Can a reporter survive on the average wage?

21 May 2011 02:59a.m.

rob wrote:

this has to be one of the most condescending acts in journalism, shame on the reporter.

18 May 2011 07:24p.m.

Debbie wrote:

I have to survive on between $30- $40 for food per week. I shop VERY wisely, always looking for bargains. I walk to the nearest fruit shop, spend about $7. I buy the cheapest milk, use eggs, vegies in season, baked beans, yoghurt, to cover all the food groups. Cheese is a luxury. I can't even think about going to the dentist to get my teeth fixed and am embarrased to even try to smile with one of them cracked in the front going to cost over $400.00.

17 May 2011 11:23a.m.

Mike wrote:

It isn't hard to live off welfare. Look around and we dont see anyone starving, actually we have higher rates of obessity amoung beneficiaries. What we have is people decide that if they spend ever cent, that they can claim poverty. This applies to someone on a benefit, someone on the average wage, someone on over $100,000 PA, someone on welfare of over $100,000 PA!

On any budget you shouldn't look to spend ever dollar. You should look to spend efficiently and keep some in reserve. The problem is that if you dont spend all your income and say a neighbor in the same position on the same spends more than their income, they can go down to social welfare, get a hardship grant and since you have money left over you must be rich!

It makes sense if money is tight to use a credit card. It allows you to buy specials and stock up some, typically about 6 weeks till you actually pay for anything. If you can afford not to buy specials your not hard up. If you can not use a credit card without overspending thats a spending addiction problem which is different than not enough income.

How much would it cost an adult to eat out ever meal for a year? Lets say they eat cheaply at subway and drink water? equiv of 6 inch sub/meal x 3 = $4325/yr, if eat 2 meals (footlong or 2x 6 inch) over a day its $2883/yr. Now you can buy cheaper than eating out, yet the food bills of those complaining are regularly spending much higher than what it would be to eat 365 days a year at subway!

I know I can buy milk/cheese in my shopping, and still spend less than if I lived on subway. Lets be honest, its a case of more luxery spending than we need - not lack of income to survive.

16 May 2011 07:39p.m.

Average Joe wrote:

A week on that amount of money can go past easily. Let the reporter try it for a month and then Campbell Live can say that they have concluded on How difficult it really is to Survive on an average income!!!

16 May 2011 10:20a.m.

Wilson Owen wrote:

I suppose it's one way to give your reporters a pay rise!

14 May 2011 01:51a.m.

Taran wrote:

This is so stupid, first off your vehicle costs, add all the figures gives you 1160 a year, divide that by 12 months is 96 divide that by 4 is 24 bucks a Week, how can a 3000 dollar car have a 70 dollar a week expense? Partner and I have 2 cars and it adds up to around 2300 a year,1040 insurance full cover both cars, 560 rego, 120 for wofs, rest for service repairs, although we drive Nissan's and they are VERY reliable than a silly subaru i use to own, divide 2300 by 52 is 44 a week FOR 2 CARS. Take your 70 dollars by 52 weeks is 3640 not the 1160 you posted. I also calculated that earning 50000 dollars a year, the first 14000 is taxed at 10.5%, 140001 to 48000 taxed at 17.5% then 480001 to 50000 at 30%, comes to 41,979,3498 a month, 874.50 a week, where you get your 788 is beyond me. I get 640 a week, partner 580, over 60G a year combine, we pay 350 for a 2 bedroom house, again how you get 380 for 3 bedrooms is beyond me, we spend on what we need not what we desire, countdown is rubbish,pak n save is better, new world trumps both, cheaper meat, However best investment was getting rid of my crappy subaru for a very good Nissan Skyline 2002 300GT. Petrol consumption went from 14.6l per 100k on a single turbo 2,0l to 7.9l per 100k on a NA Massive 3l v6 engine. We went to Hamilton and back for 40 Bucks what a car.

13 May 2011 07:47p.m.

Veronika wrote:

I don't think that if you're on a budget--COUNTDOWN is a place where you go to do your grocery shopping every week. When we stopped shopping there we started saving at least 50$ a week.=)

13 May 2011 04:06p.m.

STP wrote:

I didn't watch the episode last night so only reading what others have commented on this.

Me and my partner we take home about $1200 cash in hands per week but that was before all the expenses such as loans, car payment, mortgage, insurances and there's more. And we are still struglling to have $100 left for grocery and never go out anywhere coz we can't efford to pay for petrol. Seems like we are living day by day and waiting for a pay day to come.

Not to mention my partner have to pay childsupport until they turn 19 which the money does not go straight to the kids but to IRD.
We also have a baby in the house but after advised IRD they have only cut back about $13 per week!!!

13 May 2011 02:22p.m.

Ben wrote:

Surely Median (ie what 50% earn less and 50% earn more than) income of $27500 would be a better test than Average (skewed by those on v high salaries) income of ~$48000? Also, what bigkev said: it's fine to do it for 1 week...

13 May 2011 09:09a.m.

S Lawrence wrote:

i have 3 children and one mortgage one wage and i get 300.00 a week less than what you are making these guys live on a week, check what the minimum wage is this guy would barley have 100.00 a week to live on for groceries etc, think someone has got it wrong on the general average wage.......what a joke