cash flow control
Better budgeting
For many people the word “budget” conjures feelings of restriction. (Just like the word “diet”.) However a good budget should be the exact opposite. It should facilitate you having enough money for the things that really matter so you need not feel restricted. In this article I reveal a better budgeting technique using the model “Pay Yourself First (in practice)”
B.S. from GE Money
I just heard on the radio the latest advert for the GE Money Personal Loan. It claims to give you more money to enjoy the things that matter. A lovely marketing tug on your emotions but total B.S.!
Take The Financial Pressure Down
Today is Stress Down Day, to raise funds for Lifeline. As part of their promotion of Stress Down Day Lifeline conducted a Newspoll to discover what was stressing Australians. The Newspoll found that two thirds of Australians are stressed about money, second only to being stressed about work. Does that include you? The Lifeline poll [...]
How to survive the recession
On the ABC’s 7:30 Report on Wednesday night, Economist Associate Professor Steven Keen gave the following prediction for Australia this year: “Best case scenario is a recession more severe than 1990 and lasting one and a half times as long. Worst case is something up to the level of the Great Depression which was 20 [...]
Superant – financial literacy for littlies
A new educational website has been launched, called SuperAnt. Anything to do with money and finance can make many people’s eyes glaze over. This is perhaps even more so with younger people who have not yet had the life experience to realise the value of money in facilitating life experiences. If you prefer to learn [...]
Calculate the real value of spending
I’ve written previously about Australian websites that help you save money, one of which is Simple Savings. This week’s savings tip from a member of Simple Savings, Lee-Anne Stevenson is excellent in it simplicity and effectiveness. Lee-Anne shares her story: I curb my spending by calculating how long I have to work to earn enough [...]
Be healthy & wealthy in 2008
Four blokes walk into a bar… One Friday evening in December I met three mates at The Como Hotel for a drink to celebrate the spirit of the festive season. Around us there were many other jovial groups obviously enjoying the season, which is often characterised by eating (and drinking) to excess. Pretty soon we [...]
Are you starting 2008 in peak financial fitness?
Your financial fitness is how well you manage your money on a daily basis. Just like physical fitness helps your health, so does financial fitness help your financial health and weath. Discover your financial fitness by completing our brand new Financial Fitness quiz now. (It’s free and takes about 70 seconds).
Cheap laptops equal smart salary-packaging
“A phenomenon in recent years has been the way the price of electronic goods just seems to be getting lower. This is attributable to a combination of ceaseless technological advances; Asia’s cheap manufacturing costs; and the strong Australian dollar. Just blink and the prices of laptop computers, digital cameras, DVD recorders and flat-screen TVs seem [...]
3 tips to manage your mortgage stress
Have recent rises in interest rates left you feeling the strain of meeting mortgage repayments? Or perhaps are you concerned that if interest rates go much higher you will be under financial stress? If so, this interview is perfect for you. This morning I interviewed expert Mortgage Professional, Damian Day of Ardent Finance to uncover [...]
‘Tis the season to be…broke??
Wow, the Christmas decorations are up and about in the shopping centres and even through Perth city centre. Christmas is a terrific fun time, but historically it also is a time where we not only eat and party to excess but we seem to spend to excess. Eating to excess leaves us feeling terrible and [...]
Maintain the fun and cut your costs
Sometimes once we get a clearer picture of our current position, in particular our cashflow, we can get a bit of a shock and wonder how we can reign in our spending. If so, you may be interested in a wonderful resource that a client told me about. I was complimenting Kylie on her wonderful [...]
Wise advice from Saturday Night Live
Please enjoy the fine wisdom in this sketch by the crew at Saturday Night Live, including Steve Martin. Don’t Buy Stuff You Cannot Afford!
Credit is the drug I’m thinking of
One in two Australians (51%) agree they would be lost without a credit card, according to research published in the Citibank Payment Evolution Report (June 2007). In fact one in five (21%) strongly agree. Credit is the drug, got a hook on me. (Apologies to the ’70s band Roxy Music.) That wouldn’t be such a problem [...]
I could give up drinking coffee, if I wanted to
Today the Australian Government’s Financial Literacy Foundation released the findings of research into the financial literacy of Australians. The results are a real eye opener. I was very surprised to read that most Australians are confident in their ability to manage their money and create wealth. I was not surprised to read that for most [...]
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