• Consider a different gift - your time. This is not a worthless gift, it is priceless. You can make vouchers stating you will do a task. You could for instance wash the car, mow the lawn, give a foot massage, water the garden, weed a garden, read them a story every night for a week, bake a cake, join them on a walk, give them a hug, or maybe just sit and chat. The fact that you have taken time to consider what the person really needs and that you will be the one who does the task, will often be the best gift of all.
• Give a homemade gift and consider your skill or talents and create something that will be truly unique and very special.
• Start saving now. Stop creating more personal debt, don't plan to put your purchases on credit. Be realistic about your purchasing power, decide what you can afford to spend and stick to that limit.
• Join a Christmas club in January. Paying in $5 a week could see you with $250 or more next Christmas.
• Talk to your family and discuss limiting the number and cost of gifts. Also ask everyone what they really need and spend your money on something useful.
• If you have, like a great many others, put Christmas on "the plastic", and you are not going to be able to meet all your required payments, talk to your creditors and explain your situation. Ask for more time to sort out the payments and ask about their hardship options
• Contact your local Budget Advisory service for help.
Whanganui welcomes a number of new citizens from overseas each year and immigration advisor Vijeshwar Prasad asks that those new to New Zealand be mindful of their finances and each other.
As the president of the Multi-Cultural Council in Whanganui, he says the Christmas season in New Zealand can be challenging for those who are not used to the financial strain.
"From my experience what I have seen is that for people who migrate there are two things, two issues.
"One is family violence.
"The other is people do not budget.
"At Christmas they overspend, and then they forget that the children will be going to school, they do not have money to buy uniforms. So that's the time the trouble starts.
"Then the easy option is to take out their frustration on their families."
He says a group that often get overlooked are the older generation that sometimes follow their children.
Mr Vijeshwar says if the parents do not speak English, their children act as interpreters for Work and Income which means they filter the information the parents receive.
"I believe the system should be changed," he says.
"There should be an independent interpreter, so the people would know what are their rights.
"If this Christmas season has been challenging for new Whanganui families there is help for those who ask."
Problem gambling support agencies see a spike in people seeking help after the new year when people have over indulged their habit and as Christmas is such a social time the temptation to gamble is more present than ever.
"When gambling, it's important for people to be vigilant in setting limits for themselves and sticking to it," says Hine Potaka-Gardiner of Nga Tai o te Awa problem gambling services team.
"If you are experiencing problems with your gambling, look for alternative activities to keep you occupied whenever you feel the urge to gamble.
"This could be as simple as going for a walk in the sun, getting in the garden or visiting a friend."
WHERE TO GET HELP...
Wanganui Budget Advisory Service can be contacted on 345 3746 and the office at 183 Wicksteed St, will be open again on January 24th 2017.
Whanganui Citizens' Advice Bureau at 120 Guyton Street will re-open on January 4th. They can be contacted on 06 345 0844.
Multicultural Council of Rangitikei/Whanganui can be contacted on 06 343 8128 or 021 213 3274.
Problem Gambling Foundation in Community House in Ridgway St will re-open on January 9th. The helpline is available 24/7 on 0800654655.
The Problem Gambling Services Team at Nga Tai o te Awa can offer information and help with multiple venue exclusions. They will be available from January 9th at 142 Guyton St and can be contacted on 06 348 9902
