Win an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Europe (Part 1)
Posted by Faith, 18 February 2009
Win a fabulous trip – return business class airfares to any European capital,
accommodation at top hotels, a luxurious rental car and $20,000 spending money!
Imagine tripping around beautiful Italy? Strolling along the piazza in the evening for a late supper and a cool pinot grigio. How about a lazy morning sipping espresso, the way it should be made, in a glorious café while marvelling at the beautiful architecture? You are on holiday and even the second pastry has no calories. All this can be yours! Well, I’m not so sure about the calorie-free pastries.
If trips overseas don’t excite you, there’s lots of other options to spend your prize money on:
- redecorate the house or build an extension
- replace all your appliances including the whole kitchen
- buy that fast car you’ve always wanted, along with the time and money go touring in it
- return to university to take all the classes that interest you, rather than those only good for a career
- help your family or favourite charity.
I bet you’re thinking, “Sounds fantastic. How much are the tickets?”
They’re cheaper than you think, but you only need one – the winning ticket. For a small amount per week you can guarantee you will receive it.
At this point you’re probably thinking, “But Faith, it probably costs a fortune or is illegal. Either way, it’s a world away.”
No, it’s quite legitimate and not a world away. In just a few short steps I can help you all to get there. Step one begins now.
Think back to October last year. Do you remember seeing a bit more money in your pay packet? This was the first round of planned tax cuts with the next reduction occurring on the 1st April. Take a moment and think about what happened with the October tax saving.
Did you:
- spend it
- save it
- repay debt or make extra payments into your mortgage
- donate it to a good cause
- invest it in your KiwiSaver or other superannuation fund?
Was the decision conscious or unconscious? Did you plan to do it, or did it just happen?
Or, maybe you don’t know what you did and the money has slipped through your fingers. If so, have you ever wondered why you are flat broke although you now have more money? Will you still be short of money each pay period even after the next tax cut?
Over a lifetime, extra money in your pay adds up to a fortune. You could score a trip to Europe, or any other prize you fancy (like the ones at start of this blog), if only you found a way to keep the money instead of letting it slip away.
Around 630,000 people will get more tax relief on 1st April and you could be one of them. With your extra money you can start a savings plan that is almost guaranteed to win you the first prize of your dreams.
Let’s see what you will receive. The table below shows how much extra money the tax cuts will give you over a three-year period.
Note – these are in addition to the 1st October tax cuts.
Also note – IETC is an abbreviation for “independent earner tax credit”. This is what you’ll get in tax cuts if you don’t receive any other assistance (such as “working for families) from the government.
This table and more information is available from:
http://beehive.govt.nz/sites/all/files/Personal_Tax_Cuts_info_sheet.pdf
Most of you will receive between $10 and almost $20 per week, that’s $520 and $1040 per year. If there are two of you, the savings will add up even faster ($1040 and $2080 per year). Some will get even more. While this might not sound a lot, over a working life a small amount will grow so that at least one of your dreams will become a reality. By April, the power to make this happen will be in your hands.
Have some fun and start dreaming about what you want for your prize.
What and where will it be?
- A tasting tour through beautiful French and Italian vineyards?
- Cherry blossoms in Japan?
- ANZAC Cove in Turkey on April 25th?
- Driving through Paris in a sports car with the warm wind in your hair?
- Strolling the Inca trail in Peru to view Machu Picchu at dawn?
- Another dream destination?
If travel is not your cup of tea, stroll instead around a big retail store or a car yard for a bit of window-shopping
Tune into part two next week and see which dream will come true for you.
---ends---
Always set goals and work towards them, but never make New Year resolutions. Want to know why? Read more...
Achieving your goals means Keeping the Faith.
Want to know more about how to make better choices about money? Check out Faith’s Fact Sheet.
"Keeping the Faith - Travel the World" is now for sale. Click here to buy a book.
See previous blogs:
Don't sweat the small stuff.
Can you grow a money tree?
What's holding you back?
Money or your life - which has more value?
The seven secret thieves
Five questions to change your life
Find that spark
Switching lives - what would you choose?
Who can I trust to help grow my money?
How to swim in a sea of money
Life can be unfair
The rule of happiness
No way to live
Anyone can be good with money
Best ways to warm up winter
Who wants to be a millionaire?
The secret of wealth
Keeping your money safe
Having it all
Win an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Europe (Part 3)
Win an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Europe (Part 2)
Win an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Europe (Part 1)
Make a change for good
A recipe for a happy Christmas
Nothing else matters
Rage, rage against the dying of the light
Make a wish come true
Buying or Selling a House – Those that care least, usually succeed
When is a good time to buy a house?
Sleepless Nights in a War Zone
Transitions - more life or more of the “same old, same old” boring stuff?