Oily rag: Cut loose on the cheap

Delivering a campervan for a rental company could get you a super-duper cheap holiday. Photo/Thinkstock

It's holiday time and oily raggers are out and about enjoying themselves. So here are ways to make the holiday fun, enjoyable and relaxing, without stressing over the cost!

Go camping. Borrow the gear or, if you must buy it, look for second-hand equipment, which is a fraction of the cost new - although one has to admit that even the new stuff is pretty cheap nowadays. Your local information centre will have details of freedom camping sites if you don't want to use camp grounds, and remember to pack your fishing gear so you can feast on free fish.

Why not holiday at home? Pitch a tent on the lawn. For "holiday" activities, do all of those "odd jobs" that never seem to get done - or use the time to preserve fruit and vegetables, make curtains, collect firewood, or put in a raised garden. All of these things will save you money.

If you need a break, why not explore local sites and events - there is so much going on in our own communities that we never seem to have the time to see. Have you been on local bush walks, or ridden the bike trails? What about viewing local gardens or galleries?

Have you thought about staying with relatives - that's if you can put up with them, and they with you. Try a reciprocal arrangement - you stay with them and they stay with you, or better still, house swap with them. There are lots of house swapping networks on the web if you want to extend the arrangement beyond those you know. Basically, you start by joining one of more of the listing agencies (fees vary), which allows you to list your house and search through the directory.

For those who are footloose and fancy free, there's couch surfing. Thousands of couches are waiting to be slept on. You put up your profile and list your couch on the couchsurfing website. People make contact and sleep on your couch when they are passing through on their travels, and you get to sleep on members' couches when you are cruising around. Google Couchsurfing New Zealand.

If flying these holidays be sure to take advantage of frequent flyer points. An oily ragger writes, "One year we arranged a trip to the United States. It would normally have cost an arm and a leg but we cut the cost in half by buying a ticket to Honolulu (we had to fly economy because the baggage compartment was full) and then a special rate "within US" ticket to take us to mainland America. But the real bonus was we accumulated so many points criss-crossing America that we earned the equivalent of a bonus flight to the USA (or four flights to Australia)."

For airfares check out Air New Zealand's deal site, grabaseat.co.nz. At the time of writing, you could grab a seat from Auckland to Nelson for $59 each way.

There are also cheap deals on campervans and cars. Rental companies often are looking for drivers to deliver vehicles to a desired destination. For example, a deal available now is driving a six-berth campervan from Queenstown to Christchurch with an earliest pick up on January 24 and latest delivery three days later for just $5 a day. (There are, of course, conditions, but you get the general idea.). Search online for "standby cars".

If you're travelling overseas, enquire about standby tickets.

In most cases you are able to get cheaper flights but, of course, the "cost" is the scheduling inconvenience so it will not suit most holidaymakers.

One oily ragger says they are using one of their four weeks' holiday to take on casual work. Their thinking is now that they are legally entitled to four weeks' holiday instead of three, they may as well work a week and get paid twice.