Obviously, the best time to start getting your finances under control is right now. Not tomorrow, not Monday, not the first day of next month or the first day of the new year. Delaying is just another form of procrastination. My very favourite one I implemented on myself, was after I cut up one of my...

A girlfriend who recently lost a lot of weight said to me a short time ago “it’s all about the small decisions”. Her theory is that the single decision to slim down isn’t enough. You don’t gain weight just by deciding to, or because of one piece of cake or one failure to...

There’s a poster in our garage (don’t ask) that the words “if not now, when?” is written on. It’s had me thinking. Back in the days when I was sitting atop my mound of nearly $40,000 in consumer debt, I often thought being debt free, but for many years, didn’t take...

When we talk about risk and reward in finance, typically we’re referring to the likelihood that an investment or venture will turn bad, compared with the return offered if everything goes well. For example, a P2P loan you make might return 20%, but the person you’ve loaned to has a high debt...

There’s just something about deciding to overhaul some aspect of your life, isn’t there? Whether it’s quitting smoking, losing weight, getting in shape, finding a job you’re passionate about or getting control over your finances it can be a very empowering and optimistic experience. Sadly,...

How much did you earn when you first started working? Overlooking my paper-route, my first job was as a Subway sandwich artist the summer before my last year of school. I hated every second of it (the embarassing story of my mother sitting in on my interview is for another day) but I loved having the...

I remember quite vividly when Sex and the City was first appeared in Australia. Everyone was talking about it – four women who aired the details of their sex lives like, well, like only men had previously been socially allowed (and expected?) to do so. Somewhere in there though, Sex and the City...

Part One in a three part series I’m writing for my friends at Savings Guide is now available. The first post is about ‘finding your money mojo’ – that is, getting your head in the right place to start getting your financial butt into gear. You can read the post here: http://www.savingsguide.com.au/budgeting-101-finding-your-money-mojo-1of3/

New research has shown that in an attempt to adjust their budgets and cut costs in the current economic environment, many people actually make choices which they think are saving them money, but in fact cost much more. Unfortunately, many people use a poor financial situation as an excuse to make unhealthy...

I’ve been reading a bit of Tim Harford’s work lately (brilliant economic writer) and have become quite interested in his thoughts on the application of economics in everyday life. For example, his response to a reader asking how to price 8 bedrooms in a share house fairly. What I thought...