Credit Simple NZ
Here are a few tips to help you ring in the new decade with as little debt as possible. 1. Reconsider whom you need to shop for At different points in our lives, it makes sense to shop for certain people and not for others. For example, when our nieces and nephews are young, gifts are appropriate but when they’re adults, maybe a heartfelt card is enough. Go through your list and decide whom you really need to shop for…
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If you’ve never had a budget, or if you’ve tried and given up on one before, it can be easy to get overwhelmed. Visions of complicated spreadsheets and living on nothing but 2 minute noodles make the idea seem at best, snore-inducing and at worst, overly restrictive. But the truth is it takes very little effort to get a basic system – ‘money buckets’ – in place. This is great news, as it can mean the difference between major savings…
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As the long weekend kicks off, it can be all too easy to fill your time with fun and frivolous spending. But before you know it, Monday night rolls around and your bank balance is looking more than a little depleted. Luckily, it doesn’t take much to reset your default setting from ‘spend’ to ‘save’ for a few days, and the savings can be pretty significant. Read on for our tips to boost your savings in just a few days.…
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New Zealand’s collective credit card debt was nearing $7.2 billion in June this year. Your contribution to this growing national burden may be miniscule, but it probably doesn’t feel that way when your credit card bill thuds ominously onto the welcome mat. So, how can you avoid credit card debt in New Zealand? Many people believe using your credit card is always a bad idea. However, if you’re savvy and organised, paying on plastic doesn’t have to be the road…
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As we approach the silly season and our bank accounts begin to bear the brunt of it, Kiwis should aim to be careful shoppers and only spend what they can afford. We commissioned research which reveals nearly one in three New Zealanders put their Christmas and holiday spending on their credit card and are potentially facing a New Year hangover, saying they won’t pay the full bill before the due date (29%). CreditSimple.co.nz spokesperson Hazel Phillips said the holiday season was…
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It’s a more common feeling than you might think. According to our recent survey, nearly one in 10 people say they don’t budget because they simply feel too lazy to. Beyond that, one-fifth started a budget but gave it up because they felt it was too difficult. That’s understandable – and it’s okay. But it doesn’t have to be the way things go. Use technology to help you budget When you’re on a budget, how do you track your spending?…
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Money management can be a terrifying thing. Especially if you’ve got debt – seeing large sums go in and out of your bank account is enough to give anyone the willies, even if it’s ‘good’ debt (such as a home loan). But there are strategies you can use to cope, and to not only manage your money but actually overcome those ghosts of spending past. Here’s five we’ve rounded up. Know where your money is going. Knowledge is power, and…
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Don’t believe you have to have a credit card. Paying interest sucks. It sucks the lifeblood out of your finances. That’s because unless you clear your entire bill within the interest free days, you pay interest. That interest means you’re paying as much as 22.95% more than your mates at the mainstream banks for the same things, which has a detrimental effect on your finances over time. Other (cheaper) ways to pay Thankfully there are way more credit-free ways to…
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“Call me loyal”, Dave Dobbyn once sang, and “I’ll say you’re loyal too”. (He also once sang “drink yourself more bliss,” which makes less sense, but we’ll set that aside for the moment.) Loyalty programmes are everywhere these days, and they’ve come a long way from Satan’s original “Eat one apple and get a free eternity of shame and feeling weird about nudity unless you’re Paul Henry” offer. From airlines and groceries to credit cards and even the humble cup…
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We know your new girlfriend or boyfriend wants to go out every Friday. Even two drinks each, some snacks and an Uber ride home could set you back $50. It’s dead easy to blow $100 if you throw food in as well. What’s more, dating can send your credit score south. Fast. Let’s say you spend $150 a week going out, $300 a couple of times a year on a weekend away, $200 on his/her birthday, and flowers or chocolates…
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