My wife and I first met in late 2006, as 19 year old University students. We’ve been together for over 13 years now, and have been married for 6 years. However, we didn’t get joint bank accounts until August 2018, almost 4 years into our marriage and 11 years together as a couple.   Part of the reason why we maintained completely separate bank accounts was due to habit. We just simply never joined them as we’d always had separate bank accounts. The other part of the reason was that we wanted to maintain an element of independence.   To us, having our “own” money seemed like it gave u ..read more

This article originally appeared as “Chapter 8: Beyond the easy wins” on Pearler.com as part of the Aussie FIRE e-book release.   Once you’ve tackled the easy wins, it’s time to delve deeper into your finances to find other ways to reduce expenses. This part of the cost-cutting journey requires a strong mindset and dedication to the cause. That’s because reducing your expenses beyond the easy wins is about your lifestyle, and therefore requires (sometimes drastic) changes to the way you live your life. However, it’s not all doom and gloom. Just because you’re diving deep into your spendin ..read more

It’s been a long time between drinks on the blog. But, I’m back! Since my 2019 wrap up post at the start of the year, a lot has changed in our household. In April, we welcomed a beautiful (Yes, I’m biased) little girl into our lives! So, it’s been an awesome, but crazy few months.   Our daughter was born in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. And, while we have fared very well in Australia in terms of virus contraction in comparison with most other countries, having a child amongst it all was a memorable experience.   In the lead up to our daughter’s birth, a lot of Doctor’s offices st ..read more

Wow, what a year?! 2019 definitely shaped up to be one of the busiest years of my life. The last six months of the year, especially, were tiring. 2020 looks as though it will be even busier…    An announcement If you’ve been following the blog for a while, you’d know that until about 9 months ago, I was posting every week. Over 2019 this progressively decreased to the point where I haven’t posted for almost 3 months!   2019 was very busy in the work space. From July, both my beloved and I took on higher positions and duties at work, which required more hours and left our brains ..read more

This is a guest post by Rohit Agarwal for TransIndia Travels.   One of the least expensive places you can visit on a serious budget is India. India is a country of a thousand colours. Vivid, alive, and beautiful, the country has sights for everyone.   Even with the tightest of budgets, a trip to India can be amazing. We list here factors that will help you plan a fantastic trip to India on an extremely tight budget.  (Currently, the rate of 1 AUD is about 48 Rupees.)   Overall Cost The minimum amount per day per person that you will need to spend, be it on meals and stay et ..read more

A few months back, my beloved and I needed to get new tyres for our car. Our car still had its original factory tyres on it, 6 years and almost 50,000 kms after it came out of the factory… So, it was time!   The last time I purchased a new set of tyres for a car was roughly 5 years ago. Back then, we probably just took it to Kmart Tyre and Auto, assuming they would do a good deal… So, I really had no idea where to start.   However, after some serious research and phone negotiations with tyre providers, here’s what I’ve learned about how to get the best deal on tyres:   The stand ..read more

This is a guest post by Ellen Orton for OpenAgent.   It’s no news that being able to afford a house in Australia is difficult, especially if you’re trying to do it alone. Although the market has cooled down substantially over the past year or so, you still need to earn a substantial amount if you want to repay your mortgage comfortably.   In Australia, you’re considered to be under mortgage stress if more than 30% of your income is going towards repayments on your home loan. If you’re paying off a home loan on you’re own, it’s unlikely that you’re staying under this threshold unless ..read more

This is a guest post by Rhianna Dews for Mozo.   A recent Mozo Comfort Spending Report found that 81% of Aussie’s are comfort spender offenders, spending a whopping $1,430 a year on average to kill stress, anxiety, loneliness and boredom. We’re talking a total of $25.5 billion being chucked away each year on emotionally-driven comfort spending!   So, just to be safe, here’s a comfort spender symptom-checker to see if you’re a comfort spender offender! When leaving the office after a bad day at work, you won’t even make it 200 metres down the street before making a pit stop at the fi ..read more

Today we have an interview with wealth creation expert and TV host, Vanessa Stoykov.   Vanessa’s Background   I am the host of the Channel 9 TV show, Secrets Of The Money Masters. I have also participated in money education for the past 20 years, and also run my own media production service for financial services, Evolution Media Group.    Interview   You’re the host of the Channel 9 show, Secrets Of The Money Masters, what is the show about? Quite simply, the show is about transforming celebrity money. We provide money makeovers and financial planning to Australian sp ..read more

This is a guest post written by James Pointon for OpenAgent.   Finding a work-life balance is hard for anyone, even if you find your job fulfilling. When you work from home, it might start to seem like your work life and your personal life are constantly overlapping. However, it’s important to find ways to separate your work life and your personal life, even if they’re both happening under one roof.   Without the right balance between professional and personal satisfaction, you put both your mental health and physical health at risk. Rather than feeling like you’re fighting to fit bo ..read more