Purse Strings is Ensemble's regular money column, where we rummage through the wardrobe and wallets of a range of New Zealanders. We want to encourage candid discussion about our financial realities, documenting how people spend their money for a week and what they wear while doing it - because fashion and money are as close as hip and pocket.

This month: Comedian Courtney Dawson (Ngāti Kurī, Ngāti Amaru). As well as doing stand-up, Courtney was the co-host of Whakaata Māori's digital series Rags are Riches, described as "a streetwear show that makes fashion accessible". Her NZ International Comedy Festival show Dreams Are Free runs May 7-11 at Basement Theatre Auckland, and May 14-18 at BATS Theatre Wellington.

Want to share how you control your purse strings and splash the cash? Get in touch.

Occupation / industry: Stand-up comedian, sometimes television personality 

Age: 35

Location: Mt Albert, Auckland

Salary: In 2023, $120,000

Monthly rent: $1400

How would you describe your approach to money management?

Pardon my French but it can only be described as horrendously laissez-faire. My attitude toward finances tracks pretty closely with my overall life ethos: that there are good times and bad but it will all work out in the end, so best to enjoy the highs while you can. 

It’s served me well in many areas of my life, however the older I get the less cute this way of thinking is in relation to money. I’ve found myself worrying a lot more about my future and kicking myself for not setting myself up better.‍

What is your job – do you have a side hustle, or any other income streams?

I’m currently living the dream of having turned my side hustle into my full-time job – sometimes that dream looks like Mecca shopping sprees and paid-off credit cards, and right now it looks like 2-minute noodles and doing a couple of shifts at my old work here and there. 

My comedy mahi is very varied (stand-up, acting, writing, presenting, shooting the shit on some rando podcast; hell, some geezers even paid me $10,000 to interview people about their internet providers!) so it can still feel like a side hustle; emphasis on the hustle.

Talk us through your financial landscape right now. How even keeled do your finances feel at this point in your life?

I’m currently in the worst financial position I’ve been in since I was a student and that’s a pain that’s completely self inflicted. When I decided to go full-time with comedy, cognitively I knew that I would need to plan for times when my income dipped, but because I was already trash with money and up until that point had always worked some kind of permanent salary job, I haven’t got the hang of managing that well just yet. 

How have your finances tracked as your career progressed?

The progression of my career and finances has been quite frankly meteoric. In 2021 I was making around 50k in my retail job, went full time with comedy in 2022, and in 2023 I made around $120,000. It was a big change in income really quick.‍

What sort of financial education did you receive?‍

Zilch, zero, nada! One piece of advice I remember receiving from my Nan was after I had started my first job was ‘always save the first paycheque’. I absolutely did not listen to her.

What debt (amount and type) do you have? Do you have credit card debt or outstanding  after pay balances?

I’ve got $9000 in credit card debt, and I owe IRD a couple grand too.

What savings do you have? 

I’ve got about $36,000 in KiwiSaver at the moment.

Do you have insurance or medical insurance?

No. I’ve looked into getting medical insurance maybe seven times, and every time I get overwhelmed with the jargon and the pesky salesmen calling constantly.

What are your largest outgoings moneywise?

Rent takes up the bulk of my income, even though the place we live is comparatively very reasonable for the area we live in. Since I had my son, my top priorities were that he always had his own space in our whare and that we lived near his Dad, which has meant I always pay for two rooms and usually somewhere in Central Auckland. So it’s expenny but worth it.

What’s been your biggest money splurge or purchase to date?

In 2016 I got a few grand back in a tax return and I spent it going to Central America for a month with a big group of friends. I’m really glad I did it - being a young single mother I didn’t get the chance to do an OE and I don’t think I would have taken that trip if I hadn’t done it then. Also bought a secondhand Prada bag for $500. I wear it all the time and have absolutely no regrets.

What financial pinch points exist in your life, what are the biggest stressors you encounter in terms of finances?

Having debt is the biggest stressor.

What are you most proud of financially?

Paying off my student loan.

Have you inherited any money?

No.

Does anyone else cover any other aspects of your finances? Does anyone else rely on you financially? 

I have been hella blessed to have a best friend/flatmate/effective life partner with whom I split most bills with - not only that but she’s lent me money in the past when I’ve been hard up. 

Before I went to Celebrity Treasure Island, I was waiting on some invoices to be paid, so she not only lent me money to buy the gear I needed for the Island and covered my rent while I was away. I’ll always get her back.

Do you have financial goals? What are they short or long-term?

My long-term financial dream is to earn enough money to buy property back home up North so we can have somewhere for my whānau to come back to. In the short-term, I would really just like to be debt free. 

How do cultural, societal and religious aspects influence what you do with your money?

The concept of manaakitanga - hospitality, generosity and kindness - definitely influences the way I spend my money on others. 

Even though me balling out on others has got me into some financial trouble from time to time, that’s more about my lack of financial planning than anything else. Regardless of this, I wouldn’t change this part of myself. Essentially, if I’m eating we’re all eating.

Are there other ways you cut down on costs financially? Do you go without anything?

This year's savage dip in income has definitely made me take a good long hard look at all the ways I’m able to save money. The biggest one is using public transport more - it’s actually a dream to be able to not stress about parking and be able to listen to music zone out and romanticise my life at will. 

Also I’ve realised spending money to save money is a thing - like keeping my car WOF and rego up to date so I don’t get $900 in fines. Who woulda thunk, eh?

How are finances reflected in what you wear, and your approach to shopping?

It doesn’t matter if I’m broke or earning a milly a year, I will always shop secondhand and bargain hunt because it brings me pure joy. I love to tell people something they compliment me on cost $2. It’s not a humble thing, it’s a genuine flex. 

How do you approach clothes shopping? Do you budget for clothes? Do you have rules about what you can and can’t buy? 

I don’t budget for clothes but I do have rules. Anything in black has to be positively perfect, and the only things I buy new are socks, undies, and basic pieces that tie a particular outfit together. 

Because I worked in a consignment store for five years I’m very good at spotting a bargain and weighing up the cost of an item and its potential resell value once I’m over it, taking into account the longevity of the style and brand, any potential faults and the price of repairs and tailoring. 

But if I’m purchasing something new, I will agonise over it for months. I have been thinking about buying a plain white turtleneck midi dress to wear under this insane sheer 90s Trelise Cooper slip for literally three years. 

Where do you shop?

Primarily Recycle Boutique, SaveMart, and any and all dinky little op shops around the motu. 

What’s the most expensive thing in your wardrobe? Is there anything in your wardrobe that you're embarrassed of cost-wise?

I have a Mongolian fur jacket that I spent $500 and have worn maybe three times. I don’t like to hold on to things I don’t wear unless it has mad sentimental value, but with this bloody coat, I think the style is too dated for me to sell it for anywhere near what I paid for it. I look upon her with shame and sad adoration every morning.

How do you pay for your clothes? Credit card, Afterpay, Laybuy etc…

I’m a big believer in traditional layaway, but I have paid for clothes in all forms - credit card, after pay, swapsies.

Is anything in your closet free, contra, discounted, gifted?

A wee bit but not much. I’m not trying to be an influencer so I only really do sponsored posts for brands I’m really about, usually Māori-owned businesses with a focus on sustainability. 

I am very stoked with my põtae and jewellery from Rerehua Boutique, and AWWA period undies. Oh and I wear my free Kathmandu jacket from Celebrity Treasure Island all the time. 

Has your approach to clothes shopping changed as your financial situation has progressed?

With clothes, not at all. But since going on the telly, I really ball out on makeup and skincare.

How much do you think your wardrobe is worth/valued at?

Realistically if I were to resell it, maybe 7k. If we were going with original prices, a lot more. I have a pair of Issey Miyake pants that retailed for over 2 grand (which I definitely did not pay that much for).

My week in wardrobe and money

Day One - Monday

What I wore:

Prada glasses - $90, Recycle Boutique

Prada bag - $500, Recycle Boutique 

Vintage clip-on earrings - $1, from Hospice Shop in Rotorua

Nike jacket - free, my friend and fellow comedy fashion girlie Johanna Cosgrove lent it to me and hasn’t asked for it back

Holiday skirt - $40, from Encore in Ponsonby 

No label boots - $90, from Recycle Boutique

This is my ‘beauty errands’ look - cute and comfortable, ready to goss at the nail salon. The Prada bag and glasses were both from Recycle Boutique, along with the boots. I had those boots for about a year before I wore them - I even tried to sell them at one point but didn’t have any takers. I’m so glad no one wanted them because they’re now a winter staple.

What I spent:

$216.75 - tickets to SZA for my son’s birthday present

$60 - pedicure at Fearless Beauty, Mt Albert. I usually get my pedis done here because it’s cheap and walking distance from my house, and then get my nails done with Tanya Barlow – she is the best in the game, but sadly I am on a wee break while I get my money up

$90 - brow shape, tint and lamination at Benefit. I only do this once every three or four months when my brows start looking too mental, or I have an event. The excuse this time was that I’m going to Melbourne in a couple of weeks

$5 - entry fee for a full moon Eel encounter at Mātuku link in Bethells, lol. I’m obsessed with eels and Mātuku link do some mean mahi with forest regeneration

$6 - sausage sizzle and coke at the eel encounter

Total daily spend: $377.75

Day Two - Tuesday

What I wore:

No label hat - $25, Recycle Boutique Hamilton

Kathmandu jacket - Free from Celebrity Treasure Island 

Vetements hoodie - $200, Recycle Boutique Newmarket. 

Nike pants - $40, Recycle Boutique Newmarket

Nike ACG sneakers - $70, Nike Outlet Onehunga 

I’m so stoked that I’m writing this article in autumn because I am such a cosy boy and throw together all my best outfits when it’s cold. Today I was running around the city like a mad woman.

What I spent:

$7.18 - can of V, lollies and beef jerky stick

$3.15 - Google storage subscription. I really should just clear out all my old documents so I don’t need to pay for extra storage

$15 - vape. My not so secret shame

$62.58 - Ubers. I crashed my car last week and had back-to-back podcast recordings and appointments so I couldn’t avoid using Uber

$25.99 - Family Spotify subscription for myself, my flatmate, and randomly two of my sons friends cause why not use them up‍

Total daily spend: $113.90

Day Three - Wednesday‍

‍What I wore:

Rerehua Boutique bucket hat - gifted 

ACG Hoodie - $45, Recycle Boutique Newmarket

Puffer vest - $30, Recycle Boutique Newmarket 

Wynn Hamlin mini skirt - $28, Salvation Army 

No label boots - $90, Recycle Boutique Newmarket

I put together this fit essentially to do a sponsored post for the Rerehua Boutique hat. I love a little matchy-matchy moment, and autumnal browns and creams were the name of the day.

What I spent:

$10 - hair rollers from Daiso. I had to wait 20 minutes for my bus and accidentally found myself in St Lukes in the meantime. Whoops

$5 - Weekly deposit into my wider Dawson Whānau account. Everyone with a job puts in this amount weekly so that we can cover koha for any tangi we have. No one has died in ages so my cousin and I are trying to convince everyone we should go on a cruise with the money that’s in there

$7 - bakery. Ya girl was hungry

Total daily spend: $22

Day Four - Thursday

‍What I wore:

Kangol hat - $28, Recycle Boutique Newmarket 

Paris Georgia knit - $40, Recycle Boutique Newmarket (heavily discounted, it was coming apart at the back and I darned it)

Taylor jacket - $4.50, Recycle Boutique Newmarket

Prada bag - $500, Recycle Boutique Newmarket 

Nike pants - $40 Recycle Boutique Newmarket 

Nike ACG Shoes - $70, Nike Outlet Onehunga

I swore off festivals after an abysmal Laneway this summer, and yet here I am in my semi-waterproof outfit ready to brave the cold at Souled Out festival. I loved seeing all the gorgeous girls in their cute fits there but I knew I was 35 when I was thinking “where’s your cardi, mama?”

What I spent:

$190 - ticket to Souled Out festival. I always buy tickets to gigs six months in advance and then regret it, so I left this one until the last minute

$36 - drinks at festival 

$13.25 - Uber home from kick ons

$27.09 - Ubereats, please see above 

Total daily spend: $266.34

Day Five - Friday

‍What I wore:

Prada sunglasses - $90

WWE Undertaker tee - gifted to me from my sister when she moved to the UK

Prada (fake) woven bag - $40, SaveMart 

JW Anderson jeans - $220, Recycle Boutique Newmarket 

Timberland boots - $60, Recycle Boutique Newmarket

Today I was going to film a segment for 7 Sharp about Mum jokes so naturally I had to bust out the Mum jeans. It ended up being a really bad choice - I was bloated from my period and had to come home immediately, chuck on some trackies and take a two hour nap.

What I spent:

$80.38 - I bought brunch for my friend and I, because he dropped me off to my car and bought us heaps of drinks at the festival yesterday.

Day Six - Saturday

What I wore:

Fake Gucci glasses: $10, Recycle Boutique 

Brown turtleneck: $3, from the Hospice shop in a town up North I forget the name of

Annah.S skirt - $60, Recycle Boutique. 

Vintage Christian Dior handbag - $50, from my sister 

Alias Mae boots - $120, Recycle Boutique (brand new)

My delusion was really popping today - all I did was take the bus out to my parents’ place in Rewa to play my brother's VR and eat hot cross buns but that didn’t stop me from wearing a dramatic as hell skirt with a literal train.

Day Seven - Sunday

‍What I wore:

Vintage silk dressing gown - $57, Recycle Boutique Newmarket 

Sheepskin slippers - gifted by my flatmate’s Mum (too big for her) 

Titty mug - $60, Artemis ceramics lol 

What I spent:

No money spent, stayed my ass in the house