Finance

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The good folk at Statistics NZ have been trundling their trolleys in the isles at your local supermarket to see if the things on your grocery list are costing more or less. Usually they find goods cost more, a lot more, but not this time.

Frugality is obviously sweeping though the suburbs as more and more people appreciate the virtues of saving. It is also surprising that the oily rag website has a large number of overseas readers.

It seems the festive season is a time for oily raggers to put pen to paper and write about living off the smell of an oily rag. The mail bags have again been full and lots of new tips are being added to the oily rag website.

It's been another 8-day week responding to lots of frugal tips flowing in from the oily rag community!

Continuing on our Xmas theme we show how to bake a Christmas day treat and how to dine out on culinary fare with frugal flair.

It seems the oily rag word has got out this Christmas - more people want to put the fun into Christmas but take the cost out. We think that's a good thing. .

The great oily rag tips just keep coming and with Xmas on the short-term radar many will be looking for ways to take the cost out of Christmas. Fortunately there are lots of ways to have a fun and frugal Christmas.

Oily raggers have been busy again, sharing their tips and asking really good oily rag questions.

Oily rag austerity has been the theme of 2011. Some three weeks ago Statistics New Zealand released a survey which claimed nearly half of all New Zealanders say they have not enough or just enough to live on.