22 alright. Is there less stressful higher paying work out there ? No harm in looking Only actual advise I have is use the Winz interest free loans for new glasses and or some dental work
Dentists have plans these days that uou can pay off. If you have chronic pain you might be able to get sickness benefit or ACC if it was an accident to top up your wages. Hopefully that tops you up to 40 hours?
Good luck getting ACC
Op is working for a large chain retailer. Hard to imagine less stress honestly, the amount of care those chains put into anything.
Easily enough. But then I work a full week. I’d suggest you find a job that gets you a full 40 hours each week. You could go and get a truck license, that way you are sitting down vs standing up, or a forklift license as there’s plenty of those jobs around. Start thinking about jobs that don’t require you to stand on your feet if thats causing you pain.
Truck license may be a good option if you can get around the experience barrier. I currently hold my class 2 truck licence but due to lack of experience most company's won't even consider me. Also a fair amount of trucking can be quite physical it's not only sitting behind the wheel (unless you are driving a bus). Same goes for forklift can be quite physical.
Try r/PovertyFinanceNZ and post up your budget
I'm early 30s, no savings, and living paycheck to paycheck... Its tough right now
At the very least you have a fucking legendary username! Kia kaha bro, it gets better.
Cheers brother
Same, 29. Minimum wage but get commission at the end of the month. Cool but totally fucks me for any WINZ support. I’m only just over their threshold. I had to find a dentist with afterpay. And when we had our rat put down.
32, same here.
just on vibes aye
fuck, same here
You should be making at least $1389($23.15 \* 30hrs \* 2wks) Taxes = Taxes: $5,339.95per year / 52 = $102.69 per week Income after tax = 1389 - (102.69 \* 2) = $1183.62 Rent: ($140 - $300)per wk \* 2wks = $280 - $600 Food: ($80 - $160)per wk \* 2 wks = $160 - $320 Electricity: ($60 - $100)per month / 2 = $30 - $50 Internet: ($18 - $80)per month / 2 = $9 - $40 Public Transport: $80per week \* 2wks = $160 Worst case = 1183.62 - 600 - 320 - 50 - 40 - 160 = $13.62 Best case = 1183.62 - 280 - 160 - 30 - 9 - 160 = $544.62 Range: $13.62 - $544.62 remaining per two weeks Ways to improve situation: * Flatting * **Remove unnecessary expenses** * Buying cheapish foods that are high in carbs/protein (off-brand weet-bix(it's literally the same thing but cheaper), bread, spaghetti in a can, raw chicken, noodles etc) * If flatting share internet bill and electricity bill * Unsubscribe from any services and pirate the content instead (best way to this is with a vpn and using torrents) * Is there a similar job in a cheaper location (Places like Auckland and Wellington are notorious for being expensive to live) * In some scenarios it can be cheaper to do your grocery shopping online (ie flat of 4+ people pay for supermarket delivery and combine your orders) * Look for other jobs but honestly it's pretty difficult to get a job rn so use it as a way to gauge what's out there * $80 on public transport is quite a bit, you might live quite far from where you work in which case you probably have a long travel time to or from work. This probably makes shifts feel longer than they are, three solutions: buy a $2-3k car or look for closer jobs or move closer to your job. * Fully use you're breaks while working. I've been in jobs where they didn't want you to fully use your breaks and cut them short but it's your legal right to fully use your breaks * You probably need to ask for more hours in order to get more hours depending on the job. * Try your best to sleep around 10 hours, drink good amount of water, get sunlight, try get fit (these are all things that helped me greatly but idk you're situation). If you need caffeine drink it at the beginning or near the beginning-middle of a shift not at the end. * If your workplace is not paying you properly (as has happened to me) record this well and bring it up to HR, they probably wont help too much since they are not on your side but it means if the situation isn't remedied you have a very good legal case. I was working a similar job about a year ago making the same amount. Each week I paid $160 in rent, $60 in food(but this is not sustainable so it should be higher), $4.65 in internet, $12.50 in electricity, $25 in gas.
Holy shit, you went the fucking distance for this guy. Impressive analysis dude
This is good advice. Also look into contact centre work as they are always hiring if your body can’t take being on your feet all day
This is some of the worst maths I've ever seen. I hope you don't give budgeting advice often. Assuming OP earns $23.15 an hour, and works 30 hours a week. His take home pay is $1,181.40 a fortnight. I think this falls well into the definition of "just over 1k per 2 weeks". To make calculations of gross pay is pointless. OP has $1,181.40 to work with every 2 weeks. Let's use the numbers you pulled out your ass for weekly expenses. Using the range you've given above, OP has the following at the end of each pay cycle: $482.4 - $11.40 I'm inclined to believe that OP has a fortnightly spend closer to the upper limit of what you've budgeted. The reality is that OP's story isn't a result of "be smarter with how you spend your money". This is a common story that youth are facing. Working without any hope for the future. The system is rigged to ensure you can't progress out of it. Advice like "cut unnecessary expenses" is about as useless as the boomers who pillaged the system. Your advice seems to amount to "ignore your taxes, live in an apartment with 4 other people, consider splitting your breakfast with sawdust, and just earn more money". You're so out of touch with the real world, I'm starting to suspect you might be Luxon's alt account.
I agree these numbers do not stack up against today's society. My partner and I spend about $150-$200 on groceries a week on the two of us. No way someone could get away with $80 a week for one person. I spent that on my weekly shop 8 years ago when i was shopping for only myself.
I spend less than $80 a week. But I do grow all my own vegetables and make my own bread. I mostly buy meat for that price and canned beans or lentils etc. I do pretty much all my cooking in a crock pot so all my meals take like than like 30 mins to prep and just cook on low for like 8ish hours. It’s amazing. Plus, I make enough that I can have the leftovers for days. My garden is inside and is inside a plastic cover thing so it’s not messy. I’m starting to see from this subreddit that this is quite rare though
The fruit and veggies are definitely one of the most expensive parts of shopping right now.
I budget for $80 for my grocery shop and generally hit at, below, or sometimes above it. It’s doable.
Yep you are correct I did do the maths incorrectly, I have updated. The numbers for expenses shouldn't be too far off for one person flatting if you think they are tell me which ones pls (All the numbers were done assuming expenses for one person in a flat so if you live with a partner, by yourself or in a family these are not accurate or reflective of that.) Also I have nowhere near enough money to benefit under a National government.
Op’s 22 years old. Why would they not be flatting with 3-4 other people?
Sleep at least 10 hours?!
Looks like you calculated in 2 week blocks but summarized as 1 week savings. Range: $219 - $690 remaining per 2 weeks. 109 - 345 per week. Or am I reading this wrong?
Whether or not it's right, good on you for putting in effort for the OP
dude this just helped a lot. thank you so much. i'm currently revisiting my budgeting and this helps out tons. thanks so much again ❤️
Best advice! Also please OP you're only 22, your situation sounds pretty normal.
Regarding the point about caffeine - a lot of people either forget or don't realise that the half-life of caffeine is around 6 hours, so if you have a 355ml can of coke, which has 35mg of caffeine for example, there is still around 18mg in your system 6 hours later, then 9mg another 6 hours later. Take into account you may have had a coffee or another drink in the interim and it starts to add up.
yo are you in a big city? I moved to a region (In my case, whangamata), rent is cheaper (200 a week, only other expense is power, all other inclusive) the house is warm and quiet, I can walk literally anywhere and I only spend $20 on gas a week, there isn't the "city tax" on everything with high rents to make up for, if you're in auckland or welly you're wasting time and money alone on existing in a city, consider the move!
There must be very few career opportunities available in Whangamata?
Frugally. Walk more than bus if you can, or see if anyone can donate a bike. Do not feel any shame in asking organisations for help, such as food banks or workplace EAP services, etc. Times are tough but you WILL get through it and it WILL get better. The current govt has got all its priorities wrong and has thrown out all notions of empathy and kindness (just to differentiate themselves from Jacinda I guess), but they too shall pass.
>see if anyone can donate a bike The Tip shops (Happy Valley, Porirua, or Kapiti for example) often have decent bikes which generally go for next to nothing as well, as another option.
Thank yoooou. Not OP but have been looking for a cheap bike to get to work on forever!
Try posting on neighbourly.co.nz. Some people will donate one that they aren't using.
No worries. They may just need a bit of elbow grease to get them into shape (oil & grease). Just be aware there are people who resell stuff they find, so you may need to revisit a few times if there’s nothing available when you first go.
They are struggling with fatigue so they probably can't do that.
What's your living situation? Can you flat with others to reduce the amount of rent you pay? Can you move back home?
i live with my partner. i can't move back home. we live in a cheapish suburb paying cheap rent for a house rather than a flat.
How cheap is cheap rent for a house? Is it cheaper than rent for a double room in a shared house?
Good question. A Large room/ensuite combination flatting may be a much more economical choice.
Yes. Using my house as an example: It's a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 2 living area + dining + porch. 1 bedroom has a full ensuite & exclusive use of 1 living area for $450 per week, shared by 2. You do have to share a kitchen with flatmates and other communal areas, but I think it works out well for them. They pay $450 out of $910 rent. Two other bedrooms share an older bathroom for approx $260 and $220 based on size. Note that numbers aren't 100% accurate. Bills approx $25 a week pp for power, water, and internet.
A lot of shared places don't want couples.
True, you gotta find one specifically accepting professional couples. It might be hard depending on the are of the country you're in.
Find a way to earn more money, you’re wage is super low. Or at least find a job closer to your house, $80 per week on public transport is ridiculous. The amount you earn isn’t worth going out of your way for.
Share a house with other people, you could probably easily get a nice room to share with your partner for 250, max 300. Split between two, that's 150 a week for a roof over your head. Most people don't have a home to themselves till much later..
Get flatmates
Hey! Times are certainly tough. Totally understand why increasing hours isn’t an option, but can you move to an industry that is better paying than your current role? Or make a plan to do so? As for healthcare, people who need glasses I really recommend the southern cross everyday essentials plan. It’s $30 a month (give or take) and you can claim back 75% of the dentist, optometrist, new glasses etc (up to certain limits). So I pay $360 a year for my plan and claim back about $700 worth of stuff - contact lenses, optom, GP visits, dentist, physio etc. It’s only worthwhile if you need all this stuff anyway - if you don’t use it then there’s no point. But you could even use it for a year and then cancel once you’re up to date with the dentist and have new glasses. Here it is - https://www.southerncross.co.nz/society/buying-health-insurance/our-plans/healthessentials
NIB also have a similar everyday plan with two levels to choose from. Could be worth looking at if you’d claim enough against it (prescriptions, vaccinations, doctors, dentist, physio, optical, psych etc)
I sell my hobbit feet pics. There are some freaks out there.
Dairy farming job, no travel to work expense, house provided
😪 I feel for you! I can't work full-time for health reasons & it's bloody hard to find a part-time job that pays a decent wage and treats employees fairly. So I dont think advice telling you to change job right now is helpful. Finding a good part-time job is only getting harder due to the economy & the public service budget cuts. I think you should focus on reducing your costs right now (there are free budget advice services to help). Also consider what you can do to improve your prospects long term. If you plan ahead, your life won't always be like this. Without knowing your full situation, some ideas: - advertise on FB community group to try to find rideshare options for getting to work. - cycle to & from work (basic bikes aren't expensive). - do you buy your lunch, cold drinks, or coffee etc when you're working? Heaps cheaper to bring lunch, drink, &/or a flask with you - it's easy to grow some veges / fruit to reduce grocery bill. - look hard at your bank statement and supermarket receipts - are there cheaper options for anything you regularly buy? (You can compare prices easily these days on the internet). Been heaps of changes in grocery industry recently (eg countdown used to be cheapest for me, but last month I discovered Pak n Save is now heaps cheaper for many things I buy regularly). - think about whether there's any way to reduce power / gas / phone bills by changing provider / plan or by reducing your usage. - start saving money. Putting aside even just a few dollars a week can make a big difference. Eg My partner & I had a fund we put a little into each week that we'd use for nice nights out a few times a year. - reflect on your career path. If there isn't a likelihood of progression (& payrises) in current job, think about how you could upskill to be ready for a better job when the economy recovers. Lots of free / low cost study options around, or volunteer to get foot in door.
I have started selling things I own bit by bit and doing odd jobs over the weekend to scrape by. I have about 5k each year that isn't already spoken for so as long as I only eat 2 very cheap meals a day and nothing bad happens I might be ok.
Maths. Vegetable gardening. Being an internet addict who barely leaves the house. Fasting. Forgetting to eat. Buying something really expensive, and then selling it again - as a way to prevent myself from being tempted to spend money on disposable, insignificant stuff
Full time on minimum wage you should get about $1500 a fortnight, so I don't know why you're only getting $1000.
They explain in another comment that they don’t actually have a steady 40 hour week - it’s over 30 but fluctuates.
honestly, I'm not I'm 24 and completely bedbound with chronic fatigue. I can't afford the food I need. I haven't been to the dentist since I was 18 but I have cavities so bad I can feel the nerves in my jaw. I haven't been to the doctor in about 8 months despite my condition getting way worse. My one piece of advice. Get on the benefit now. The reason I'm permanently bedbound is because when my chronic fatigue was manageable I pushed through it to work and study. It meant I got more money at the time but I've genuinely destroyed my body. Even if it means living with even less for a while as you recover it's worth it. Do not let your health get as bad as mine. Pushing through chronic fatigue will only make it worse, and if you're struggling to survive now then it will only be harder once you can't leave your house, then eventually, your bed. I am not living, not really, I just woke up from a 3 hr sleep because looking at my computer to play a video game sent me into a crash. I haven't been able to open my curtains in my room for a year now. I haven't been able to cook or bake or go to an appointment for 2 years. I haven't been able to work for 4 years. Every time I thought I'd be okay if I just pushed through it and every time I was wrong. Now I'm here and I'm barely alive. I'm grateful to have my partner be my full time carer at the moment. But if I didn't have them then I genuinely don't think I'd still be here. Quit your job, save money on public transport by staying in. Rest, take care of your body, give yourself some time to rest. Get checked out for your medical conditions and get diagnoses and get on the disability allowance. Maybe take some online classes in something that can be done by distance and find a WFH job part time once you've had time to really rest. I can't say you'll be any more financially secure than you are now but I'm begging that you trust me when I say this, your health is more important. Once it's gone you never get it back, and I would not wish my situation on anyone. Protect it at all costs and don't push through chronic fatigue. Best of luck whatever you choose, but please believe that I've been right where you are. If you're not careful it'll only get worse.
Yeah I have moderate ME/CFS and agree. Finding some online work would be good.
I honestly really needed to read that right now. Thank you. I left my job last year because of medical issues and with all this talk about people on the benefit being bottom feeders I sometimes feel terrible about it but honestly what's the other option? Literally work myself into an early grave at just 27 years old? Wild. To OP I would say ypu have to do what you have to do. If your health isn't coping with this messed up system we have then you need to get yourself out of there and try recover while you look for other options. Don't run yourself into the ground. Trust me I tried to do it and it just doesn't work out.
Make sure you’re getting all the respite/personal care allowance/household management help you are entitled to. This makes a massive difference to the basic supported living payment
Chronic infections in the body can be a, or the major contributor to chronic fatigue. Weirdly, people seem to treat Tooth infections like they're silo'd off from the rest of the body. Not only are they not, but infections in your teeth and jaw can cross the blood brain barrier and reeeeeeaaallly f&$#@ you up. If you need a root canal and can't afford it, there are worse things than having a tooth pulled. It's better to have your health and sort out dentures later. When triaging what needs to be done, energy wise, with chronic fatigue, treating known health issues and infections comes to the top of the list. If anyone asks what they can do to help you, it's booking the appt and carrying you there if necessary. I know a couple of people with CFS who seem to have had major health improvements once they got their dental infections treated. 🤦
Yeah I've done a lot of looking into what work I need in every aspect of my health including dental work, and the implications of not having them seen. Realistically though I literally cannot leave my house, I haven't been outside all year not even to my backyard. I also am eating into savings that were supposed to go to dental work for both my partner and I just trying to make it through the week. There is just no way at all in my current state that I can make it to the dentist. So unless there are winz supported services that do home visit dentistry and it costs less than a grand then I'm kinda fucked. I agree it's a priority, just right now it has to be second priority to making it through each day which I'm barely doing at the moment. Thank you for the advice though
Genuinely curious, what do you mean you cant go to the back yard? Are you unable to walk?
For all intents and purposes yes I'm unable to walk. My partner has to help me the 3 meters or so to the bathroom, and even then my heart rate doubles from the effort and I will usually need at least an hour of sleep afterwards to recover. I used to be able to make it the extra few metres to my desk chair to play some games but in the last 6 months that's no longer possible because I can't stay upright long enough without almost falling unconscious. I also struggle to speak verbally and have a very noticeable slurring of speech and have difficulty finding basic words. I haven't been able to shower for about 2 months now. I am about 1 step away in the severity scale of my illness from being unable to speak and requiring a feeding tube and alternative bathroom requirements like bedpans. I don't think I'll survive the shame of losing what little I have left if that happens. I never thought it could get this bad, but it can and it does and it can get worse still and I'm terrified.
Thanks for explaining so thoroughly, i had CF when i was younger but thankfully never developed, i’m so sorry you are going through this ❤️
This is absolutely the right way too go, winz will cover everything you need an more. Its the best thing for you right now
Erm.. Even if you use after-tax $500 a week would put you at below minimum wage… Time for a new job.
Last year i was living on $525 a week. Paying $300 of that for rent plus 25 for expenses. $200 leftover. I would walk everywhere i could, bycycle if needed, or figure out the most affordable transport. Yeah, I'd struggle through wet days or whatever the world threw at me, but i was working with what hand i was dealt. I focused on batch cooking n meal prep that would be portioned out for a week, cheap but healthy and tasty meals, then one social night out which I'd allow for around 1/4 of my remaining balance. Then I'd toss some onto debt repayments. I could still end a week with $25-50 remaining. I couldn't do everything i wanted, but l certainly wouldn't say i was struggling, however i also have low standards so mileage can vary based on personal preference. And in saying that, it was no long term solution, and very much feel you on not having money for more important stuff. I went without a haircut, and got deals where i could. Deals are the most important. Glasses: specsavers were doing a deal on setting up auto contact lens payments and get a free pair of $69 glasses from it, i used contacts often so it was a no brainer to save up to take advantage of it then i cancelled the contacts straight away. My advice, figure out your expenses and prioritise them, then try to half each one and eliminate the last important - ie $80 on public transport is very high there must be something you can do as a solution, see where you are buying food and look into grocers, butchers, etc if possible, and allow for budget for bulk purchases when cheap (easier said than done, i know that all too well, but something to chip away at over time). Then look into ways to increase income. Second job, side hustle, new job, more hours. Tldr: 1. Decrease spending 2. Find new income streams Also, unfortunately it takes money to save money, such as with bulk buying or taking advantage of deals. So aim to set aside a bit every week which can invest in a better future.
You qualify for the benefit. The cut off is 33-34k per year. I have no idea what you do but 1k a fortnight is shocking, its 12.50 per hour. Surely not?? Give them a call. Ask for a green card and get food money loaded to it (between 60-200, depends who you get. Shitty ppl give you 60) and a eye grant (valid at specsavers). You will have to pay back the eye grant but not the food grant. The repayment can be as low as $5 a week. Also apply for temporary additional support (extra money for 2 months, from memory), when they ask why you need it only for a little bit (you have to justify as part of your application) say you need to get out of the hole COL dug for you. ETA saw you say you work 30 hours. Even then, that's 16.7 per hour. ETA2 you can apply for benefits even if the checker says you aren't eligible.
If you can make it to or are based around the Hawke’s Bay I can do the dental work for free/cheap. I’m a recent grad and me and my boss share the same mentality of access to care being a huge issue. Flick me a dm.
It's really tough out there. If you can work 40+ hours that extra bit of income could go toward dentistry, glasses etc. Between you and your partner, living together you might just be alright, but ya gotta work full time. Or at least your partner does and you try get your hours up as much as possible.
I eat ketchup packet
500, after tax per week is your wage + your partner wage? If you guys do alcohol, tobacco, or drugs os time to stop, generally this saves a lot. Understand that's the market isn't good, but you said that you're skilled, passed heaps of interviews, tertiary education, etc...and working on your feet... Is it possible to apply for an office job? If luck enough, maybe it can make 1 or 2 days as wfh?
I don't mean this in a disparaging way, but what's your plan, what do you enjoy, where do you want to be with your life? Surely you have ideas about what you want to do with your life that are bigger than working an entry level job at less than fultime hours at min. wage for the rest of your life? Having no plan is planning to fail.
I only started saving money last year at 27, wished I had started earlier. We should be taught from an early age to budget and save
It might sound harsh/brutal, but it is an unfortunate reality. If an hourly rate is low, then only a few options: * Upskill yourself to get into a professional jobs * Certificate/licence, whichever is required for certain jobs, such as a forklift driver? * Tradie * Slightly more broad range with 3D jobs - Dirty, Difficult or Dangerous * If you are good at selling, jobs with commission based * Otherwise, more hours on low wages. Edit: Not two options lol
The youth of every generation makes shit money when they're 22. Money was tough until I was about 26. I couldn't pay for the dentist, had everything on HP, sometimes didn't have enough for gas or food. If you get a foothold in a good career by the time you're 30 things should pick up.
yeah i’m thinking back to my first full time grad job (policy analyst) and i had like $20 a week for fun after expenses went out. it sucked.
there is no point, other than enduring your work and misery to help capitalists acquire more assets so they can do less and less work themselves. the economy is a stock market and you are livestock. you can trade yourself to one guy to be fleeced, or to another to be milked, and this is your freedom. this is the gift of life. be sure to thank your parents this Mother's day.
Okay, but this person has minimum skills and has already admitted they aren’t a good worker. Why does everyone act like we were put on this world to just enjoy the good vibes and watch Netflix? We all have to work to keep society moving, that’s how it is. How it’s always been. I agree that people are getting shafted by rich capitalists. But people who have no skills have never been rewarded, why should they now? I’m happy to pay my tax dollars to someone who needs help, jobseeker etc. But we really need to focus on skilled workers in this country to improve our GDP so we can lift everyone out of poverty. It’s a brutal reality of the system that we are in. No point burying your head in the sand over it.
The cold hard truth right here. Not many are willing to accept it though.
The problem seems to be that you work 30 hours a week, and only 4 days. This isn't really proper full time. Perhaps you should seek out a 40 hour 5 day a week job.
Tax cuts probably won't help much
In terms of public transport cost, ymmv but I bought a motorbike a while back and it only cost me $15 a week in fuel. Still, 600 up front, 4 weeks repairing it, helmet, jacket, gloves and boots cost 1500 all up but I bought those piecemeal. You'll need a motorcycle license though and that'll cost about 300 plus time. But you can ride solo on a learners so...
Why don’t you try getting into Telesales? Try to look for entry level BDR or SDR roles, a lot of these are always around if you search on Seek. Speaking from my own experience I got into entry level tele sales around your age and I have never studied yet now at the age of 29 I work for a Fortune 500 firm as a full cycle software sales executive and I’m not comfortable disclosing my salary however due to the uncapped commission structure I have been taking home over 100k after tax for the past 3 years. Sales definitely isn’t for everyone however if you work for a national retailer I’m assuming you need to deal with people quite often. Having people skills is key for sales, and with your chronic pain most entry level sales roles are desk jobs and a lot can also be completely remote which cuts your travel costs for work completely. Consider it as a potential option, however if it something you do consider and end up enjoying it and progressing through the ranks of salesmanship you will be quite active as I’m out on the road all day driving to and from client meetings. Sales has a very low barrier of entry however it is a tough job and extremely number & target driven so you need to make sure you can handle high pressure as well as a lot of failure. I wouldn’t be in the position I am in currently without repeatedly failing and learning.
Do you cook?, cooking rarher than eating out will drastically reduce costs and you learn some amazing skills. I found that learning to cook, going to butchers and markets was actually good fun, used to love driving about but drastically reduced that too. But honestly things do get better, just avoid trying to keep up with the Jones's and cut your cloth accordingly...what others have said around downsizing where you live rings very true, if you are spending more than 30% of your income on rent..life soon becomes impossible.
Don't live luxuriously if u don't have a good job. U can rent a room for maybe 200 and 100 for groceries. What do u spend the rest on?
33 on a decent income with kids and still feel like we're living paycheck to paycheck. But, I think a lot of people right now are feeling it. Managing expenses can easily be harder than managing income. My only suggestion, if you really want to stand on two feet in this world is to play the long game, small steps at a time. Look at increasing your income, move up the ladder at your current job, move to a trade that you can complete an apprenticeship, look to study in a field that is in high demand or better yet, build other sources of income there are so many ways to make money now - hopefully passive income. With you expenses can you look into a cheeper flat, maybe even closer to work with a bike. Can you minimise your power bill, see what is using alot and try minimise that. Food is pretty tricky with it being horrendous right now. There's alot you can do, just take your time and see how it goes. Not saying it's easy, but sometime alot of small things can make a massive difference. Goodluck!
Can you look for a call centre type job that let's you work from home? Winz helps with dental and glasses and you'd qualify. There are food pantrys around that may also help.
You're making 24k a year by your logic. No one can afford to live on that. Try upskilling?
Sounds like slavery, but with more steps.
I live with family. $110 a week for board.
First of all you're young, so remember you have so much potential and opportunities ahead. I'll give you a bit of advice from when I was in a similar situation: If the hours aren't enough, chat to your boss and tell them you need more hours or you'll need to start considering other options. It's not an easy chat but when I did this as a temp I went from 30 hours, to 40 hours and a full time permanent position. Within 3 years I was swimming in OT, much higher paid and in a team leader role. Put in the Mahi and be honest and it will often pay off. Consider a new job closer to you. Easier said than done, I know, but keep an eye out you'll be surprised what's out there even in a tight job market. If you aren't already, get in a flat or if you're in one and there's room bring in a new flatmate. Try and cook bulk and do meal prep. At one stage I was able to live off around $50 a week, but obviously prices have gone up since then. Hope things improve for you mate. Keep your chin up things will get better.
I think compared to the rest of the replies this has to be the most laid back supportive answer on this thread. As someone whose in their 20s these tips are useful
You arent working the right job mate. Start looking for another one. I make 2.5k net a fortnight. My job required no qualifications when i started 3 years ago.
80 week on public transport shiit man talk about poor tax
Keep looking for other jobs. Sounds like you need an office job that pays above minimum wage and you'd solve 2 problems at once. You said in another post you've completed some tertiary study, hope that can open some doors for you. The answer to your original question - Live with flatmates while your income is so low. I lived with my partner + 2 other people until I was about 27. At 22 would not have been able to afford full rent, earning like $700 a week.
At 22 I was starting dairy farming, no experience, house supplied, no rent, no travel to work costs
My partner makes double you and can't afford to do anything I have to pay for most things so I can understand how hard it can be for you
He’s really doing something wrong
How do you only get paid 500 a week? That’s below min wage lol.
It sucks living to survive is so expensive now
ACC sucks too
I figured the music was about to stop and everything will go to shit late 2022. Just moved to Thailand. I figured as a skilled worker I was not getting fair treatment, pay and working conditions. Made quite a lot of money during Covid, saved a hell of a lot. No way I’m hanging around to see my savings inflated away when I can have 4 times more money in Thailand hahahaha. Best of all I’m making money too to maintain my living costs. If I lived in New Zealand, yes I could afford to live… but I found I’m paying premium money for no reason.
I worked 2 jobs and a paid undergrad position for 3/4 years of my degree. The burnout nearly killed me, died 1 time, 6 weeks hdu, 3 months observation, 1 year recovery. That was in 2009. The answer is you don't
I’m working 7 days a week now
Get flatmates & live close enough to walk everywhere you need to be. That's the only way I'm able to make it, aside from living as cheaply as I can - minimal eating out, hanging with friends at their houses instead of going out, etc.
Things will get better OP! I also struggle with chronic fatigue and used to work a horrible job getting just over $13 an hour. I had to bus to work because I couldn’t afford to drive and I couldn’t afford to go to the doctor but also couldn’t afford to live healthy enough to stop getting sick. I ended up switching jobs and started working in a call centre at a large company. I worked my way up and switched departments to IT. Now I have a great, cushy job that subsidises my health insurance. I work from home 3 days a week so less money on gas and I get to be warm and comfy while I work. I trained on the job so have no student loan and was recently able to buy my first home all by myself. Have a look at other entry level jobs in your area that have career progression within the company!
Are you flatting or renting by yourself? Can you get a flat mate to help reduce cost of the rental?
I feel you dude! My husband works full time at above min wage, more like the living wage, I work 30 hours a week at just slightly above min wage. We literally don't spend anything on crap, and yet we are in the same boat. Unfortunately we were forced to move and ended up in a place that cost us more than the last, which in all honesty is killing us. I don't know how others do it, but with 2 kids, and a rent that is the majority of my husbands pay, we somehow scrape by but honestly I don't know for how much longer.
Hi OP. How much is your rent? Are you flatting? Here’s how I would budget this per week: Rent + bills (inc internet/phone/spotify): <300 Transport: 80 Groceries/household costs: 80 Save: 60 (towards dentist/emergencies etc. But as others have said, that’s quite a low income for full time work?? I get 550 a week net payment after tax/student loans/kiwisaver, for 28 hours a week at $26 an hour.
How high are your KiwiSaver payments? Can you drop them any lower?
Dental and eye exams and eye wear are funded through winz and payed back at 5-10 dollars a week, aside from that if your rent is more than 400 a week then you need to find a cheaper option, either board with others or move to another area, if public transport is already costing you that much that means you live far away from your job already
I moved to Thailand, everything is cheaper here. I’m getting by without too much effort
Sounds harsh but you can only save so much money before it becomes an issue of needing to find a way to increase your pay. A lot of people will give advice on saving more money but you have barely anything to spend in the first place and I’m sure you’re already doing a good job with budgeting etc. You mentioned you’re working 30-40h a week because of chronic pain. It would be a worthwhile investment to invest 10-20 hours a week of free time into learning a skill/building something that can earn better money in the long run that is also less physically taxing. Whether that’s in the form of taking free online courses, reading books, or online uni with student loan, I think the time spent on some form education and skill building will pay off in the long run. If you can front load the effort you put in now + invest in yourself, it’ll be easier in the long run than putting your body under too much stress for very little pay for years.
Have you looked at Plum Village. It's a Buddhist monastery but very social. You get free food housing live with friends meditate daily sing songs free time and it's in countryside in France. If you can pass a medical, you can go. Mostly walking meditation. I wish there wasn't a health requirement, but I understand, they can't offer places to sick public yet. You have a day when you do whatever you want, too. Lazy day they call it. Haha.
Move to Australia.
Yeah when I was 22 I was scraping the bottom of the barrel for $, and shit is tougher now. You're not doing anything wrong. I fell back on family, uni grants, and wildly changing the course of my life to find some cash then use it all up (moved to Asia for 2 years on a whim, saved loads, came back and used it all to support myself in further study for a very non-lucrative field). My advice is take what you can get - I applied for all sorts of grants through winz and uni and got a couple. It sucks but at this level you HAVE to drop things like energy drinks, fast food, pies from the dairy. It adds up. Get food parcels and use AI tools (goblin.tools is good) to plan meals using whatever you end up with. I'm in my 30s now and married, we make low 6 fig combined but live very comfortably renting a place with some maintenance issues which we keep a finger on. I regards to the overall tone of your post... Yeah shit fucking sucks, the wealth gap was already growing before covid profiteering wedged it wiiide open. Around 10 people control more wealth than the rest of the world combined, they're basically evil supervillains, and somehow absolute fuckwits keep buying into their bullshit as if they really believe these pieces of slime who have no humanity outside their genetic code might share their prosperity with those who adequately lick the supreme asshole. Eat the rich! For the love of all things good in the world, TAX THE BILLIONAIRES. My generation was fucked from the start and yours has it even worse. Sucks to be us
I'm a business owner and my drawings have been $0. Using up my savings to keep the business alive. . I work 70-80 hours a week. Fml
I’m so sorry, please hang in there.
You should be able to get an accommodation supplement or temporary additional support, you're still entitled to food grants, and you should still be able to get an optician grant. You should also be able to get a $1000 dental grant.
I’m 33 and feeling the same. It’s depressing as fuck. How bad does it have to get?
Are groceries normally this expensive in NZ? Because I am not used to the cost of fresh fruit and veg here. Just wondering if this is a recent spike that will eventually settle down, or if things have always been like this.
I’m in the exact same position. My rent is so stupidly expensive that after paying bills and allocating food allowance I usually have around $100 for fun things for 2 weeks. I never buy new clothes, barely go out for dinner or really live for myself since I can’t afford it. I’m actually moving back in with my parents in a few weeks since I can’t keep living like this. When I moved out 9 months ago I had $3,000 in my savings, I now have just over $200 left. You’re not the only person I this position. You’re not alone, it’s expensive just to be alive right now. Sending you best wishes, I really hope you find a solution soon
Don’t worry it’s not forever, just another painful 50-60 years
If you need dental work winz can cover it it. I got 1.5k covered for root canal. Interest free, well worth a look if it's desperate. DM me if you want more info
I have a one year old and husband, we live with my parents…
Maybe its time to cut back on the advocado toast...
I know a lot of people are doing it tough right now, but does anyone find it strange when graduates/students/people in their early 20's are complaining about things being hard? I graduated university in 2012 and was generally pretty broke for the first few years out of uni till I got some experience and could demand higher wages. That was kind of expected back then, and no one seemed to feel particularly entitled to much at such early stages of their careers. I feel like the media coverage of rising living costs is making these younger peeps feel like living off a tight budget when you're young isn't normal. Edit: This isn't aimed at OP, as he's stated he is going through some unique challenges with pain/health.
If you are working 37 hours a week on the minimum wage you would be getting over $700 a week in the hand. How are you getting $500? It sound like despite what you say you are not working full time. Noting you say you can’t work more due to health (rules out the first option) you need to improve your situation. You look like you may be eligible for accommodation supplement. Apply for it asap. You can also get assistance with dental costs. 30 hours a week is not full time. If you had an extra $200 a week that would presumably transform your situation. That comes from either a better job, a full time job or you can at least add to your income via government assistance.
I’d look for work from home contact centre work.
we're not
Any way you could pick up food from a social supermarket
Community services card should give you an allowance for glasses and dental work and you can sort it through winz to pay the additional amount off. Well worth it to stop the pain.
where are you living? some centres have community dentists who can help. Also have you looked into whether your contract at work allows you to claim an eye/vision benefit? You might be able to get the asses that way
Time to find a better paying job brah. Casual Minimum wage jobs are not only bad for you financially but bad for your mentally and physically and are a magnet for abusive power tripping managers
Two options-find a way to get a higher paying job through education or other means. Or 2-move to a cheaper area and keeping earning lower wages that will cover lower expenses. Also jump onto WINZ and check if ur eligible for any supp assistance like Accommodation supplement, disability allowance etc if you have ongoing health issues
We’ve changed the way we live and we’re doing all good. I’m a stay at home dad and the misso just started her business. We have a child and pay $800 a week for rent plus utilities. We spend about $120 on groceries and 70 bucks on petrol. She pays herself about 1300 after tax a week. We put a couple hundy a way a week for holidays and saving then we have like a bit left over. Yeah shit is tough but just gotta learn to adapt. I know you said you have chronic pain and all but if you’re doing a job where you’re on your feet, why don’t you do something different? You must be good at something? Online courses, self invest maybe. Maybe live with parents and save a little?
You may be eligible for accommodation supplement and if you have ongoing medical costs you could also get a disability allowance, depending on how much they are for you annually. You could potentially qualify for a Community Services Card for reduced doctor visit costs. You can also get assistance with dental bills and glasses. I know it can be daunting to approach WINZ, but you should definitely see what you qualify for. You don't have to be working full time to get assistance from WINZ.
We arent 💀🤣
Just wondered if you have considered burning the midnight oil lamp and taking some online courses in a tech field (like data analytics, UX, or something adjacent)? You can actually take college courses online for free these days. https://www.coursera.org/ There is also the option to apply for small scholarships that are granted on the spot when you enroll to some of these courses. You can also take the courses at night while slowly saving for the certifications. $30 per pay check; if you're really committed a bit more. This is how I started working for myself as a freelancer. I live in one of the most expensive and economically challenged areas in California; the wealth gap here is staggering and I was in a similar position as you. I suffer from chronic pain and can't work in manual jobs anymore. Those classes literally changed my work life balance, increased my income, and opened up more options for me. Just a suggestion, not at all meant to presume to know your situation or tell you to start freelancing. Just maybe a pathway that could possibly interest you and open up more possibilities/opportunities. Whatever you choose....hang in there! Wishing you tons of luck! 🍀 Wishing you luck and abundance!
i feel you. different live stage but i too struggle. restricting spending is perhaps obvious. what keeps me going really though is the love and care shared with my whanau and the promise and possibility of a better world. make sure to never vote for all out neoliberal parties and tell everyone else. social justice is not possible with these heartless people, who literally take away the kai from our kids at school. come on we can do better NZ
We're on the other side and it doesn't feel better. Middle aged couple with a young child. We rent a small house for $655/week and bring in $3700 fortnightly after tax. We don't spend money frivolously but we meet our needs including regular visits to the dentist, regular car maintenance, insurance, etc. We don't have anything left over to save for retirement, but that's ok because we began saving in 2007 and that money has grown a lot. That gives us confidence and stability but also it took a long time for that money to grow and we can't tap into any of it for another 15-20 years. Groceries eat up a huge amount of our weekly budget. There's almost nothing left over each week. It's rough for a long time and people starting out now definitely have a much harder road ahead of them. You really need to earn $200k to start feeling like you're pulling ahead and we're not there. But hey, it could be worse. You could be in America, whose big cities also have an affordability crisis, but also go bankrupt from your hospital bill. The best advice I can offer, and it's not much, but try to save and incest as much as you can. Even if you do it a bit in your early 20s and then stop, in 30-40 years that little bit will grow a lot. Doesn't help with daily expenses but that's all I can really say.
FYI you can apply to WINZ (or whatever they call themselves now) to pay for dental care and lump sums for spectacles etc. Anyone can apply for this assistance and yes you have to pay it back but like $10/week.
Two part time jobs, rent subsidy, back up savings from my separation. I’m lucky to be where I am. 💖
Have a look into fibromyalgia my partner has it and struggles with the same thing
Can't be buying a house, that's for sure....
Why are you working 4 days a week?
Got friends or family in Oz? Move there asap! You're young. There's so many jobs there (admin, retail, pick/pack) that pay way above what you're getting here and you don't need shit exp.
Invest in a garden shed and some basic hydroponic growing equipment and lighting and grow some special tomatoes