It seems the oily-rag word has got out this Christmas - more people want to put fun into the holidays but take the cost out. A survey by Sorted (Sorted.co.nz) found that two-thirds of those polled said they intended spending the same or less than they did last year. About a quarter said they intended to spend more.
More than half (55 per cent) said they were not going to get into debt as a result of their Christmas shopping (they were not intending to use their credit card, get an overdraft, use hire purchase or get a personal loan).
The trick, of course, is to enjoy all of the good things about the holidays but to do so in a frugal way. We ventured into the Oily Rag archives and dug out some favourite Christmas tips:
Decide a maximum amount to spend. Set a spending limit on each gift or a limit on the total spend. Some families give small gifts and leave serious buying until Boxing Day sales.
Make a list of those you're buying gifts for, the maximum amount to be spent on each and the sort of thing they may appreciate (socks, undies, hankies).