Monthly Archives: February 2014

Bad debt and very bad debt

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.   […]

Money saving tips from readers

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 […]

Money saving tips for students

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 […]

Fantastically frugal pumpkin

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 […]