{"id":5352,"date":"2023-11-23T09:49:23","date_gmt":"2023-11-22T23:49:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/?p=5352"},"modified":"2023-11-23T09:49:23","modified_gmt":"2023-11-22T23:49:23","slug":"how-to-manage-your-home-loan-over-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/how-to-manage-your-home-loan-over-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"How to manage your home loan over Christmas"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"It may be called the silly season but a few smart strategies could help you enjoy the festive season this year without missing a beat on your home loan. Check out our tips to share the Christmas cheer this year without breaking the bank.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Store shelves are starting to be lined with tinsel, \u2018Santa stop here\u2019 signs are popping up around the neighbourhood, and chances are you\u2019re beginning to hum a few bars of Jingle Bells.<\/p>\n

Yes, Christmas is just around the corner, and now\u2019s the time to plan for what can be a pricey time of year.<\/p>\n

After 13 rate hikes in close succession, plenty of homeowners are feeling the squeeze of higher home loan repayments.<\/p>\n

The good news is that you (hopefully) won\u2019t have to cancel Christmas this year. Below are three clever hacks that could help you manage your mortgage over the festive season.<\/p>\n

1. Follow Santa\u2019s lead \u2013 make a list (or two)<\/h3>\n

Plan ahead by listing all the fixed expenses you\u2019ll face in December such as utilities, your home loan, car loan, and credit card repayments, as well as less frequent bills such as council rates that may fall due before Christmas.<\/p>\n

Add up the total to know how much you need to set aside. It\u2019s a good idea to try and prioritise these bills over seasonal spending.<\/p>\n

Next, draft up a Christmas spending budget that allocates money to gifts, food, drinks and decorations.<\/p>\n

Finetune your budget based on your ability to pay, bearing in mind the upcoming costs you identified in the bill list.<\/p>\n

If things are looking tight this year, consider opting for Secret Santa instead of everyone buying everyone a present.<\/p>\n

It can help make the giving experience more personal and is definitely gentler on the hip pocket.<\/p>\n

Websites like elfster.com can help keep it anonymous and straightforward for everyone.<\/p>\n

2. Plan for how you\u2019ll pay<\/h3>\n

It can be tempting to pay for Christmas purchases with a credit card or buy now, pay later. But these options can just mean kicking the can down the road until January when payments fall due.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also worth noting that late payments on either option could affect your credit score for any future home loan applications.<\/p>\n

So where possible, consider reaching for your debit card for festive purchases. It\u2019s hard to get into too much trouble when you pay using your own money.<\/p>\n

3. Ask your lender for a gift<\/h3>\n

Christmas is the season of giving, so why don\u2019t we hit up your lender for the gift of a lower interest rate?<\/p>\n

Reserve Bank\u00a0data<\/a>\u00a0shows there is still a gap between the rates on new versus established loans.<\/p>\n

If you took out your loan through us, get in touch and we can either reach out to your lender on your behalf for a discount or, if they don\u2019t come to the party, help you explore your refinancing options with another lender.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t let Christmas spending ruin your home loan plans for 2024<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s easy to get swept up in seasonal good cheer. But it can sometimes be important not to get too carried away with Christmas spending.<\/p>\n

If you plan to refinance your home loan or purchase a house in 2024, a lender will likely look at your spending patterns over the past few months.<\/p>\n

Hamming up your purchases in December can bump up your average living costs, and\u00a0if you go way over the top, potentially see you knocked back for a new loan in the new year.<\/p>\n

Want more tips to manage your mortgage over the holiday season? Call us today for more festive saving strategies.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer:<\/strong>\u00a0The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute tax or financial advice, whether general or personal nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not take into consideration your personal situation and may not be relevant to circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It may be called the silly season but a few smart strategies could help you enjoy the festive season this year without missing a beat on your home loan. Check out our tips to share the Christmas cheer this year without breaking the bank. Store shelves are starting to be lined with tinsel, \u2018Santa stop […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":5353,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[110],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-5352","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-home-loans","8":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\nHow to manage your home loan over Christmas · FinancialPlus Mortgage Broker Gold Coast<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/how-to-manage-your-home-loan-over-christmas\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to manage your home loan over Christmas · FinancialPlus Mortgage Broker Gold Coast\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It may be called the silly season but a few smart strategies could help you enjoy the festive season this year without missing a beat on your home loan. Check out our tips to share the Christmas cheer this year without breaking the bank. Store shelves are starting to be lined with tinsel, \u2018Santa stop […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/how-to-manage-your-home-loan-over-christmas\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"FinancialPlus Mortgage Broker Gold Coast\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-11-22T23:49:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/Blog-1100x733-Manage-Christmas-2023.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1100\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"733\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"FinancialPlus\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"FinancialPlus\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/how-to-manage-your-home-loan-over-christmas\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/how-to-manage-your-home-loan-over-christmas\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"FinancialPlus\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/#\/schema\/person\/7b0d029a6587cbef16ed101f41756057\"},\"headline\":\"How to manage your home loan over Christmas\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-11-22T23:49:23+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/how-to-manage-your-home-loan-over-christmas\/\"},\"wordCount\":718,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/how-to-manage-your-home-loan-over-christmas\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/financialplus.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/Blog-1100x733-Manage-Christmas-2023.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=1\",\"articleSection\":[\"Home Loans\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/how-to-manage-your-home-loan-over-christmas\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/how-to-manage-your-home-loan-over-christmas\/\",\"name\":\"How to manage your home loan over Christmas · FinancialPlus Mortgage Broker Gold Coast\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/how-to-manage-your-home-loan-over-christmas\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/how-to-manage-your-home-loan-over-christmas\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/financialplus.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/Blog-1100x733-Manage-Christmas-2023.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-11-22T23:49:23+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/how-to-manage-your-home-loan-over-christmas\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/how-to-manage-your-home-loan-over-christmas\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/how-to-manage-your-home-loan-over-christmas\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/financialplus.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/Blog-1100x733-Manage-Christmas-2023.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/financialplus.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/Blog-1100x733-Manage-Christmas-2023.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=1\",\"width\":1100,\"height\":733},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/how-to-manage-your-home-loan-over-christmas\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How to manage your home loan over Christmas\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/\",\"name\":\"Financial Plus Mortgage Broker Gold Coast\",\"description\":\"Gold Coast mortgage broker - home loans, car loans, commercial loans, business loans, first home buyers\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Financial Plus\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/financial-plus-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/financial-plus-logo.png\",\"width\":400,\"height\":98,\"caption\":\"Financial Plus\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/#\/schema\/person\/7b0d029a6587cbef16ed101f41756057\",\"name\":\"FinancialPlus\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/40c4914d8dd124d0c5d1cd35c19fc63a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/40c4914d8dd124d0c5d1cd35c19fc63a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"FinancialPlus\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to manage your home loan over Christmas · FinancialPlus Mortgage Broker Gold Coast","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/how-to-manage-your-home-loan-over-christmas\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to manage your home loan over Christmas · FinancialPlus Mortgage Broker Gold Coast","og_description":"It may be called the silly season but a few smart strategies could help you enjoy the festive season this year without missing a beat on your home loan. Check out our tips to share the Christmas cheer this year without breaking the bank. Store shelves are starting to be lined with tinsel, \u2018Santa stop […]","og_url":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/how-to-manage-your-home-loan-over-christmas\/","og_site_name":"FinancialPlus Mortgage Broker Gold Coast","article_published_time":"2023-11-22T23:49:23+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1100,"height":733,"url":"http:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/Blog-1100x733-Manage-Christmas-2023.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"FinancialPlus","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"FinancialPlus","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/how-to-manage-your-home-loan-over-christmas\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/how-to-manage-your-home-loan-over-christmas\/"},"author":{"name":"FinancialPlus","@id":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/#\/schema\/person\/7b0d029a6587cbef16ed101f41756057"},"headline":"How to manage your home loan over Christmas","datePublished":"2023-11-22T23:49:23+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/how-to-manage-your-home-loan-over-christmas\/"},"wordCount":718,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/how-to-manage-your-home-loan-over-christmas\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/financialplus.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/Blog-1100x733-Manage-Christmas-2023.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=1","articleSection":["Home Loans"],"inLanguage":"en-AU"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/how-to-manage-your-home-loan-over-christmas\/","url":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/how-to-manage-your-home-loan-over-christmas\/","name":"How to manage your home loan over Christmas · FinancialPlus Mortgage Broker Gold Coast","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/how-to-manage-your-home-loan-over-christmas\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/how-to-manage-your-home-loan-over-christmas\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/financialplus.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/Blog-1100x733-Manage-Christmas-2023.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=1","datePublished":"2023-11-22T23:49:23+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/how-to-manage-your-home-loan-over-christmas\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-AU","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/how-to-manage-your-home-loan-over-christmas\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/how-to-manage-your-home-loan-over-christmas\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/financialplus.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/Blog-1100x733-Manage-Christmas-2023.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/financialplus.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/Blog-1100x733-Manage-Christmas-2023.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=1","width":1100,"height":733},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/how-to-manage-your-home-loan-over-christmas\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How to manage your home loan over Christmas"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/#website","url":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/","name":"Financial Plus Mortgage Broker Gold Coast","description":"Gold Coast mortgage broker - home loans, car loans, commercial loans, business loans, first home buyers","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-AU"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/#organization","name":"Financial Plus","url":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"http:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/financial-plus-logo.png","contentUrl":"http:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/financial-plus-logo.png","width":400,"height":98,"caption":"Financial Plus"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/#\/schema\/person\/7b0d029a6587cbef16ed101f41756057","name":"FinancialPlus","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/40c4914d8dd124d0c5d1cd35c19fc63a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/40c4914d8dd124d0c5d1cd35c19fc63a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"FinancialPlus"}}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/financialplus.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/Blog-1100x733-Manage-Christmas-2023.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pfCavx-1ok","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5352","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5352"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5352\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5354,"href":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5352\/revisions\/5354"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5353"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5352"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5352"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5352"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}