World watchers will be well aware that people power uprisings are changing society as we know it. Less well known is the social uprising happening right here in New Zealand. Oily rag mania is sweeping through the burbs from Kaitaia to Stewart Island, as backyards and households are being transformed by people embracing an oily […]
Denise from Auckland has sent us this great letter about growing a backyard garden. She shows what can be done to transform a tough back-yard section into a productive garden providing fresh vegetables at little or no cost. Here’s her letter. It’s easy to grow produce in NZ, but especially if you are in […]
Summer is the time to fill your pantry shelves and freezer with food to last you through to the next growing season. It’s a matter of dollars and sense for the frugal family because fruit and vegetables are cheapest when they are abundant – and serious savers will be making the most of the opportunity! […]
New Zealand has changed a lot in the last 40 years. Not only are there new words like tweeting, and the movies we used to watch back then are more like today’s reality than yesterday’s science fiction, but what we do with our money is also changing. According to Statistics New Zealand, we are […]
Interest rates are on the rise. The Governor of the Reserve Bank has for some time now been saying interest rates will rise and most economists expect rates to rise by 2% within two years. For most people that means they will be paying more on interest, and have less for the other things. […]
Oily Rag readers have been sending in lots of interesting and imaginative tips to share with others of a frugal disposition. JWC from Auckland has an interesting lunchtime vegetable recipe. “Warm Salad. Preparation time: 4 minutes. You will need: 3 medium carrots coarsely grated, 2 or 3 Brazil nuts crushed slightly, 1 level teaspoon […]
For most of us the holidays are now a merely a pleasant but fading memory – it’s back to work or study. Being the start of the school and university year, it’s worth reminding students how to save money on a limited or non-existent income. Most of the oily rag tips on this website […]
We – and many others around Aoteaoilyragaroa – are having fun watching giant pumpkins grow larger by the day. The giant ones are not very edible, but the kids certainly get pretty excited when they see pumpkins growing larger than they are. But, of course the oily rag garden is not without its ordinary […]
Oily raggers are really good at making Christmas an occasion without the cost. Here are some tips for those looking for creative ways to celebrate Christmas. A classic oily rag tip is to re-gift things that have been given to you but never used. One oily rag couple don’t drink wine, but they gladly receive […]
For most people holidays involve travel. It’s therefore an appropriate time to remind motorists that safe driving also makes financial sense. We have done some number crunching using the latest motor vehicle operating cost report. This is what we found. The cost of owning a vehicle (ignoring any interest cost or lost income […]