How to be an ethical consumer and save money Want to use your spending power to make a difference? By shopping more ethically, you can do your bit and save money. Whether you want to change the world or just reduce your impact on it, it seems more and more of us are considering the provenance of what we buy and how it’s produced when making purchasing decisions. And the best news is that spending …
What you need to know about buy now, pay later services Take your product home, pay for it within the specified timeframe, get charged 0% interest. What could go wrong? Branded the modern-day layby, ‘buy now, pay later’ services essentially offer the same thing, except you get the product up front—the outfit, the watch, even certain domestic flights within Australia. If you haven’t heard of buy now, pay later services, or are keen to know …
Spread your money, reduce risk Six out of ten Australians own investments outside of the family home and super. That’s good news. The only problem is that many people are still putting all their eggs in one, or just a few, baskets. The latest investor study by the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) found 40% of investors admit they don’t have a diversified portfolio. Almost one in two investors think their portfolio is diverse, yet …
Time for women to celebrate March 8 marks International Women’s Day – a good time for women to embrace opportunities to achieve financial independence. After more than 30 years in the money business I’ve seen women make great strides with their personal finances. The gender pay gap is narrowing, lenders no longer shun single women when they apply for a home loan, and little by little, women are gaining a larger slice of the superannuation pie. …
The top 10 lifestyle costs draining Aussies of cash Six out of the top ten categories relate to just two things. Can you guess what they are, and could you be cutting back? As a nation, Australians aged 18 and over spent approximately $145 billion on lifestyle costs last year, with the average spend per person around $7,800, according to research by comparison site Mozo1. While clothing and footwear took out the number one spot …
3 simple steps to create a budget Nearly two out of five Aussies believe budgeting is too much effort, but these quick tips could make it a simpler task. Around 75% of Aussies will be going into 2018 with no specified budget, according to a survey by AMP, which—reality check—is probably going to make achieving financial goals, whether it’s getting out of debt, going on that long-overdue holiday, or saving for something big, a little tricky. Despite …
Love and money? It’s not about control With Valentine’s Day around the corner, it’s a good time to explore shared ideas, and how you manage money as a twosome. Our approach to managing household finances can make a big difference to the health of a relationship. Thankfully, the old line about “I earn the money. She spends it” no longer has relevance in modern relationships. Today’s lifestyles, housing commitments and our career ambitions mean that …
Sports lovers enjoy better financial fitness If your golf clubs have been under wraps or your tennis racquet has been tucked away for some time, it could be worth dusting them off. Research by AMP found Australians who play sport regularly are 64% more likely to achieve their financial goals than those who don’t. With the weather warming up, plenty of us will be thinking about getting in better shape. That can mean heading outdoors …
12 ways to enjoy summer without spending a fortune If you’re wondering how you’ll make ends meet this silly season, check out these tips on how to spend, without spending every cent. Summer in Australia can often be one of the busiest times of year with end-of-year work parties, Christmas, family gatherings, mini holiday breaks, not to mention New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. If you’ve been saving for something big or are just …
Be the boss of your cash If, like many others, your life and money feels a bit like a juggling act – paying bills here and there… and “Uh oh, forgot about the council rates, guess that one’s going on the credit card”. You may be thinking that having some extra cash would solve a lot of your problems. Well, often changing how you spend the money you have now, can help you start to …
