How to save money in Auckland, New Zealand

1. Driving saves money than taking the bus

New Zealand’s public transportation is not developed. It is recommended that international students buy a car, which will save more money than taking the bus. money. The buses in New Zealand have very long departure intervals, often leaving only one bus every hour. You may miss the bus if you are not careful. It is even more troublesome if you need to transfer multiple times to go to school. For some international students, taking the bus home in Auckland actually costs 7.2 New Zealand dollars (approximately RMB 33.6 yuan).

Cars in New Zealand are cheap. A second-hand car in the 1980s can be bought for only 3,000 yuan, while a second-hand car in the 1990s does not exceed 10,000 yuan. Many parking lots in New Zealand are free, such as supermarkets, schools, etc. In addition, you do not need insurance when buying and driving a car in New Zealand. To know how much it costs to study abroad in New Zealand in 2016, please follow the New Zealand channel of Tiandao Study Abroad to find out.

To sum up, if New Zealand international students study for a long time, they can save a lot of money by buying their own car rather than taking a bus.

2. Buy seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables

International students like to go shopping in supermarkets at night. Since locals do not eat meat that has been left overnight, supermarkets will sell meat at a discount. If you are lucky, Can get 20% off.

New Zealanders don’t like to eat animal offal, so Chinese students can buy animal offal, which is much cheaper than buying meat alone. For example, a box of lamb chops in the supermarket costs 5 New Zealand dollars, while The same weight of chicken gizzards only costs NZ$1.

Meat in New Zealand is cheaper than vegetables, which is very similar to most Western countries. If international students want to eat vegetables, they can buy them in season and the prices are lower.

It is more cost-effective to buy locally produced fruits in New Zealand. For example, kiwi fruit is bought in bags. A bag weighs about 1 to 1.5 kilograms and only costs 2 New Zealand dollars. New Zealand is also rich in apples. Average quality apples in season cost NZ$1/500 grams.

3. Choose your homestay carefully

If several international students share a house in a remote location, you can save a lot of money. Another way to save money and convenient accommodation is homestay, which is especially suitable for students who have just arrived in New Zealand and are unfamiliar with the place they live in.

The price of homestay depends on the location, ranging from 180 to 220 New Zealand dollars per week. The most important thing is that they provide meals. If you don't like to eat something, please make it clear to your host family. If they make something you don't like to eat, be sure to say that you don't like it. Don't say "it's okay" just to save face.

On the first day after arriving at the host family, in accordance with the regulations and the traditions of all host families, you can use their phone to make an international long distance call, but the time cannot exceed 15 minutes.

In addition, the host family is also responsible for the temporary use of a car. If there is no car to go home at night, you must inform the host family in advance and let them pick you up.

4. Make good use of banking services

Banks in New Zealand are quite different from each other in terms of currency exchange services. Different banks will use different exchange rates when conducting currency exchange. The rates of handling fees are also different. Therefore, when exchanging cash in New Zealand, international students in New Zealand should choose a bank with a better exchange rate and lower handling fees, which can save a considerable amount of money.

In addition, Bank of New Zealand provides relatively complete bank card services to children studying in New Zealand. International students can choose to open such bank cards instead of credit cards. International students do not need to pay any fees when using bank cards. Handling fee, convenient and practical.

5. Go out to work

Studying abroad, for most students, will experience a lifestyle of studying and working at the same time, which can alleviate the pressure caused by the cost of New Zealand ; Second, you can have more contact with the society and improve your English proficiency; at the same time, you can have a meaningful work internship experience, which can accumulate resources for your future career for students who plan to immigrate. Therefore, most students will do part-time jobs while studying in New Zealand!

6. Chinese Money Bank

The visa opened by Chinese in New Zealand is one of the most popular currency exchange places , Chinese bank exchanges do not require handling fees, the exchange rate is also very suitable, and it is guaranteed that there will be no counterfeit banknotes. In addition, international students can also bargain with the boss of the Chinese bank when exchanging currency.

7. Buy food during discount periods

Similar to Australia, supermarkets in New Zealand usually offer 20 to 10% off meat when they are about to close. Foreigners generally don’t like animal offal, such as chicken kidneys and livers, so sometimes it’s more cost-effective to buy offal than beef and mutton chops. Seasonal vegetables and fruits that are in season or abundant in New Zealand (such as kiwi fruit, which is abundant in New Zealand) will also be much cheaper.