Additional Christmas outlay will leave more than half the population feeling financial stress over the holiday period, according to a MasterCard survey.

When it comes to clothes shopping, there are times to spend and times to save.

I'd never heard of BB creams until I was at the Estee Lauder counter at Smith & Caughey's Newmarket. "Everyone knows about BB creams," my daughter uttered with a touch of disgust.

You buy a new thing, lose interest in the thing, find a newer thing to buy, stick the old thing in a cupboard and repeat forever until you die. Ugh. Sound familiar?

Are you going camping this summer? And will you be taking the kitchen sink with you?

The battle of the supermarkets has never been so cut-throat, with the major players constantly on the lookout for new ways to lure us inside. Alan Perrott finds global trends indicate worse is to come.

Christmas decorations are appearing in the shops and it won't be long before perfume sales skyrocket. But where will you be buying your perfume?

Fremantle is known for its eclectic, multicultural charm.

Online booking sites are revolutionary compared to the old days of phone calls, faxes, travel agents and rack rates.

Customers of a Christmas saving scheme are outraged after a business partnership with Countdown broke down.

Life has never been so good for discerning fashion shoppers. Online shopping makes even the most obscure brands accessible.

I bought something from Noel Leeming and wanted to pay via internet banking so they could post it to me. Noel Leeming said that I had paid GE Credit by accident and would need to speak to them.

This week, I spent more than two hours of valuable time trying to find the right pair of Nike or adidas soccer boots in the right size and the right colour.

A phone company is on the cusp of urging its customers to leave their credit cards at home and instead spend with their phone, using the new "digital wallet".

Whether you're a creative crafts person or more of a crazy cougar, it's hard not to be drawn to Wellington this month for the World of Wearable Arts shows.

Irradiated tomatoes are on shop shelves, but some customers and even retailers are still unaware that they have been treated.

Trade Me doesn't jump out as the place to buy your groceries.

There is a different side to this mad city, one that'd get a tick of approval from even the most hardened hipster. Or aesthete. Or whatever that group with cynical world views and ironic clothing is being called these days.

Isn't the weekly food shop a drag? Whingeing children, supermarkets that move the products you like, misleading sales, and the eventual decapitation of your bank balance at the checkout.

Banks could be forced to allow customers to take their account number with them when they shift to a new bank, in the same way customers can take their cellphone number with them when they move telcos.

Buying supermarket own-brand products may save you money - but often means choosing something not made in New Zealand.

I don't shop in the "sales". That's because it's much better to wait for "clearance". Why get a 10 per cent or 20 per cent discount?

Parents everywhere want the best for their babies. And millions worldwide will be watching just what Wills and Kate buy and use for baby George.