Cost-effective ways to help keep the Christmas spirit alive
New research has revealed cost of living pressures are significantly impacting Queenslanders' Christmas holiday plans, with seven out of 10 people (70%) worried about spending money on a summer holiday.
According to the recent RACQ survey, one in five people (20%) plan to work over the Christmas break as they are unable to afford to take time off and almost half (45%) expect their holidays to be impacted by the rising cost of petrol.
RACQ Chief Executive Banking Michelle Winzer said although many people were impacted by cost of living pressures, there were cost-effective ways to help maintain the Christmas spirit.
“Cutting back on costs doesn’t mean you can’t have a fun and memorable Christmas and New Year, even if it means a change to your regular plans,” Ms Winzer said.
“If you have holiday plans this year, it may be worth considering shortening the duration, holidaying closer to home or somewhere more affordable or postponing your holidays to non-peak times.
“We often spend more at this time of year, so it’s very important to avoid getting swept up in the Christmas period and stuck in debt that you may struggle to repay.”
Acknowledging the challenging financial environment, Ms Winzer encouraged people to take proactive steps to manage their finances.
“Be mindful about the use of credit cards or buy now pay later services as it may lead to unwanted stress in the new year,” she said.
Ms Winzer said support was available to RACQ members experiencing financial hardship and she encouraged people to reach out if they need assistance.
“We urge anyone needing support to contact us and we can fast-track financial hardship requests and discuss ways we can help out.”
To further help ease cost of living pressures RACQ has also launched a new cashback program, which helps members earn rewards on everyday purchases when shopping online at more than 170 home, pet, fashion and beauty retailers.
The cashback offers form part of RACQ’s Member Benefits program which has helped RACQ members save more than $22 million in the past year.
To find out more, visit racq.com/cashback
Key findings:
- 70% of Queenslanders worried about spending money on a summer holiday
- 20% of Queenslanders will have to work over the Christmas break as they can’t afford time off
- 45% of Queenslanders will be impacted by the rising cost of petrol over the holiday period
- The younger generation (18-34) are most likely to have changed Christmas travel plans due to the rising cost of living
- 24% of Queenslanders have shortened the duration of a holiday due to the rising cost of living
- 38% of Queenslanders intend to spend less this Christmas than last year
*Survey findings from RACQ Quarterly Consumer Omnibus, FY24 Q2, n=405.
Related topics
-
The information in this article has been prepared for general information purposes only and is not intended as legal advice or specific advice to any particular person. Any advice contained in the document is general advice, not intended as legal advice or professional advice and does not take into account any person’s particular circumstances. Before acting on anything based on this advice you should consider its appropriateness to you, having regard to your objectives and needs.
Insurance products (excluding Travel Insurance) are issued by RACQ Insurance Limited ABN 50 009 704 152 (RACQ). Conditions, limits and exclusions apply. This is general advice only and may not be right for you. This information does not take your personal objectives, circumstances or needs into account. Read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and any applicable Supplementary PDS before making a purchase decision on this product. You can also access our Target Market Determinations on this website.
Banking and loan products issued by Members Banking Group Limited ABN 83 087 651 054 AFSL/Australian credit licence 241195 trading as RACQ Bank. Terms, conditions, fees, charges and lending policies apply. This is general advice only and may not be right for you. This information does not take your personal objectives, circumstances or needs into account. Read the disclosure documents for your selected product or service, including the Financial Services Guide and the Terms and Conditions, and consider if appropriate for you before deciding.
Except for RACQ Bank, any RACQ entity referred to on this page is not an authorised deposit-taking institution for the purposes of the Banking Act 1959 (Cth). That entity’s obligations do not represent deposits or other liabilities of RACQ Bank. RACQ Bank does not guarantee or otherwise provide assurance in respect of the obligations of that entity, unless noted otherwise.
RACQ Operations Pty Ltd (ABN 80 009 663 414 AR 000234978) and Members Travel Group Pty Ltd (ABN 45 144 538 803 AR 000432492) are acting as an Authorised Representative of the issuer of the insurance, Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co., Ltd. (ABN 80 000 438 291 AFSL 246 548). Any advice set out above is general in nature only, and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before purchasing any travel products, please consider the RACQ Travel Insurance Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and the Target Market Determinations (TMDs) that apply to these products. Whilst the PDS outlines the Terms and Conditions of these products, the TMDs outline the intended class of customers that comprise the target market for these travel products. This will allow you to consider which products best suit your objectives, financial situation and needs and consider the products appropriateness to your personal circumstances. TMDs also outline matters involving the distribution and the review of these products. The PDS, Supplementary PDS and TMDs for each travel product can be found here.