Rotorua mother of two Shelly admits she has her struggles trying to get by: for her it's a matter of choosing what's important.
Shelly, who does not want her surname published, and her two children Gina, 8, and Jeremy, 5, live on $520 a week which includes a partial domestic purposes benefit, child support and tax credits.
She has only $15 left at the end of the week after paying her costs.
The family don't have Sky, a landline, the internet or a computer as they can't afford them. She'd much rather use some money on a treat for her children such as taking them to the movies.
She gets by with $20 a month on her cellphone solely for sending and receiving text messages.
Shelly is a solo mum and works part-time on a voluntary basis at the Salvation Army foodbank.
She knows what it's like to have money, but after separating from her husband and moving to Rotorua she now knows what's like not to have it but makes the most of what she does have.
She is also paranoid about getting into debt as she knows she won't be able to pay it off.
She is currently paying off a fridge on hire purchase but is making sure she pays it off within the interest-free period.
Shelly tries to stick to $90 a week on groceries. If there's any money left,it goes straight into the supermarket's Christmas savings scheme so she has money saved for food during the festive season.
With gift gifting being important for the children, in the lead-up to Christmas she can use the weekly amount she usually puts aside for groceries to buy them gifts. She also has a "present box" in which she puts items she has purchased in sales throughout the year.
She admits $90 for three people for food can be quite hard, but dishes like pasta or a casserole can be cheap. The children have porridge for breakfast.
"It keeps them full and it's cheap and easy."
Once a fortnight the family will have a treat - a $5 pizza from Domino's.
Shelly also tries to buy clothes for a particular season at the end of that season when stores such as The Warehouse and Farmers have some "amazing" specials. This week she bought several items of clothes from Farmers for $34 and will put them away for next summer. She also looks for clothes at op shops.
She says medical bills are the "killer" and she tries to use the free nurses' clinic at Work and Income when she can.
Recently she had a throat infection requiring two visits to a GP, costing her $54 including two prescriptions.
"They want me to go back for a third time, but I can't afford it."
Each week she pays $25 by automatic payment for power which she says is best for her as it means that she doesn't fall behind and she gets discounts for paying on time.
As far as entertainment goes, the family make use of Rotorua's free activities like going to the lake, playgrounds and Rotorua Museum.
"The best investment I made was buying the Rainbow Springs family pass. It lasts the whole year and they [the children] can go on the Big Splash, which is so exciting for them."
She is also hires weekly $1 DVDs for the children.
She works at the Salvation Army voluntarily but hopes to eventually pick up paid work for the organisation or look for other paid work now her son is at school.
Shelly finds it particularly tough when something unexpected happens.
"I have my moments when it's a struggle, when something unexpected happens. But I think I'm in a better position than some we see here [at the foodbank] because I'm not in debt," she says.
"At the end of the day you've got what you've got and you carry on and make the most of what you've got. The biggest thing I've learned is that it's not about overloading yourself with the best of everything. It's about making do and doing what's important."
Shelly's weekly costs
- Rent $275
- Power $25
- Phone $5
- Petrol $40
- Car registration/warrant/ maintenance $10
- School fees $2.50
- Groceries $90
- Medical costs $3
- Clothing $10-$20 a week
- Entertainment $10
- Insurance $10
- Hire Purchase (fridge) $15
Total weekly costs $505
Income $520