Forget the performance of our national sporting teams, the Aussie dollar has become the symbol of Australian superiority for the entire country. The celebrations surrounding the benefits of the high Australian dollar are almost overshadowing the pride we have in celebrating our national day this week.

Australians are traipsing the world as if they own it and, with the value of the currency at the moment, they almost can. It has never been cheaper to buy foreign goods or travel overseas as it is today.

It’s remarkable. Over the last 2 years the Australian dollar has appreciated 17 per cent against the US dollar, 8 per cent against the English pound, and a whopping 33 per cent against the Euro. That means your spending money goes a third further in Europe than it did 2 years ago. It means any imports that valued in US dollars are now 17 per cent cheaper than they were 2 years ago.

To put all this in perspective, the long term average of the Australian dollar against the green-back is in the mid to high 70 US cents. At around the current $1.03 it is so far above the historic average that many currency gurus are saying take advantage of it while you can, because it won’t last.

But when that fall back to the historic average comes is anyone’s guess. In the mean time be aware of what drives the value of our currency and when those drivers start to falter you’ll know when that drop is coming.

When it comesto the end of the year, it can be worrying how much there is to do, and how quickly your money seems to be spent. But when it comes to silly season, the best thing you can do is plan, plan, plan. Nothing beats looking ahead and saving away anything you can spare to cater for busy spending seasons such a Christmas, back to school, and close-together birthdays.

When it comes to saving on presents, try and ask your friends and family what they would like, or get an idea in your head in advance to give yourself time to shop for the best deal. This could be keeping an eye out for specials, trawling ebay, and shopping elsewhere online. But beware - online sites will often advertise a deadline for purcahses to be delivered before Christmas Day.

If you come from a big family, you could try buying everyone variations of the same gift, or buying all from the same store. This way you might be eligible for discounts, or a bulk price. And if they don’t advertise, ask. The worst they can do is say no.

Is it time to retreat in to the investment bunker and how do you build that bunker?

Next year is looking scary when it comes to investing. Everyday the news out of Europe seems to be getting worse and some are even suggesting the collapse of the European Union by the middle of next year.

Even the American economic recovery is likely to be patchy at best.

Sure the Australian economy is in a much stronger state as long as China keeps buying our minerals and residential property prices stay solid. But the investment ramifications of strife in Europe will be felt around the world no matter where you are.

So how do you prepare.

Before building the bunker it’s worth remember a couple of things.

We love the advice of Warren Buffet from his biography “Snowball”;

. "Cash combined with courage in a crisis is priceless"

. "Don’t invest in things you don't understand"

. "Don't try to catch a falling knife until you have a handle on the risk"

In other words, in times of crisis it’s critical to understand the environment and assess the risks. So it’s all about being careful.

Having a spare couple of thousand dollars spare can be dangerous because people often mistakenly think it’s not enough to make a big difference.

Then they blow it.

Don’t make that mistake. Something as small as $1000 could change your life.

Here are my top five tips on how to manage a small investment.

1) Immediately park your cash in a high interest account. It could be a cash management fund at your bank or a high interest online account, but this a parking place for your money until you decide what to do with it. The worst mistake is to be pressured into making decisions on what to do straight away. Take your time, think about it and get some advice. There is absolutely no rush.

2) Often your best investment is paying off your debts. Credit cards, the mortgage and personal loans should all be paid down because with inflation so low and predictions of the RBA raising interest rates again, it isn't a time to have debts. Think about it. Why put spare cash in a savings account paying 6 per cent when you pay down outstanding credit card balances and SAVE the 18 per cent interest you’re being slugged