Smart Money
Smart Money
Newstalk ZB
Martin Hawes: Higher earners increasingly seeking budgeting help
41 minutes Posted Nov 23, 2025 at 5:08 am.
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Queues at budgeting services are getting longer, and financial advisors are finding households with increasing incomes are seeking help. 

Kiwis with a household income of over $200,000 a year and likely with a mortgage are struggling to make ends meet. 

It feels like it was only a few years ago that being on a six figure salary meant you were fairly well off, but it seems it's barely enough to get out of living paycheck to paycheck these days. 

So what actually is a liveable wage these days? Do we truly need to be making half a million a year just to pay our bills and still have a bit left over for savings and fun? 

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