A Kiwi living in Australia has told TikTok about the moment he broke down in tears after his first supermarket shop across the ditch.
Poreva Kirikava and his family moved from New Zealand to Sydney earlier this month.
He filmed his reaction to their grocery bill, which ultimately left him in tears after checking the receipt.
“After we did the first shopping today, I bawled my eyes out,” PK said, adding there were times in New Zealand where he and his family questioned what they were going to eat.
He talked about moments where his son struggled to find snacks in the pantry here in New Zealand because they simply couldn’t afford to have those extras.
I failed… I wasn’t able to provide.
Their first Aussie supermarket shop was at Aldi, he said a five pack of Maggi noodles cost him $1.69 AUD, a dozen eggs for $4 AUD, a whole raw chicken for $4.99 AUD.
Comparing those to PaknSave prices here in NZ, you’d get the same noodles for $2.79 NZD, eggs $6.99 NZD and chicken for $10.49 NZD.
Each product at least a whole $1-$5 cheaper with the conversion rate. It all adds up.
“We were speechless after we left that place,” PK said. “I honestly reckon the amount of shopping for food we did, probably would’ve equalled $1000 in New Zealand.”
He revealed to Daily Mail Australia, his whole Aldi shop totaled $380.
That’s not to say Australia is better, I cried because I struggled in New Zealand, and I was doing alright by everybody's standards.
He added: “I feel for people over there [in NZ], it’s crazy to think that’s just normal.”
In a follow up interview with Daily Mail, PK explained: “My wife and I had enough [money] but it was still hard to get ahead given the cost of living for basic things such as bread, milk and eggs.”
“Although times were tough, we have never been without."
He said that he now felt confident that he could start saving for extras like a family holiday since moving across the ditch.
If you want to hear more about whether moving across the ditch will save you money, rova’s ‘Where’s My Money’ podcast asked an expert all about the pros and cons.
The difference in costs prove that there’s no doubt things need to change here in NZ.
