How much should I save each month?

The commonly cited rule in NZ is 20% of after-tax income toward savings and debt repayment (the 50/30/20 split). But housing costs in Auckland and Wellington mean many Kiwis realistically save 10-15% — start where you can and automate the transfer on payday.

What's the fastest way to save money in NZ?

Do a subscription audit first — most Kiwis have $50-150/month in recurring charges they've forgotten about. Next, check your power and internet providers against Powerswitch; switching often saves $200-400/year. Then automate savings on payday so it doesn't depend on willpower.

Can Steady help me save automatically?

Steady shows you your safe-to-spend amount, tracks progress on savings goals, and sends alerts when you're close to overspending. Because NZ banks don't yet support automated bank-to-bank transfers through Akahu, actual money movement still happens in your bank app — but Steady tells you exactly when and how much.

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Tips10 August 20267 min read

Best Mobile Plans NZ 2026: Stop Paying $80 for Your Phone

Most Kiwis overpay for mobile. In 2026, Skinny, Kogan and prepay plans from the big three cover typical usage for $20–$40/month — half what many pay. Here's the comparison and how switching actually works.

NZ mobile plans — warm illustration of a smartphone with a falling cost line and gold coin

Know your Safe to Spend every week

Steady connects your bank and tracks it all automatically — no spreadsheets. Join the waitlist for early access.

Quick answer: If you're on a big-three account plan paying $65–$90/month, you can almost certainly halve it. Skinny ($40 endless data) and Kogan/Warehouse Mobile (from ~$20) run on the same Spark and One NZ networks as the expensive plans. Typical savings from switching: $300–$600/year, your number comes with you, and it takes under a day. Comparison below.

Kia ora. Mobile is one of those bills nobody re-shops. You picked a plan years ago, maybe bundled a phone into it, and it's quietly ticked along at $80/month ever since. In 2026 the budget operators run on the exact same towers — you're mostly paying for the logo.

The 2026 comparison

Provider	Network	Typical plan	Price/month
Skinny	Spark	Endless data (speed-capped after 40GB max-speed)	~$40
Kogan Mobile	One NZ	40GB prepay	~$30–36
Warehouse Mobile	One NZ	Pay-as-you-go + data packs	from ~$10
2degrees prepay	2degrees	15–20GB rolling	~$30
Spark / One NZ / 2degrees account plans	Own	"Endless" premium plans	$65–$90

Prices are indicative — promos change monthly, and most budget operators run regular double-data offers.

What you actually give up going budget

Honestly, not much:

Same coverage. Skinny is literally Spark's network; Kogan and Warehouse Mobile ride on One NZ. Coverage maps are identical to their hosts.
No bundled phone. Budget operators don't subsidise handsets. If you're used to "free" phone upgrades, that phone was never free — it was financed inside your $85 plan at an effective interest rate you'd never accept on paper.
Speed caps on "endless" plans. Skinny's endless plan runs full speed for the first chunk (typically 40GB), then slows. For messaging, maps and music that slowdown is barely noticeable; for daily 4K streaming on mobile data, pay for the bigger cap.
Support is app/chat-first. No stores. If you need in-person help, the big three keep that advantage.

Who should pick which

Heavy data user (hotspotting, streaming): Skinny endless, or a big-three endless plan if you genuinely burn 60GB+ at full speed monthly.
Typical user (10–25GB): Kogan 40GB or 2degrees prepay — $30ish covers you with headroom.
Light user / second phone / kids: Warehouse Mobile PAYG with a small data pack. $10–15/month is realistic.
Family: One account, multiple budget SIMs usually beats one "family bundle" — do the maths on your actual usage.

Check your last three months' data usage in your provider's app before choosing — most people guess double what they really use.

Steady tip: Mobile, broadband, power, subscriptions — the quiet monthly bills are where budgets leak. Steady finds your recurring payments automatically and shows what each one really costs you a year, which makes the "$80 phone plan" conversation with yourself much easier. Join the waitlist.

How switching works (it's genuinely easy)

Order a SIM (or eSIM) from the new provider. Usually free or a few dollars.
Ask to port your number. In the sign-up flow — you'll need your current account details. Porting typically completes in a few hours, max one business day.
Check your old plan's exit terms. Prepay: nothing owed. Account plan with a financed phone: you'll pay the phone balance out — worth it more often than you'd think once you do the maths on the plan saving.
Set the new plan to auto-renew and delete the old app.

That's it. No downtime beyond a few minutes during the port.

The bottom line

The big three's premium plans buy convenience, handset financing and retail stores — not better coverage. If your phone just needs to work and you'd rather keep $300–$600 a year, Skinny, Kogan or a prepay plan on the majors is the 2026 answer. Pair it with a broadband re-shop and a subscription audit and you've found $1,000+/year without changing how you live.

Steady tip: Steady's recurring-bill view shows your mobile, broadband and power side by side with a yearly total — the number that finally makes switching feel worth the twenty minutes. Join the waitlist.

Written by Sam Wilson

Founder, Steady

Sam is a New Zealand founder building Steady — a personal finance app designed for Kiwis, integrated with every major NZ bank via Akahu. He writes about money, bank integrations, and what actually works for everyday New Zealanders.More about Sam