Make Your Money Work as Hard as You Do: Smart Money Moves in the Shearing Game
- Willy McSkimming
- Jun 23
- 8 min read
Updated: Jun 23
Wool Off, Wallet Full
Let’s be real—this industry ain't for the faint-hearted. The hours are long, the work's physical, and the pay? Bloody good if you play your cards right. But good coin doesn’t mean much if it’s gone before your next pay. In shearing, one wet week, a dodgy season or injury can throw a spanner in the works—so let's yarn about managing your hard-earned dollars and setting yourself up for more than just the next payday.
A Quick Heads-Up:
Everything in this blog is just info and ideas from our perspective — not financial advice. Everyone’s situation is different, and if you’re looking to invest, buy a house, or make big money moves, it’s always a good idea to get some proper advice from a qualified financial advisor or money coach. Use this as a starting point — not the final word 👌
1. Emergency Fund Basics
Aim to have 3 months' worth of living costs stashed away. Doesn’t need to be flash, just needs to be there.
2. Overseas Money Missions ✈️
Aussie, UK, Europe, USA – the shearing passport is real, and the money can be next level.
Tips for managing foreign income:
Keep a separate account just for savings.
Transfer money home at good rates (don’t get fleeced by fees).
Don’t live like a rockstar every week overseas—future you will thank you.
3. From Payslip to Property 🏡
Shearing has serious earning potential when you're flat-out. If you're smart, consistent and not burning it all at the pub or Maccas drive-thru, you can be in a home quicker than most folks your age. A 20% deposit on a $500,000 first home is $100,000 — steep, but with smart saving and overseas graft, it's doable. Rural house prices are often cheaper than city pads. Look local before ruling it out. Many regions see 5–7% annual growth in value. That’s free equity if you hold. Still travelling? Buy and rent it out — let someone else pay the mortgage while you earn more. Mortgage brokers can help plan a pathway. Some don’t charge anything up front.
4. Budgeting Without the BS 💳
Keep it simple:
50% for needs (rent, kai, fuel)
30% for wants (beers, takeaways, flash shirts)
20% for savings/debt
Example on $1,500/week:
$750 = bills
$450 = fun
$300 = savings
Tools to try:
Sorted.org.nz – simple and Kiwi as
Pocketsmith – great for tracking
YNAB (You Need A Budget)Prefer pen & paper? Use a notebook, your phone notes, or a whiteboard.
5. Smart Spending on the Road ⛰️
Road life and travel can suck your wallet dry. Keep an eye on the little things:
Meal prep over pies and those bakery niceties
Share fuel
Stop impulse buying — even if those $90 undies are mint
6. Don’t Piss It All Away 🍻
Beers are fine. But benders every week? That’s your house deposit leaking out your liver. Booze, pokies, partying – they cost more than you think. If you want to get ahead, you have to rein it in. Find a balance: have fun, but remember what you’re working for.
7. Gear First, Glory Later 🔧
Good gear = faster, easier, safer work. Combs, cutters, handpieces — it all adds up, but it's worth every cent. Build a gear replacement plan into your budget. Don’t wait ‘til it breaks. A well-stocked gear bucket is money in the bank.
8. A Word on KiwiSaver, Super, and Looking After Future You 🌟
One day, your body will say “no more,” and when that happens, your nest egg will matter more than your bucket or broom. KiwiSaver and super aren't just for oldies—they're your ticket to financial control later in life.
📊 What Does Life Actually Cost With No Income?
Expense | Monthly Cost | Yearly Cost |
Rent/Mortgage | $2,000–$3,000 | $24,000–$36,000 |
Food & Travel | $1,500–$2,500 | $18,000–$30,000 |
Utilities & Bills | $1,000–$2,000 | $12,000–$24,000 |
Essentials & Misc | $1,500–$2,000 | $18,000–$24,000 |
Total: | $6,000–$9,500 | ≈ $72,000–$114,000 |
🚨 Reality Check:
That’s $72k–$114k a year, just to live a basic, average Kiwi lifestyle depending on how you live and who you live with! No flash stuff. No benders. Just bills, basics, and breathing room.
It hits harder when you realise a rainy month, busted knee, or lazy off-season could wipe out your ability to earn. That’s why your savings, super, and smart money moves matter.
💸 “Just a KiwiSaver Thing”
Say you're earning $60k/year, your KiwiSaver contributions might look like this:
You: 3% = $1,800
Employer: 3% = $1,800
Govt tax credit (if eligible and while it's still there): ~$521
Total/year = ~$4,121 stacked up
Over 30 years, with a modest 6–7% return, that could turn into $300k–$400k . That’s your fallback when the shearing stops.
🦘 Working in Australia?
Aussie super: Employer must contribute 11% of your income.
Leave the country permanently? You can withdraw that super back (conditions apply).
You can also roll multiple funds together for easier tracking.
💭If you’re grafting now, KiwiSaver and super are your future peace of mind. No drama, no guesswork—just a backup when it counts. Look after future you, because one day, future you will need it.
9. What Can You Actually Earn? 📈
Let’s be honest — the money’s bloody good if you’re putting in the graft. The trick? Consistency, chasing the seasons, and not burning it all on rubbish. Here are a couple of different scenarios to look at. We are not saying that these are the pay rates everywhere, but we needed some figures to work off, so we landed on these!
✂️ For Shearers
You’re doing 200 sheep a day, 5 days a week, at $3 a head. That’s:
$600/day, $3,000/week
Over a 30-week season: $90,000
Add 8% holiday pay = $97,200
But if you chase the work and stay sharp?
40–45+ weeks is totally doable with local work, pre-lamb, mainshear, crutching, or heading over the ditch if that's your thing.
That’s $120,000–135,000+, before tax and with extras included
💬 “If you stay ready, follow the work, and don’t waste your cash — you can make a six-figure living out of this game. No side hustle, no flash uni degree. Just grit.”
🧹 For Shed Hands / Woolhandlers
On an hourly rate of $32/hour, doing 8-hour days, you’re pulling:
$256/day, $1,280/week
Over 30 weeks: $38,400
Add 8% holiday pay = $41,472
Add 3% KiwiSaver = $1,152
Total = ~$42,624
Stretch your work year to 40–45 weeks, and you’re looking at:
$51,200–$57,600 base pay
With holiday pay and KiwiSaver: ~$55,000–$62,000
💬 “If you show up, stay sharp, and stay off the sick list, this job can carry you all year round — and there is still a heap of time off to be spent with family & friends”
🚐 Chasing the Work – Stretching the Season
If you’re willing to travel and keep your name clean with the right contractors, you can follow the shearing calendar:
Main Shear (Dec–Feb)
Pre-lamb (July–Sep)
Crutching & Other bits in between
Overseas (Australia, UK, USA) over the NZ off-season
💬 “Your year doesn’t have to be 20–30 weeks. If you want it — it can be 45+.”
💥 The Busy Season Breakdown: 10 Weeks Flat Tack
When the sheds are full and there’s no time to muck around, a 10-week sprint (6–7 days a week) can seriously boost your bank. Here's what a flat-out season might put in your pocket:
✂️ Shearer (200 sheep/day @ $3 + 8% holiday pay):
$648/day (incl. holiday pay)
6 days/week = $3,888/week
10 weeks = $38,880
💬 “That’s nearly 40 grand in 10 weeks. Most people work half a year to make that.”
🧹 Shed Hand ($32/hr + 8% holiday pay + 3% KiwiSaver):
$256/day base
6 days/week = $1,536/week
10 weeks = $15,360
Add extras = ~$17,000
💬 “Solid pay for solid work — and you're not even on the handpiece.”
💡 Whether it’s 10 weeks flat tack or a full-year game plan — the money’s there. But only if you treat it like the job it is: a business, not a bender.
📅 Don’t Forget Your Entitlements
If you have a regular work pattern or expect work when it is available, you are NOT casual, even if your boss says so. You’re legally entitled to:
11+ paid public holidays per year (when they fall), at your average daily rate
Up to 10 sick days per year
3 bereavement days
4 weeks paid annual leave per year (after 12 months)
Plus more
These are the main ones, but there is more there depending on work patterns and work types. Some dodgy contractors try to avoid this, but the law is on your side. If you’re working like a regular, you deserve the goods.
Helpful links:
MBIE free line: 0800 20 90 20
10. Grow Your Dough – Investing & Extra Income Streams 💡
Saving is step one. But investing? That’s how your money really starts pulling its weight.
You don’t need to be a stock market wizard or flush with cash to get started. These days, anyone with a phone and five bucks can become an investor — and that includes you, full sender.
📊 What Could It Look Like?
Let’s say you put $30 a week into a basic index fund (like the NZ Top 50 or S&P 500) using something like Sharesies or Hatch.
After 1 year = $1,560 saved
After 5 years = ~$8,800
After 10 years = ~$20,000+ (based on an average 8% return)
Not life-changing straight away, but it grows quietly in the background while you shear, crutch, press, and repeat. That’s money future you doesn’t have to chase.
🔨 Where to Start
Micro-investing platforms:
You can invest in:
NZ and Aussie companies
Global tech stocks (like Apple or Tesla)
Green energy funds
Index funds (like a basket of 50 companies at once)
🛠️ Extra Income Streams You Can Build On the Side
Flip old gear – Buy used, clean it up, sell for a profit
Firewood sales or trailer hire – If you’ve got the tools, turn them into cash
Shed coaching or training – If you’ve got the experience, share it
Do-ups or small investments in tools/vehicles – Add value, sell later
Buy a rental – Save hard, buy local, let it pay for itself while you work the seasons
🧠 Learn As You Go
Don’t invest blindly. Start with 10 minutes a week on:
The Curve – NZ-based investing education (great for all levels)
You don’t need big bucks to get ahead — you need consistency. Plant the seeds now, let them grow while you work, and before you know it, you’ve got a deposit, a nest egg, or just one less thing to stress about.
11. Your Boss Ain’t a Bank 💸
Let’s get this straight — an advance on your wages isn’t a right, it’s a favour. A privilege. A helping hand, not something to expect every time you're low on coin.
But, in this industry, there’s a bit of an unwritten rule that if you're skint, you can hit up the contractor for a draw. And sure, sometimes life throws you a curveball. But if you’re needing an advance when you’re getting paid weekly — it’s time to take a hard look at your money habits.
You wouldn’t walk into the supermarket and ask for a $100 advance on next week’s groceries. Same deal here.
12. Quick Quiz – Are You a Saver, Spender or Full Sender?
Take our quiz to see where you sit. It's light-hearted, but it might just give you a wake-up call.
Results at a glance:
Saver – You’re sharp with your cash and thinking ahead. Keep at it.
Juggler – You’re doing alright, but a little structure would help.
Full Sender – Flat tack, full noise. No plan. Time to rein it in.
Final Word – Graft Now, Grow Later ✊
You already do the hard yakka. Now make your money do some too. Start small, think big, and play the long game. Future you and your family will be stoked you didn’t blow it all on smokes, stubbies, and servo pies.
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