7 tips to help save money this Christmas
1. Regift the things you’ve never used
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We all get given things we’ve never wanted, can’t use, and don’t need.
Instead of putting them in the bin, see if you can find a new home for them.
Right now, I have a jar of home-made pickles I know I won’t eat and a book about rugby I won’t read. But I also know my dad will love them.
Likewise, my daughter got a coffee mug for her birthday. She’s 12 and hates coffee – but it’s the perfect gift for her uncle.
This suggestion gives new life to items that might otherwise end up in landfill – and it saves you money too.
But don’t perpetuate the junk. You’ll need to think carefully about whether that item really suits the person you’re regifting it to.
2. Organise a secret Santa
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An office and school favourite, this is an easy way to make sure everyone gets a gift, but no one blows their budget.
Our family set the limits at $20. We use one of the free online tools to help randomise the selections. (a good one is drawnames.co.nz).
For Consumer NZ’s Christmas party, even stricter rules are in place: the limit is $0, and the item has to be second-hand or home-made.
3. Get crafty and make stuff
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This is time consuming, isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and you’ll still need to buy the raw materials to make it work.
But, a commercial Christmas card with a lame joke on the front can cost around $7.99. That’s when you realise it can be much cheaper and more satisfying to make your own. All you need is a piece of card and some coloured markers.
Other things you might be able to consider making include:
Christmas crackers
candles
soap
chocolates.
Baking, jams or preserves can also be nifty ways to make cheap, personalised gifts.
Plus, they can be far more tasty for the receiver than another pair of socks.
4. Buy second-hand
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Everyone loves a bargain, and buying second-hand has become far more accepted in our age of fast fashion and over consumption.
Facebook Marketplace and Trade Me remain great sources of second-hand goods, especially if you’re after books, records, toys or clothing.
Remember, scammers can operate on those sites, so learn about staying safe online from our article How our scam expert stays safe using online marketplaces.
5. Save on the Christmas dinner
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Perhaps the most stressful part of Christmas is putting together dinner for the entire family.
Planning and shopping in advance can help you take advantage of specials. And you won’t need to rely on getting everything in the final week, when prices could be higher.
Grocery comparison apps like Grosave, Grocer or Price Pulse can help you compare prices across different supermarkets.
Meal-kit services like My Food Bag and Hello Fresh say they will help you take the pain out of Christmas dinner. However, it’s almost certainly cheaper to source your own ingredients and cook the food yourself. Discover what we found when we tracked the supermarket prices of Christmas treats.
And here are our tips on how to prepare a stress-free Christmas dinner.
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6. Start saving for next Christmas
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If your bank balance is a little lean heading into Christmas, think about opening a savings account for next Christmas. Setting up a small weekly automatic payment into the account can help take the pressure off next year.
Or you could consider joining a supermarket Christmas club. It’s basically the same thing but can offer decent rewards and bonuses closer to Christmas.
7. Be cautious about taking on debt
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Given the current cost-of-living pressures, you may feel you have to go into debt to get through.
However, there are steps you can take so Christmas debt doesn’t blight your New Year.
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Christmas gifts stolen from parked car prompts warning over holiday break-ins
An Auckland man whose Christmas presents were stolen from his car on a quiet street is warning others not to repeat his mistake.
Police and the AA say opportunistic thieves are breaking into cars more frequently during the Christmas period.
Jeremy Rees, an RNZ staff member in Auckland, had packed his car full of gifts when he decided to visit a friend.
“Everyone had handed over presents and we had a couple of bags full of presents sitting in the back of the car,” he said.
“I decided it would be great to go around and see a friend, drop off some presents and say hello. My wife said to me, ‘Are you sure we should be taking this car?’ I said, ‘I’m sure it’ll be fine’.
“I think it was only 20 minutes outside their house, a very quiet street. It was light [outside]. We came out and my wife pointed out that someone had smashed the rear window, reached in and grabbed the presents, and headed away.
“It was a shock. It was a shock partly because of the Christmas presents and partly because my wife had been telling me, ‘Don’t do that’.”
AA Insurance head of motor claims Beau Paparoa said roadside staff were responding to smashed windows more often.
“We definitely see car break-ins starting to occur a lot more around this time of year. We’re often hearing from customers and some of our roadside teams that there’s definitely a bit more opportunistic theft happening,” he said.
“We’re putting that down to it being a busy time of year. Everyone’s out doing their Christmas shopping and there’s much more presence of gifts and valuables being visible in the car.”
He encouraged people to be careful and make sure valuables were hidden from view.
“In terms of any valuables, if you’ve done some Christmas shopping, or if generally you’ve got valuables in your car, try [to] keep them locked away or out of sight – in your boot if you can,” he said.
“Where you’re parking is possibly a good thing to think about. If you can afford to, don’t park on the street, but if you have to park on-street, make sure you park in well-lit areas.”
Police said it was not uncommon for Christmas presents to be stolen.
“The key is to remove any opportunity. This includes taking valuables or documents out of vehicles wherever possible,” a spokesperson said.
Rees said he wished he had followed that advice.
“I feel a bit stupid, to be absolutely honest. I read all of the things from police saying ‘don’t do this, don’t pack your car, don’t just leave it on the street’, and I did exactly the opposite and I paid the price.”
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Auckland Harbour Bridge summer works
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is carrying out essential maintenance on the Auckland Harbour Bridge this December and January. The southbound clip-on lanes will be closed (24/7) from 26 December to 5 January for road resurfacing. Night-time lane restrictions will be in place throughout the summer for recoating work on the bridge. Traffic will still be able to travel in both directions at all times.
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