The cost of living in New Zealand

You don’t want to see your hard-earned money going completely on food, accommodation and bills. Here are a few tips that will (hopefully) help you save a little money and fully enjoy your working holiday adventure.

Find work first, then accommodation

Ideally, you should find accommodation after you’ve found a job. If the job is far from where you live, you’ll incur significant transport costs (and lose a lot of time to commuting). What’s more, if the job you find is outside a city centre, rent in the local area will be lower than staying in the city. Finally, if you know how much you’ll be taking home on your paychecks, it will be easier to work out how much you can afford to pay on rent and utility bills.

Shared housing

Rent can be expensive if you’re travelling solo. To reduce the cost, why not get a small group of people together in a shared house, or even a shared room. There will be less privacy (you’d better get on well!), but it will still be nicer and cheaper than a bed in a dormitory with 10 or 12 people.

If you’re thinking of staying in hostels long-term, consider becoming a member of a hostel chain. Not only will you save on the price of accommodation, you’ll also have access to numerous other discounts, such as bus or ferry fares. Note that these discounts do not always apply to weekly rates, so membership cards are more advantageous if you’re moving around a lot.

Food

You’ll soon realise that the basic diet of every seasoned backpacker revolves around pasta and stir fries. Buying dried goods keeps expenses down, provides quick and easy meal options, and can be served with vegetables or meat for a healthy option. Meal prep in advance, as it’s cheaper than going out to buy lunch every day.

If you’re sharing a flat, consider the possibility of buying your shopping as a group and splitting the costs. This saves everyone having to buy the same basics themselves (especially if you all need to travel to a supermarket that is quite far away). Look into online deliveries that are free if you spend above a certain value.

Finally, there is a sizeable Asian community in New Zealand and you’ll find plenty of supermarkets catering to this clientele. Prices are often lower in the Asian markets than the big chain supermarkets, especially for fruit, vegetables, rice and noodles.

Every week, supermarkets offer discounts (the “Specials” of the week) on a large number of products. These discounts are advantageous, and if you’re not attached to particular brands, you can cut your budget considerably by only buying the discounted products. Many supermarkets also offer a free loyalty card that gives you access to even more discounts. It pays to sign up to each supermarket’s loyalty scheme and shop around.

When you’re driving, you’ll regularly come across roadside stalls selling seasonal fruits and vegetables. Farmers or individual sellers offer produce from their fields/gardens. You deposit your payment directly into an honesty box. This principle works on trust and allows you to have access to local, seasonal produce at a fraction of the cost of grocery stores, since there’s no intermediary between the seller and the buyer. Always have change in your car, as you’ll need to leave the exact amount in the honesty box.

Furnishing and clothing

If you’re looking for cheap furniture or clothing, visit second-hand “Op Shops” like the Salvation Army, Red Cross or SPCA. You can buy second-hand items for cheaper prices and do a good deed at the same time (the money you spend goes to the charity!). If you prefer to buy new items but you’re not too fussy about the quality of the products, try The Warehouse or K-Mart, which offer home decor, clothes, shoes, etc. at fairly low prices.

Internet

In addition to chains like McDonald’s and Starbucks, which offer free Wi-Fi Internet access, you can also turn to local libraries. You don’t need to be a member to take advantage of Wi-Fi. However, the connection is sometimes limited to a few hundred megabytes per day.

Sleeping in your vehicle

Even if you don’t have to pay any rent, as such, you will still incur expenses. To combat this, follow these tips:

Petrol: Choose vehicles that consume as little fuel as possible (even if this means cutting back on comfort, which you can always try to improve later). Your petrol budget can rise very quickly if you can only cover 350-400 kilometres on a full tank. Follow the advice given in the Transport chapter of this guide and get a discount card to receive a 6-cent discount per litre of petrol.

Food: Buy large quantities of non-perishable food (tinned and dry goods). For meals on-the-go, make sandwiches with a spread like margarine, Philly cheese spread or peanut butter rather than real butter: they keep better and longer in a vehicle (even better if you can store food in a small cooler).

Camping: DOC campsites are often cheaper than private campsites. Download the campsite brochures or pick them up free of charge from DOC centres to find out the locations, how much they cost, and what facilities are provided. Alternate between basic campsites (often free) and slightly more comfortable campsites when you need to do laundry or take a shower, for example. In summer, use solar showers or public showers near beaches to save money. DOC also offers a campsite pass, which gives you access to many DOC campsites. If you have are looking for work on a farm, ask your employer if they have a place where you can set up your vehicle. For a few dollars a day, you can often stay on-site and use their facilities.