Before you even get out of bed you have spent money. Photo/Shutterstock.
Before you even get out of bed you have spent money. Photo/Shutterstock.
Opinion by Tamsyn Parker
Tamsyn Parker has been Business Editor at the New Zealand Herald since April 2023. She was previously the Personal Finance Editor and has been with the Herald since 2007.
Seeing the Government open its books last month to reveal its Budget for the next year reminded me it was probably time to have a look at my own household budget.
This triggered an internal groan as unlike the government I don't have my own personal Treasury department to gatherall the numbers together and put them into a nice spreadsheet.
From the minute we wake up the wallet is open as we eat breakfast, drive the car to work, grab a coffee or quick lunch out to hitting the gym post work and calling the other half on the way home to say you're running late yet again.
About $159 for the average household across New Zealand, according to Statistics New Zealand.
But if you are an Aucklander it's more like $179 a day.
Before you even get out of bed the average Kiwi household has spent $39 on housing and paying for power, water or gas.
If you're in Auckland that's more like $48.
As you're munching down on the cornflakes or seeing how many Weetbix you can handle that's another $27.50 out the door on food every day or $31 if you live in Auckland.
Then as you jump in the car or race off to grab a bus or train it's another $22.6 spent on transport per household or $25.6 if you are in Auckland.
If you're sitting on the bus or train using your phone to check the latest news or your work email its another $5.11 out the door on communication.
Heading to the gym can add to your daily costs. Photo/Stephen Parker.
Then once your working day is done if you've got the energy for some recreation or culture whether it's taking the kids to rugby practice or heading to the gym that's another $15.30 per day on average per household.
Then there are those unpredictable costs when the cat gets sick and needs an emergency trip to the vet or the kids come home with another request for money for a school trip or project.
That's why the statistics also have another category for spending on miscellaneous goods and services - another $14.53 per day - and a separate category for other expenses which adds up to another $16.6 a day.
Whew that's enough to want to make you lie back down again!
So how does your spending stack up against the average Kiwi household?
