4 Things That Will Cost You More This Year
Unfortunately the price of living is always rising, not only for us Kiwi’s but all over the world. However, the rise of most products and services are overlooked and regarded as ‘part of life’. There are some items that will rise significantly this year; here are 4 of the extra costly ones to be aware of.
TV Bills
You may have noticed the price of your Sky bill has gone up this year. Sky TV’s basic television service has increased by 69 cents per month and extras such as Sky sports by $1.61 per month.The increase has angered many causing them to cancel their Sky subscriptions in exchange for streaming.
Some believe that Sky will lose many of their customers and will be forced to lower their prices due to cheaper viewing options such as Netflix. However, Netflix has recently announced that they are also increasing their monthly subscription prices. For example, in America the monthly subscription fee has risen from $7.99 per month to $9.99 per month. It is likely that Netflix NZ will follow suit.
Housing
Some are adamant that New Zealand is not experiencing a housing crisis but real estate figures show otherwise. A clear example of this would be that Auckland’s median house price is already up 19 percent this year. This rise seems continuous and it is unknown whether the property market will burst in the near future. Housing figures for 2016 seem to be on the rise due to low interest rates and population growth. Aucklanders’ are quickly moving out of the city; yet, they are taking the high prices with them. The demand for housing in Northland and Bay of Plenty has resulted in higher prices in these areas. It is predicted that 2016 will be the year these property prices boom.
Fruit and Vegetables
High fruit and vegetable prices have led to expensive food bills. The average food bill has risen approximately 0.5 percent this year already. We have seen a large price increase on our favourite fruit and veges! For example, cauliflower prices reached a record high selling for as much as $10 each.
Avocados are another Kiwi favourite due to their health benefits and deliciousness. The shortage of avos this year has led to soaring prices and an avocado crime wave!
Accommodation
Many travel companies are offering great flight deals but you may be disappointed by the price of accommodation. The price of hotels is rising globally and is predicted to continue. It is estimated that hotels in the Asia pacific region will rise 5%, in Europe 1.8% and Latin America 3.7%. Use websites such as Trivago to find the best deals for accommodation. It’s not all bad news; there are still some sunny destinations with affordable accommodation, like Bali and Greece for example!