Biggest Expenses

Hey!

It's week 13 already and things have been pretty good! Last weekend I went to one of my Kiwi friend's home in Tauranga (two hours away from Hamilton) and it was a much needed break from campus. I think I've reached a point where I have so much free time I'm not sure what to do. I'm not used to this at all, so I've just been hanging out with my friends and exploring to keep myself busy.

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I've spent a lot of money since I've been here (not surprising for me) so I want to talk about some of my biggest expenses so future New Zealanders can know what to expect and budget for.

1. Traveling

Since I've been here, I've taking quite a few week and weekend trips and I have more coming up. This is only if you want to travel of course! I've been to the south island and traveled around the north island, which all adds up in price. The flights, bus tickets, food, hostels/airbnbs, and any other activities planned are where most of my money went thus far.

2. Gym Membership

This is something that is different from Susky because here, you have to pay for the campus gym. At first I didn't know if it was worth it because it's $220 NZD for the semester to have access to the gym, but then I realized "I love the gym, it makes me happy, so I should do it." I know a lot of friends who didn't want to pay for it, so they found others ways to exercise, but for me it was worth it.

3. Food and Alcohol

At this point in the semester, I'm kinda over the food they serve us. It's the same couple dishes every week and I'm someone who likes variety in their food. So I've been going out to eat a lot more (Bongo Cafe on campus is pretty great) and spending money on food. Of course this isn't necessary, but it made me happy to try different kinds of food besides just the cafeteria food. Also I've been spending a lot of money on alcohol because of the drinking culture here. At the bar you buy rounds for your friends which adds up in price! They are also big on casual drinking here so I've boughten countless bottles of wine in the past three months.

4. Warmer Clothing

I definitely did not bring enough warm clothing coming here. It's pretty chilly still so I've been going to the mall and buying sweaters, hats, and warmer jackets to keep myself warm. I've also invested in some good hiking boots when I first got here.

5. Ubering and Bus Rides

To get around the city, I've been taking the bus or Ubering, which adds up. On the weekends, me and my friends would split an Uber to go to the bars and clubs and during the week we would take the bus to get around. I've probably spent around $300 on transportation so far in Hamilton alone.

6. My Phone Plan

I've talked about getting my New Zealand phone in a previous blog, but I didn't talk about the price of the phone plan. The phone itself was cheap ($39 NZD) but every month I was spending quite a bit of money on the data and minutes. This all depends on the usage of the phone, but for me I was using it when I didn't have wifi for Google Maps and to call NZ numbers.

7. Necessities

I'm talking about things such as toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, soap, and other little things you need to buy eventually. Also I bought items for my room such as hangers, sheets and pillows, bowls and utensils, coffee mugs, paper and pencils, tissues, ect.

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Here are some photos from my weekend to Tauranga!