Here are some of our top tips for making your money go a little further these holidays:

Saving: 

I know that it’s an easy tip – but honestly saving for a holiday is the best thing, having something to look forward to like a holiday can make saving for it easier. Here are some tips around saving:

The 24-hour wait: When looking to purchase a non-essential item, maybe a new dress or some new cushions for your couch, WAIT. Wait 24 hours before purchasing and then see how you feel about it after the 24 hours. If you still really want the item, buy it. If you have forgotten about it then it wasn’t meant to be and you can pop that money into your holiday savings account. 

The Round-Up: This is a little handy tool that some banks do, where you can round up your purchase to the nearest figure – you can set this figure and then the remainder goes into your bank account. For example: If you spend $5.50 on a coffee you can choose to round this up to $6 and pop the 50c into your savings accounts.

The List: Make a list of everywhere you want to go, and what you want to do while you’re there and how much this is going to cost – tally it all up. Make sure you know what you expect to spend – this way you know how much to save and you can work towards that knowing what you have to look forward to. 

The Holiday: 

Work towards making the most out of your money while you’re away. Here are some of our top tips to be able to do this.

Set a daily budget: What do you predict to spend in a day – are you buying breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks? Are you having to drive places and pay to do activities? The best thing to do is sit down and plan out your trip and how much you want to spend each day – this way you know where your money is going. It might feel like it’s taking a bit of the fun out of the holiday, but honestly when you know you have enough money per day it allows you to actually enjoy your time rather than worrying about if you buy lunch today can you afford to buy dinner tomorrow night. 

Book Early: This one requires a bit of organisation, but by booking places early you can save! Try to shop around as well. Our ultimate tip when it comes to finding somewhere to stay is to try and find a place with a kitchen or kitchenette – this allows you to save some money on food. If your kitchenette has a jug and a toaster you can have toast and coffee at home, saving you some money.

Free activities: You don’t have to spend lots of money on every activity. There are some amazing free walks around New Zealand, pop your walking shoes in your bag and get out and explore a bit. Try All Trails to take a look at all the walking trails around the place you are visiting or even where you live you might find a great new spot for a picnic.

While we’re home loan experts, our blog posts are for general information purposes only and are not intended as financial advice. If at any stage you need personalised advice, get in touch on 06 8788 4444 or Ben or Mark.