Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
The $27 extra a week that young people will get from today's Budget is "not even one Uber Eats order", says one 20-year-old.
From the outset, the $350 payment for low-income workers announced this afternoon is a win for Aotearoa's young people.
But with the cost of living skyrocketing, what will this money actually do for our Gen-Zers?
Despite the extra income for three months, the level of hope for the future remains low.
The dream to enter the property market has been put on hold for one 24-year-old woman after her weekly supermarket bill has increased by $30.
"And $50 of petrol doesn't even fill half a tank!"
Financial strains are not just tough on young people's wallets - mental health suffers, too.
A young, first-home buyer in Tāmaki Makaurau says, "The goalposts keep moving and wages aren't keeping up. It's constant anxiety."
Kahumako Rāmeka, 22, a journalist cadet in Tāmaki Makaurau, no longer heads home to Taupō on weekends because travel costs are too high.
"As a homebody, this is tough on my mental health."
For students, entry-level employees or those entering the property market, the cost of living has made it tougher than ever to save money.
Budgets are often described as "too confusing", but this year's offering from the Finance Minister was actually of concern and closely followed by young people, predominantly through social media.
With the outcomes and different views flooding feeds, as a result young people will continue to face financial constraints, making that $27 Uber Eats meal harder to digest.
‘This is about a bigger sort of commitment that we have to te reo Māori.’