How to save $3,000 in 2025
What could you do with an extra $3,000 in your budget? Take a holiday? Buy some new appliances? Or maybe give your savings a boost? We think most households have the ability to make some financial tweaks that could see more money staying in their bank account this year.
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Here are some practical ways you can start spending less.
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Change your car insurance company
Potential saving: $670
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There are big differences in what car insurance companies charge for similar coverage. Instead of accepting the premiums offered by your regular provider year after year, spend some time rather than money on checking whether there are cheaper deals out there.
Our car insurance survey found the difference between the highest and lowest premiums for a family of four was $56 a month – $670 a year. A middle-aged person has the potential to be saving $516 a year. Just make sure you check the policy to make sure you’re getting the same or better cover.
There are lots of other tricks for reducing your premiums, such as taking a higher excess and paying annually rather than monthly.
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Shop around for groceries
Potential saving: $825
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Do you go to the same supermarket every time you need a grocery top-up? You might be surprised how much you could save by swapping supermarkets regularly or splitting your spending between chains.
We researched what we’d pay for a basket of 22 grocery items across 8 weeks. Buying our list of groceries at Pak’nSave was $14 a week cheaper than at New World – even using the New World Clubcard. Across a year, that’s a potential saving of $700. Woolworths was more expensive again – $825 more expensive a year than Pak’nSave – even using an Everyday Rewards card. These numbers show the possibility for some serious savings if you’re willing to shop around.
If it wouldn’t cost you much more in petrol, and you have the time, you could split your shop across supermarkets to pick out the best prices from each. We like to use the Grocer app to do this – it takes a bit of time, but you can make a list of where you’ll get the cheapest price for each item.
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Tweak the way you’re using power
Potential saving: $870
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There are some big savings to be made if you’re willing to make a few changes to the way you use power.
You can save $320 a year by setting your heat pump between 19°C and 21°C and leaving it there. Turning the temperature up really makes a difference to your power bill. It’s better to turn up the fan on your heat pump instead to get the warmth moving around your room faster.
Switch off your appliances at the wall to save $100 a year. Appliances with a stand-by light are often the biggest power suckers when not in use. Switch them off when you’re not using them.
You can save $260 per person in your household by cutting shower lengths from 15 minutes to 5. A 15-minute shower adds about $1 to your power bill. A shorter shower can save 66c. If you’re showering every day, that’s $5 a week, which adds up.
Do your laundry in cold water rather than warm water to save $50 a year. Washing in warm water doesn’t make much difference to the cleanliness of your laundry, so for most washes, cold water is all you need.
A warm towel after your shower might be nice, but your heated towel rail will be costing you nearly $3 a week. That’s $140-odd a year.
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Drop a streaming service
Potential saving: $240
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Have you taken a look at how many streaming services you’re paying for lately? It can be easy to lose track of how many you are subscribed to.
If you can say goodbye to one, stopping that small payment of $20 a month will save you $240 over a year. It doesn’t have to mean missing out on the shows everyone is talking about though – just do some service hopping and choose which streaming service you’ll give your money to each month.
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Change your power company
Potential saving: $494
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It can be frustrating to watch your power bills go up while news articles announce record profits for the big power companies.
You can take back some of the power by finding the cheapest power plan for you. Save on average $494 using free Powerswitch comparison website.
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Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
Poll: 🤖 What skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
The Reserve Bank has shared some pretty blunt advice: there’s no such thing as a “safe” job anymore 🛟😑
Robots are stepping into repetitive roles in factories, plants and warehouses. AI is taking care of the admin tasks that once filled many mid-level office jobs.
We want to know: As the world evolves, what skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
Want to read more? The Press has you covered!
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52% Human-centred experience and communication
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15.2% Critical thinking
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29.9% Resilience and adaptability
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2.9% Other - I will share below!
The Gospel’s Relevance Today**
The Gospel, meaning ‘good news’, is the cornerstone of the message contained in the Bible’s first four books—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. While these records were written approximately 2,000 years ago, a natural question arises: why is this Gospel still relevant and vital for us today? This analysis seeks to explore what the Bible itself defines as the Gospel and to understand its enduring significance.
**Defining the Gospel: Core Biblical References**
The Gospel is not a vague concept; Scripture provides clear descriptions of its content and focus.
* **The Gospel of the Kingdom:** In Matthew 4:23, as Jesus begins his ministry, he is described as “preaching the gospel of the kingdom.” This immediately establishes that the good news is centrally about a kingdom—the Kingdom of God. His accompanying miracles served to validate the authority of this message.
* **The Gospel of Jesus Christ:** Mark 1:1 opens with, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Here, “Christ” is a title meaning ‘anointed one’. Thus, the good news is intrinsically about Jesus: his identity as the Anointed One and his unique status as the Son of God.
* **The Gospel of God’s Grace:** In Acts 20:24, the Apostle Paul speaks of his mission to “testify the gospel of the grace of God.” Grace signifies an undeserved gift. This reveals that the Gospel involves a gift from God, offered not because it is merited, but out of His benevolence.
* **The Gospel of Salvation and Peace:** Romans 1:16 declares the Gospel is “the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes,” breaking down barriers between Jew and Gentile (Greek). Furthermore, Romans 10:15 calls it the “gospel of peace,” pointing to a future state of peace brought about by this message.
* **The Gospel Summarised:** 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 provides a foundational summary. Paul reminds believers of the gospel he preached, “by which also you are saved.” He then states its core historical facts: “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” The Gospel is therefore rooted in the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus.
In synthesis, the Gospel is the good news of **salvation and future peace in the Kingdom of God**, made possible by **the grace of God** and **the obedient sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ**, and offered to all who believe.
**Old Testament Foundations: The Gospel Preached to Abraham**
A crucial question is whether the Gospel is confined to the New Testament. Scripture shows its foundations were laid much earlier. Galatians 3:8 states explicitly that “the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed.’”
This reference points back to Genesis 12:1-3, where God made profound promises to Abraham: to make him a great nation, to bless those who blessed him, and that “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” These promises—later reaffirmed to Isaac and Jacob—form the bedrock of the Gospel hope. The good news of salvation through Christ is the fulfillment of how **all nations** would be blessed through Abraham’s “seed.”
**The Gospel’s Personal Relevance: Good News for You Today**
How does this ancient message become “good news for you” today? The application is clearly outlined in Galatians 3.
* **Access through Faith in Christ:** Galatians 3:26 declares, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” The promise made to Abraham is now extended to anyone with faith in Jesus.
* **The Role of Baptism:** Verse 27 explains, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Baptism is the God-appointed act of faith that identifies a believer with Christ’s death and resurrection.
* **Unity and Inheritance:** Verses 28-29 reveal the glorious outcome: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Through the Gospel, all barriers are removed; believers become spiritual descendants of Abraham and heirs to the promises of the Kingdom.
This Gospel was once a mystery hidden in God’s purpose (Ephesians 3:3-9). Now, it has been revealed: the unsearchable riches of Christ, offering salvation to all who heed the call, believe the message, and are baptised into him.
**Conclusion: An Enduring and Open Invitation**
The Gospel is far more than a historical account; it is the living, powerful good news of God’s plan for salvation. It is rooted in promises to Abraham, accomplished through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and open to all people without distinction. It offers a tangible hope—the hope of resurrection, peace, and an inheritance in the coming Kingdom of God. This is why the Gospel remains profoundly relevant. It is an invitation to listen, believe, and stand firm in this hope, linking our lives today to the eternal purpose of God.
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