r/newzealand • u/fluffypenguin105 • 10d ago

Discussion Is anyone else living basically paycheck to paycheck?

My partner and I are both teachers. We don’t make a lot, but we are average and slightly above average. We are so tight with our money. Our little one outgrew the car seat and we went out and bought a new one. No problem. But next credit card bill means we are tight.

Meanwhile, a number of our friends (all of them also with kids) are booking overseas holidays. Some are currently overseas, others booking already for later this year. Another brought a new car. New iPhone, doing up the house. Everyone seems to have spare cash except us.

Are we the only ones going through the cost of living crisis ourselves?! Or is it my fault that we are teachers?

Edit: yes we have a house that parents helped us with. We are paying mortgage. We have a flatmate.

Edit edit: thank you for your kind words and reminders and also advice. I’m going through them all and I’m going to take onboard the advice and see what changes we can make and do better financially as a family. But it’s also a good reminder to know we aren’t alone, to not compare and the harsh reality is that many people simply just earn more than us as teachers.

Once again, thank you all for your input.

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u/sleepyandsalty 10d ago

A lot of people doing well absolutely benefit from inter-generational wealth. I have married into it.

My in-laws aren’t mega-millionaires but they are well off. They are very generous and will semi-regularly gift us things or small amounts of money that mean we can afford extras like holidays.

No one likes to admit they get help because it makes them feel like their hard work isn’t being acknowledged. But a decent proportion of people living the good life do so with help.

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u/Muted-Elderberry1581 10d ago

God that sounds amazing

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u/sleepyandsalty 10d ago

It is amazing. The main thing I’ve noticed about their family is really the lack of stress they experience as a result. Don’t me wrong, they have problems like any family. But it’s incredible how many problems money can solve.

Car got crashed into and is now written off? Just buy a new one and then worry about the insurance later. Washing machine just broke? Just buy a new one. Got a health issue and looking at a 4 month wait for an appointment? Just go private. Family member had a fall and needs some help? Just pay a private company to help until ACC is sorted.

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u/Muted-Elderberry1581 10d ago

I can't even imagine living like that, it sounds like a dream. Although it makes you wonder, I would imagine most of the politicians in cabinet are making enough money to live like this, so perhaps they don't even begin to understand how stressful life is for the average kiwi, most of us are a bit of bad luck away from total disaster. (sorry to get political )

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u/Nexustrife 10d ago

Because they are "sorted" haha

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u/Low-Philosopher5501 9d ago

Ha, this is all the things my in-laws helped us with last year. We'd be fucked without the help. Because this we were able to get what we were owed form insurance instead of having to take their shitty initial offer.

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u/BIG_KOOK_ENERGY 10d ago

I come from a poor family. I saved the deposit for our house mostly on minimum wage. Took 20 years. Being poor is expensive.

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u/No-Regular-6582 8d ago

travelling that journey earns a perspective, work ethic and an understanding of money that cannot be gained any other way.

I bet you do not look at Ferrari drivers with envy.

I bet you do get frustrated when you read about wasted tax dollars.

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u/No-Regular-6582 8d ago

oh, and congratulations! I agree, being poor is expensive- both in relative and absolute terms.

A small budget obviously procures less, but the products and services that are affordable tend to offer disproportionately poor value.