my 'anonymity' MAY have been compromised and i am wondering how you delete your blog and username, so that you can make a fresh one with the same email address???

I am now officially 21.

A nice birthday surprise: today in the mail I got my $30 cheque from Emailcash, so I deposited it straight away.

My dad gave me $259 to buy myself a coffee machine - he researched the prices for me for my area and found the cheapest deal, and because he lives two hours on a plane away (so, like 2000km away) he put the money into my bank for me to get it, because he didn't want it wrecked in the mail. I went and bought it on Saturday, so I could have a coffee on my brand new machine this morning!

I don't know what BF has got me yet. I have dropped some hints, so we'll see.

My mum made me a painting (she's an artist), and her partner is paying for dinner tonight - a quiet one at home because of my mum's 'behaviour' last week - i point-blank refused to go anywhere expensive.

No doubt at work my boss will get me to make my own cake - haha (he did that last year).

Even though I think they're ridiculously overpriced, my friend and work-colleague T insists that I should own a pair of Havaiina thongs, so i think she may be getting me a pair of those. I mean, of course a gift is a gift, and I appreciate anything, and I think it's wonderful that she would think to buy me a present, but $25 for a pair of thongs???(flipflops is what i think americans call them...)

My party is in a week and a half so I am guessing I will get something then. Not that I EXPECT anything...

actually, this is sort of lame, but I DO actually expect something.

The only reason is, this is the first actual birthday party I have had where a lot of friends come, even though I have been hanging out with most of them for 5 years. This is basically the first thing I've ever done for my birthday since I was in high school. Every birthday of BF's friends that comes along, everyone pitches in $10-$25 each for a present for them, so they end up getting something that's between $100-$300 worth... so is it wrong for me to expect just a little something??? Just this one time???

Hmmm what else?

I also got in the mail from my local coffee place a free drink card (no purchase neccessary!).

A couple of days ago from my local surf club I got a card wishing me a happy birthday, and an offer of a free bottle of wine with any meal purchased.

I also got a card in the mail from ANOTHER club I am a member of, the Wallace Bishop Jewellery store, with a $25 voucher to spend in store (no purchase neccessary - the best part? membership was FREE!).

well, my boss's wife came in yesterday to talk about the loan information i wanted.

I WISH SHE HADN'T!!!

and I wish we could have trolloped along in our own oblivious way.

however, here is the big picture, all are relating to a property around $320 000:

scenario a)
No Deposit = $10 000 in mortgage insurance, plus another approx $4000 in fees.
total need for scenario a: $14 000 (approx)

scenario b)
5% deposit ($16 000) = $5000 in mortgage insurance, plus another approx $4000 in fees.
total need for scenario b: $25 000 (approx)

scenario c)
5% deposit($10 000 from BF's mum and $6000 of our own) = $5000 morgagte insurance and approx $4000 in fees - HOWEVER we would have to sign a statuary declaration about our intention to pay back the $10 000 (as the bank would treat it as another loan that we have), as well as having a written and signed legal document with BF's mum as well.
total need for scenario c: $15 000.00 plus $10 000 from BF's mum.

There is also the $7000 first home owners grant, but I have this feeling you don't get it until you've bought the house, which could be a bit tricky.


We have just under six months. It's going to be tough. We've talked a little about it already (which is a HUGE step!).

I have already worked this out:

Weekly Net Income: $1291.50
Less:
Rent: $263.34
Bills: $100
Food: $140
(my) phone: $4
(my) skincare: $8.15
(my) petrol: $30.00
(my) loan payment: $37
bank fees: $2

Total available after expenses per week:
$707.01

If we were to save $700 per week, for 25 weeks, we could possibly save $17 500.
Plus my approx savings: $1500
Plus BF's approx savings: $2000
Plus Bf's tax refund approx: $1700

$22700.00



What I want to know is, who has done this? who has gone from spending as much as they want to spending NOTHING at all? i've allowed about $40 extra for groceries than i normally do per week. BF does not pay for his mobile phone or petrol. I have not included alcohol for BF, although he does drink. I have calculated it on our normal incomes. BF sometimes works more or less. I sometimes work more or less. I also haven't included $60 a fortnight which my dad gives me.

I feel bad, but I think I've given up before we've even started. It just seems too hard.

This is hardly financial, but i just wanted to write a little post wishing Morgan Freeman the best in recovery.

If I prayed (which I don't) he would certainly be in my prayers.

Of course, I am assuming what I read online was true (i'm taking a chance here) in that he was seriously injured in a car accident and is in hospital.

I'm not one to follow celebrity stories, or buy gossip magazines (i am a reformed gossip-mag-girl - have been for a year or so now!) however, I did feel a little tinge of something when I read the report. I admire Morgan Freeman as an actor, he is one of the veterans in the industry and I greatly enjoy most or all of the roles he has played.

I will be keeping him in my thoughts today.

i'm sorry, but i am just so sick of seeing all these 'new blogs' spring up that are just marketing for some other product or loan or website. when i see a new blog listed, i am genuinely interested in reading a newbie's financial revelations, not some essay on car loans. it is just so disappointing.

Is there ANYONE here that actually reads them and says 'hey, what a good idea, i think i'll go buy that/do that/go to that website' ???

i bought a dress for a friends wedding last week. let me just say, i HATE shopping for dresses for big events, because i am typically a jeans, tshirt & cardigan girl. so i always find it really stressful trying to find a dress, as i don't feel 100% comfortable in them and can't just buy one that someone else says looks nice. i have to be able to put it on and instantly feel good about wearing it, otherwise i will probably take it back the next day.
so i went shopping the other day and the second dress i tried on was the one. the only thing about it that was NOT the one was the price, which was $AU179.90. i put it back on the shelf and ran around to some other stores desperately trying to find a dress under my targetted spending amount ($150.00). i didn't. it's not that i wasn't looking. i tried on so many dresses after that second one, and i really wanted to find something that was cheaper, but i couldn't. so i went back and bought it, and i have resigned myself to the fact that i will either have to find shoes, a jacket and a bag under $20 or find something in my closet that will go with the dress (i had allowed $200 for my wedding clothes, which most was leftover from my holiday money).
i have some black shoes that will go, although they were initially very cheap ($20) and i have had them for a year now, i am a little worried that the heel might snap off.
anyway, my spending for this week has gone quite well, so i will see if i can save a little more money somewhere to put toward these other items.
and yes, i am aware it was a lot of money for a dress. atleast i paid for it in cash, though and i most certainly will wear it again.
the bride and groom (both our friends) have a wishing well, or accept gifts. the last wedding we went to also had a wishing well, which BF and I gave $50 each. do you think this is still an acceptable amount to contribute?

but my boyfriend and I are almost positive that we will be taking out a 100% mortgage at the end of this year to buy ourselves a unit.
Why?
Because we don't really have a choice.
At the end of the year, our flatmate (boyfriends sister) will be moving out. Our rent is $390 per week. While we COULD afford the rent between the two of us, there isn't a chance that we would consider paying that amount of money to live in someone else's house.
There is also not a chance that we would live with a stranger, and there is only a very small chance that someone we know would move in with us, as everyone is already shacked up with someone else presently.
If we were to rent our current house at $400 a week (as will be the price by the time our lease is renewed) we would be shooting ourselves in the foot. It would be making it almost impossible to save money for a house deposit, as all our extra money we currently are saving would be going on rent, therefore in a years time we wouldn't be any closer to a house deposit than we are right now.
If we were to put an extra $100 on top of the $400 per week, it would be enough money to pay for the repayments of a unit in the vicinity of $240 000 - $300 000. Taking into consideration interest rate rises which may occur, we would be good for it.
I am guessing you are wondering why wouldn't we rent a unit (at around $300 p/w) for another year to save money? Well one reason is BF's cars. Currently we have a double garage, which houses two project cars (read: not working). Now, BF would be willing to sacrifice them to go to storage at his mates (no cost) if we were to BUY a unit.
However, he doesn't want to rent a unit because, well, he doesn't like units to begin with, and it will mean that he will be giving someone else money to live in a tiny box, that has only one garage where he cannot be close to his beloveds. It would only be worth it, to him, if the unit was actually OURS, because there would be a meaning behind putting his cars in storage.
Some of you may think this is silly but I actually understand it, and anyone that has an attachment to a certain car might probably understand it too. I don't expect you to understand it, I guess is what I am saying.
It's hard to explain I guess.
A unit (or townhouse, or duplex) would not be ideal for us to live in forever. I want to live in a house. BF wants to live in a house. However. In the areas where we want to live, a house costs between $450 000 and $600 000. It would take us a very long time to save for a decent deposit on that amount of money, however, if we were to get our foot in the door now, and purchase a cheap, renovateable unit for $250 000, in a year or so we could rent it out and use the equity to buy a bigger unit or house, and so on.
so i think that's what we are going to do...

Today while BF and I were driving to the markets we passed one of these:

http://www.mbusa.com/media/images/campaigns/c-class-08/masth...
with a Personalised Number Plate with the word 'FRUGAL' on it.

AHAHAHA!

I'm sorry, but not only are the cars themselves new priced between $70 000 to $150 000, but a single-word Personalised Plate sets you back $2500.00!!!

There's nothing frugal about it at all.
I'm guessing it's meant to be a joke, and in which case it's quite mean and dispiriting to those who truly are frugal, because it's slightly like a slap in the face when you think about it.

frugal. bah.

I have been blogging on this site for quite some time under another name, but decided I needed a change.

Over the next couple of days I will be updating everything. Thankyou for your patience.

gg