I wonder if Santa is worried about paying the rent at the North Pole this year.

Not to mention feeding all those elves and reindeers, while they are busy preparing to do their super-sonic flight around the globe in one night.

The Debtfix Crew have written to him and here’s their Christmas wish list for a debt-free Christmas.

If you’re worried about money right now you are not alone.

Last month it was revealed that “concern about personal finances is now considered to be the biggest impact on New Zealanders’ mental wellbeing, likely related to the increased cost of living.”

Now we are in the Christmas and summer holiday season, which is one of the most challenging times of the year for everyone. There is help.

It can be a real struggle knowing what to do when people ask you for a loan, especially if it’s a friend or family member who asks for some extra cash.

Most of us want to help others in their hour of need but before you hand over the bucks, it pays for you to completely review the situation and seek advice from others.

The Debtfix Crew does come across people who have debt problems because they have lent money to friends or family, then the deal went wrong for everyone.

Since 2019, the total number of applications for bankruptcy in New Zealand have decreased, as have the number of bankruptcy judgments approved by the courts.

The Debtfix Crew is stoked to hear the good news, but we know our work is not yet done.

There are different thoughts about why the number of bankruptcies has decreased, mainly focused on the money distributed to businesses to minimise the fallout from Covid restrictions.

Why is it always so easy to sign up for something and so mind-numbingly difficult to shut that same something down when we are done with it?

It’s like joining a club or maybe even a cult – that no one will let you leave.

If you have signed up to direct debits to pay for a gym membership, power account, phone bill, insurances, or any other regular bills, it can feel impossible to stop the payments.

You’ve bought a nice new printer, electric kettle or smart phone and the super helpful salesperson asks if you’d like an extended warranty or product protection. They politely suggest it’ll only cost a small amount and you can feel safe and sound, knowing your shiny new appliance is covered for an extra couple of years.

STOP.

Extended warranties are frequently offered on items that are for your personal use only and they are similar to the add-on loan insurances often offered by businesses such as car dealers.

Recently, wild weather hit many parts of New Zealand letting us know winter is on the way and the Debtfix Crew thought it was time to get planning to reduce the risk of expensive disasters.

When your neighbourhood is flooding or the power goes off for a couple of days, the last thing you need to worry about is how to pay for takeaways to feed the family.

The Crew likes to ensure people have contingency money in their budgets for the unexpected and there has been a lot of unexpected during the last couple of years.

You’ve taken a quick loan to buy a new car, to cover the cost of a trip overseas, or even to consolidate your other loans and the finance company asks, “Would you like insurance with that?”

The add-on purchase may not have crossed your mind but when you think about it, the extra security of an insurance that covers debt repayments may sound like a good idea.

The person selling you the loan may imply it is compulsory to buy insurance but what are your rights and what are their obligations?

When signing up to study at a tertiary level thoughts of career prospects, learning about subjects you’re really interested in and student parties are most likely top of mind. For most New Zealanders, university or polytechnic life also means signing up for a student loan.

Debtfix advocates paying off the most expensive debts first and the advantage of a student loan is that while students remain in New Zealand, they have an interest free loan. It doesn’t get much cheaper than that.

That’s another Christmas done, the kids are back to school (hopefully for a full year) and the working year should be in full swing (Covid traffic lights willing).

How’s your credit card feeling? Is it suffering from Paywave fatigue? How about that buy now, pay later account? Has later arrived much sooner than expected?

If you are feeling the effects of post-holiday-debt-disorder you are not alone and now is the time to make one small change to prevent the same cash-tastrophe next Christmas.

No matter what’s been going on in your world this year with lockdowns, restrictions, or not much difference in your neighbourhood – we all know Christmas is coming.

This year it threatens to be a biggie because people just want to have a good time. However, the one thing the Debtfix Crew wishes for all friends and whānau is a debt-free celebration that leads to a positive start to 2022.

Going to the doctor or dentist can be too costly for many New Zealanders and lots of everyday people delay or never get healthcare because they can’t afford it. This greatly concerns the entire Debtfix Crew especially when treating medical or dental problems when they are small is the cheapest way of managing your health.

Delaying healthcare can cost you a lot more than money.