With five vehicles on the road and regular travel for work, study and family life, fuel is a constant cost for this household. Here’s how one HealthCarePlus Member used Kora to make that everyday expense a little easier to manage.
Adapted from a Kora customer story and edited for Money Matters. Read the original article here.
For one busy family, fuel is not a minor expense. With five vehicles in regular use and constant travel for work, university and family commitments, keeping everyone moving can add up fast.
That was the reality for one HealthCarePlus Member, whose household includes a self-employed partner, four teenagers, and a lot of time on the road. she explained:
"We’re constantly on the road, for work, uni, and trips between Auckland and the lower North Island. Fuel is a big part of our weekly budget,”
Around six months ago, the family signed up to Kora through the HealthCarePlus Member Benefits program. What stood out was not just the potential to save, but how easy it was to get started.
“It was really easy to sign up, and the savings were instant. With the Kora card, I know we’re getting a discount every time we fill up.”
For this family, that simplicity mattered. Fuel was already a regular part of the weekly budget, so the appeal was not changing their whole routine. It was finding a way to make an existing cost a bit more manageable.
Rather than relying on one-off specials or trying to remember where the cheapest fuel might be on any given day, the family found they could build small, regular savings into something they were already spending money on.
“Sometimes other deals might look better, but they’re only on certain days or you have to spend a lot first. With Kora, the savings are there whenever we need them.”
For a large family with multiple vehicles, those small, consistent savings help the household budget stretch further.
“The savings just go back into the household pot, every bit helps when you’re running five cars.”
Whilst it's not life-changing in one hit, it can become meaningful when stretched across a household budget.
“It all adds up, when you’re filling up all the time, even a bit of savings here and there makes a difference.”
The benefit has also helped in other ways.
With multiple family members using the card, the app makes it easier to keep an eye on spending, review monthly statements, check fuel prices, and track what is being spent across the household.
“The app makes it easy. The kids use the card and then ask me how much they owe, it keeps them aware too.”
That visibility has helped with budgeting and day-to-day accountability, especially in a busy household where several people are coming and going.
The family has also become more deliberate about where they fill up, choosing participating stations when it makes sense and planning ahead a bit more than they used to.
For her self-employed partner, there is another advantage too: having fuel purchases tracked more clearly helps with record-keeping for business use.
What stands out most is that the savings have come from something practical and familiar.
There has been no complicated process, no major shift in behaviour, just a simple way to get more value from a cost the family was already carrying.
When a cost is already built into your weekly routine, even small savings can add up over time. For households with multiple drivers, regular travel, or busy family schedules, a tool that helps both reduce and track spending can offer value beyond the discount itself.
Since launching four years ago, more than 18,000 Kiwis have joined Kora, and together they have saved over $5 million at the pump.
Some members may feel conflicted about any offer linked to fuel, and we understand that.
Our aim in sharing this story is not to encourage fossil fuel use, but to reflect the real financial pressures members are navigating today.
For households that still rely heavily on petrol, it is a regular cost line that affects how far their money goes. So while fuel prices may continue to fluctuate, small, practical savings can help households stay ahead of the curve and get a bit more breathing room at the end of the week.
It's worth taking a look to see if it's right for you.