Cantabrians spend up on dining out compared to other regions

Cantabrians spend up on dining out compared to other regions

People living in Canterbury spend the third highest amount on eating out after Auckland and Wellington, according to data gleaned from Westpac NZ.

Westpac drilled down into the statistics of more than 96,000 of its CashNav app users* and found that those aged 18-75 years old and living in Canterbury spend around $380 on average per month at cafes, restaurants or fast food outlets – third only to Aucklanders who spend $486 and Wellingtonians who spend $436.

In Canterbury, the biggest spenders were people aged 36-55 – they spent $453 per month compared to $366 for 18-35s and $318 for those aged 56-75 years old.

However, when it comes to who spends the most on groceries, smaller populated regions spend more at the supermarket than Cantabrians who spend $657 on average per month. Those living in Marlborough spend the most on groceries each month at $712 on average, followed by Otago on $668 and Southland on $658.

Westpac’s CashNav app allows customers to track their daily spending habits by categorising what they spend their money on and identifying what is holding their saving aspirations back. It also notifies them if their spending is higher than usual.

The app does this by automatically categorising customers’ EFTPOS, debit and credit card transactions into one of 12 categories such as eating out, shopping, travel, entertainment, home, groceries, transportation, utilities, education and health. Retailers choose their category although CashNav users can re-categorise them if they want to.

Westpac NZ General Manager of Marketing, Products and Transformation Andrew Kerr says CashNav allows customers to monitor their spending and take control of their purchasing habits.

“They can see if their spending is going up or down over the month and identify exactly where to cut back in order to save more.”

Clearly, staying healthy and looking good counts for a lot in Canterbury, with Cantabrians clocking up the third highest spend in the country on health – that includes in the gym, in pharmacies, make-up stores, and beauty salons. Cantabrians in the 56-75 age group spend the most at around $319, followed by the 36-55s on $287, while millennials spend $157.

“With Canterbury getting back on its feet economically and an array of fantastic new cafes and restaurants opening, it’s probably not surprising that Cantabrians spend the third most on eating out but it’s worth keeping a close watch on that spending. CashNav app users are able to see when their spend is creeping up and how it’s affecting their saving for the bigger things they want. From there, they can make different spending choices,” says Mr Kerr.

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