Tips to Save Money in New Zealand

Tips to Save

Heading: Tips to Save Money in New Zealand 💰

Life in NZ isn’t cheap — but with a few smart habits, you can stretch your dollars a lot further. Here are our best tips for saving money as a Kiwi, plus how to get the most out of Kiwi Dealz.

🥝 Get the Most Out of Kiwi Dealz

🔥 Check the Hottest Deals first
The deals with the most upvotes from the community are usually the best. Start with the “Hottest” tab on the homepage — these are the ones other Kiwis reckon are worth it.

🔍 Browse by category
Looking for something specific? Use the Categories dropdown to filter deals by what you need — electronics, groceries, fashion, travel, and more.

👍 Vote and comment
Found a deal that’s a cracker? Upvote it so others can find it. Spotted something dodgy or expired? Downvote or leave a comment to let the community know.

📤 Submit deals you find
If you spot a bargain out in the wild, share it! Hit “Submit a deal” and help out fellow Kiwis. The more people sharing, the better deals everyone finds.

⚡ Act fast
The best deals don’t last long. If something looks good and you need it, don’t wait — popular deals can sell out within hours.

🛒 Grocery Shopping

🏷️ Compare supermarkets
Pak’nSave is generally cheapest for a full shop, but Countdown and New World often have better specials on individual items. Check the weekly mailers before you go.

💳 Use loyalty programmes

New World Clubcard — earn points on every shop, get money-off vouchers
Countdown Onecard — collect points and get fuel discounts at Z and Caltex
Pak’nSave doesn’t do loyalty — but their everyday prices are usually lower anyway

📦 Buy in bulk when it makes sense
Staples like rice, pasta, tinned goods, and cleaning products are almost always cheaper in bulk. Just watch the per-unit price — sometimes the “big” pack isn’t actually better value.

🟡 Check the reduced section
Every supermarket has a reduced/clearance section for items near their best-before date. Great for bread, meat, and dairy if you’re going to use it that day.

📝 Plan your meals
Meal planning sounds boring, but it stops you buying random stuff you don’t need. Even a rough plan saves $30-50 a week for most families.

💻 Electronics & Tech

💲 Price match
PB Tech, Noel Leeming, and Harvey Norman all offer price matching. If you find it cheaper at another NZ retailer, show them and they’ll usually match it (sometimes even beat it).

📅 Wait for sales events
Big sales happen at predictable times:

Boxing Day / January sales — biggest discounts of the year
Black Friday / Cyber Monday — late November, getting bigger every year in NZ
Mid-year sales — June/July, good for clearing winter stock
Click Frenzy — watch for NZ retailers participating

♻️ Buy refurbished
PB Tech and some other retailers sell refurbished/open-box items at big discounts. Same gear, just someone opened the box and returned it.

📊 Check PriceSpy
Before buying anything over $50, check pricespy.co.nz to compare prices across NZ retailers. It also shows price history so you can see if a “sale” is actually a good price.

🔨 Home & DIY

🏆 Use price beat guarantees — get 15% off the difference!
Both Bunnings and Mitre 10 will beat a competitor’s price by 15% if you find the same product cheaper elsewhere. This applies to identical in-stock items available for same-day delivery or pickup.

🟩 Bunnings — Find a lower price (including GST and delivery) on the same in-stock item? They’ll beat it by 15%. Works in-store and online. Excludes trade quotes, stock liquidations, and commercial quantities. For online claims, contact onlineenquiries@bunnings.co.nz or call 0800 35 00 11.
🔴 Mitre 10 — Same deal: find an identical stocked product cheaper locally and they’ll beat it by 15%. In-store, just show proof to the team. Online, submit via their Price Guarantee form and you’ll get a promo code within 24 hours. They’ll also match prices between Mitre 10 stores.

💡 Tip: Before buying anything at Bunnings or Mitre 10, do a quick check on the other’s website (plus PB Tech, Noel Leeming, or Trade Depot for appliances). Screenshot the lower price and claim the 15% beat — it adds up fast on big purchases.

🗓️ Shop seasonal sales

Labour Weekend — big outdoor and garden sales
Boxing Day / New Year — clearance on tools and homewares
Trade Days — Bunnings and Mitre 10 run regular trade/DIY events with extra discounts

👗 Fashion & Clothing

🏷️ Shop end-of-season sales
Buy summer clothes in March/April and winter clothes in September/October. You’ll pay a fraction of full price.

🏪 Outlet stores
Kathmandu, Cotton On, and many other brands have outlet stores or outlet sections online with permanent discounts of 40-70% off.

🛍️ Don’t sleep on The Warehouse
For basics — socks, underwear, plain tees, kids’ clothes — The Warehouse is hard to beat on price.

🧾 Bills & Subscriptions

⚡ Switch power companies
Use powerswitch.org.nz to compare electricity providers. Switching can save you $200-500 a year and usually takes 5 minutes.

🛡️ Review your insurance
Get quotes from multiple insurers every year. Staying loyal to one company almost never gets you the best rate. Use glimp.co.nz to compare.

📺 Share streaming subscriptions
Most streaming services allow multiple profiles. Share the cost with family or flatmates — splitting a Netflix or Spotify Family plan saves everyone money.

🏦 Check your bank fees
Make sure you’re not paying monthly fees for a bank account you don’t need. Most NZ banks offer free everyday accounts.

📡 Negotiate your broadband
Call your internet provider and ask for a better deal, especially if you’ve been with them a while. Mention a competitor’s offer — they’ll often match it to keep you.

✈️ Travel & Transport

🛫 Book flights early
For domestic Air New Zealand flights, booking 4-8 weeks ahead usually gets the best prices. Use the “lowest fare” calendar on their website.

⛽ Fuel savings

Use Gaspy app to find the cheapest petrol near you
Collect fuel discounts through Countdown Onecard (Z and Caltex) or New World (BP)
Fill up on Tuesdays — prices are often lowest mid-week

🚗 Use the AA Smartfuel card
Free to sign up, and you’ll earn fuel discounts at BP from everyday purchases at participating retailers.

🧠 General Money Habits

💸 Use cashback apps

Cashrewards and ShopBack give you cashback when you shop online through their links at NZ stores
It’s free money you’d miss out on otherwise

⏰ Set a 24-hour rule for big purchases
See something you want that’s over $100? Wait 24 hours. If you still want it tomorrow, go for it. This stops impulse buys.

🔄 Buy second-hand first
Check Trade Me, Facebook Marketplace, or local op shops before buying new. Especially for furniture, tools, kids’ stuff, and electronics.

📚 Use your library
Most NZ libraries are free and offer way more than books — movies, magazines, e-books, audiobooks, even tools and games in some areas.

Know a money-saving trick we’ve missed? Submit it as a deal or drop a comment — we’d love to hear from the community. 🇳🇿