Summer holidays seem to cost a lot. If you've got kids or a big social network, they cost even more. First, you've got Christmas, then New Year, hopefully, holidays somewhere in there too. So it's often a time when we're thinking about how we can be making some money rather than spending it. Renting out your home or spare room through AirBnB or similar [...]
From my experience, you're usually firmly in one of four places when it comes to Christmas decorating: Like you've just stepped out of an American movie where more is more - and even more is even better. You start buying your decorations on Boxing Day and start getting the lights untangled in early November. Your house puts a strain on the power grid but [...]
If you feel like buying a house is similar to climbing Everest - on a snowy day - then you're not alone. But don't give up hope. There are some things you can do that will help you buy that house without giving up your lifestyle completely! Strategy 1: Rein in your spending This is a bit of a no-brainer, but it's also often [...]
OK, I'm calling it. It's time to get over the guilt! Why, particularly as women, are beating ourselves up for spending money? Whether it's on a night out, a new outfit or a pair of shoes or a few too many drinks on a Friday night, we need to be able to spend the money we earn. And we need to get over the [...]
When you're investing in property, you need to know whether you should be aiming for positive or negative cashflow. This should all be part of your investing strategy and will have implications on your tax. Positive cashflow This occurs when the property earns more from rental income than it costs you to hold it. This is a great strategy for new investors or for [...]
Investing in property is a whole different ballgame to buying a home, and there are a whole lot of strategies that you need to consider before you decide on which is best for you. And this is before you even start to look for the property! My advice: Do some research, talk to a professional about your circumstances and goals for investing BEFORE you [...]
I'm not a financial adviser, but I do take a professional interest in the way people manage their money. While some of us might be bored senseless at the thought of managing money or paying bills or discussing budgets - let alone living on a budget (or spending plan as I prefer to call them!), it's important that you at least have a clue [...]
I was reading an article yesterday written by a financial planner and she was talking about who people (particularly women) get their financial advice from. The answer she heard most was "Dad". While I love dads and think that the vast majority of them are awesome, unless they work in finance or are actively investing or buying property, they're not the best person to [...]
Finding a home loan can be hard work. Finding “the best” home loan can be really hard, so let’s break it down. 1. Decide what's important to you - remember, “the best” home loan is different for everyone. What works well for some, doesn’t work well for everyone, so figure out what will work best for you - ie, flexibility to make additional repayments, [...]
When you go to your bank to discuss your home loan, they’ll usually discuss your plan, take a look at your financial history and tell you whether or not they’ll give you the money you need to buy a home. Going to see a good mortgage broker is a bit different. We often don’t already have your business - we want to win it. [...]
