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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 Protect Yourself.

If you are self employed, who pays you when you can’t work?

Many people think ACC will pay if they get sick.

emptycanBut ACC only pay for "accidental injury", not sickness or illness

and ACC definitely only pay up to a limit. This represents a huge risk to most New Zealanders as the historical statistics show that 5 out of 6 disabilities are caused by illness - not accidents.

One insurance company revealed in it's claims statistics that the average age of the worker making a claim on their income protection plan was 43 YEARS OLD - obviously many are younger and many much older. This "average" age though is when many have their largest personal financial commitments. So often, when people can least afford to take the risk, they most need protection.

If you do have an accident then ACC should provide something. Often however it is not as much as people hoped, because many self employed legitimately minimize their personal taxation position – and ACC work on you personal taxable income at claim time.

For the self-employed there are a few things to do that make good sense, and can help to avoid the problem entirely.

  1. Get some professional advice to work out what ACC might provide, and which of the ACC products are the best choice in your situation.
  2. Build up some cash reserves so you can self fund a month or two, and park the reserve outside of your business.
  3. Consider some of the business insurance plans that can put money into your business, by covering temporary loss of a key person (like you!) or covering some of the overheads and expenses. They are a business expense too by the way...
  4. Once you've covered the first 3 steps it makes sense to work out what shortfall there might be coming into your household from your business and then look at your personal insurance protection.

It is possible to set up your affairs so that money comes in if you are too ill to work in your own business, and with some good advice and good planning you can do it in a way that gets the best out of ACC, and your business, and your personal insurance plan.

  • Last updated on .