What will they do next? Lazy savers; A crude awakening; Sleep deficit and productivity; Time on your savings side

1) What's their move?

I always find myself amused by the New Zealand-Australia rivalry. I'm a Canadian by birth so I'm allowed to be. Being a former neighbour to the world's most powerful nation, I know something of these matters. Through history, Canadians suffered from a major insecurity complex. I believe we have George W. to thank for curing us of that as in ruining his country's international reputation, Canada came across as a saint by comparison, something we all took tremendous pride in as a nation. Shrinking violets no more, eh?!

But I digress. I laugh at the office jokes about sneaky underarm bowling, cheating, bullying, boozing and butchered English lobbied at my new neighbour across the Tasman. Then I try to reconcile that seething resentment with the fact that thousands of Kiwis flock to their soft sandy shores every month in search of a better life.

When the Reserve Bank of Australia yesterday lowered its Official Cash Rate by a meaty 50 basis points from 4.25% to 3.75% it underscored for me a few things: Their relative boldness (no pussy footing around for this lot) and their acknowledgement that all is not is well in Oz. (For other rates globally, click here).

What I am very curious to see now is how the banks will react given their previous thumbing their noses at the RBA's benchmark rate. It seems we'll have to wait to find out as bankers there are taking their sweet time deciding whether or not to give borrowers a break. The Age reports on the OCR aftermath here.

2) Lazy savers

Interesting story here from the Telegraph in the U.K. on how lazy savers are cheating themselves out of a potential 300% increase on interest on their money in the bank by not being more proactive about where they're putting it. Given the Official Cash Rate in the U.K. has been languishing at 0.5% for three years, it's no wonder.

Are you getting the best interest for your savings? Check our comprehensive section on comparative savings rates on term deposits here. Be cautious about the terms and conditions on those bonus savings accounts which will penalise you for raiding your account. David Chaston explains here.

3) A crude awakening

In an interview I did a few weeks back with Nicole Foss, senior editor of the financial website automaticearth.com, she talked about her theories on Peak Oil and where the global economy is headed. If I can be so blunt as to summarise her views, both are headed down the gurgler. Others of course have a more bullish view.

Here's CNN Money with 4 ways to cash in on $100 oil.

4) Wake up sleepy head

I seem to have a vague recollection of sleeping in. Nothing extravagant, maybe 9 or 10 a.m. on the weekends.Those were the pre-child days.  Now, I seem to wake up naturally around 5:30 a.m. stirred in part by the sound of my dog scratching like Thumper and whimpering for attention.

I tend to think it's quality over quantity when it comes to sleep but there's a million studies and theories on this issue. Here's a sleep time blog from a programmer who underwent a radical sleep-makeover and found he boosted his productivity in a big way. I was interested to read that he was inspired in part by Japanese writer Haruki Murakami, who also happens to be a runner. I also recalled reading an article from Vanity Fair about Murakami's daily writing routine, which begins at his desk at 4.30 am.

5) Time on your side

Because time is the one thing you can't get back, how you spend it is crucial. For those with time on their side, the savings advantage is massive; the beauty of compound interest. Here's one to drop in front of your tween at tea time.

To read other Take Fives by Amanda Morrall click here. You can also follow Amanda on Twitter@amandamorrall