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USA edition:
If you’re a billionaire: vote Republican.
If you’re not a billionaire: vote Democrat.
And either way, you still get to be poor. Great system we have here.
At least you get to be poor with some basic human rights
This is what Democrats would put on their campaign signs if they were an honest party.
Me, LGBT: hahahahaha… oh you were serious? HAHAHAHAHA no.
What are you on about? Gay marriage was literally legalized by democrats.
(rant in general, not directed at you)
Straight, cis people: “you can do one thing, isn’t that enough? why do you have to be in the spotlight all the time?”
Me, standing with my trans+enby friends, after being fired for who we fuck and what we look like, and regularly treated like dogshit in public: “…”
Marriage is a decent start, but especially bullshit like “right to work” states where employers can sack you for literally anything, and LGBT not being a universally protected thing, is shit. Yeah yeah “sex” is by law but I direct you to the first half of that sentence, and you’ll see the issue. Progress, yeah, but being the solution to our many issues, marriage is just a piece of the pie.
Hell, my best friend had to go through some gymnastic-bureaucratic bullshit because the state they live(d) in was putting up unnecessary requirements just to change their sex on their drivers license. This was after months of them seeing a therapist, hrt, physical changes, etc - but still wasn’t good enough for the state. So it was easier to get their transition accepted via their birth state (I think by altering the birth record? Not totally sure, I didn’t want to pry), where they had much more sane requirements, and then come back to the state they live(d) in with a ‘see here bitch, now change my shit’. Took a month or so all-told, but they got it done.
Plus things like raising a family (adoption especially), being passed up for employment or promotions, denied housing… but we have marriage, so it’s all good, right?
We didn’t need that.
Inherit your wealth!
Have no social life, it’s much cheaper.
But in all seriousness, if you have to have a social life, limit your spending on that stuff. Restaurant and bar tabs can add up quickly. Budget, limit your drinking, and if you don’t wanna limit your drinking, at least do some cheap drinking at home first.
We used to drink a quart of cheap beer in the parking lot before we went to the nightclubs. We had spares in the trunk for later if we sobered up too much.
Use credit cards as cash, and pay off the balance weekly. This protects your bank account from fraud, as chargebacks and fraud are more easily dealt with on credit, and they tend to have better account monitoring and security than banks and credit unions. Even better if you have a cash-back/points card, that’s basically free money.
This also makes it easy to track spending if you have specific purpose credit cards. E.g, one card for groceries and gas, another for recurring bills or service payments, another for frivolous stuff, etc.
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Even if you have no other investments, open a high yield savings account and keep the bulk of your funds there, other than what you need for a general emergency fund and monthly bills. Current yields are over 4%, generally better than inflation, without any risk.
We have a credit card that gives 6% cash back on groceries, 3% on gas and some discounts on streaming services. It blows my mind that every few months I can cash out a $200 or so credit towards my balance. I needed to buy those things anyway and have autopay set to the full balance each month so it really is free money. So if you can get one, absolutely a credit card that gives cash back. The one I mentioned is Amex Blue Cash Preferred but there other options out there that give other bonuses, like 2% back on everything or 6% back on something up to a certain cap.
Credit cards are an excellent tool IF you are responsible with credit.
And almost nobody is, or the credit card companies would be broke instead of trillionaires.
Cc companies make most of their money from the fees they charge merchants.
And they make a shit ton more money on interest charged for balances carried.
That’s literally the opposite of what I said. You can’t make “more” than “most of”. Christ this site is dumb
Definition:
More - B. In addition to
Yeah, it’s the site that’s dumb…
Budgeting is very important. some people like the 20% of income for saving, 30% for living expenses and the other 50% for everything else. Pre or post tax is up to you as this is a rule of thumb. Important part is that it should be easy for you to build up your savings to cover important expenses. spending 50% of income on housing may be really bad since having back to back years of badluck can screw over your savings, and not give you enough time to save up in between.
This is a general rule that applies when you make enough to do so. If you’re struggling to pay rent, do what you can to remove risk and cut down on costs. One thing that helps is aiming to have savings. Often times, its cheaper to have money up front to resolve emergencies rather than later.
Car is one of those things that can make sense to remove. If you’re commuting one hour already by car, and there’s no public transit option then a car is a necessity. If you can take public transit, that could save you money on car insurance, car payments, car maintenance, and possible accidents.
i don’t know anyone who can keep their living expenses at 30%… is this finance tips for well-off childless people?
VoIP is cheaper than cell service.
Vinegar is a good cleaning agent.
A hard drive at home is way cheaper than cloud storage.
Tailgating burns more gas.
How does the last one work?
If you’re tailgating you have less time to respond to the car in front of you braking or decelerating and therefore you need to slam the breaks more
slam the breaks more
Not to mention the brakes too.
Exactly
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You can find just about anybody’s Social Security number. (Equivalently, they can find yours.) Amazingly, some institutions still use knowledge of this number as proof of identity for purposes of extending credit to a stranger.
Freeze your credit at all 3 major credit reporting agencies! Do it now, if you haven’t already. And don’t let them trick you into paying money to do it. It is 100% free everywhere.
It takes a few minutes and could save you lots and lots of time and money, since it makes opening new lines of credit in your name near impossible even if they know your SSN.
Yeah, I get a letter in the mail like once a week because some fucking company lost it accidentally, and their penance is sending apology letters.
So yeah, monitor your credit, I guess. Just sucks when it’s credit karma or the like who lose your info.
For me it’s a matter of my mentality. I have tried to get away from the spending mentality. As soon as you get money you start thinking of ways to spend it. You should be thinking of ways to save it. I usually try to think of something that is important to me. For me I like to go out and see the world. That means buying gas. If I spend $5 on a cup of coffee that’s about 20 mi I can’t drive. As others have stated you got all these streaming media sites and stuff. If you add that all up over a years time is quite a bit of money. You should get rid of anything you don’t need. There are two ways to have more money: Make more or spend less.
Money is easier to spend than to make.
I had a ~20 paragraph reply on my clipboard but Voyager can’t post it.
Edit: pasted it into Gmail instead, then copied it and pasted it again as plain text then copied it again and pasted as a child. Lost all the carriage returns in the process. (it’s nearly 4am and I’m using my phone.)
For context, it was written for a small town Facebook group but Facebook also blocked it for breaching community standards so I never published it.
G’day all :) What are your money saving tips? Thought I’d share some of mine in case they’re useful. But beware - I’m not qualified to give financial advice! Seek professional advice.
1 - Internet costs. If you get fair mobile reception, and have light to moderate Internet needs, you might find a 4G or 5G service will suffice. Belong has a data sim starting from $15 a month for 20 gigs. If you go over, it’ll still work at 1.5Mbps which is slow but still usable if you’re patient. On the other end, $70 for 400 gigs is hard to exceed. Aldi has similar offers but with data rollover, but at slightly higher rates than Belong. Depending on your usage patterns, it might be better value. 4G and 5G modems are quite expensive, but you can actually recycle many Telstra NBN smart modems by putting the sim card in them. They sell on ebay for about $50. The local towers have been upgraded but evening slow downs may still occur.
2 - Mobile Plans. Hard to beat Aldi for value in our area. $19 a month is probably all you need if you’re not doing a lot of video watching. Most other bargain offerings from Boost, Amaysim have been discontinued. You might know of a better deal? As an aside, smart phones around $300 are now perfectly fine to use with the caveat of mediocre cameras.
3 - Electricity. If it’s working, try energymadeeasy.gov.au to compare offers. At the moment Red seems to be one of the best value options but this can change. If you have solar but no battery, consider over-heating or over-cooling your home when the sun is shining. That way you’re using your home as a sort-of battery. If you’re not home much during sunlight hours, investing in solar might not be worth it at the moment. Upgrading to an induction stove and reverse cycle air-conditioning might be a better investment. Where possible use an air fryer instead of a big oven. An air fryer is just an oven with a stronger fan in it. You can also get a bench top induction hotplate for around $100. These can be great if you’re used to cooking with gas, as they are faster and give better control compared to a standard hot plate.
4 - Home and Contents Insurance. Shopping around may be your only option to find good deals. Some insurers won’t allow you to under-insure your home. Some, like Honey, will give you a significant discount if you install smart sensors that monitor doors, moisture, temperature.
5 - Car insurance. If you drive old bombs like me, you might only need third party property insurance. You need this in case you obliterate a Mercedes.
6 - Universal insurance. Perhaps my most controversial suggestion. If you have the discipline to do so, consider having savings reserved as an investment which can double as an insurance policy for random stuff like vet bills, breakdowns, etc. If you can’t afford private health insurance, this might also cover surgery out of your own pocket. It perhaps sounds counter intuitive, but having savings as a universal insurance policy allows you to use it for whatever need comes up rather than having separate insurances for pet, contents, car, funeral etc. If you think of the money you’re putting away as being an insurance premium - which is pretty much what insurance is anyway - it might be easier to understand. It’s all a risk of course - a big enough hit could wipe you out so for those things you probably need actual insurance.
7 - Investing. This is largely a follow-on from the above - and you maybe shouldn’t be taking advice from a guy who drives old bombs and who is not too far above the tax free threshold! Being diversified is probably wise. Cash under the mattress or in the safe is comforting, but because of inflation, it’s effectively stolen from you over time. Things with limited supply such as gold, silver, certain older cars / collectibles may be a hedge against inflation but not guaranteed. Regarding metals, beware of fraudsters. Some cryptocurrencies (which are often speculative assets with an inherent limited supply) may be a good hedge against inflation, but the relative value compared to regular currencies is highly volatile. Stick to the larger Australian exchanges and remember the key phrase ‘not your keys, not your crypto’. Also consider the tax reporting requirements. Services like Koinly will take care of that for you at minimal cost. For the a more conventional low risk option, my limited research suggests index funds are one of the safer investment options. Superannuation is probably also good to be aware of, but I’m not up on all the tricks for this other than avoiding having multiple funds. Government co contributions are also a thing. Your bank might have a high interest yielding deposit product that is simple to set up and still gives you easy access. Regional Australia Bank’s S30 for example. If you’re a home owner, you already have a massive head start at this time - although bubbles are still a risk and you can’t exactly sell off bits to do the shopping! I have no experience with investment properties etc so can’t speak to that. Likewise, I have no stock market experience.
8 - Cars. Generally, if you maintain your car it’ll last a long time. Change the oil at least as often as the manufacturer suggests. Get the transmission serviced as per schedule. Don’t trust a ‘lifetime transmission’ claim though. Lifetime = warranty period. On most cars, changing the oil yourself isn’t too difficult and YouTube has guides for most cars. I can’t really speak to the reliability and safety of modern cars vs older - that’s a choice you’d need to look into yourself. YouTube is handy for this stuff. I’m a bit concerned that some cars are made with an intentionally limited life span. I’m NSW your rego fee is based on weight. A smaller car will cost you less to run and rego, but probably won’t be as comfy. As an aside, driving at 80kph uses up to 20% less fuel than 100kph. If you don’t have someone behind you and you aren’t in a hurry, consider slowing down to save some money. Also, apps like PetrolSpy and NSW Fuelcheck may help you save a little on fuel - but consider your rewards schemes as well as this might change the equation. (bp rewards, flybuys etc.)
9 - Yourself. Keep a little bit active if you can. Use it or lose it is a good rule of thumb. (Although I might have already lost it!) I reckon as long as you get a bit of walking in, that’s not a bad effort. A treddy in front of the tele is a good incentive for wet days. You probably should do more, like lifting and stuff, but meh. Try to eat some real food every day. (Fruit and veg.)
10 - Subscriptions. Lots of streaming services competing for your attention. However, all the tv catch up services are free, and so is YouTube. Some will sign up to a service, binge a show, then cancel that subscription. Podcasts are also generally free. A good VPN may allow you to watch the free TV stations from other countries. Useful particular if you’ve come from another country and miss ‘home’.
11 - Vinnies and ADRA etc. Don’t need to buy new? The local charity shops have a good range of clothing and occasionally furniture as well.
12 - Heating. Already covered under electricity, but here’s some more. The most energy efficient heating is a reverse cycle air conditioner or split system, using under half the power for the same amount of heat compared to any type of electric heater. At temperatures below freezing some brands may struggle. Research before buying, and remember you can always supplement with another heater. All other electric heaters are rated in watts - a 1200w bar heater gives the same heat as a 1200w column heater or a 1200w fan heater. An expensive panel heater will be no warmer than an equivalent fan heater. The only caveat here is that a small bar or halogen heater placed strategically will heat what’s in front of it rather than trying to heat the room - so you might be able to get away with just 400 watts under the desk and still be nice and warm while you’re there. Gas and wood fires are nice, but unless you have your own supply they are probably the most expensive option. Electric blankets cost a pittance to run.
13 - Computers. Computers generally haven’t improved much over the last ten years. If you have a computer that takes ages to wake up but is fast once it’s been awake for a while, you might be able to greatly boost its speed by replacing one part only - costing typically $100 to $150 with installation. (An SSD). But if it’s randomly turning off for no reason, it’s time is probably up.
14 - Groceries Shopping by unit price may save you a lot. In other words, price per kg, price per sheet etc. Most stores have these prices displayed below the item’s purchase price. For the local stores in particular, watch for specials. If travelling to Armidale etc, weigh up the fuel costs vs shopping locally. Some shops charge a fee to tap and pay vs insert / swipe / eftpos. You might need to experiment to see which is the cheapest at each store. Or use cash…
15 - Teeth You only need to floss the teeth you want to keep. Xylitol based chewing gums are also great at killing the bacteria that causes tooth rot. Unfortunately Kirk’s no longer stocks any. Beware that Xylitol is toxic to dogs.
16 - TVs. Generally speaking, reduce the brightness in order to increase the life. It’s usually heat that kills TVs. You can turn almost any TV into a smart TV by adding a ChromeCast for about $60. Also useful if your ‘smart’ TV isn’t as smart as it should be. Side note: Many smart TVs use a technology to report what you’re watching back to the manufacturer. If you don’t like this, don’t connect it to the internet.
Regarding the heating/cooling, if you’re home is decently insulated look into supercooling in the summer months. At higher temperatures your heat pump has to work harder to cool down the home. By running cooling overnight when temperatures are lower, it uses less power to the same result.
I cool my home to 68f from 2 am until 8 am on a schedule, and then the heat pump stays off until the indoor temps reach 74f. It’s provided a good amount of energy savings and helped me exceed the quoted power offset on my solar setup.
Amazing! Thank you for the tips and taking the time to write this!
Thanks!
Do not user Klarma-esque services unless it’s important. Same with payday loans.
You can use credit cards to build your credit, but your goal should be to pay it off each month. The first month you cannot pay it off in full (sans emergencies), stop using that card until you pay it off.
Bills get paid first. For loans, if possible, try to pay every two weeks to help bring it down faster.
Having a pet is not just getting a buddy, you need to be prepared to take care of them. They cost money and will keep costing money until they pass.
Honestly, check your job’s benifits. They hide a lot of stuff sometimes. It was a year into my employment before I realized my job could make monthly payments on student loans. Their payments have saved me in some tight months. 👀
Edit: if you live alone and your place is small (or at least one level) you may want to look into a portable ac, even if you have central air. I take a lot of depression naps so I’m usually in my room, so that’s really the only pace I need it. My cat knows where to go when it gets warm and we usually hang out in that room until it gets cooler (of course, if it’s bad, I’ll turn it on). It’s saved me on my electric this year enough to pay for the $160 I got it for (though I was kicking myself because Craigslist had them for cheap).
If you’re worried about auto charges emptying your account when you need the cash for more immediate things, have another account where you can stash some money so it’s always accessible.
For example, this week I knew I was gonna get a big charge and didn’t have the $$ to cover it. But it was pre-authorized, and it was going to go through and put me to negative.
So I moved gas money (required for earning money) into my Chime account, so I could keep earning when my main account went negative.
Got some bad marks on your credit, even a 30-day late ding? Dispute them, even if they’re legit.
Americans can request a free credit report every year, from all 3 credit reporting agencies. Mark everything negative as, “wasn’t me”. The debtor has 30-days to respond, if they don’t, fuck 'em, it’s off your record.
Worst case? They come back and say the challenge was verified as false. Oh well.
Learn about taxes and get a good tax guy. There’s a lot of “hacks” you could use to significantly reduce the amount you need to pay to the tax office. Best case scenario - you own an investment property which means you can write off all expenses, including mortgage interests.
Before buying a house, learn about home loans. Get yourself an offset account and for investment property get an interest only loan. Refinance your loan every time there’s a better deal.
Put all your payments, bills, rent, etc. on a credit card that earns you some points. Over time you will get free stuff just for paying your bills.
If you can afford it, put away 10% of all your income to a savings account. If 10% is too much put away as much as possible.
If you’re into risk, invest into stocks. I would recommend long term investments in well established companies that will give a nice return in 5-10 years. If you’re a dare devil, look into penny stocks with large dividends.
Stay away from crypto and “lucky shots”. If it’s too good to be true it’s not worth it.
