Community

BudgetingBudget Times

2008 has seen a general mood of belt tightening being recorded across the community. If you’ve got a dose of the “mortgage, credit card, petrol and cheese blues” our libraries have great resources to help you save money and manage your budget.

Some key online resources

Sorted
Free independent money guide, run by the Retirement Commission. It’s full of calculators and information to help you manage your personal finances throughout life.
Consumer
From the Consumers' Institute. Offers some free content from the magazine. Most requires paid subscription or on a pay-per-view basis. The library has borrowing and reference copies of Consumer.
Trademe
New Zealand’s busiest online buy and sell website. Includes jobs and property.
Sustainable Living
A guide for New Zealanders to reducing your impact on the planet, getting a healthier lifestyle and saving money on energy bills, shopping, gardening, metered water and motoring.

Top Ten Budget Actions

1. Join the library

Get library cards for all the family
A library card opens the door to a vast range of free or inexpensive entertainment and information. Our network of libraries will provide you with free computer access to a huge range of information and entertainment. We have libraries all over the city so you don’t have to travel far. If you have a computer at home let the library website be your gateway to fun and information.

2. Set yourself a budget

3. Reduce your travel costs

Check the information in our Energy Efficient Travel resource.

4. Reduce your energy costs

Check the information in our Energy Use and Conservation resource.

5. Sell up your surplus

You might have seen it on reality tv shows like Cash in the Attic. Now check out online auction websites like Trademe and Zillion or visit a secondhand or antique dealer. Our libraries have a great range of catalogues which can give you an idea of the value of stamps, coins, antiques and other collectables.

6.Shop smart

  • Sustainable Living has a great section on shopping.
  • Trademe is the most used online website for New Zealanders buying and selling secondhand everything.
  • Our Pulse Youth website has a guide to making your money go further and secondhand shopping.
  • Christchurch and surrounds are home to an increasing number of Markets
  • Plan your shopping list and take a calculator to the supermarket.
  • Use Consumer to find out the best value, best performed products and services.

7. Make your own

  • Our Good Life section has some great suggestions for useful resources.
  • Make your own bread, clothes and furniture.
  • Felt is a New Zealand website where you can buy and sell handcrafted items including clothes.
  • Etsy is an American version of the same. Etsy has a Kiwi group of New Zealand craftspeople who sell on Etsy.

8. Grow your own stuff

If you haven’t got a vege garden going, or you want to branch out see the resources in our Gardening guide.

9. Do It Yourself

Fix your car, paint a room, make curtains, fix a leaking tap – there are many ways you can save money. The library has a great collection of do it yourself books, magazines and videos and dvds.

10. Cheap fun

Parks, Walking and Cycle Tracks, Council Events, Beaches, Libraries, Museums, Art Galleries are all places where you can go for cheap fun and activities for the whole family.
Places you can regularly check for free or low cost events include Be There, Eventfinder.co.nz, NZLive, The Hive, Walking, Parks and Reserves and Christchurch City Council Recreation are all useful places for finding out about free or low cost activities.