It is estimated $150 extra a week is what every household needs to find, just to keep pace with the rising cost of living.
Yesterday official food prices saw their biggest annual increase in more than 30 years, driven by the cost of grocery foods.
That is 12.1 percent on the same time a year ago. On the streets of Kawerau it's biting and hard.
Local budget adviser Evelyn Moses has people coming in every day, looking for help to manage their budgets.
