5 expenditures you should be reviewing to save money this financial year

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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, […]

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Teaching children good financial habits

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financial habits

The best way that parents can pass on good financial habits to their children is to be in good financial habits themselves. Children pick things up from their parents by osmosis. If a child grows up in a family where finances are a drama because money keeps running out, the chances are that they will continue that financial roller coaster ride into adulthood. If they experience a childhood in which energy does not get wasted on day-to-day financial transactions because everything just flows, this ease and flow is likely to be reflected in their own finances later on. It’s a […]

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Five quick tips to save on your weekly shop | Family Budgeting

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Family Budgeting

PLAN YOUR MEALS (OBVIOUSLY!) It’s the most obvious tip around. But planning your meals is imperative when you’re wanting to stick to a budget. Don’t be wasteful, elements of certain meals can be transferred to others. If you’ve planned a meal that only uses half a tub of cream, make another meal with similar ingredients in the days after, so there’s no waste. GET CHOPPING! As soon as you get back from your regular shop, wash, chop & store your fresh fruit and vegetables! Instead of buying pre-cut (and wasting your money!) chop and divide your fresh fruits and vegetables into […]

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End of an Era

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Today, thousands of families around Australia are receiving their very last instalment of the Schoolkids’ Bonus. These twice-yearly payments of $215 for each child in primary school and $428 for each child in secondary school are being phased out as a result of a pre-election decision by both sides of politics. It can be hard for families to adjust when payments cease. As when fortnightly Parenting Payments come to an end with the youngest child in the family turning six. Or when a child becomes too old for you to receive Family Tax Benefit. It’s easy to become so dependent […]

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A Solution to your Resolution

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It’s that time of year. You made your new year’s resolutions a matter of weeks ago, and now you’ve reached that make-or-break stage. Have they passed their expiry date, or are they still fresh? If the latter, you’re in with a chance. If they’ve gone stale on you, this might be the point at which you part company with them, for another year at least. Unless, of course, you’re prepared to look at – and address – the reasons why your resolutions have faded so quickly. In my experience, when it comes to setting a budget for the new year, the […]

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It’s All In The Timing

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Christmas and New Year is a period of relaxation and reflection for many people. Time away from work is a chance to take stock of the journey thus far and to take control of the road ahead. This sometimes involves making the decision to go it alone by starting a business in the coming year. As a Small Business Specialist and Bank Manager, I saw many businesses come and stay, and others come and go. There are a number of ingredients that go into a making a winning new business but, in my experience, the most important of these is […]

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