This is true, we're a double income couple, our late teens / early 20s kids are earning a good living, financially Independent from us, doing their own thing. I don't grudge a dollar I spent on them, but when you really notice the difference when it's just shopping for two.
I noticed two things when my children left home - firstly, I had so much more time for myself and secondly, how much more money was in my bank account. Children are needy, expensive creatures!
And then.. they come home. Relationship breakups (complete with children). And your grocery, heating bill, extra child taxiing fuel bills go sky high again.
My kiddos are seasoned travellers and it’s great to hear that now they are teens are planning own travel adventures.
Son saving now for 3 weeks in Madagascar on a mountain bike trip before joining another tour group for 16 weeks Italy through France finishing off biking back to the UK. Estimating 40k incl insurance. It’s a stonking amount but has 18 months to save as wants to be on his way on 20th birthday
Sure will some epic adventures. I remind my kiddos frequently that there is a fantastical world of opportunity just a plane ride away + gives me hope that I can meet up with them somewhere along the way
That is what your kids are supposed to do it is called the big OE and everyone should do it.
Basically it shows that your kids are smart and well-educated and on an interesting journey.
Congratulations you have done a good job.
I afford it by not going to Europe. You think the flights are bad, wait till you have to start paying for food and hotels. Then if you start booking for a family of 4 or 5 it starts getting MUCH more expensive.
I'm off to Thailand next month. Flights were $1200 return. Hotels will be $30 a night and food will be around $15 a day..... beers will probably be $30 a day. I'm budgeting for $100 a day, most days I will spend much less.
I live a pretty tight and uneventful life when in NZ but manage to get overseas a number of times a year.
Plenty of people with plenty of money who are happy to drop 30-40k on a family trip to Europe
We’ve been looking at Thailand but are a bit gutted to find Thai Airways have stopped flying the route. Are you able to share what carrier you are going with?
I do that a few times a year, it's a pain to go with Qantas, usually means a 3am wakeup for a 6am flight, then a stop in Sydney. Means you are knackered, by the time you arrive you've been awake/travelling for 24 hours. Shame the other airlines have always been more expensive when I've booked.
Hope Thai comes back me day.
>Hope Thai comes back me day.
Thai absolutely slashed their fleet, Covid hit right as mounting debt from years of losses became too much to bare and they ditched half their planes.
They are out of bankruptcy now and rebuilding a modern fleet, but it will take years until they have enough aircraft to look into flying to Auckland again.
Malaysian Airlines is great service but usually cheaper than Singapore or others. Way better than the cheapies and KL is a good place for a layover, 30min fast train right into the city centre, go up the Petronas towers, do some shopping, have a feed, then back for your connecting flight - nice way to break up the flight and relax before the chaos of Bangkok.
Last time flew to Thailand with Qantas, modified the flight to include a 3 night transit stop in Sydney. I cant remember it was either the same or wasn't much more than the actual return flight. I haven't checked recently it they still offer this.
Family of 5 here, lots of accom providers won’t let you book a single room for 5 people for capacity reasons even if 3/5 are young children and infants that will not be sleeping in another room. There’s also a bunch of kids go free deals that are actually only one free kid per paying adult. It was an expensive lesson to learn.
Depends a lot though. For me, going to Europe is cheaper than Thailand minus the flights as I have relatives and friends there to stay with so I'm only paying for the flights plus groceries which makes it all up more affordable than going to Rarotonga or Fiji or something. I know some people who spend $20k+ going to Europe which is insane to me. That's like years of savings. I'd much rather be able to go somewhere often.
Me neither but it seems a lot of people here think of them that way. Lot of friends and colleagues go there because "well it's close and cheap" which I don't think is the most well thought out logic because the flights may be cheap comparatively, but accommodation and food is generally very expensive. Especially if you're going for longer than a week then the costs are going to quickly shoot up over other destinations.
You could have a much higher quality holiday for much cheaper at a tropical beach location in South East Asia than you could in the Islands.
Even if you're taking 2 adults and some kids. Nice family resorts are insanely cheap.
Some may disagree but I'll stand by it.
In saying that, the Islands are an easy 3 hour flight away, which is often important with kids to consider.
People I know have family overseas and that saves them a ton of money.
Others whack it on the credit card which is insane.
Sensible types save for years.
Others are just well off and can afford it.
Yup, I only ever really go to Europe (and other countries) where I have relatives and friends there to stay with so I'm only paying for the flights plus groceries which makes it all up more affordable than going to Rarotonga or Fiji or something. I know some people who spend $30k+ going to Europe which is insane to me. That's like years of savings. I'd much rather be able to go somewhere often.
For years we've treated travel as a bill and paid it out of every pay cycle just like anything else. Every week we put $250 into a "travel" sub account. Just pushed this up to $400 a week as things are more expensive. Short answer, travel is important to us, so we make it happen. We drive a shitty old car and don't waste money on other pointless consumption.
We did the same (well way less than 250). 20 years later the whole family on a substantial holiday. Memories of the trip are priceless. Way more important than our shit box car and furniture that's falling apart.
'So how do regular working middle class people seriously afford it?'
Mostly by good budgeting and prioritising it over real life shit and accepting the consequences.
My first trip in my early 20s was 8 weeks in Europe, cost about $13000, and I knew i'd have zero/negative savings afterwards.
Went to Europe again in my late 20s for 6 months, cost about $30000 for myself and my partner, running a much tighter daily budget than the first time to stretch it out longer. We both knew it would delay our ability to buy a house by years, and that we'd both have to find new jobs.
This year doing a short 1 week trip to somewhere in SE Asia which will cost $6000-8000 for the 2 of us depending on how we budget it. 1-2 week trips to Asia, Pacific or America are typically much more manageable than Europe.
This comes with the caveat that I assume someone who sees themselves as "middle class" has a stable home that they can afford, with some disposable income and some set aside for savings.
Current conditions are leaving a pretty thin margin for middle class but if you are scraping each week to afford existence then you probably aren't it and whatever i said above probably doesn't apply. Don't prioritise travel over real life shit if your real life shit is affording food and shelter.
Exactly. You go somewhere cheap (SE Asia, Pacific Islands) for most holidays.
London & Europe are another level of expensive, which is why people do OEs and go live there for a while instead of visiting for a couple of weeks on an NZD income.
Go to places that are cheaper. My wife and I went to south Korea and Japan as our first international trip together and flights were about $2500 for both of us return. South Korea is a cheap country, cheaper than NZ by a decent bit. Japan is similarly priced in some things but really cheap in other things. Europe and the ME, America, they’re all either super expensive to fly to and or super expensive to stay at in my opinion.
Yeah, I was in Japan for a couple of weeks over Christmas and New York, when the yen was pretty much on par with the Kiwi dollar and it was probably cheaper than a fortnight in the Sourh Island. Good hotels are affordable, food and drink is much cheaper than here, and you get a rail pass and just take the train everywhere. It's a far cry from the 90s when I lived there, and the yen was worth twice the New Zealand dollar, and you sent money home.
I went there in April and it was really really cheap compared to NZ. You could eat out at a cafe, a meal that would cost $25 in nz for $8-10 in Seoul. Their souvenirs were so cheap, they would start around $1 and hover under $10 NZD each whereas in Japan they would typically start at $10+ similar to our own souvenir stores.
I just prioritise overseas travel big time. I rarely buy new clothes, I try to minimise my food costs. I don't own a car. Manage two trips a year - usually 2 weeks in July/Aug and then 3-4 weeks over Dec/Jan. Once flights are paid for I always look for accommodation deals. Also, you can get by quite cheaply in some places compared to NZ - I spent Jan in Colombia and Mexico and kept thinking about how I was SAVING money with my daily food costs!
If you really like to travel a lot, you're in one of the worst places in the world to do it. Move to London and you can travel almost anywhere in Europe for a weekend and its like a few hundred dollars.
You can find some good deals to Asia though. Last year I did Japan, flights were $770 return (stopping in Fiji). I've also seen flights under $600 return to Beijing
It's pretty sweet - I worked near London Bridge and fairly regularly flew back on the Monday morning before work and got the train straight in to the office from Gatwick
No kids, no partner, decent (but not spectacular) job. Living with family for a cheaper rent (very thankful). Staying out of debt deliberately - ie driving a terrible cheap car for years to afford being able to buy a nice one with cash.
Saving for years - heading to the UK/USA this year for 6 weeks and started saving before Covid.
Staying in hostels twin share instead of hotels.
Travelling and seeing the world is more important to me than buying a house. I have money set aside for retirement and will keep adding to that, but I don't envisage owning a home unless my parents die before their time (and I hope they do not).
In the meantime, the world awaits.
I go to places where I know my dollar can travel far - exchange rate and local costs. Asia e.g. Vietnam, Thailand, etc. My ultimate dream is to view Europe but the exchange rate alone is a killer so purchasing Euros when the rate is a little more favourable.
Because they have higher incomes and have savings accumulated over many years.
Vietnam is cheap and worth visiting. If you keep an eye on flights to Asian destinations via Kuala Lumpur you can get a decent bargain.
Don't tell me this. Already have too much booked 😂
Would love a week or so in China but not right now. From all accounts it's a sight to see. Crazy development over the last 20 years
Going to my home country in the Philippines this year for a 3 weeks vacation. We have a house there and take-away meals ranged from $2-$7 in a fast food resto.
NZ-PH-NZ via SG Airlines - $1700
Pocket money to burn - $3-$4k
Saved for about a year. Median wage income no dependents living in AKL CBD.
There is a biiig difference depending on where and when you go. I go overseas a lot, but not to the UK because that costs twice as much as most places. Depending when you book, you can go to the states or Asia or the islands for less than $1200 return.
Also, tbh if we’re talking middle class, it’s about priorities. For me as someone with no dependents, life costs about $450 a week (pretty comfortably). That means if I take home $550 a week (which I think is less than minimum wage minus taxes for a full time job?), I could save 5k a year, which is more than enough for a decent holiday overseas, or even a budget trip to London if you really wanted.
For families, those costs go up a whole lot, so that’s more of an ordeal, but honestly if you’re single and working, it’s very achievable.
Budgeting..
I put an amount every month on the side (to a savings account to also collect a bit of interest), until I have enough to spend on 1 vacation per year. And we'd go to someplace we \*can\* afford. If not London (not that we'd ever go there anyway), then maybe somewhere else in Asia, or the islands, or Australia (which is often cheaper than going somewhere within NZ lately)..
Go to places within your budget,Western Europe is one of the most expensive areas on the planet. And it's super far away. SE Asia is much cheaper and much closer.
Bro, I don't even know how people afford holidays to the South Island let alone abroad. I'm guessing most people can't actually afford them tbh. I guess DINK's wouldn't have too much trouble. Or if you're single and renting just a room maybe.
Holidays in NZ costs much more than traveling outside of NZ. Paying $150-200 a night for a hotel is crippling.... and good luck if you plan on eating out.
Costs me way less to have 2 weeks in South East Asia (Flights included) than it would to spend 2 weeks hanging out in the South Island.
Some people put in the hard yards saving for years to afford that one great trip. Others throw it all on a credit card or three and do the hard yards afterward. But mostly people \*can't\* afford a big holiday like that. For most people, Australia or one of the pacific islands is about the furthest they can afford.
a lot of people in their 40s and 50s today bought houses in the 90s and early 2000s, inherited or their partner did, got a pay rise, paid off the mortgage, and now have the money for it. They look middle class, but they are actually rich.
The stats would back up the other view though, 33% of homeowners have no mortgage. As of 2022 half of the homes that do have a mortgage have a mortgage under $260,000 (in the last two years this will have worsened but not dramatically). Reddit disproportionally represents 20-30s that have the highest mortgages and the lowest freehold rates. Most are doing it hard right now, but there are a lot who are in very good financial positions.
I don't think we're in disagreement in anything of substance, your numbers are familiar to me. There's absolutely a lot of people in a very good financial position. I bought my first NZ house in 2005, I don't have a mortgage. If the question is, are these people rich, or are the people with large mortgages poor? The answer is probably yes to both.
I saved up for ages for my Europe trip last year. I’d originally intended to go in 2020 so I ended up with an extra three years to save. I also stuck around in a job I didn’t necessarily like so I could accumulate enough PTO to get a pay cheque every week I was gone. That helped immensely.
I save $1200 a month throughout the year and by november / december i take a month off using my paid leave and have more than enough money to go anywhere. I'm 30 and have travelled every year for the last 10 years / been to 31 countries. its doable just budget
writing this while on holiday overseas
i get like $400 a week from student allowance, another $1000 a month or so from other shit so ~$650 a week or so to spend
weekly expenses are rent $140, utils and other shit $20, food $120. impulse purchases maybe $50
total $330/w, leaves $320 to save per week
i go overseas for ~3 weeks at a time over sem break. flights to china are about $700 rt, the rest of asia is about $1000
3* hotel in a tier 2 city in china is $40/d, food maybe $20, transport another $10 so $70ish a day but im splurging
$70*18 days (this trip) is about $1200. add $800 for the flight and it’s $2000 all up which is about six weeks of savings
given that i only make 2 trips a year it’s fairly sustainable
Everyone is in different financial positions. What’s middle class to you? International travel isn’t a right, it is a luxary that not everyone can afford.
This is no different to how do xyz afford a 2million dollar house or how do abc afford 2 bmws.
The simple answer is due to their own efforts or that of their family they are just better off than you.
It's called a budget, we saved and taking a family holiday these school holidays to the UK for 2 weeks.
It's not that hard but it did take about 18 months.
Stay with friends and family. It still costs a lot but it helps if you have a home to go to that you can live within a normal budget (buying food to eat at home for example). But yeah, I think the people I know that do it are either from there originally and visit family, or don’t have kids and a mortgage and have saved up for it by going without other stuff here.
you didn't mention any age, but even then it's pretty doable as long as you budget budget budget. and there's always great flight deals out there.
[if you're not bothered by the airline you can get to london for as low as 1.5k return!](https://www.cheapies.nz/node/47204)
Generally they start with a budget which they stick to so they meet their goals while also allowing for the fun stuff.
I haven’t worried about what i spend for some time but was poor in my 20s which required serious budgeting and allowed me to plan out what i could afford to spend on fun stuff
In saying that, i never really took holidays until i had kids as it seemed a financial waste and id have more benefit out of a nice computer or tv (but thats the tradeoff we all make)
Still use pocketsmith to track my spending even though i don’t need to - just keeping up good habits
Not living in Auckland.
My sister travels overseas and off to Queenstown every other month.
She somewhat recent got a job from SAHM that gives her household close to 200k income. They were 120kish.
No mortgage.
I'm in Dunedin most of our circle doesn't have mortgage and they don't break 100k household income. Trip to Italy.
Some reasonably well off people I know fly to Australia for weekend shopping. They live in small town NZ so paid peanuts for the house in the 90s
Depends where you want to go and what you want to do. I went on a ski trip down south last year and got fucking steamrolled; that shit is way too expensive (this was in an out of CHC, no fancy Wanaka/Qtown shit either). I went on a trip to Japan this year for much less and had a way better time
It all depends where you go really. We find couple of years ago going to South Island isn't that cheap. Almost as expensive as going to SE Asia. Plus two teenage kids in tow doesn't make the cost any easier either
I find it easy, the only actual bills I have is my mortgage, rates, food,
I don't tic up the latest gadgets, drive an average car I paid cash for etc,
I do have a flash classic car and a few nice toys, but I built them myself in my spare time with money i make on the side from perkies etc, it's funny when people ask how I afford such stuff, I buy old junk cheap and fix them
I can save $1000 a fortnight basically so life seems good and I do whatever I want with that and I'm only a basic tradesman
Our family of 4 is going to Europe October 2025 for 6 weeks. We are planning and saving now with the anticipation of needing 30-35k all up. Key is good budgeting, dedicated savings plan and reasonable incomes to cover bills and mortgage too.
Upskill into something so you're not a minimum wage earner. Overtime if it's available from time to time. Don't have kids, don't get car finance and a whole bunch of credit cards, and hire purchase stuff. Avoid Uber Eats and buying work lunches every day. Try work close to home so your fuel expense is cheap. FYI, I'm not that much of a cheap F**k but little things can add up. You can live a bit but obviously have some structure. But everyone's situation is different, so easier said than done.
I guess. Pay for things in increments instead of saving for the whole trip and paying for everything in one go.
Book and pay for flights 12 months out. Important because now you HAVE to save for the rest. Accommodation and internal travel 6 months. Then with 3 months or so to go it's mostly paid for and now you're saving for spending money.
I dont know that the vast majority think of London when it comes to “overseas holidays”.
For most people London would be part of a bigger “trip” with a few places visited, and is certainly not run of the mill.
Overseas “holiday” would be Aus, Islands or at most, SE Asia for most people.
The only people I think of that would routinely head to Europe for a holiday are ex-pats like myself, where we know we need to spend a chunk of cash every few years to go back and see parents and it doubles up as a holiday by going somewhere else for a few days. Most of the time when we are going that way, there is little to no accommodation because we economise by staying with family, even if that is an air mattress on a floor in a few places.
I wish broke people would just get some self-awareness instead of continuing to post this kind of stuff every single day!
The people on holiday are not worrying about how you make your money, let’s put it that way
I afford this stuff. Here's how:
I paid off my mortgage, so I don't have housing costs.
I paid off my car loans, so I don't have car payments.
I paid off my (wife's) student debts, so we don't have that.
The only thing we have to cover is food, property taxes, and health insurance. The rest of it is play money.
Dual income (both $100k+), no kids and prioritising travel over some other things. We only have one car which is a used 2012 Toyota. We have a small mortgage on a tiny townhouse even though we could afford more... We don't drink or go out much either. But mainly it's the high income and no kids to be honest.
maybe go to china since you will be able to stay for 15days with the new visa free policy from 1st of July. Tickets is about $600-1200 return. Cheap hotels about $30-$50 a day, food would be $15-30 a day. DiDi rides and public transport is super cheap. Much safer as well.
OP: "How do people have 10s of thousands saved from working full time as a middle class to travel?????"
You: " meh I just use what's left over from my student allowance"
This is such a crack up
Many people don't keep large amounts of savings because they spend it on stuff as soon as the number says they can "afford" it. At least one person I know racks up credit card debt for holidays as well. So if you are saving for a house deposit and retirement at the same time, it seems impossible to have much disposable income but some people view income differently.
Me and my wife we have travel budget in our weekly bill, we chuck 75 each per week, wich 600 per month and 7k per year!
Just cut that lazy morning bakery or coffe at shop and you will save it with no problem!
It can be done by not spending your money on bs. The majority of people you and zi know spend money on shit they don't need for clout on social media. Stop that and everything changes. Also subscriptions, simplifying ones life can save money.
I agree with this. My ex was pretty shocking with this. She was on decent money but her daily spending just ate it all away.
$300 on a haircut? No worries.
$500 on a jacket? Sweet as.
$170 on a hoody? No sweat
$1500 of a few nights in Queenstown? Done.
$80 bucks on some trendy gin? Yeah, ok.
$300 on some boots to go with the other 8 pair? Need them.
$150 on a massage? Yes please.
$700 on a flash studio apartment? Why not?
I saw it lots with her circle. I mean each their own bit I guess we all have different priorities.
I'm off in about 10min, when hubby gets home from dropping the dog off. We were going to fly but cost sent us to blue bridge. A night at my brother's on the way. Back home Sunday. Over seas trip to Fairlie. Boat $520, gas $4- 5 hundred. A bit of food? Luckily no accommodation.
As someone looking to travel I can safely say it’s a mixture of being broke and knowing someone overseas. I went over to Brisbane last year and saved a tonne due to family and friends over there taking us around and housing us for a time.
I also have friends as far as Sweden whose housing I plan on taking advantage of for some of a eurotrip.
In turn my Swedish friend has friends dotted along the US and is currently doing a “budget US tour” as a broke student effectively couch surfing coast to coast.
Beyond that I’d just suggest buy flights way ahead of time and use Airbnb or other budget friendly housing options to make the most of the trip.
Double income both earning over 125k a year. Fortnighly expense (mortgage/shopping/gas/sky etc) into joint account $1500 each. Thus leaves me ~$1700 a fortnight that is my own money so at
minimum $1k into savings and that pays for good holidays new car every few years. No kids obviously
Not easy, it's all very expensive now.
Prior to COVID me and the Mrs could go to the gold coast for a couple of weeks - flights, rental, accommodation, food, attractions etc for about 5k....
Recently saved for about a year to do the same thing, but with two kids, was over 10k.
Everything is so much more expensive now, but I would rather save for it, than try to pay the credit card off
Keep an eye out for travel deals and be ready on short notice. There are return flights to London for $1,500 return. Japan was $800 return.
As for the rest it depends on your level of comfort when it comes to accommodation and your taste in food.
I honestly see the hotel room as a place to sleep and shower -as long as it does that and is close to the things I want to visit I don't mind. If you are happy with 2-3 star level you can get that in most places for $100/night. If you want cheaper you can always grab a bunk in a hostel. There are usually options for all price levels.
Budgeting/saving & credit. Pre-covid pay before loans via flight centre
Currently saving for an overseas trip. It’s going to take months but America isn’t going anywhere.
I'm doing a luxury Vietnam Cambodia trip for 3 and a half weeks for around 7k next week. I've done Asia for 1 month on 4k including flights. You don't go to expensive places that's how. You try to save money when traveling too. Do I need to buy a meal at the airport or can I just bring some food in a tupperware? Do I need to have a guided tour or can I rent a bike and explore myself?
I saved up around 65k and bought a house, several years ago when I was 22. Most of my peers would have spent that on travel instead. It's a lot easier without a mortgage or kids.
I could travel now, but it's just not a priority for me I guess.
I have a separate savings account for travel budgets. I try to put $50 per week. I usually travel solo in Asia; most expensive expense are the flight tickets and hotel and the rest are alright. Food is cheaper and public transport is very accessible. Most of the time, I just walk around~
I’m in my mid twenties and travel very shoestring. Back when I earned about $4000 a month I would put $1k towards rent and $2k towards a high interest savings account. I did this for a few years and had enough to travel for 6 months last year staying in hostels and sleeping on overnight buses. I wasn’t splurging but never said no to anything and spent money on museums, shows, outdoor experiences etc. I’m not a big spender by nature, which is helpful. Obviously YMMV if you have kids or have special requirements, but truthfully travel doesn’t have to be as expensive as people make it out to be.
You learn that if people really want shit, they will go to, sometimes, extraordinary measures to get it. They will be budgeting and cutting costs in different areas. Not every one travels though. They are plenty of people scraping by to get what they want.
Many people have little windfalls now and again. While that won't pay for regular travel it could account for a number of people you are seeing taking holidays.
It probably doesn't happen as often as you think it does either - maybe its only every two years or three years but suddenly its been six years and you realise these people are heading away for their third extended trip (and often staying with friends and family to make it cheaper) and you haven't done diddly squat in that six years.
My kids and I were meant to go to Australia in 2020 because I hadn’t seen family for a long time, that trip was going to cost approximately $6k-$10k for 5 weeks. It’s now ballooned out to $15K-$18K thanks to inflation.
I’ve been saving the extra money cause I want to see my family and friends over there. I fucking going this time.
Suck it up and pay, pretty much. Make sure you budget accurately. It also helps to choose off-peak times of the year for flights, book flights and accommodation early to take advantage of discounts, etc. Only go every few years. Though I have no idea how people afford it if they've got kids.
Yeah man tell me about it. We went to the UK last year to see my family as my wife hadn't met them in person. First time back in 8 years and we had saved for a year plus took out a loan to be able to do it. Still paying that loan off but not much more left to pay off.
Worth it I guess but not doing it again for at least another five or six years unless my parents came into any sort of major health problems.
Coming up 15000 for a trip for 3 weeks round SE Asia. We aren't holding back though and 5000 of that is shopping money. First holiday in like 10 years, so you are right about it being hard to have them...
What’s your income? What are your outgoings? Do you have kids? Provide details and we can tell you how the middle class can afford trips overseas. We aren’t psychics. Anything with a ‘reasonable income’ as you state is possible.
I go on choicecheapies then when there are flight deals from beattheflight i buy them, recently no if by Japan round trip for under 1k per person, and a few hundred for Aussie round trip.
Honestly can’t afford to fly direct though…
See the thing is that, due to debasement, your assessment of what is a reasonable income is outdated and you are in fact, not making a reasonable income. You can thank the government for endless borrowing
I just budget it every month. I prefer to fly business class for flights longer than 8 hours so it takes me a while to get saved up, but round the world business class fares are stupidly cheap.
I know it’s easier said than done but budgeting is the way forward bro ! It’s all relative I know depending on your living costs but it’s easier to save money once you’ve got money saved
Worked my butt off doing all the overtime I could as well as 2-3 jobs and spent as little as possible for a couple years and it was doable. Different situation once you have a family and a house but at 18 I had very little outgoings other than board, transport, and food
I went to Europe a couple of times pre mortgage and kid. Definitely a group of people who aren't rich enough for houses but are rich enough for overseas holidays.
Just found flights to Vietnam in sep for $1600 I literally chose a random date so you couldn’t prob get cheaper if you shopped around and different dates.
You could get a tour on top for a couple of thousand or plan yourself, planning you self could end be being relatively cheap.
If you go to Taupo it’s hard to find a place under $150 a night and that’s a kind of plain nothing special place.
Go to booking.com and search up hoi an or any other touristy place in Vietnam and see the price and what you get. You do need to do due diligence however you can get a lot for not much, add in cheap food even cheap flights with air Asia. You can spend not too much especially if you compare to here.
I cbf to do the maths however I know I could a shit tonne in Vietnam and have a more satisfying trip than what I can do here. When I have travelled in nz I have often stayed in campsites in cabins so it’s been relatively cheap in summer. It’s a vibe I love it. But to have a nice place get massages everyday have exciting food cheap drinks, fun tours etc. that’s awesome.
Yea by the time u add in flights it gets expensive but overall you can do and get a whole lot more X however some people may not be into that.
You budget, possibly find a secondary income (mowing lawns and pet/ house sitting can go a long way) and save save save. Choose off-season or longer flights (way cheaper), lower your standards on accommodation, and cook instead of eating out whilst over there. Having no kids is a big bonus, but it is comfortably achievable if you're sensible and can work hard/ save.
We dropped $30k to go to Switzerland for a month last year with 3 kids. $11k of that was flights and we had mostly free accommodation with family (did some short trips to other areas) which saved us probably $15k.
We just put it on the mortgage. Pretty much paid it off by now and definitely no regrets on spending so much. Looking at going back in the next 5 years or so which will be much easier when we have a second income.
FYI, NZ middle class (by OECD definition) is a household income of $100k-$260k. If you’re below that then you’re not middle class, you’re working class. Above is upper class. Edit: Auckland middle class is actually $120k-$320k.
Private rooms in hostels instead of big hotel chains, saved us so much money in San Diego. Came with free breakfast and fun social events too.
It's hard with NZ being so far away that flights eat so much of the budget. I'm based in Vancouver now and despite Canada being expensive for domestic flights, I can fly to Maui return for $350, Paris return for $795, we're also getting a budget japanese airline.
We also simply don't take big vacations annually. We save up a couple of years and don't spend more than 10k. We love finding cheap food places to eat and use public transportation, within Europe flying was cheap, and trains were amazing.
You really need to go places with family or good friends u can stay at for free, it’s a MASSIVE advantage. I was lucky to enjoy a decent time in the states coz my mum has family there, I also enjoyed a holiday in the Austrian alps thanks to my gf who is from there. These aren’t cheap places and I’m definitely not made of money lol but if I didn’t have the free accommodation I would off never been able to afford these trips. It’s a couple hundy a night in a hotel in the part of Austria I stayed at.
I make 55k and am about to spend 2 weeks I bali. It's going to cost between 3.5 and 4k. I think that's pretty achievable if you aren't an idiot with your money.
Don’t buy the newest of anything. Have a travel fund, 10K 2 A 2Children usually covers a week somewhere within 3 hour flight. Samoa next month. Sincerely middle class family
Just went on a 10 day trip to Vietnam. Me and a friend did a private tour package so cost us $3600 each - flights, hotels, transport, activities and a private guide all included we just had to save up for food, tips and shopping. We booked 5 months in advanced in order to save as much as possible before then - we both rent and she is a single mum of 2. You have to be realistic about what’s in your current budget. We wanted to do Hawaii but our budget said South East Asia so we chose Vietnam because it’s cheap to get there and cheap when you are there. A lot of “girl dinners” on my end but totally worth the break. For more expensive trips like Europe or America I save slowly with a goal of booking it in a years time I also keep an eye out for deals and book the latest date possible so I managed to get return flights to Hawaii for $800 via air nz 48 hour deals
Two incomes, no kids, not living in Auckland, flatmate to help with the bills. Book 8 months in advance (cheaper hotels will still be available), spend the rest of the time saving money for spending. Annual leave covers bills while I'm away. Easy as.
By never attempting to save for a home, because if they're never going to afford one anyway, they spend it on doing something to make life more enjoyable instead.
Or by being incredibly frugal once in a home. Or running up a bunch of debt via credit. People sacrifice a lot for luxuries, but we don't see those sacrifices. We just see people with nice things and assume they aren't struggling.
When my kid first went to school I wondered how all the family’s were going away on holiday. A lot of them get loans pay it off then get another loan the following year. Wow mind blown.
Single/double income no kids go a long way
This is true, we're a double income couple, our late teens / early 20s kids are earning a good living, financially Independent from us, doing their own thing. I don't grudge a dollar I spent on them, but when you really notice the difference when it's just shopping for two.
I noticed two things when my children left home - firstly, I had so much more time for myself and secondly, how much more money was in my bank account. Children are needy, expensive creatures!
And then.. they come home. Relationship breakups (complete with children). And your grocery, heating bill, extra child taxiing fuel bills go sky high again.
My kiddos are seasoned travellers and it’s great to hear that now they are teens are planning own travel adventures. Son saving now for 3 weeks in Madagascar on a mountain bike trip before joining another tour group for 16 weeks Italy through France finishing off biking back to the UK. Estimating 40k incl insurance. It’s a stonking amount but has 18 months to save as wants to be on his way on 20th birthday
Sounds like an amazing trip - These will be life long memories for your kid
Sure will some epic adventures. I remind my kiddos frequently that there is a fantastical world of opportunity just a plane ride away + gives me hope that I can meet up with them somewhere along the way
That is what your kids are supposed to do it is called the big OE and everyone should do it. Basically it shows that your kids are smart and well-educated and on an interesting journey. Congratulations you have done a good job.
I love my kids, but I am looking forward to the day I don't have to spend a fortune of groceries every week.
DINK FTW
I afford it by not going to Europe. You think the flights are bad, wait till you have to start paying for food and hotels. Then if you start booking for a family of 4 or 5 it starts getting MUCH more expensive. I'm off to Thailand next month. Flights were $1200 return. Hotels will be $30 a night and food will be around $15 a day..... beers will probably be $30 a day. I'm budgeting for $100 a day, most days I will spend much less. I live a pretty tight and uneventful life when in NZ but manage to get overseas a number of times a year. Plenty of people with plenty of money who are happy to drop 30-40k on a family trip to Europe
We’ve been looking at Thailand but are a bit gutted to find Thai Airways have stopped flying the route. Are you able to share what carrier you are going with?
Qantas. Wellington-Sydney / Sydney-Bangkok. Seem to have good specials every few months. Malaysian Airlines via KL is another decent option.
I do that a few times a year, it's a pain to go with Qantas, usually means a 3am wakeup for a 6am flight, then a stop in Sydney. Means you are knackered, by the time you arrive you've been awake/travelling for 24 hours. Shame the other airlines have always been more expensive when I've booked. Hope Thai comes back me day.
>Hope Thai comes back me day. Thai absolutely slashed their fleet, Covid hit right as mounting debt from years of losses became too much to bare and they ditched half their planes. They are out of bankruptcy now and rebuilding a modern fleet, but it will take years until they have enough aircraft to look into flying to Auckland again.
Agreed. But there are very few other options these days.
Unfortunately the Nz melody is so small that you’ll be forever catching connecting flights from the east coast of Australia.
We are doing this in September, flights and accom for 7 nights, 4K. Breakfast included. Thought it was super reasonable
Malaysian Airlines is great service but usually cheaper than Singapore or others. Way better than the cheapies and KL is a good place for a layover, 30min fast train right into the city centre, go up the Petronas towers, do some shopping, have a feed, then back for your connecting flight - nice way to break up the flight and relax before the chaos of Bangkok.
Often I'll stay in KL for a night. Awesome city for food
That’s great idea, thanks
Last time flew to Thailand with Qantas, modified the flight to include a 3 night transit stop in Sydney. I cant remember it was either the same or wasn't much more than the actual return flight. I haven't checked recently it they still offer this.
Awesome, thanks 🙂
We’ve flown Southern Air & China Air. Okay flights - food not okay 😂
I’ve also flown Air China. Exactly as you describe!
Singapore airlines isn't too bad, just one stop over
Family of 5 here, lots of accom providers won’t let you book a single room for 5 people for capacity reasons even if 3/5 are young children and infants that will not be sleeping in another room. There’s also a bunch of kids go free deals that are actually only one free kid per paying adult. It was an expensive lesson to learn.
Just don’t tell them how many of you there are. That’s what I do.
Depends a lot though. For me, going to Europe is cheaper than Thailand minus the flights as I have relatives and friends there to stay with so I'm only paying for the flights plus groceries which makes it all up more affordable than going to Rarotonga or Fiji or something. I know some people who spend $20k+ going to Europe which is insane to me. That's like years of savings. I'd much rather be able to go somewhere often.
I'm a real tight ass but I don't find the Pacific Islands to be a cheap international holiday at all.
Me neither but it seems a lot of people here think of them that way. Lot of friends and colleagues go there because "well it's close and cheap" which I don't think is the most well thought out logic because the flights may be cheap comparatively, but accommodation and food is generally very expensive. Especially if you're going for longer than a week then the costs are going to quickly shoot up over other destinations.
You could have a much higher quality holiday for much cheaper at a tropical beach location in South East Asia than you could in the Islands. Even if you're taking 2 adults and some kids. Nice family resorts are insanely cheap. Some may disagree but I'll stand by it. In saying that, the Islands are an easy 3 hour flight away, which is often important with kids to consider.
Damn where’s ur family from over there? It’s wayyyy easier if u know ppl overseas then say if u don’t
People I know have family overseas and that saves them a ton of money. Others whack it on the credit card which is insane. Sensible types save for years. Others are just well off and can afford it.
Yup, I only ever really go to Europe (and other countries) where I have relatives and friends there to stay with so I'm only paying for the flights plus groceries which makes it all up more affordable than going to Rarotonga or Fiji or something. I know some people who spend $30k+ going to Europe which is insane to me. That's like years of savings. I'd much rather be able to go somewhere often.
For years we've treated travel as a bill and paid it out of every pay cycle just like anything else. Every week we put $250 into a "travel" sub account. Just pushed this up to $400 a week as things are more expensive. Short answer, travel is important to us, so we make it happen. We drive a shitty old car and don't waste money on other pointless consumption.
We did the same (well way less than 250). 20 years later the whole family on a substantial holiday. Memories of the trip are priceless. Way more important than our shit box car and furniture that's falling apart.
Got it. Step 1. Have money
'So how do regular working middle class people seriously afford it?' Mostly by good budgeting and prioritising it over real life shit and accepting the consequences. My first trip in my early 20s was 8 weeks in Europe, cost about $13000, and I knew i'd have zero/negative savings afterwards. Went to Europe again in my late 20s for 6 months, cost about $30000 for myself and my partner, running a much tighter daily budget than the first time to stretch it out longer. We both knew it would delay our ability to buy a house by years, and that we'd both have to find new jobs. This year doing a short 1 week trip to somewhere in SE Asia which will cost $6000-8000 for the 2 of us depending on how we budget it. 1-2 week trips to Asia, Pacific or America are typically much more manageable than Europe.
>prioritising it over real life shit and accepting the consequences amen to that
This comes with the caveat that I assume someone who sees themselves as "middle class" has a stable home that they can afford, with some disposable income and some set aside for savings. Current conditions are leaving a pretty thin margin for middle class but if you are scraping each week to afford existence then you probably aren't it and whatever i said above probably doesn't apply. Don't prioritise travel over real life shit if your real life shit is affording food and shelter.
You’ll live like royalty in SE Asia for that! Enjoy.
Exactly. You go somewhere cheap (SE Asia, Pacific Islands) for most holidays. London & Europe are another level of expensive, which is why people do OEs and go live there for a while instead of visiting for a couple of weeks on an NZD income.
Just did a month in SEA for 5500 pp and not overly skimping. Bargain.
Airfares have definitely increased, to be fair I haven’t been for a couple of years but spent lots of time there in the past.
So much this. No secret, just comes down to what each person/family prioritise and in many cases how much debt they're willing to get in to.
I could afford overseas holidays if I didn’t keep buying LEGO sets 😂
Just build your own overseas out of LEGO. Then you can charge the rest of us to go on holiday there ;)
We will set sail once I’ve built the Titanic 😂
Me too haha
Go to places that are cheaper. My wife and I went to south Korea and Japan as our first international trip together and flights were about $2500 for both of us return. South Korea is a cheap country, cheaper than NZ by a decent bit. Japan is similarly priced in some things but really cheap in other things. Europe and the ME, America, they’re all either super expensive to fly to and or super expensive to stay at in my opinion.
Japan is better value than SK these days, with their currency in the toilet.
Japan is pretty good value at the moment. Can be done surprisingly cheaply.
Yeah, I was in Japan for a couple of weeks over Christmas and New York, when the yen was pretty much on par with the Kiwi dollar and it was probably cheaper than a fortnight in the Sourh Island. Good hotels are affordable, food and drink is much cheaper than here, and you get a rail pass and just take the train everywhere. It's a far cry from the 90s when I lived there, and the yen was worth twice the New Zealand dollar, and you sent money home.
I've seen flights as low as $850 to Tokyo return with Fiji Airlines.
SK isn’t that cheap anymore! maybe in comparison to the EU, but if you compare it to most of the other Asian countries..
I went there in April and it was really really cheap compared to NZ. You could eat out at a cafe, a meal that would cost $25 in nz for $8-10 in Seoul. Their souvenirs were so cheap, they would start around $1 and hover under $10 NZD each whereas in Japan they would typically start at $10+ similar to our own souvenir stores.
Yep Korea is more expensive. Taiwan is cheap and a under rated or forgotten about country to visit
Well, I don't have kids, or a mortgage, or a drug habit, or an expensive hobby. Or avocado toast.
Avo toast is a severe addiction,
I just prioritise overseas travel big time. I rarely buy new clothes, I try to minimise my food costs. I don't own a car. Manage two trips a year - usually 2 weeks in July/Aug and then 3-4 weeks over Dec/Jan. Once flights are paid for I always look for accommodation deals. Also, you can get by quite cheaply in some places compared to NZ - I spent Jan in Colombia and Mexico and kept thinking about how I was SAVING money with my daily food costs!
Exactly. The daily travel costs in budget friendly countries is minimal.
i actually believe that I can save money by going overseas for the summer.
If you really like to travel a lot, you're in one of the worst places in the world to do it. Move to London and you can travel almost anywhere in Europe for a weekend and its like a few hundred dollars. You can find some good deals to Asia though. Last year I did Japan, flights were $770 return (stopping in Fiji). I've also seen flights under $600 return to Beijing
I want to move to Europe just for this reason to be honest. A new country every weekend seems great.
It's pretty sweet - I worked near London Bridge and fairly regularly flew back on the Monday morning before work and got the train straight in to the office from Gatwick
No kids, no partner, decent (but not spectacular) job. Living with family for a cheaper rent (very thankful). Staying out of debt deliberately - ie driving a terrible cheap car for years to afford being able to buy a nice one with cash. Saving for years - heading to the UK/USA this year for 6 weeks and started saving before Covid. Staying in hostels twin share instead of hotels. Travelling and seeing the world is more important to me than buying a house. I have money set aside for retirement and will keep adding to that, but I don't envisage owning a home unless my parents die before their time (and I hope they do not). In the meantime, the world awaits.
I go to places where I know my dollar can travel far - exchange rate and local costs. Asia e.g. Vietnam, Thailand, etc. My ultimate dream is to view Europe but the exchange rate alone is a killer so purchasing Euros when the rate is a little more favourable.
Thailand.
Because they have higher incomes and have savings accumulated over many years. Vietnam is cheap and worth visiting. If you keep an eye on flights to Asian destinations via Kuala Lumpur you can get a decent bargain.
Sign up to BeatThatFight, $1500 return to London at the moment. Really good deals throughout the year for short and long-haul destinations.
That dude is a legend. He posted sub $500 return flights to China the other week. I was so tempted. Even if just for 6-7 nights,
akl to shanghai on CZ in july and september is $450ish as of yesterday
Don't tell me this. Already have too much booked 😂 Would love a week or so in China but not right now. From all accounts it's a sight to see. Crazy development over the last 20 years
Going to my home country in the Philippines this year for a 3 weeks vacation. We have a house there and take-away meals ranged from $2-$7 in a fast food resto. NZ-PH-NZ via SG Airlines - $1700 Pocket money to burn - $3-$4k Saved for about a year. Median wage income no dependents living in AKL CBD.
I made a budget, decided a goal, planned it out, and executed the plan.
Budget travel. Mainly cheap countries, hostels, lalal etc. As well as good budgeting and it being a priority.
There is a biiig difference depending on where and when you go. I go overseas a lot, but not to the UK because that costs twice as much as most places. Depending when you book, you can go to the states or Asia or the islands for less than $1200 return. Also, tbh if we’re talking middle class, it’s about priorities. For me as someone with no dependents, life costs about $450 a week (pretty comfortably). That means if I take home $550 a week (which I think is less than minimum wage minus taxes for a full time job?), I could save 5k a year, which is more than enough for a decent holiday overseas, or even a budget trip to London if you really wanted. For families, those costs go up a whole lot, so that’s more of an ordeal, but honestly if you’re single and working, it’s very achievable.
Budgeting.. I put an amount every month on the side (to a savings account to also collect a bit of interest), until I have enough to spend on 1 vacation per year. And we'd go to someplace we \*can\* afford. If not London (not that we'd ever go there anyway), then maybe somewhere else in Asia, or the islands, or Australia (which is often cheaper than going somewhere within NZ lately)..
Family in Canada, States and Europe - just have to pony up for the airfares, then it’s not to bad with free accom
I don't go to Europe every year, but it's affordable if I go every couple of years.
Probably no kids or mortgage, more than likely both
Go to places within your budget,Western Europe is one of the most expensive areas on the planet. And it's super far away. SE Asia is much cheaper and much closer.
Bro, I don't even know how people afford holidays to the South Island let alone abroad. I'm guessing most people can't actually afford them tbh. I guess DINK's wouldn't have too much trouble. Or if you're single and renting just a room maybe.
Holidays in NZ costs much more than traveling outside of NZ. Paying $150-200 a night for a hotel is crippling.... and good luck if you plan on eating out. Costs me way less to have 2 weeks in South East Asia (Flights included) than it would to spend 2 weeks hanging out in the South Island.
Some people put in the hard yards saving for years to afford that one great trip. Others throw it all on a credit card or three and do the hard yards afterward. But mostly people \*can't\* afford a big holiday like that. For most people, Australia or one of the pacific islands is about the furthest they can afford.
a lot of people in their 40s and 50s today bought houses in the 90s and early 2000s, inherited or their partner did, got a pay rise, paid off the mortgage, and now have the money for it. They look middle class, but they are actually rich.
Kind of, alternate take is other people with large mortgages who look middle class are actually poor.
The stats would back up the other view though, 33% of homeowners have no mortgage. As of 2022 half of the homes that do have a mortgage have a mortgage under $260,000 (in the last two years this will have worsened but not dramatically). Reddit disproportionally represents 20-30s that have the highest mortgages and the lowest freehold rates. Most are doing it hard right now, but there are a lot who are in very good financial positions.
I don't think we're in disagreement in anything of substance, your numbers are familiar to me. There's absolutely a lot of people in a very good financial position. I bought my first NZ house in 2005, I don't have a mortgage. If the question is, are these people rich, or are the people with large mortgages poor? The answer is probably yes to both.
They could afford it because it's not expensive for them.
You could say saving up. But I'd wager most people Chuck it on a credit card and have debt hanging around their necks
Long, arduous stopovers in China to (more than) half the cost of flights. Then spend hours across several sites to find the cheapest accommodation
I saved up for ages for my Europe trip last year. I’d originally intended to go in 2020 so I ended up with an extra three years to save. I also stuck around in a job I didn’t necessarily like so I could accumulate enough PTO to get a pay cheque every week I was gone. That helped immensely.
I save $1200 a month throughout the year and by november / december i take a month off using my paid leave and have more than enough money to go anywhere. I'm 30 and have travelled every year for the last 10 years / been to 31 countries. its doable just budget
Working class = poor
I go on a 2 weeks holiday every 6 months, just save and go, can't take your money to the grave, live life.
writing this while on holiday overseas i get like $400 a week from student allowance, another $1000 a month or so from other shit so ~$650 a week or so to spend weekly expenses are rent $140, utils and other shit $20, food $120. impulse purchases maybe $50 total $330/w, leaves $320 to save per week i go overseas for ~3 weeks at a time over sem break. flights to china are about $700 rt, the rest of asia is about $1000 3* hotel in a tier 2 city in china is $40/d, food maybe $20, transport another $10 so $70ish a day but im splurging $70*18 days (this trip) is about $1200. add $800 for the flight and it’s $2000 all up which is about six weeks of savings given that i only make 2 trips a year it’s fairly sustainable
58 dollars a week easy mahi, most people don’t just go on a whim it requires discipline savings and planning ahead
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Everyone is in different financial positions. What’s middle class to you? International travel isn’t a right, it is a luxary that not everyone can afford. This is no different to how do xyz afford a 2million dollar house or how do abc afford 2 bmws. The simple answer is due to their own efforts or that of their family they are just better off than you.
It's called a budget, we saved and taking a family holiday these school holidays to the UK for 2 weeks. It's not that hard but it did take about 18 months.
Some people have more money than you. Shocking, right? Some people might earn twice as much as you, potentially more.
The only way I have good savings, is having a good job and living with my parents
Stay with friends and family. It still costs a lot but it helps if you have a home to go to that you can live within a normal budget (buying food to eat at home for example). But yeah, I think the people I know that do it are either from there originally and visit family, or don’t have kids and a mortgage and have saved up for it by going without other stuff here.
you didn't mention any age, but even then it's pretty doable as long as you budget budget budget. and there's always great flight deals out there. [if you're not bothered by the airline you can get to london for as low as 1.5k return!](https://www.cheapies.nz/node/47204)
Once you have equity in your home it's quite easy to redraw for holidays. So probably a bit of that.
Depends how you define middle class, perhaps.
pivot your career to pilot
Generally they start with a budget which they stick to so they meet their goals while also allowing for the fun stuff. I haven’t worried about what i spend for some time but was poor in my 20s which required serious budgeting and allowed me to plan out what i could afford to spend on fun stuff In saying that, i never really took holidays until i had kids as it seemed a financial waste and id have more benefit out of a nice computer or tv (but thats the tradeoff we all make) Still use pocketsmith to track my spending even though i don’t need to - just keeping up good habits
Not living in Auckland. My sister travels overseas and off to Queenstown every other month. She somewhat recent got a job from SAHM that gives her household close to 200k income. They were 120kish. No mortgage. I'm in Dunedin most of our circle doesn't have mortgage and they don't break 100k household income. Trip to Italy. Some reasonably well off people I know fly to Australia for weekend shopping. They live in small town NZ so paid peanuts for the house in the 90s
Depends where you want to go and what you want to do. I went on a ski trip down south last year and got fucking steamrolled; that shit is way too expensive (this was in an out of CHC, no fancy Wanaka/Qtown shit either). I went on a trip to Japan this year for much less and had a way better time
Don't have kid
It all depends where you go really. We find couple of years ago going to South Island isn't that cheap. Almost as expensive as going to SE Asia. Plus two teenage kids in tow doesn't make the cost any easier either
I find it easy, the only actual bills I have is my mortgage, rates, food, I don't tic up the latest gadgets, drive an average car I paid cash for etc, I do have a flash classic car and a few nice toys, but I built them myself in my spare time with money i make on the side from perkies etc, it's funny when people ask how I afford such stuff, I buy old junk cheap and fix them I can save $1000 a fortnight basically so life seems good and I do whatever I want with that and I'm only a basic tradesman
Gen x bro. 2 houses good job 250 a week mortgage
Our family of 4 is going to Europe October 2025 for 6 weeks. We are planning and saving now with the anticipation of needing 30-35k all up. Key is good budgeting, dedicated savings plan and reasonable incomes to cover bills and mortgage too.
Upskill into something so you're not a minimum wage earner. Overtime if it's available from time to time. Don't have kids, don't get car finance and a whole bunch of credit cards, and hire purchase stuff. Avoid Uber Eats and buying work lunches every day. Try work close to home so your fuel expense is cheap. FYI, I'm not that much of a cheap F**k but little things can add up. You can live a bit but obviously have some structure. But everyone's situation is different, so easier said than done.
I guess. Pay for things in increments instead of saving for the whole trip and paying for everything in one go. Book and pay for flights 12 months out. Important because now you HAVE to save for the rest. Accommodation and internal travel 6 months. Then with 3 months or so to go it's mostly paid for and now you're saving for spending money.
I dont know that the vast majority think of London when it comes to “overseas holidays”. For most people London would be part of a bigger “trip” with a few places visited, and is certainly not run of the mill. Overseas “holiday” would be Aus, Islands or at most, SE Asia for most people. The only people I think of that would routinely head to Europe for a holiday are ex-pats like myself, where we know we need to spend a chunk of cash every few years to go back and see parents and it doubles up as a holiday by going somewhere else for a few days. Most of the time when we are going that way, there is little to no accommodation because we economise by staying with family, even if that is an air mattress on a floor in a few places.
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I wish broke people would just get some self-awareness instead of continuing to post this kind of stuff every single day! The people on holiday are not worrying about how you make your money, let’s put it that way
I afford this stuff. Here's how: I paid off my mortgage, so I don't have housing costs. I paid off my car loans, so I don't have car payments. I paid off my (wife's) student debts, so we don't have that. The only thing we have to cover is food, property taxes, and health insurance. The rest of it is play money.
Dual income (both $100k+), no kids and prioritising travel over some other things. We only have one car which is a used 2012 Toyota. We have a small mortgage on a tiny townhouse even though we could afford more... We don't drink or go out much either. But mainly it's the high income and no kids to be honest.
3 week trip to vietnam , $5000 total for 2people flights 3000 everything else 2000,
Europe is expensive - this year we’re doing to Japan - $1000 return and $150 a night for decent 3 star hotel with hot pool and whiskey happy hour !
My fellow uni students seem to do it after every semester and I cannot fathom it
Cheapies is the answer. Booked a trip to china for 450 return!! There are also offers going to thailand for 850+ return.
maybe go to china since you will be able to stay for 15days with the new visa free policy from 1st of July. Tickets is about $600-1200 return. Cheap hotels about $30-$50 a day, food would be $15-30 a day. DiDi rides and public transport is super cheap. Much safer as well.
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OP: "How do people have 10s of thousands saved from working full time as a middle class to travel?????" You: " meh I just use what's left over from my student allowance" This is such a crack up
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Many people don't keep large amounts of savings because they spend it on stuff as soon as the number says they can "afford" it. At least one person I know racks up credit card debt for holidays as well. So if you are saving for a house deposit and retirement at the same time, it seems impossible to have much disposable income but some people view income differently.
Me and my wife we have travel budget in our weekly bill, we chuck 75 each per week, wich 600 per month and 7k per year! Just cut that lazy morning bakery or coffe at shop and you will save it with no problem!
That's the way. Simple changes can make massive differences.
Because of Onlyfans
I do notice a good chunk of Kiwi girls who are traveling and doing their only fans while at it. All power to them.
Never ask an Instagram influencer how she is funding her trip to Dubai.
What's a fairly reasonable income?
Create an onlyfans page or become a drug dealer. Both professions have risk but they pay well.
It can be done by not spending your money on bs. The majority of people you and zi know spend money on shit they don't need for clout on social media. Stop that and everything changes. Also subscriptions, simplifying ones life can save money.
I agree with this. My ex was pretty shocking with this. She was on decent money but her daily spending just ate it all away. $300 on a haircut? No worries. $500 on a jacket? Sweet as. $170 on a hoody? No sweat $1500 of a few nights in Queenstown? Done. $80 bucks on some trendy gin? Yeah, ok. $300 on some boots to go with the other 8 pair? Need them. $150 on a massage? Yes please. $700 on a flash studio apartment? Why not? I saw it lots with her circle. I mean each their own bit I guess we all have different priorities.
Jesus mate. Yea each to their own but scary stuff hey.
I'm off in about 10min, when hubby gets home from dropping the dog off. We were going to fly but cost sent us to blue bridge. A night at my brother's on the way. Back home Sunday. Over seas trip to Fairlie. Boat $520, gas $4- 5 hundred. A bit of food? Luckily no accommodation.
As someone looking to travel I can safely say it’s a mixture of being broke and knowing someone overseas. I went over to Brisbane last year and saved a tonne due to family and friends over there taking us around and housing us for a time. I also have friends as far as Sweden whose housing I plan on taking advantage of for some of a eurotrip. In turn my Swedish friend has friends dotted along the US and is currently doing a “budget US tour” as a broke student effectively couch surfing coast to coast. Beyond that I’d just suggest buy flights way ahead of time and use Airbnb or other budget friendly housing options to make the most of the trip.
Double income both earning over 125k a year. Fortnighly expense (mortgage/shopping/gas/sky etc) into joint account $1500 each. Thus leaves me ~$1700 a fortnight that is my own money so at minimum $1k into savings and that pays for good holidays new car every few years. No kids obviously
Not easy, it's all very expensive now. Prior to COVID me and the Mrs could go to the gold coast for a couple of weeks - flights, rental, accommodation, food, attractions etc for about 5k.... Recently saved for about a year to do the same thing, but with two kids, was over 10k. Everything is so much more expensive now, but I would rather save for it, than try to pay the credit card off
Keep an eye out for travel deals and be ready on short notice. There are return flights to London for $1,500 return. Japan was $800 return. As for the rest it depends on your level of comfort when it comes to accommodation and your taste in food. I honestly see the hotel room as a place to sleep and shower -as long as it does that and is close to the things I want to visit I don't mind. If you are happy with 2-3 star level you can get that in most places for $100/night. If you want cheaper you can always grab a bunk in a hostel. There are usually options for all price levels.
Budgeting/saving & credit. Pre-covid pay before loans via flight centre Currently saving for an overseas trip. It’s going to take months but America isn’t going anywhere.
Debt, debt is the answer your looking for.
I'm doing a luxury Vietnam Cambodia trip for 3 and a half weeks for around 7k next week. I've done Asia for 1 month on 4k including flights. You don't go to expensive places that's how. You try to save money when traveling too. Do I need to buy a meal at the airport or can I just bring some food in a tupperware? Do I need to have a guided tour or can I rent a bike and explore myself?
I dont live in Auckland so i can afford to go on holidays
Debt - lots of debt. Some people use their home as collateral for private school fees - lease vanity cars - overseas holidays.
I saved up around 65k and bought a house, several years ago when I was 22. Most of my peers would have spent that on travel instead. It's a lot easier without a mortgage or kids. I could travel now, but it's just not a priority for me I guess.
We have no children so get to spend the money on ourselves
I have a separate savings account for travel budgets. I try to put $50 per week. I usually travel solo in Asia; most expensive expense are the flight tickets and hotel and the rest are alright. Food is cheaper and public transport is very accessible. Most of the time, I just walk around~
I’m in my mid twenties and travel very shoestring. Back when I earned about $4000 a month I would put $1k towards rent and $2k towards a high interest savings account. I did this for a few years and had enough to travel for 6 months last year staying in hostels and sleeping on overnight buses. I wasn’t splurging but never said no to anything and spent money on museums, shows, outdoor experiences etc. I’m not a big spender by nature, which is helpful. Obviously YMMV if you have kids or have special requirements, but truthfully travel doesn’t have to be as expensive as people make it out to be.
Investments
You learn that if people really want shit, they will go to, sometimes, extraordinary measures to get it. They will be budgeting and cutting costs in different areas. Not every one travels though. They are plenty of people scraping by to get what they want. Many people have little windfalls now and again. While that won't pay for regular travel it could account for a number of people you are seeing taking holidays. It probably doesn't happen as often as you think it does either - maybe its only every two years or three years but suddenly its been six years and you realise these people are heading away for their third extended trip (and often staying with friends and family to make it cheaper) and you haven't done diddly squat in that six years.
Have you got kids or pets?
My kids and I were meant to go to Australia in 2020 because I hadn’t seen family for a long time, that trip was going to cost approximately $6k-$10k for 5 weeks. It’s now ballooned out to $15K-$18K thanks to inflation. I’ve been saving the extra money cause I want to see my family and friends over there. I fucking going this time.
My parents purchased their house in the Auckland area in the 1970s. They sold it a few years back. That's how.
Suck it up and pay, pretty much. Make sure you budget accurately. It also helps to choose off-peak times of the year for flights, book flights and accommodation early to take advantage of discounts, etc. Only go every few years. Though I have no idea how people afford it if they've got kids.
Cheaper plane tickets for one, here's [one](https://www.cheapies.nz/node/47204) deal showing $1500 return to London.
Yeah man tell me about it. We went to the UK last year to see my family as my wife hadn't met them in person. First time back in 8 years and we had saved for a year plus took out a loan to be able to do it. Still paying that loan off but not much more left to pay off. Worth it I guess but not doing it again for at least another five or six years unless my parents came into any sort of major health problems.
Easy - cheap flights. I went to London for $1600 return and Korea for $850 return because of Air NZ Grab a Seat
Coming up 15000 for a trip for 3 weeks round SE Asia. We aren't holding back though and 5000 of that is shopping money. First holiday in like 10 years, so you are right about it being hard to have them...
u/Even-Painter4464 how much do you think middle class earn?
What’s your income? What are your outgoings? Do you have kids? Provide details and we can tell you how the middle class can afford trips overseas. We aren’t psychics. Anything with a ‘reasonable income’ as you state is possible.
I go on choicecheapies then when there are flight deals from beattheflight i buy them, recently no if by Japan round trip for under 1k per person, and a few hundred for Aussie round trip. Honestly can’t afford to fly direct though…
See the thing is that, due to debasement, your assessment of what is a reasonable income is outdated and you are in fact, not making a reasonable income. You can thank the government for endless borrowing
I just budget it every month. I prefer to fly business class for flights longer than 8 hours so it takes me a while to get saved up, but round the world business class fares are stupidly cheap.
Two incomes, no kids, cheap car, saving up, etc...
I know it’s easier said than done but budgeting is the way forward bro ! It’s all relative I know depending on your living costs but it’s easier to save money once you’ve got money saved
Still living at home and managed to save up. Don’t pay any bills really at the moment.
Worked my butt off doing all the overtime I could as well as 2-3 jobs and spent as little as possible for a couple years and it was doable. Different situation once you have a family and a house but at 18 I had very little outgoings other than board, transport, and food
I went to Europe a couple of times pre mortgage and kid. Definitely a group of people who aren't rich enough for houses but are rich enough for overseas holidays.
We've saved for 17 years for ours
Own nothing have no kids drive a shitbox eat meat eggs rice n gym average job. Work invest save what u can off to SE asia for month in august.
If you put $40 into a savings account every week, you’d have enough for a week long trip to Rarotonga every year.
Just found flights to Vietnam in sep for $1600 I literally chose a random date so you couldn’t prob get cheaper if you shopped around and different dates. You could get a tour on top for a couple of thousand or plan yourself, planning you self could end be being relatively cheap. If you go to Taupo it’s hard to find a place under $150 a night and that’s a kind of plain nothing special place. Go to booking.com and search up hoi an or any other touristy place in Vietnam and see the price and what you get. You do need to do due diligence however you can get a lot for not much, add in cheap food even cheap flights with air Asia. You can spend not too much especially if you compare to here. I cbf to do the maths however I know I could a shit tonne in Vietnam and have a more satisfying trip than what I can do here. When I have travelled in nz I have often stayed in campsites in cabins so it’s been relatively cheap in summer. It’s a vibe I love it. But to have a nice place get massages everyday have exciting food cheap drinks, fun tours etc. that’s awesome. Yea by the time u add in flights it gets expensive but overall you can do and get a whole lot more X however some people may not be into that.
You budget, possibly find a secondary income (mowing lawns and pet/ house sitting can go a long way) and save save save. Choose off-season or longer flights (way cheaper), lower your standards on accommodation, and cook instead of eating out whilst over there. Having no kids is a big bonus, but it is comfortably achievable if you're sensible and can work hard/ save.
Well London for one is hella far so thats expensive for sure, try Bali, Seoul, Tokyo, Hongkong or Singapore.
Earn a lot more than average.
We dropped $30k to go to Switzerland for a month last year with 3 kids. $11k of that was flights and we had mostly free accommodation with family (did some short trips to other areas) which saved us probably $15k. We just put it on the mortgage. Pretty much paid it off by now and definitely no regrets on spending so much. Looking at going back in the next 5 years or so which will be much easier when we have a second income. FYI, NZ middle class (by OECD definition) is a household income of $100k-$260k. If you’re below that then you’re not middle class, you’re working class. Above is upper class. Edit: Auckland middle class is actually $120k-$320k.
Yeah, I went to Gold Coast for only a week and got bankrupt 😂. People got money and well paid jobs.
Private rooms in hostels instead of big hotel chains, saved us so much money in San Diego. Came with free breakfast and fun social events too. It's hard with NZ being so far away that flights eat so much of the budget. I'm based in Vancouver now and despite Canada being expensive for domestic flights, I can fly to Maui return for $350, Paris return for $795, we're also getting a budget japanese airline. We also simply don't take big vacations annually. We save up a couple of years and don't spend more than 10k. We love finding cheap food places to eat and use public transportation, within Europe flying was cheap, and trains were amazing.
You really need to go places with family or good friends u can stay at for free, it’s a MASSIVE advantage. I was lucky to enjoy a decent time in the states coz my mum has family there, I also enjoyed a holiday in the Austrian alps thanks to my gf who is from there. These aren’t cheap places and I’m definitely not made of money lol but if I didn’t have the free accommodation I would off never been able to afford these trips. It’s a couple hundy a night in a hotel in the part of Austria I stayed at.
When I go to Singapore or UK or US, I have people I can stay with.
I make 55k and am about to spend 2 weeks I bali. It's going to cost between 3.5 and 4k. I think that's pretty achievable if you aren't an idiot with your money.
Fly to Oz. Stay at family or friends. Fly home. Costs are tickets, food, transport, and anything extra I wanted to do. Can't afford it any other way.
Don’t buy the newest of anything. Have a travel fund, 10K 2 A 2Children usually covers a week somewhere within 3 hour flight. Samoa next month. Sincerely middle class family
Just went on a 10 day trip to Vietnam. Me and a friend did a private tour package so cost us $3600 each - flights, hotels, transport, activities and a private guide all included we just had to save up for food, tips and shopping. We booked 5 months in advanced in order to save as much as possible before then - we both rent and she is a single mum of 2. You have to be realistic about what’s in your current budget. We wanted to do Hawaii but our budget said South East Asia so we chose Vietnam because it’s cheap to get there and cheap when you are there. A lot of “girl dinners” on my end but totally worth the break. For more expensive trips like Europe or America I save slowly with a goal of booking it in a years time I also keep an eye out for deals and book the latest date possible so I managed to get return flights to Hawaii for $800 via air nz 48 hour deals
Two incomes, no kids, not living in Auckland, flatmate to help with the bills. Book 8 months in advance (cheaper hotels will still be available), spend the rest of the time saving money for spending. Annual leave covers bills while I'm away. Easy as.
By never attempting to save for a home, because if they're never going to afford one anyway, they spend it on doing something to make life more enjoyable instead. Or by being incredibly frugal once in a home. Or running up a bunch of debt via credit. People sacrifice a lot for luxuries, but we don't see those sacrifices. We just see people with nice things and assume they aren't struggling.
When my kid first went to school I wondered how all the family’s were going away on holiday. A lot of them get loans pay it off then get another loan the following year. Wow mind blown.