My 8-Week Christmas Lunch Grocery List & Budget
If you’re like me, nothing excites you more than unbuckling your belt, tucking a napkin into the collar of your shirt and sitting down to a large Christmas lunch with the family. But, like everything in life, there must be a balance. The joy and ecstasy that comes...
16 Facts About Income Tax
There probably isn’t a more boring subject in this world than taxes. The mating cycle of a moth would be more exciting to learn about. But if you are looking for a really quick overview and reference guide to how tax works in Australia, then look no further. This is...
How To Save Money When You Have No Money
Having no savings or a low income can make saving difficult. Where do you begin? To get good at saving, like anything, it requires baby-steps and consistency. The biggest mistake I see people make when beginning a savings plan is that they go too hard too soon. My...
How To Be Better At Saving Money
I’m half Italian. That means my diet is highly susceptible to pasta, pizza, parmigiana, bread, gelato and wine. The other half of me is Irish, so you can throw beer into the mix too (and lots of it). If that wasn’t enough, I married a girl with Italian and...
10 Most Overlooked Tax Deductions
Well, it’s tax time again. And, before lodging your tax return, you should make sure that you are claiming all that you can, including the most commonly missed tax deductions listed below. There is a great resource here provided by the Australian Tax Office...
Separate Bank Accounts For Budgeting. Here’s How.
Having separate bank accounts for budgeting is a must. This is an essential part of the household budgeting process, especially if you want your budget to run simply and smoothly. Segregating types of expenditure helps to identify your priorities, ensure all expenses...
Tax Deductions for Teachers
This article on tax deductions is dedicated to our underappreciated and underpaid teaching community. Here you will find most claimable tax items for teachers. The unions might be fighting to help get all you teachers fair pay, but I’m here to educate you on...
How Does A Tax Deduction Work?
There’s no doubt you’ve heard the term ‘tax deduction’, but do you actually know how tax deductions affect your taxes? Does a tax deduction reduce taxable income? Now, I know that your eyes are already glazing over and your thoughts are...
The Best Way To Reduce Household Expenses
If your family life is anything like ours…. it’s hectic! The weekdays fly by and there’s something on every weekend for at least the next month. It seems there’s not enough hours in the day or days in the week. However, because the hours in...
Why Envelope Budgeting is Dangerous
(…aside from the risk of paper cuts) Have you heard about the envelope budgeting technique? When it comes to budgeting, envelope budgeting is about as archaic as the old ‘save 10% of what you earn’ theory. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not...
Buying Shares For The First Time
Are you considering buying shares for the first time and want to know how to go about it? This article will explain various ways of buying shares, including buying shares online without a broker, the cheapest way to buy shares and how much money you need to buy...
Should I Buy Shares?
Many people ask me ‘should I buy shares?’ My answer is always the same – “It depends what you are trying to achieve”. They think about it for a second and say, “I want to make money”. Well, there are many ways to make money....
How To Understand Stocks And Shares For Beginners
You probably hear stock market terms getting thrown around all the time, especially at the boring back-end part of the nightly news. All Ords, Dow Jones, Greenback and GDP growth go in one ear and out the other, along with scattered flurries, low-pressure systems and...
Objectives Of A Family Budget
Having objectives for your family budget is integral to the success of your budget. In fact, objectives are important in most things we do – family budgeting just being one of them. Wow… that sounds so boring. Let’s re-word that. What is the purpose of a budget? Well,...
What You Can Learn From Your 7-Year Old Self
Does your family have a decent income, but you don’t seem to have any savings? Do you have a hard time saving money? Why is that? Every day, more and more people are having trouble saving money and sticking to their family budget. I’ll show you why. In...
Should We Have A Joint Bank Account?
Should we have a joint bank account? When a couple gets married or has been in a relationship for several years, it is common to operate out of a joint bank account. So, is this beneficial? Is this the right way to go about things? Is it offensive to tell your partner...
Cheap Vacation in the Philippines
I recently went on a very cheap holiday to the Philippines and it was up there with one of the best trips I’ve ever been on. Had you asked me 3 weeks ago what comes to mind when someone mentions the Philippines, I would have said corruption, shady characters,...
Do I Really Need Life Insurance?
If we’re talking need, like food, water, shelter need; then no, you do not need life insurance. But, if instead you’re wondering “should I get life insurance?”, then that’s a whole ‘nother kettle of fish. No one should be forcing your hand and telling you what you do...
Best Way To Save Money, Hands Down!
I drive a 2008 Kia … something… I can’t even tell you the model, because I don’t know off the top of my head. In fact, I’m not even sure if it’s a 2008 model. I bought it from my mum for a discount. Don’t get me wrong, I’d like to have a nicer car; but of all the...
Is Now A Good Time To Buy Property?
Wouldn’t it be nice to perfectly time the property market? Is now a good time to invest in real estate? Keep reading, I will help you find your answer. Plenty of people have made loads of money investing in the property market. But to buy property you need a lot...
5 Tips For Your Staycation
What is a staycation holiday?… aka holistay. Essentially, it is a stay-at-home vacation. Huh? “That’s not really a holiday!”, you might be thinking. Those were my thoughts exactly, until we had our first staycation holiday just recently. Look,...
Are Offset Mortgage Accounts Really A Good Idea?
Are offset accounts really a good idea? Do you have an offset account on your mortgage? Are you thinking about applying for a mortgage with an offset account? Or do you not even know what a friggin’ offset account is? Well, my friend, whatever the case, you are in the...
10 Healthy Weeknight Meals on a Budget
Remember when you were young, crazy and single? Meeting up with friends for lunch, going on dates, and dining out every chance you got. That all changed when you hit adulthood. Paying rent became a major commitment, the repayments on you car meant fewer and fewer...
6 Steps To Paying Off Your Credit Card
Trapped with debt? Want to know a simple way to pay off credit card debt? Firstly, do you have a plan for paying off your credit card? If worst came to worst and you needed to take action, would you: A) get a personal loan to pay off your credit card debt? B) start...
Investment Properties: 7 Hidden Risks
Here’s some cold hard facts and risks about buying an investment property that no-one will tell you. Your bank won’t tell you, because they want you to borrow regardless of the risks. The real estate agent won’t tell you, because they want you to buy...
Top 5 Retirement Tips For Young Adults
Money decisions relating to the here and now usually take preference in our lives over your retirement plans. You may find yourself spending the majority of your time focused on the now, and less on your future. But, whether you like it or not, old age will come for...
So, You’re Thinking About Buying An Investment Property?
So, you’re thinking about an investment rental property, hey? Choosing the right loan can be just as difficult as choosing the right property. You might not be thinking “What type of loan do I need?” and “What’s the minimum deposit required on an investment...
5 Best Theme Parks In The World For Young Families
As young families we love nothing more than family vacations. And what better way to spend a family holiday than enjoying one of the thousands of theme parks around the world? Unfortunately family trips cost money. But, before you download my FREE 6-Step Household...
Paying Off Your Credit Card Could Be Killing Your Savings
Wondering whether you should pay off your credit card or save? This is a question I get all too often. Yep, the old ‘pay off credit card debt or build savings first’ debate. “Chris, I’ve got credit card debt of $2,000 and a $8,000 personal...
7 Crazy Ways To Save Money
It’s time to re-examine the way you think about saving money. Squirreling away a percentage of your hard-earned cash each week may seem like the most practical approach. But, modern times call for more interesting ways to save money. Stay ahead of the curb and turbo...
Is It Good To Pay Off Credit Cards Right Away?
Are you one of those people who has a credit card, but don’t necessarily need it? In this day and age, our debit credit cards provide similar functionality to a traditional credit card. We can book holidays online, pay bills over the phone and buy from online stores...
5 Great Ways to Save Money That You Can Start Today
Are you constantly reaching the end of the working week only to find that you have nothing to show for it? Do you aim to put money aside, but watch helplessly as it is eaten away each month by bills and everyday life? Do you feel that a savings plan will pop the...
How To Take The Headache Out Of Household Budgeting
Okay, so let’s not pull any punches here… household budgeting sucks. You know it sucks, I know it sucks. I mean, really, there’s a gazillion other things that you’d prefer to be doing than wading through bank and credit card statements, trying to figure out how much...
Why You Should NEVER Fix Your Home Mortgage
Fixed v Variable…..Why you should never fix your home mortgage. Have you locked-in the rate on your home loan? Maybe you’ve ‘hedged your bets’ and have half of your mortgage on a fixed rate and the other on a variable rate? Or maybe you’re undecided and...
Why People Under 40 Shouldn’t Contribute to Super
Whoa! What? Everything we’re told is to begin adding to our super at a young age while time is on our side. Well blow that. I’m not talking about employer contributions. They can keep coming. I’m just saying that I don’t think people our age...
I’m a former financial planner, husband to a gorgeous wife and father to two little terrors. I teach young families how to create their ideal lifestyle through smart budgeting strategies. #noskimpingrequired.
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