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pudgy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pudgy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 February 2011 at 6:46pm
Originally posted by jazzy jazzy wrote:

I have just changed power companies so am waiting for the first bill. Usually about $150-180 in summer & around $300+ in winter but we use heaters.


^^Ours is the same, and I turn everything off at the wall if not in use. I would love for ours to be $70

If we had to we could it would be a stretch and we'd probably eat a lot of mince but it'd doable. I wouldn't want to have to do it long term though.   
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chickadeedoo View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote chickadeedoo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 February 2011 at 6:54pm
boy $70 a month thats great - our last bill which was read was $255 and that was in summer!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SMoody Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 February 2011 at 6:59pm
Ours is normally sitting at about $120 in summer and goes up to $160 in winter. But in saying that we dont have a dishwasher and I only use the tumble dryer in winter.

But then again we dont switch stuff off at the wall. We have a pc downstairs on permanently with a lot of other electrical equipment. 4 laptops on sometimes.

Hubby got some special kind of tools that need power as well. I bake quite a bit and use my stove a lot.

Dont have a heated towel rail.

Our power went up almost 200% when we had a visitor and when MIL was here with BIL is was nearly 300% more. Ouch.


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jem View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jem Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 March 2011 at 11:35pm
Wow!!! makes me feel good about our last power bill $54 we were home the whole time (didnt go away or anything) and that covers showers as well as we dont use any gas.

Insurance is about $20/month for 1car and contents, shopped around for insurance calling every insurance place in the phone book which we try to do once a year.

we used www.consumer.org.nz/powerswitch to choose what power company to go with.
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jazzy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jazzy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 March 2011 at 7:03am
just got my first power bill from the new company $150 but $133 if paid early which I have done, not sure if much or any cheaper but you get fly buys

we need look at our insurances also
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AandCsmum Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 March 2011 at 7:18am
Jazzy, what company are you with??
Kel


A = 01.02.04   &   C = 16.01.09   &   G = 30.03.12
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jazzy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jazzy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 March 2011 at 12:11pm
just changed to Contact energy they do fly buys. Not sure if it will be cheaper & I never use fly buys as I forget about them but now I may get a few & can get something worth more than $5 lol
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AandCsmum View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AandCsmum Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 March 2011 at 12:50pm
Oh ok, contact is way more expensive than Genesis in this area.
Kel


A = 01.02.04   &   C = 16.01.09   &   G = 30.03.12
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jazzy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jazzy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 March 2011 at 2:09pm
we needed to stay with Vector as they pay out yearly about $320 so did not want to miss out on it, Contact & Mercury are the only ones we can use so the fly buys & the %12 fast payment option was the seller to switch to Contact...time will tell if it worth it
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sarasal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 April 2011 at 6:43pm
This is really interesting for me to read what others spend on stuff. Our power bill can be as low as $80 in the summer, but we hardly ever have showers at home ... we have an annual pool membership and go swimming every day so just use the showers there (figure the power savings just about pay for the membership!). In winter it's about $160 using one heatpump for heating.

My partner and I were able to live on a student allowance for 3 years - only $300 a week between us. We'd spend $80 on food, bake our own bread, grow our own veges, make everything from scratch. That meant no phone, internet, doctors/dentists, hardly any new clothes. We had a car but tried to walk and bike everywhere. But that was over 2 years ago and I'd say food prices have just about doubled since then.

Now having a baby, life is more expensive. I don't have the time to live so self-sufficiently with all the baking and gardening. I need to use the car more - we live in the far south and you just can't go out walking with a baby when it's wet and freezing. Now we have a mortgage so we don't have a choice about paying insurance.

We live on about $700-$800 a week and we are pretty frugal & make a lot of sacrifices so I can stay home with my son and so that my partner only has to work 4 days a week. We chose to buy a house in Invercargill, far away from our families, because we can afford housing here. We don't have a landline, spend almost nothing on alcohol, takeaways, entertainment, childcare, cosmetics. We make our own cleaning products and beauty products & go reusable as much as possible - nappies, mooncup instead of tampons. So yeah, I'd find it real hard to live on the amount of dole. I really don't know what else we could cut out.
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littleb View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote littleb Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 May 2011 at 8:22pm
Wow I have found this really interesting...DP and I are a little concerned about our budgeting skills with our pending arrival. We have a mortgage and we do live on two full time incomes usually (my income is a bit larger and that's the one we will be losing - for a little while). I think we are really going to need to focus on some intense budgeting between now and the end of the year in an attempt to get ready for this baby!!!

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jazzy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 May 2011 at 6:44am
Originally posted by littleb littleb wrote:

Wow I have found this really interesting...DP and I are a little concerned about our budgeting skills with our pending arrival. We have a mortgage and we do live on two full time incomes usually (my income is a bit larger and that's the one we will be losing - for a little while). I think we are really going to need to focus on some intense budgeting between now and the end of the year in an attempt to get ready for this baby!!!


are you able to live off 1 wage & put the other away? I know that sounds hard to do but if you are having a long time off work after baby is born then you will be basically living off 1 wage. The more you can save now the easier it will be then.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote littleb Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 May 2011 at 2:42pm
Jazzy that's what were going to attempt to do...I should be doing it right now actually
We are not very good with budgets and it's going to be tough but it's going to be worth it having hopefully 6 months worry free at home with new bub. I don't think we could handle longer.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote littleb Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 May 2011 at 3:54pm
OMG Jazzy have just been through everything with a fine tooth comb and it's looking a little scary...hopefully I have budgeted on the generous side and we can trim some fat off as the months go by...might have to opt for a mortgage holiday?? I'm sure we will survive it's just going to be a bit tighter then normal.

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jazzy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jazzy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 May 2011 at 6:32am
littleb I think the thing is you learn to live with what you have. It can be a shock to drop a wage but with a good budget & a bit of shuffling you will cope.

I used to pick up up few extra things at the supermarket to put away & paid extra on things like power, phone, sky, water so they were in credit.

I put money in to Bonus Bonds as you don't notice it gone. You could also have do a Christmas club at the supermarket or get the gift cards they have.

There are lots of little changes you can make now to help later
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote amalyse Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 June 2011 at 9:00am
Nope I couldn't do it. I work out all of our stuff each month and how much we spend and we spend $4,000 per month roughly...

We could get cut the fat in a lot of places, but I doubt we could get down to less than $3,200 per month.

We have a lot of insurances that we need to pay, including cover for if my husband looses his job because of illness. Because if we had to drop down to a beneficiary wage we would not survive!!

I don't know how people do it? I used to be a student and survive on $200 a week too!?!??!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote amme_eilyk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 July 2011 at 2:44pm
We managed it... just for 6 months but it was hard. but too be honest dh is only in part time work so we arent living on much more most weeks.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote .... Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 July 2011 at 9:44pm
Eek, you guys can get $300 accommodation supplement? The most we can get on top on a benefit in Timaru for accommodation is $55, which really sucks since the Christchurch earthquakes, heaps of people have moved down here, either temporary or permanent, which has made rent skyrocket.

Really sucks having to go on DPB as BabyDaddy and I intended to still be together when he is born (due Monday) and now he'll be contributing $14 a week child support, and will never have time spare to have shared-care so I can work.
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jazzy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jazzy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 July 2011 at 4:32pm
Originally posted by BecBarrer BecBarrer wrote:


Really sucks having to go on DPB as BabyDaddy and I intended to still be together when he is born (due Monday) and now he'll be contributing $14 a week child support, and will never have time spare to have shared-care so I can work.


how can you get the DPB if you are still together?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote .... Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 July 2011 at 4:50pm
@Jazzy We're not.
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