http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab There is no "One True Path" to emigrating. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:00:30 +0000 en hourly 1 http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2012/01/maybe-she-should-have-read-some-blogs/ http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2012/01/maybe-she-should-have-read-some-blogs/#comments Sun, 29 Jan 2012 02:36:06 +0000 Avalon http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/?p=4891 Lisa Welbourne from Britian is a recent immigrant to New Zealand who is (like many of us) shocked at the price of food. The problem is that while most sources of information like forums don’t actually hammer on about this (and crap over the people that try and talk about it), there are indeed places [...] Related posts:

1. Overcharging – it’s not just rugby shirts.
2. Why exactly should interest rates have to go up?
3. Kiwi’s are sick of rip-off food prices too.

]]> http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2012/01/maybe-she-should-have-read-some-blogs/feed/ 4 http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2012/01/amazon-now-charging-postage-to-new-zealand-boo-hiss/ http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2012/01/amazon-now-charging-postage-to-new-zealand-boo-hiss/#comments Sun, 22 Jan 2012 06:16:09 +0000 Avalon http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/?p=4855   Argghhhhhhhhhhhh.   The “trial” that they were doing which gave us free postage to New Zealand if we spent over £25 has ended. With bugger all notice. Which is really stupid, because I would have put a bloody great big order if they had given me some notice. Now though, they will have to [...] Related posts:

1. A Dance With Dragons – Half price
2. I really love Amazon.
3. Attempting to use the Whitcoulls “sale”

]]> http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2012/01/amazon-now-charging-postage-to-new-zealand-boo-hiss/feed/ 6 http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2012/01/why-does-it-cost-so-much-to-buy-tickets-to-a-local-event/ http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2012/01/why-does-it-cost-so-much-to-buy-tickets-to-a-local-event/#comments Sat, 14 Jan 2012 23:19:59 +0000 Avalon http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/?p=4827 My family were trying to buy tickets to a Local event – the 2012 Wairarapa Wines Harvest Festival. This is an event held in March to allow wineries outside of Martinborough to try and get some of the kudos (and $$$?) of Toast Martinborough which they are not allowed to be part of. Martinborough Wineries [...] Related posts:

1. Do you want Fry buys with your combine harvester?
2. Toast Martinborough 2009 – the aftermath.
3. The Martinborough Fair.

]]> http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2012/01/why-does-it-cost-so-much-to-buy-tickets-to-a-local-event/feed/ 3 http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2012/01/wow-the-internet-works/ http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2012/01/wow-the-internet-works/#comments Tue, 10 Jan 2012 02:36:55 +0000 Hubby http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/?p=4779 It’s been an interesting experience dealing with different internet service providers here in Wellington.  Capital city, you’d think you could get a decent internet connection.  We’ll skip the whole two pieces of wet string connecting  NZ to the rest of the world, and Ultra Fast Broadband that the Govt is pumping Billions of Dollars into [...] Related posts:

1. Why the Internet costs so much.
2. Crap internet in the city – again.
3. Vodafone broadband – carrier pigeon would be quicker!

]]> http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2012/01/wow-the-internet-works/feed/ 5 http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2012/01/the-47-rules-of-money/ http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2012/01/the-47-rules-of-money/#comments Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:00:23 +0000 Avalon http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/?p=4786 This appeared in the Herald on New Years Eve, written by Diana Clement. I really like her articles about personal finance, and shes well worth a read. Unlike Mary Holm, she writes about general finance and makes an awful lot of sense, rather than just bleating on about how wonderful Kiwisaver is and how bad [...] Related posts:

1. You don’t save when you have debts to pay.
2. Avalon’s Money Thread: Am I a Big Spender?
3. Paying off debt – still too hard for most people :(

]]> http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2012/01/the-47-rules-of-money/feed/ 0 http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/12/charging-for-bonus-fly-buys/ http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/12/charging-for-bonus-fly-buys/#comments Tue, 20 Dec 2011 03:39:24 +0000 Avalon http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/?p=4739 Fly Buys – the ubiquitous “loyalty” scheme that gives you points for spending money, that you can then in theory swap for flights. You need to spend about $25 in New World to get 1 fly buy – which is worked out generally to be worth 15-20c, depending on what you buy. If you get [...] Related posts:

1. Do you want Fry buys with your combine harvester?
2. Applying for a new credit card.
3. Charging 5c for plastic bags. The cheek of it!

]]> http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/12/charging-for-bonus-fly-buys/feed/ 0 http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/12/how-far-would-you-go-to-save-money/ http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/12/how-far-would-you-go-to-save-money/#comments Fri, 09 Dec 2011 06:09:44 +0000 Avalon http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/?p=4710 While browsing the online Dom Post last week and reading the articles about Occupy Wellington, I saw a comment that talked about the protesters running a workshop on how to make your own Moon Pads. For those who need to ask – those are Sanitary Towels. Which got me thinking – as much as I [...] Related posts:

1. Where to save some money.
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3. ANZ saved the day :)

]]> http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/12/how-far-would-you-go-to-save-money/feed/ 0 http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/12/buying-soho/ http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/12/buying-soho/#comments Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:13:26 +0000 Avalon http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/?p=4702 Back in September I blogged about the possibility of buying SoHo, a new pay tv channel from Sky. Well, we did. At and extra $10 a month on our Sky Subscription. Now to be perfectly honest – if funds are tight, then pay TV is one of the first things that I would generally consider [...] Related posts:

1. Is it worth $10 a month to watch some decent TV?
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]]> http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/12/buying-soho/feed/ 0 http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/12/another-vodafone-overcharging-scam-to-watch-our-for/ http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/12/another-vodafone-overcharging-scam-to-watch-our-for/#comments Fri, 02 Dec 2011 05:56:07 +0000 Avalon http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/?p=4681 We have blogged about issues with charging for Data use on a smartphone - when we don’t actually use the phone for internet use. We still havent got to the bottom of that – but primarily because we couldn’t be bothered to get the service switched back on, and faff around trying to “help” Vodafone [...] Related posts:

1. Update on Vodafone NZ Overcharging
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3. Vodafone broadband – carrier pigeon would be quicker!

]]> http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/12/another-vodafone-overcharging-scam-to-watch-our-for/feed/ 2 http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/12/would-you-spend-30-to-avoid-losing-16/ http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/12/would-you-spend-30-to-avoid-losing-16/#comments Thu, 01 Dec 2011 19:52:10 +0000 Avalon http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/?p=4687 I hope not. But that’s what the people at ThinkGeek were expecting me to do, and as I am sure you can imagine I was a bit peeved. So whats the deal? Well, Think Geek is one of my favorite online stores. They sell Lightsabers. And a myriad of other geeky good things: the coolest [...] Related posts:

1. Making the most of the crap exchange rate – Lightsabres are cheap :)
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