Category Archives: Holidays

No-cost family activity

An oily rag family from Northland has written to us about their no-cost family activity. Grandma and four kiddies packed a picnic lunch and had a great time at their local reserve. The kids each made a stick raft from dried flax flower stems, which they dropped off a bridge for a race down the […]

School holiday activities

Caron from the Waikato has responded to our recent column about low-cost school holiday activities with some great ideas of her own. “I was in charge of my grandkids recently and was determined that they would not be glued to their devices the whole time. I went to my local Spotlight store and bought some […]

School holiday fun

School holidays are a great opportunity for frugal fun-time. Here are just some of the many no or low-cost activities to keep the kids entertained. • Go camping – at home! Pitch a tent on the lawn. An oily ragger writes that the best camping holiday they had was at home. Toasted marshmallows around a […]

Last week we wrote about Uber and Airbnb and how these “disruptors” were providing money-saving and money-making opportunities. Fiona from the UK has written to us to say that booking holiday accommodation via Airbnb has certainly saved her money. “Here in Europe Airbnb is definitely cheaper. I have just booked nine nights in a lovely […]

Frugal travels

A reader from Palmerston North is planning a 4-month overseas walking holiday and is asking the oily rag community for money-saving travelling tips. If you have any suggestions, let us know and we will pass them on. But as a start, we thought we would catch up on the latest travel market innovations. Things have […]

Holiday house swap

There are lots of listing services for those looking for house sitters or wanting to swap their property with others in places near and far. House swapping is a great way to get cheap accommodation and have someone look after your house while you are away. Have a look at Home Exchange, and Holswap but there are […]

P.L., Auckland.

It’s possible to cut travel costs and enjoy driving free rental cars and camper vans in New Zealand by checking out the online transfer deals. Most of the time drivers also receive a free tank of petrol! How does this work? Rental car companies need to reposition their fleet for new hires and usually spend […]

Angela Allan

When going out of town we always check www.wotif.com and www.lastminute.co.nz for motels and hotels. Great rooms and really great prices. We also use www.holidayhomes.co.nz and www.holidayhouses.co.nz for when the whole family are going away for a few nights or more. All 3 sites have been very helpful and have saved a thousands in accommodation. […]

A.C.

If you (holiday) house swap with family members then you don’t have to advertise and you should know whether your place will be looked after or not.