My grandfather was an accomplished builder. So the day he handed me a brick and a trowel and asked me if I would like to build something with him, I was excited. As an 11-year-old boy, I thought the pattern of bricks in a nearby wall looked simple enough – surely, therefore, there couldn’t be that much to it. How wrong I was! Managing your Money Fast forward to the present, and I find that people (mostly men, if I am honest) have much the same view of what I now build […]
Apply one of these money-saving lessons today to save more!
The idea of saving money can be daunting, and sometimes it’s hard to know where to start. Let’s look at a few of the best money lessons that you can start implementing right away to make a big difference to your finances. Saving in the Kitchen Shopping smart in the supermarket is an easy way to quickly end up with more money in your pocket at the end of each week. Step one, make a list and stick to it! You’ll end up with a lot less waste. We all know the dangers of hungry shopping! Another good supermarket money […]
Winter Bills – Best Practices to stay in the black during the chilly season.
We all want to stay warm through the winter months, but when the bills come in, and we see how much is being in spent, it can make your blood run cold. Winter is a tricky time for budgeting; there is no use freezing yourself to save on the energy bills, anything you save there you may end up paying back in sick leave. It’s all about balancing your usage intelligently. Here are a few areas to look at to keep you warm and in the black this winter. Utility Bills If the clothes dryer is part of the soundtrack […]
5 expenditures you should be reviewing to save money this financial year
As with the start of any new year, the start of a new financial year is a great time to save money by getting into new habits. Spending patterns naturally change as we move through different phases of our lives. It is important, though, to “clean out” our finances every so often, so that we are not accumulating financial clutter. If you don’t review your spending, you’ll be amazed at how many payments ‘fly below the radar’, outstay their welcome and become a drag on your financial progress. Insurance So, let’s start with insurance. Are you getting your money’s worth, […]
Budgeting for the School Holidays
School holidays are a great time for our children to relax and wind down after the excitement of the school term and often to venture out for fun family activities. But while school holidays can be memorable events, with children spending quality time with their parents, beating the boredom and entertaining children during this period can often hurt the budgets of Australian families. The school holiday period really doesn’t have to break the bank, though. A well-run budget benefits you, as the budget keeps you on track at a time when it is so easy to overspend. In fact, a […]
When is the time to start planning for Christmas? Now!
It’s that time of year when the kids are back at school, the summer holidays are already starting to become a distant memory and Christmas is starting to blur into Christmases of years gone by. In theory at least, life is getting back to normal. If, though, your Christmas was paid for on plastic, there’s probably nothing normal about the credit card bill or bills you are receiving about now. They can make for a stressful start to the year and have you wondering whether you will ever manage to break out of a relentless cycle of high-interest debt. By taking […]