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Posts Tagged :

spending

5 sure-fire ways to get a juicy pay rise in Australia

Are your palms sweaty? Is your heart racing? Maybe there’s a deep sense of foreboding in the pit of your stomach? You may be on the verge of a parachute jump or other life-endangering feat, but you could also be about to do something equally terrifying: ask for a pay rise. Year-on-year wage growth was just 2.1 per cent in Australia over the March quarter 2018, which barely covers the 1.9 per cent inflation increase in the consumer price index…

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Scared of your finances? 5 ways to get control over your money without looking through your fingers

Money management can be a terrifying thing. Especially if you’ve got debt – seeing large sums go in and out of your bank account is enough to give anyone the willies, even if it’s ‘good’ debt (such as a home loan). But there are strategies you can use to cope, and to not only manage your money but actually overcome those ghosts of spending past. Here’s five we’ve rounded up. Know where your money is going. Knowledge is power, and…

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Are you off your trolley? You could be, with our sneaky supermarket savers

Are you off your trolley? You could be if your supermarket bill is creeping over $50 per person for a family. There are so many sneaky tricks to save money on food. You might even find that you’re healthier and happier when you buy more basic food. Don’t say it can’t be done. If your bill is out of control, try some of these tips. Budget. Start with a figure that you want to spend on food each week and…

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How to embrace your spending personality and still save

There’s no doubt about it, Australia is a nation that loves to spend. According to ASIC’s MoneySmart, we spent over $20 billion indulging our love of fashion, $1.6 billion on our caffeine addiction and a surprising $450 million on pet pampering in 2016 alone. But with household budgets needing to stretch more and more just to cover the basics, there are simple strategies every Australian can adopt to become smarter spenders. So whether you’re a self-confessed splurger or bargain hunter,…

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Putting everything on your credit card? There are other ways to pay

Don’t believe you have to have a credit card. Paying interest sucks and there are other ways to pay. It sucks the lifeblood out of your finances. That’s because unless you clear your entire bill within the interest free days, you pay interest. That interest means you’re paying as much as 20% more than your mates for the same things, which may have a detrimental effect on your finances over time. Other (sometimes better) ways to pay Thankfully there are…

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Is your food bill out of control? It could be that big lump of protein on your plate

Protein – at least the meaty versions – is expensive. And research indicates that we’re obsessed with protein, to our detriment. Most Aussies spend far too much on that protein, by not eating and shopping consciously. It’s simple to cut the cost of a plate of food radically. First off, not all protein is created equal in terms of cost. A nice porterhouse steak for four can cost $28 for the protein alone. Even own brand sausages can cost more…

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What credit score do I need to buy a house?

Are you thinking about taking the next big step in your life and applying for a home loan? Buying your own property is a major part of becoming financially stable in the future, because you have a huge investment as a part of your portfolio. However, if you don’t have a clean credit report, you could find it difficult to get favourable terms on your mortgage. When a lender looks at your application for a home loan, they’ll consider more…

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5 easy ways to be smart about your credit card usage

Are you finding your credit card debt racks up quickly every month, no matter how much you try to pay off? If you don’t have the right sort of account, or a limit set too high, it can be easy to blow your budget on a purchase you really don’t need. Adding debt to the point where you’re unable to repay lenders can affect your credit report. When you can’t pay what you owe, a default will be marked against…

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Has Cupid’s arrow struck? Don’t date your way into debt

We know your new girlfriend or boyfriend wants to go out every Friday. Even two drinks each, some snacks and an Uber ride home could set you back $50. It’s dead easy to blow $100 if you throw food in as well. What’s more, dating can send your credit score south. Fast. Let’s say you spend $150 a week going out, $300 a couple of times a year on a weekend away, $200 on his/her birthday, and flowers or chocolates…

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Are your finances suffering from ‘excusitis’? Beat it, now

Liar, liar, pants on fire. We Aussies are masters at coming up with excuses for our spending and debt. I’ve heard it called “excusitis”. We convince ourselves that “we’re different” or that “we need it”, or “everyone else does it”. It’s that six inches of grey stuff between your ears that’s at fault. And it’s getting worse. A staggering 70.19% of Australians have a credit card  and our balances have grown from $5.9bn in 1995 to $51.8bn in 2016. Ouch.…

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