Now you might be thinking it’s February, why are we still talking about Christmas? Well we’re not really, more a nifty way to save money. In fact, one that the Customer Owned Banking Association (COBA) is encouraging Aussies to think about in 2021.
Baking bread, making frothy coffee and binge watching a documentary about a man and his love for tigers - there’s not much we didn’t do in 2020 to stave off boredom. But according to new Mozo data, we also spent time indulging in a bit of retail therapy. Mozo analysis shows that 1 in 3 Aussies have increased their comfort spending since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. A massive 87% of Aussies admitted that they do comfort spend, with one in five frequently making comfort purchases. And if that wasn’t frightening enough, a Mozo number crunch found that the average Aussie is dropping $2,172 a year on comfort purchases, nationally that’s a jaw dropping $37,533,391,524! “Many of us have been cooped up at home and that has led to some sizable comfort spending. One in three people spent more last year on comfort spending than they had ever spent before,” said Mozo Director, Kirsty Lamont. “It’s no surprise that over half admit that their comfort spending habits put pressure on their budget.”
In December last year, neobank Xinja renounced its Authorised Deposit-Taking Institution (ADI) licence and discontinued its banking and savings accounts.
When it comes to money management, the decade got off to a very weird start. A global pandemic and short-lived recession left many Australians struggling to maintain funds in their savings accounts, while others started spending in new ways.
Australians are looking to spend more across retail, entertainment, motor vehicles and home buying, according to the November instalment of the Commonwealth Bank’s Household Spending Intentions series .
Whether you’re still in uniform, studying at college or in between years at uni, the summer holiday stretch can be a great time to get some work experience. Of course, if you are lucky enough to land a job over the next few months, you’ll want to make sure you use your earnings wisely.
For many Australians, the first experience they have with managing and saving money comes with using a bank account or savings account from one of the big four banks.
The NSW government will be handing out $100 worth of vouchers to be spent on dining and entertainment in a bid to help the sectors hardest hit by COVID-19.The Out & About (Dine and Discover) voucher scheme will distribute four $25 vouchers to all NSW residents over the age of 18. Two will be designated for restaurants, cafes and clubs, and two for entertainment venues such as cinemas and art galleries.Importantly, the program does not allow for spending on retail products, alcohol, gambling or cigarettes.The four vouchers cannot be combined and each voucher is single-use, meaning it will expire even if the cost of the outing is under $25.Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the scheme will help revitalise small businesses across NSW, who have seen activity plummet due to social distancing measures and an erosion of consumer confidence. “We want to encourage people to open up their wallets and contribute to the stimulus effect,” he said.“The dining and entertainment industries were among the hardest hit by the pandemic and I would encourage people to use this scheme once it is up and running and to make sure they spend a bit extra on the way through too.”RELATED: NSW government announces plans to phase out stamp dutyTo be eligible for the voucher scheme, businesses must register with Service NSW and be designated COVID-safe.The vouchers will be made available in early 2021 via the Service NSW mobile app. But a trial of the program is due to commence in the Sydney CBD in December.The government could also take its cues from similar programs rolled out in the UK, in which use of vouchers is limited to less busy days throughout the week.
Buy now pay later giant Afterpay and major bank Westpac have announced they'll be joining forces. As part of the Westpac Group’s new digital bank-as-a-service platform, Afterpay will introduce savings accounts and cash flow tools to its customers. Back in November of last year, Westpac said it would invest in the digital banking platform as part of its full year results and this appears to have now come to fruition. Chief executive Peter King said fintech innovation is reshaping the way Aussies bank and how the traditional bank needs to keep up. “Our new digital banking platform is part of our long-term strategy to support this trend and better respond to changing customer needs,” he said. “The platform allows us to combine our banking experience with the innovation of our partners to support new customer experiences. We look forward to working with Afterpay to deliver new products and services.”
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