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Christmas Present Tips for Guys

Christmas Shopping Tips for Guys

giftgreen1Most of us guys are useless at Christmas shopping. Here's a few tips I've picked up over the years.

Ladies, you might want to share this with the men in your family to avoid getting an undesirable and badly wrapped present this Christmas.

  1. Buying your Christmas presents at a petrol station or dairy on Christmas morning really isn't the done thing - apparently not everyone wants a funnel, box of biscuits or a car care kit. Don't do it.
  2. Get started early, no not on Christmas Eve, yesterday was already too late.
  3. First thing in the morning is the best time to Christmas shop, and I mean first thing, teenagers are still in bed.
  4. It's not the thought that counts, it's how MUCH thought that counts.
  5. Cash is a GREAT present for teenagers - and me.
  6. If you must give gift vouchers make sure they are from a shop the recipient actually shops in and try and avoid those with an expiry date.
  7. Wrapping and cards are important, you and I know it's just paper but for some reason they are important.
  8. Before you start browsing in a shop check that it does gift wrapping and accept the service - wait if necessary. If the shop doesn't do gift wrapping move on to the next. Unless you are an expert present wrapper - Yeah Right!
  9. Even if every present you buy is gift wrapped, buy plenty of wrapping paper and sellotape. You are going to need it because dairy's and petrol stations don't gift wrap and being a bloke you'll probably ignore number 1.

Guys ignore the above at your peril and have a wonderful Christmas.

Posted in Commentary on the Investment Environment.

The New Normal

The New Normal

The Reserve Bank has left the Official Cash Rate (OCR) unchanged at 2.5 percent. The summary and the accompanying Monetary Policy Statement accompanying the announcement make for interesting ‘reading of the tea leaves’ about what the future might hold for investors, business and households in general.

In a nutshell Reserve Bank Governor Alan Bollard said the New Zealand economy is recovering broadly as expected and growth is predicted to pick-up further through 2010 to about 4 percent next year but this is subdued (words in bold are my emphasis) relative to previous recoveries. Growth outside New Zealand is strongest in China, Australia, and emerging Asia, but is much more muted in other trading partners. At the same time, risks around the global outlook have increased, although not to the extreme levels seen at the height of the crisis.

The Statement went on to say households are still cautious with their spending, house sales and credit growth remaining subdued. Business spending is weak despite much improved confidence.

These descriptions essentially outline the “New Normal”. We will continue for the next 5-7 years to suffer a “double-D” sized hangover - outsized double deficits of income and debt in both the Government’s and households’ books.

Economic activity will remain patchy and subdued as households and Government reduce debt and businesses strengthen their balance sheets. The price of money has risen and its availability has reduced as banks are more cautious in their lending and development funding has substantially dried up. This will also impede growth.

The silver lining to these gloomy clouds is that as ‘risk’ has been re-priced and as corporates and local authorities have needed to extend their funding bases there are improved income opportunities for investors.

My Mum used to say “there’s nothing new under the sun” maybe the New Normal is just a return to how things used to be….

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