Savings & Investment

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.

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.

Oily raggers are a creative bunch - there is no limit to their imagination when it comes to putting good ideas to good use.

With only 48 sleeps 'till Christmas our thoughts are turning towards ways of easing the financial pressure over the holiday period. What about Xmas gifts that cost little - except in time and planning? Here are some ideas to get your imagination going.

We thought it worth repeating, for the sake of the frugal festivity lovers, the discovery made by the oily rag research team some time ago.

The noise levels appear to have become amplified in the suburbs, which is a tell-tale sign that school holidays have arrived. That leaves the perennial dilemma of thinking about activities for the kids to do.