Money

10 Top Tips To Spend Less On Groceries

rescueditor@recu.com.au (Rescu Team) — Sat, 18 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Groceries might seem like a pretty essential part of our weekly budget, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make some serious cuts to our spending. According to MoneySmart, Australian households spent an average of $70,000 on everyday expenses in 2012, adding up to an incredible $642 billion across the nation.

With expenses that large, we’d all like to save some extra change where we can. To get you started, we have rounded up ten top tips for saving at the supermarket.

By Michelle Balogh, Money Maven.

Money Worry: How to Stress Less

rescueditor@recu.com.au (Rescu Team) — Sat, 11 May 2013 12:00:00 +0000

If the idea of opening a credit card bill or checking your online statement makes you break into a sweat, you are not alone. ANZ and Pacific Magazines recently released Australia’s Money Confidence 2013, a survey that asked almost 12,000 Australians how they think and feel about money matters, and it seems that financial anxiety is rife amongst Australians. Over a third of respondents said that worrying about finances caused them sleepless nights. Whether you’re tossing and turning, nail biting or refusing to look in your wallet, it’s time to take control and shed away some of that stress.

By Michelle Balogh, Money Maven

Credit Card Fraud: How To Stay Safe

rescueditor@recu.com.au (Rescu Team) — Sat, 04 May 2013 13:33:48 +0000

We’re all familiar with scandalous tales of credit card fraud and identity theft. The news is so full of hyped-up tales of hackers and spyware-wielding thieves that it often feels more like the realm of TV than real life. So when it comes to our own credit card security, most of us think ‘It won’t happen to me’.

But what if it does? In fact, a recent study by CreditCardFinder.com.au revealed that a whopping 1 in 4 Australians have fallen victim to Credit Card Fraud. 47.2% of the fraud victims had up to $300 fraudulently transacted from their card, and a further 24.59% had over $1000 stolen.

By Michelle Balogh, Money Maven.

Superannuation: How to Make the Most of New Reforms

rescueditor@recu.com.au (Rescu Team) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Most Australians will now have heard about the new reforms to superannuation. In reality most people don’t like change whether big or small, and we are all guilty at times of not stopping long enough to read the detail and instead react to talk of changes to taxation that could take a bite out of our savings. But perhaps this is a call to us all to take a closer look at our own financial health?

By Janine Cox, Wealth Within.

Saving on Security: How to Reduce the Cost of Life Insurance

rescueditor@recu.com.au (Rescu Team) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 12:00:00 +0000

It always seems that there are far more things to spend money on than there are dollars in the bank account, so we’re always making tough choices when it comes to prioritising expenses. In a world full of tempting offers and super sales, it’s not surprising that we often choose to consider our immediate happiness over our long term financial well-being. As a result, life insurance is often right down the bottom of the to-spend list – after all, we don’t benefit from it in our lifetime.

By Michelle Balogh, Money Maven.

Destination Weddings: How to Budget for Travel

rescueditor@recu.com.au (Rescu Team) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:00:00 +0000

What to do when love at an exotic locale stops being romantic and starts being fiscally irresponsible.

By Kathryn Eisman

Living on a Budget: Our Top 5 Tips to Saving Success

rescueditor@recu.com.au (Rescu Team) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 12:00:00 +0000

We all have something that we’d do if we had a little extra cash. Whether it’s making a deposit on your first home or buying a private jet, there’s always something we’re dreaming of that’s just out of reach. With that in mind it seems a little strange that many of us are flying blind when it comes to saving. We have the vague idea that we want to save money, but no concrete plan when it comes to implementing financial change.

This is where a budget comes in. A real-life document (or at least a well-designed app) that dictates exactly how much money is coming in, and where it’s going to go. If you’ve never lived by a budget before, now’s the time to start, it’s simple stuff and it’s a step towards saving success.

By Michelle Balogh, Money Maven.

Private Banking: Everything You Need To Know

rescueditor@recu.com.au (Rescu Team) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0000

From personalised service to tailored advice and unique opportunities there are a lot of reasons to consider private banking, but is it right for you? RESCU asked Ralf Haase, head of the Commonwealth Private Office, to tell us everything you need to know about private banking.

Selling Online: How to Turn Your Trash into Cash

rescueditor@recu.com.au (Rescu Team) — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 10:00:00 +0000

By 2013 we’re all pretty familiar with spending money online. Even the most frugal of fashionistas know how to drop a dollar or two on asos or net-a-porter faster than the blink of an eye. One thing that a lot less of us are doing is making money online.

It’s time to balance the scales.

By Michelle Balogh, Money Maven.

Budget Booster: How to Save Money in Just One Day

rescueditor@recu.com.au (Rescu Team) — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 23:00:00 +0000

If you have trouble tracking your spending and want to be able to afford that dress by Friday night, why not set yourself the challenge of going a whole day without spending a dollar? The Australian Securities and Investment Commission found that in 2012 Australians were spending an average $184 a day on general living costs so going a whole day without spending could mean some serious savings.

There’ll be a few expenses you’ll have to cover before your allocated day (a full tank of petrol and a fridge full of groceries will help), but once you’re reaping the rewards of your challenge you’ll never want to go back. To get you going, we’ve come up with some top tips for cutting that budget down to zero.

By Michelle Balogh, Money Maven.

Three Golden Rules to Free Yourself from Credit Card Debt

rescueditor@recu.com.au (Rescu Team) — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 12:16:45 +0000

Credit Card Debt – It’s that awful sick feeling in the pit of your stomach, that nagging feeling you’ve forgotten something, niggling at you every day. We don’t like to admit it, but Australians owe a staggering $50 billion in credit card debt and most of us haven’t any kind of plan when it comes to how we’ll get out of it.

A recent study by CreditCardFinder.com.au found that 79.6% of Australians lie about their credit card debt to their families and just 8% are willing to cut up their card and go cold turkey in an attempt to be free from debt. 83.9% of Australians even said that they believed that spending money on their credit card didn’t count or wasn’t real. Australia, I think we’ve got a problem.

So, your secretly harbouring a debt bigger than your shoe collection, what now? It took so little time to accrue the debt – a dinner here, a sale there – and now it seems it’s going to take a lifetime to get out of it. Never fear, we’ve rounded up 3 golden rules to get you going. Grab a notebook and a pen, it’s time to defeat that debt.

By Michelle Balogh, Money Maven

Easter Long Weekend: Getaways for Less

rescueditor@recu.com.au (Rescu Team) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 18:01:26 +0000

With a long weekend just around the corner it’s impossible not to start fantasizing about that gorgeous getaway. You’ve been slogging it out at the office since Christmas, saving up those dimes, why not splurge a little and escape?

The trouble is ensuring that you don’t blow the whole bank account in just four days. So if you’re sitting at your desk unable to keep your head to the books, why not start planning smart? Write a budget and use our top tips for a weekend to remember without the price tag.

By Michelle Balogh, Money Maven.

Five Investment Tips for Better Work-Life Balance

rescueditor@recu.com.au (Rescu Team) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 18:00:00 +0000

A work-life balance is something many dream of but few actually achieve. Countless books have been written about it and yet so many don’t have it. I believe the books don’t help much because what a work-life balance means to you is going to be different to the way I see it, and therefore the way you achieve it will also differ. Whether or not we get it comes down to two things; your ability to define what it is you want and making the right choices to get it.

By Janine Cox.

Entertaining Without The Expense: Budget Dinner Parties

rescueditor@recu.com.au (Rescu Team) — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Staying in isn’t necessarily the cheapest option – particularly when there are several mouths to feed and elegant entertainment is the order of the day. But before you have a budgetary breakdown, stop and take a look at our list of simple, cost-effective tips for hosting a dinner party.

From your grocery list to restaurant-quality atmosphere, we’ll turn you into a hostess with the mostest (and leave you with enough change to buy that perfect pair of heels).

By Michelle Balogh, Money Maven.

Supermarket Beauty Buys: Top 10 Under $15

rescueditor@recu.com.au (Rescu Team) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 19:17:11 +0000

With the news that Vaseline Aloe Fresh Daily SPF 15 took out the 2013 Product of the Year Award and that it retails for around ten dollars, RESCU decided to complied our top ten list of wondrous, miraculous and down-right darling beauty products you can get for a steal - and you can pick most of them up with your milk and bread too!

by Anna McDougall, Money Maven

Set for Life: How to Find the Right Life Insurance

rescueditor@recu.com.au (Rescu Team) — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 13:08:57 +0000

If you happen to be lounging in front of the television at three thirty on a week day afternoon, you may notice the sudden abundance of life insurance, health cover and funeral ads. Morbid? Perhaps. Necessary? More than you think…

by Anna McDougall, Money Maven

How To: Avoid Credit Card Debt

rescueditor@recu.com.au (Rescu Team) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:26:58 +0000

We’ve all been there, opening a credit card bill and letting out a shriek of horror at the debt we’ve mysteriously accrued whilst going about our day to day business. The average Australian’s personal credit card balance is $6412, a daunting figure that many of us have no idea how to escape from.

Suddenly Sacked: Job Cut Survival Guide

rescueditor@recu.com.au (Rescu Team) — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Laid off? Made redundant? Retrenched? Dismissed? If you’ve been suddenly sacked, it’s time to dust off the Oreo crumbs and get back into gear, because the bills won’t stop coming and you still need to eat. To keep bringing home the bacon (or the Oreos), follow the Money Maven’s Job Cut Survival Guide.

by Anna McDougall, Money Maven

2013 Stock Selection Strategy For Dummies

rescusubeditor@recu.com.au (Rescu Freelance) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 15:00:00 +0000

It is an obvious observation to state that in 2013, investing in the share market is as mainstream as investing in bricks and mortar. From bankers to farmers to retailers and teachers, there is no obvious share market investor, and this has been the case for several years now.

By Janine Cox

Top Tips for Investing With a Friend or Family Member

rescueditor@recu.com.au (Rescu Team) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 18:52:12 +0000

Whether you’re shacking up or taking the plunge into a new venture with a partner, friend or family member, you need to weigh up the pros and cons to stop you losing thousands, even more, if things go sour. Read up on the best tips to survive investing, because no one likes an awkward family reunion…

by Anna McDougall, Money Maven