Survey results are food for thought

FOOD ADVICE: Budget adviser Todd Button.

A Wairarapa budgeting expert is disputing an online claim that New Zealanders are turning to takeaways for economic reasons.

The survey of 435 New Zealanders over the age of 18 and across all regions was carried out by menulog.co.nz, an online and mobile ordering service for takeaway food.

More than half of respondents (53 per cent) admitted to ordering takeaways because it was more affordable than cooking a meal from scratch.

The survey also revealed that 68 per cent of respondents said they order takeaways at least once a week or more, and more than half (53 per cent) spend up to $50 weekly on takeaways alone.

Surprisingly, the older age bracket are likely to spend more on takeaways, with almost a quarter (24 per cent) of 45-54s spending between $50-$100 a week.

Todd Button of the Home Budget Service in Masterton says reliance on takeaways is not budget consciousness.

"That's a sign that people have given up," Mr Button said.

"They can't be bothered tightening up and doing it hard.

"It is hard, just working out a shopping plan. If you go into the supermarket without a plan, you end up getting a whole lot of low-cost carbs like chips."

The key is about people putting what they know about finances into practice, Mr Button says.

"People come to me over a lack of discipline. All of my customers are intelligent, they know that two plus two equals four.

"They know that you have to spend less than you bring in, they just don't have a plan for doing that. That's what we provide."

Mr Button recommends people shop weekly and realise they can save money by cutting down on meat.

"Some research says adult males need two to three palm-sized servings of lean protein a week to maintain [health]," he said.

"You don't need to have meat every night."

A vegetable garden, especially for something like potatoes, could also be a great money saver, Mr Button said.

"Potatoes are a great source of food - but not as chips."