News Archive for December 2022

Ahh, sunny weather. Seems like bliss after floods and fires! But the intense Australian summer heat can still damage your home, not all of which is covered by home and contents insurance. And this Aussie summer is set to be a scorcher thanks to El Niño.

With every New Year comes the chance to reinvent yourself and take the year ahead into your own hands, and it’s no different with your finances.

New Year, new you. Let’s refresh your mobile phone game by comparing some of the hottest plans on the market right now.

Not sure what to name your new puppy? No woz – here are 101 bone-afide dog names to get the creative juices flowing. Sign that pet insurance certificate with pride!

After the combined tidal wave of Black Friday and holiday shopping, many Aussie bank balances may be cringe-inducing. And the cost of living this year looks like it won’t be much better.

Believe it or not, 2023 is right around the corner, meaning that New Year's Eve is hastily approaching.

If you’re sending money to a loved one this season, you’re far from alone. In fact, new figures from international money transfer technology company Wise show that when it comes to gifting money abroad for the holidays, Aussies are some of the most generous in the world.

Still haven’t made plans for New Year’s Eve? Not to worry, we’ve got you covered!

Costly groceries. Larger energy bills. Higher home loan rates. It can all add up!But the new year brings a chance to reset your money matters. Yes, it's time to park the financial woes and start some good habits! So to help, the following list offers resources about all of our most pressing money queries, from understanding interest rates to bringing down energy costs.

New research from Australian financial tech company Zip finds that Aussies are planning ahead of Boxing Day to make sure they’re ready to shop.

The days of a low Australian dollar might soon be over.

Secret Santa is not much of a secret in 2022 - it's everywhere! But where did this little tradition start?It really does seem like a game created in a corner office somewhere as a way to make gift giving less arduous. But the internet will tell you that the idea started with an American man named Larry Dean Stewart who secretly donated $100 notes to random people. He did this as an act of goodwill for 25 years through the eighties and into the 2000s before revealing his secret. After people heard about all that generosity, Secret Santa gained snow tyre-like traction. Beside the niceness of it, there's an obvious simplicity involved: it's a way to get Christmas presents in perhaps a smaller, more cost effective way, that also removes the obligation of buying piles of stuff. If you’ve been hiding inside a large stocking each year and missed this trend, here’s the lowdown: Secret Santa or Kris Kringle as it's also known asks participants, be they family, friends or co-workers, to buy just one gift for one person within the group – secretly. Everyone gets one, everyone’s happy. So while it reduces the pressure that many feel to shop come Christmas, it’s also become more appealing as higher living costs hit.We play this game in our house and enjoy it, but it has had me wondering if something is lost in not giving to more than one person? I might be in the minority but I kind of liked thinking about gift ideas for different members of my family. So, I’ve been wondering, are there other ways to share the festive vibe without watering the tradition down to economics? I suppose you could either buy very cheap gifts, or just make them. (Easier said than done, right!) Many of us probably want to make small purchases, or at least buy the materials to create something simple, but that's where the inquiry stops because, well, what exactly constitutes a decent homemade gift? I have no idea.So to help figure this out, I took on some heavy duty Googling for you (you can thank me later with a hand-drawn card). This short list might just give you the start you need to go from Secret Santa, to a very Obvious Elf, if that's something, like me, you were hoping to achieve. 1. Ornaments and decorations: You can buy pretty inexpensive ornaments for under $10, and as tiny as they may be, they can be really pleasing to the eye. You can also make ornaments pretty easily, be it out of Fimo clay, paddle pop sticks, cardboard or even pine cones. Sure, you'll need some ribbon, or paint, maybe some glue, but this type of thing is available at the $2 shop if it's not already in the top draw of your desk. 2. Homemade jam or chutney: Some fruit, sugar, spice and all things nice. All you need is a pan, heat and a few ingredients. Oh, and a bit of time to cook it down, then pour into a nice looking jar. A ribbon might be nice, too.3. A music playlist: Back in the day a mix tape meant a lot, and while today's digital playlists aren't as tangible, they can still be fun. Why not pull some meaningful tracks together to share with a loved one. It’s a nice thought, and that can be all you need for "the most wonderful time of the year." 4. Candles: Yes, there can be some pricey ones, but basic low cost fragrant candles are easy to find at supermarkets and dollar stores, too. You can spruce them up a little as well by adding a handmade card. This one is literally five minutes of work and can look very appealing. If you need a bit more help with your Christmas shopping, we have plenty of helpful guides, like this one about the top video games for kids. Still feeling indecisive? Why not try the Boxing Day sales which we've also curated for you!

Summer is coming for Australians, and it promises to be a hot one. So if you're keen to visit a tropical island to escape to a winter wonderland this season, it's great to know there are plenty of amazing options to love. After all, paradise can look hot or cold, no matter the season, and travel insurance applies to snow and oceanic adventures alike.

It looks like, even with the strain from the cost of living crisis, Aussies are spending more this Christmas than before. According to Roy Morgan's findings, pre-Christmas sales are expected to grow to $63.9 billion—a 3% increase from the previous year.

Are you tired of the cookie-cutter Christmas movies that emerge from hibernation to ring in the silly season each December? We’ve found 8 unconventional Christmas movies you can stream these holidays that break the mould of the bog-standard Hallmark feature.

With Christmas fast approaching, it’s time to start prepping for Amazon's next big sale on Boxing Day.

The thirteen Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) rate hikes since May 2022 have made the last two years gruelling for anyone with a home loan.

An economic climate fraught with inflation has pushed up interest rates and the cost of living, making it a challenge for borrowers to meet their repayment obligations across a range of credit products, including home loans.

Now that Black Friday sales have drawn to a close, we start looking forward to the next major sales event - Boxing Day!

At Mozo, we spend a lot of time reviewing products so that you have all of the information you need to make smart financial decisions. The more information you have to make those decisions, the better, and that’s one of the reasons we also collect reviews from you!

We’re already halfway through December and Christmas is fast approaching, which means many people have already put up their Christmas trees and decorated their houses with hundreds of lights.

As Christmas spending goes into hyperdrive, Aussies are looking to get the most out of the money they’re spending.

During the Summer holiday season, money seems to grow legs and walks right out of our bank account.

This year’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales have been and gone and many around the world took advantage.

Got a little one who wants to play video games, but you don’t know where to start? Have no fear - we’ve rounded up video games perfectly suitable for kids.

This one goes out to all the readers who aren’t Christmas-keepers! Whether you’re beholden to Hanukkah, or eschew religion altogether, this time of year is expensive even without Christmas on the agenda. With a cost of living crisis on our hands, even avoiding Christmas can get costly, and we’re here with tips on how to keep those costs down.

With an increase in interest rates from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), many are starting to see this as a better time than ever to start pumping money into their savings accounts.

With RBA rate hikes rapidly approaching their peak, more Aussies than ever are jumping ship from home loans that no longer work for them. But there are a few things to consider when making the switch: call them certified reality clarifiers.

The Reserve Bank of Australia has brought the hammer down one final time this year, delivering a 25 basis point hike to the cash rate that will put more strain on household budgets ahead of Christmas.

If you have a book worm in your life but aren’t sure what book to give them this Christmas, look no further than Booktopia’s unique selection of “Best Books of 2022.”

Want a new mobile phone without spending too much right before Christmas?

“It’s the most wonderful tiiii-me of the yearrrrrr!”

Last updated: 9 December at 10:03 am

It’s 2022 and you think you’ve read every possible take on Richard Curtis’ 2003 Christmas staple, Love Actually. Currently streaming on Stan and Binge, Love Actually has long been the centre of cultural discourse: Is Love Actually actually bad? Is Love Actually good? Does Love Actually hold up 20 years later? At Mozo, we’re only interested in one thing: the cold, hard cash of it all.

There’s good money to be saved as we end the year!

How were you over Black Friday? Snuck in some sneaky Cyber Monday spending? Maybe treated the whole month of November as a free-for-all and now there’s a gaping wound where your savings used to be?

With the rising cost of living ongoing, Aussies are feeling the financial strain of the holiday season more than ever.

Good ol’ St. Nicholas is a responsible pet owner. Not only does he want to give his reindeer pet insurance for Christmas, but he wants to get them the best coverage possible for the best price. T’is the season, after all.

We’re all aware of the energy crisis, but now bigger bills are coming in and Aussies want ways to cut back on energy expenses.

Climate change is bad for business, not just the planet. Australia’s leading oversight authority warned the nation’s top five banks this week that unless they take action, their finances could take a loss in the coming years – leaving them vulnerable to future economic shocks.

There’s no doubt that those of us who own a furry friend love them like part of the family, but unfortunately love isn’t always enough when it comes to caring for our pets. Putting aside the costs for food and grooming, pet owners should also consider getting pet insurance for their four-legged friends.

If you’ve become reliant on digital payments over the past few years, you’re in good company. The State of Consumer Money Movement Report 2022, issued by card-issuing platform Marqeta, shows that a much higher rate of Australians have adopted mobile wallet usage than our UK and US counterparts.

RACV’s 2022 Car Running Cost Survey has named the cheapest cars to run in Australia this year, including a breakdown of the cheapest cars by category.

The banking sector is a constantly evolving area with an ever-changing landscape of buzzwords and jargon. Technology and climate change continue to disrupt the traditional way of doing things and it can make you feel like you’re reading another language.

With large car-sharing communities established in the US, UK and Canada, Turo has brought its business to the Australian marketplace.

This year, borrowers have endured a difficult seven months of interest rate hikes that have seen the cash rate go from 0.10% to 2.85%. The Reserve Bank is widely expected to lift rates again this month, and there’s a good chance it will bring the hammer down again early next year.

New research from Commonwealth Bank reveals that room for pets is a top priority for 38% of first-home buyers.

Aussies who fixed their mortgages back in 2020 have benefited from low interest rates for almost three years. But with many fixed terms set to expire soon, borrowers will have to adjust to a massive jump in monthly repayments.