Six ways New Zealanders save money over Christmas

Each week the New Zealand Herald and Newstalk ZB's Cooking The Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's how to get through the notoriously expensive Christmas season without blowing the budget. Hosted by Frances Cook. You don't need me to tell you it's an expensive time of year. I start to feel the dread of Christmas around October, reminding me I need to buy people presents, stock up on food, and prepare for the social calendar to be flooded. All of the Christmas festivities are fun, don't get me wrong, but they can definitely leave you with a fiscal hangover. So in the spirit of Christmas, I got the Cooking the Books community together to share their best tips with each other. I asked those who follow my pages on Facebook and Twitter how they got through Christmas without totally blowing the budget. We're a bunch of frugally minded people, and the last time we did a community episode I was impressed at the great advice people had to offer. Listen to the podcast for the full quotes of how people use these tips and tricks in their own life, but for those of you who just want a quick list, here are the main points. Be picky about who actually gets a present. Now this might sound a little scrooge-ish, but I think it's a great tip. It's easy to feel like you need to be santa and buy something expensive and thoughtful for everyone from your boss's first cousin, to the mailman's dog. But there are better ways to go about it. Secret santas for the adults and a price limit on presents for the kids were a popular solution. Taking the focus off a mountain of presents lets everyone relax a bit , and spend their time and money on being together instead. Go second hand for presents. From the people who messaged me, this seems to be particularly useful for kids. The local second hand shops can be a treasure trove of high quality toys, and particularly while they're young, kids won't notice or care. Others didn't even pop down to the local Sallies for second h