Travel on a budget

I love to travel, but it can get expensive, especially when you live in Australia so you are hours from anywhere. Today I am guest posting at PFFirewall with 5 tips for overseas travel from my recent experience with a conference in Chicago. Today I am sharing just a couple of the things I have done to save money traveling. I have been to the USA twice, New Zealand and on various trips around Australia. Along the way I have learnt a few things which saved us a lot of cash.

Stay with others
If you can, staying with others can save you a lot of money. We often stay with friends or family. I cannot even begin to imagine how much money this has saved us. We let people stay with us and growing up we often stayed with others. Sometimes it is squishy and it is not always as awesome as staying a flash hotel, but I love staying with people I know because I get to really catch up with them, it's is more like being at home and when you are with locals, they can let you know the best places to go, get discounts and things for you.

Research
Know where you are going, what free things there are to do and see, where you can get coupons or vouchers for a discount to attractions and what the best times of year to go are. Many holiday locations are cheaper just after school has gone back or once the season has finished. For example with snow fields they have an official ski season, but there is often snow before and after that season. It is much cheaper to go then.

Don't fully plan everything
We pretty much booked our first night or two wherever we were going if not staying with friends and just winged the rest. Yes, I flew to the other side of the world with my first night accommodation booked in LA, the next night in Las Vegas, 2 nights with friends, then nothing for a week, 5 days with another friend, then 1 more night booked and that was it. I was gone for 3 1/2 weeks, but only had planned part of my holiday.

Usually failing to plan results in things costing you more, but by not planning exactly here is what I got:
- Free accommodation for over half my trip including LA and a house on a beach in Maui.
- Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure park were free
- Free meals for most of my trip
- I did not need to hire a car at all
- Free souvenirs and
- I got to see everything I wanted for about 1/3 of the price we expected

Some times it was stressful, but ultimately I would travel that way again.

One thing I did not look in to properly and it probably cost me a bit, but I wasn't so financially savvy then was which credit card to use and how to avoid transaction fees overseas. This week I am guest posting at mozo about this. Click here to check it out.

Is Debt a Deal Breaker? - Guest Post

Is Debt a Deal Breaker?

Before embarking down the path of marriage, couples should discuss many things: their religious views, their views on life, on child-rearing and if they even want to have children. They should also discuss any debt that either party may have, as this can be a deal breaker for some people. Debt can cause serious strain on the relationship; but there may be solutions for the couple.

Stresses of Debt on a Couple

Debt can cause stress in a number of different ways. It can prevent couples from making large purchases together, such as a home, especially if debt has resulted in a poor credit score for one half of the couple.

It also puts serious strain on the relationship as a whole. It may cause one half to feel resentful of the other, either for having too much debt or simply for being “out of control” with their finances. It may lead to a lack of trust, which can be even more detrimental to the relationship. A lack of trust, especially when it comes to dealing with a couple’s finances, can tear the relationship apart.

Finally, debt can be a complete and total deal breaker for some people. The mentality that if one person can stay out of debt and live within their means, while another cannot, is often baffling to the person without debt. This leads to fear of what the future may hold in terms of financial stability, which can lead to separation for the couple.

Solutions for Debt

If marriage is in the cards, couples may want to look for ways to reconcile any debt the pair may have separately. This may be as simple as keeping the debt separate but making a plan to pay it off so that the relationship can advance financially, such as purchasing a home or vehicle.

Some couples may consider working together to pay off all of their debt through a debt consolidation loan or through a credit counseling service. This can help teach the couple to work together on their budget and more importantly, on their spending habits. Working together to create better financial habits can be extremely beneficial, which may actually make the couple stronger in the long run.

Debt does not have to be a deal breaker. If the couple is committed for the long term, then there are plenty of ways to work together to eradicate the situation including debt consolidation loans, credit counseling or simply working together to create a payoff plan. Though debt can be stressful, it can also be beneficial in the long term by teaching couples how to better manage their finances.

About the Author: Patty Kleen is a full-time writer with a major focus on finances and investments. She knows all too well what it is like to be blindsided by a spouses secret debts. When she is not writing, she works closely with finance staffing agencies to create guides for those looking for work within the industry.

No Spend Christmas?

As I have been doing my $100 Christmas challenge, which is coming along nicely by the way, I have been wondering if it would be possible to just not spend anything.

I now people do a complete homemade Christmas, but my thoughts were besides making stuff was using a variety of sources to do Christmas, none of which would actually cost me money.

- Giveaways and competitions: Enter what I can and put winnings away for Christmas presents
- Giftcards: I win and earn gift cards occasionally. These could be used for gifts instead of spending our actual cash
- Make gifts: I still have a massive craft pile, so it would be easy to make more gifts to give.

I just don't feel the need to do an over the top Christmas, ever. I might buy a game console or something for my kids to share, but they are pretty happy, easy going kids. We want to teach them to appreciate things and since they are young I see no need to spend a lot of money. I would prefer to do fun stuff, traditions and things and create memories.

What are your thoughts?

Win big with blog giveaways

I have always like giveaways but this year since I have gotten more into blogging and the whole community behind it I have been blown away. Some of the stuff up for grabs is just amazing! Not just that but the chances of winning on a blog giveaway are a lot higher than magazine, radio and other competitions.

This year I have won:
Books - a few different ones
Clothing - a gorgeous dress for me and one of my daughters
Food - a huge Gluten Free pack
DVD - Spooky Buddies (which was on my daughters wish list for Christmas)
Hair care - Herbal Essence shampoo, conditioner and mousse
Candles - Yankee Candle
Gift vouchers - such as Bakers Delight, Groupon, Karma Soaps and more
Beauty Products
and more!

Prior to this I would be lucky to win something once in a blue moon. Sometimes I don't even do anything but leave a comment. It is seriously that easy!

Not only do I do a giveaway every week on my new blog www.kylieofiu.com so everyone has a chance, but I have been finding so many Australian giveaways mainly through Facebook and twitter to enter. It only takes a few minutes, if that to leave a comment.

Do you enter giveaways?

On top of giveaways I am always on the look out for freebies, samples and things. I have received lollies, drinks, chips and snacks, skincare, make-up and perfume and more. All these things I am able to collect through out the year, combine it with my giveaway winnings and I have some great Christmas presents, (Of course I keep stuff I really love for myself too.)

My tips for entering giveaways are:

• Follow blogs that regularly do giveaways and not just on their blog, but through Facebook and twitter as well as they often mention other giveaways on there too.
• Enter. It does't take long to leave a comment and enter most giveaways.
• Don't worry about how many entries. I have looked and nearly not entered some giveaways because there were over 100 or 200 entries. I entered and much to my surprise I won. Of course, the lower the amount of entries the higher your chances of winning.
• Share. By sharing the giveaways on Facebook and twitter you give others the opportunity to enter, usually get a bonus entry and other people are more likely to share with you.

So what are you waiting for? Go enter some giveaways!

Rent vs Buy - Guest Post

This is a guest post from Jack. He discusses the options of renting vs buying. We have been going over this the last year, my husband and I. We did want to sell our house and rent, but we are staying where we are at this time. I think what it comes down to is what works best for your family and personal situation. No one is exactly the same. Ultimately you should aim to own a home I think, but renting has it's benefits too. This posts gives you the pros and cons of both. What are your thoughts?

Let’s Talk About Renting And Buying: Which One Is Better?
This looks like a crossroad, does it not? Whenever the topic is about real estate there seems to be a never ending dispute between renting and buying and which one is better. So for those who still cannot decide, let us take a look at the benefits and disadvantages of these two.
Benefits of buying a house
• If you are thinking of buying a house, you do not need to hunt. There are lots of houses up for sale and the only difficulty that you will experience is choosing which house to buy.
• Now, when there are lots of products available, it always follows that the price is low. This is where the law of supply and demand works for you. If you buy a house these days, you are in a better bargaining position thus you will surely get your dream house for a dream price.
• Aside from low prices, interest rates are also at a low.
• Your house is your castle and you are the king (let the term apply whether you are a male or a female). Being the owner of your home, you have the right to design it anyway you want and you won’t have to worry about rules and regulations.

One disadvantage about buying a house is that it is quite taxing and draining physically, emotionally and financially. Physically, because you really have to take the time out to look at the house that you are planning to buy; emotionally, because it is but natural that you will feel a little anxious about taking such a huge step and huge responsibility; and financially because you will have to dig down deep in order to pay for the down payment, mortgage, interest, and tax among others.

Benefits of renting
• It is less expensive than in owning your own house because you only need to pay for a fixed amount anytime
• You have the freedom to move out and transfer to another location
• You will not pay for maintenance and repair

The disadvantage of renting on the other hand is that you keep on paying for something every month and for nothing. It is like you are giving away your money for no return except the temporary shelter.

So now what do you think? Should you rent? Or will you buy? The deciding factor between renting and owning a home actually depends on your current situation. See whether you are ready to take on the responsibility of owning a house and investing in your future or if you still have plans, like a career move that may take you someplace else, then renting would be a better option.

When you do buy a house, it is important that you make a home loan comparison online to check on the best option for your home loan needs. There are lots of tools you can use for fast, efficient and accurate results to help you compare home loans from different home finance providers.

Health affects your wealth!

I have been fooling myself into thinking I am ok with how I am. I am happy to have my hourglass shape, that part is great, but I have let excess weight creep back on. How does this affect wealth?

Well, for me, I have a back problem. When I get close to or above the weight I am now, my back goes out a lot which causes a lot of pain. My husband sometimes has to take time of work and I am unable to work, so it affects our income.

It is also expensive to treat when you get sick. It is cheaper to stay healthy and look after yourself than it is to fix the damage.

When I am eating bad, I am not doing my body any favours. It is not just about weight. Being unhealthy causes all sorts of issues such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer. I do not want any of these things. Being unhealthy lowers your quality of life, as well as life expectancy. I don't want to be an unhealthy example to my kids.

You see, not only does my health affect my life, but the example I set is more than likely the one my kids will follow. My bad eating and exercising habits will encourage bad habits in them.

So on top of my health and wealth being adversely affected, the health and wealth of future generations is affected to.

As such, I have decided to step up and take charge. I am not going on a diet or anything. I am simply changing my life and habits to reflect the sort of lifestyle I want. I want to be happy, healthy and live a long life with my family. As such I need to change what I eat, get more active and be aware of what I am doing.

My first step is to lose 5kgs by Christmas. I am doing this by watching what I eat and exercising more. I am also swapping a lot of our regular foods for healthier options. This will be a gradual process to help the family adjust.

Next year I plan on buying some exercise equipment and setting it up in our back room.

I will be a happy, healthy version of me.

Finding what works

Recently I have been here, there and everywhere and have felt myself spread very thin. I had been trying to cut back the other month, but I always get sucked back into working lots. I have come to the realisation that I just cannot do everything.

As much as I want to, I can't.

I need to look at all that I do and work out a few main things.

1.) What do I enjoy the most?
2.) What is most beneficial to my life?
3.) What projects deserve my time and attention?

I have been offered various work things, all online lately but mostly they are not worth my time. When I was first offered them I thought maybe as it would be regular work and then I realised that the pay was so low it was really not worth my time, no matter if it was regular or not. The amount of time it would take me to complete that work would mean I would have been working for about 10% of my usual income for the same work.

This is when I realised I need to look at all areas of my life and change it accordingly. Are there things in your life you are doing which are not the best use of your time?

Our time is our life. How we spend our time reflects our values, and ultimately will be how we spent our life. Do you want to look back and be happy with it or look back and realise you wasted most of your time?

2 weeks ago I posted about my new challenge to pay off our $9,000 debt as well as another $7,000 to replace some things and have a small emergency fund.

One of the things we needed was a bed as ours had broken. Last week, guess what we got? A FREE King size chiropractic bed (which is what we needed to buy and would have cost us $2,000 for the mattress, but was out of our price range).

We still need to buy linen as we had a queen bed before that, so that will cost, but hopefully not too much.

Our personal loan has only had the regular payment come out plus a small cents only transfer this fortnight so is sitting at $8,821.78 which is still better than $9,000.

We have discussed our options with banks and refinancing our mortgage so will be going ahead with this soon.

I have been away so unable to sell much, but sold 5 more things so my 1000 things now sits at 367. I have a lot more to list this week and have big plans to both save and make extra money, so hopefully next fortnight I will have a whole lot more!

Renting Business Equipment - Smarter Than Buying...

If you run your own business, the technology and equipment you use can have a significant impact on efficiency and the quality of your work. But for small businesses, buying and using the latest laptops, printers and any other necessary equipment can require significant cash outlays. This is why renting is a smart alternative. Rather than buying technology outright, renting allows you to rent the latest iPad, laptop or computer through low monthly payments. For small businesses or sole operators, this makes it significantly easier to manage cash flow and monthly budgets – and you’re not sinking money into technology that will soon become outdated. You and your business can continually run on current and up-to-date technology. There are also a number of additional benefits to renting:

Value added services
Many technology rental companies provide more value by offering free services to their customers. These can include loaner equipment if your rental equipment breaks down. If you rent a laptop, for example, and it breaks down or is stolen, you’ll enjoy the security of having a loaner laptop provided for you in the interim.

Continually upgrade your services
When you rent your technology you have a range of end of term options, including the option to upgrade to the latest technology. This gives you and your business the opportunity to be continually at the forefront of technology without having to put down a significant cash outlay.

Tax benefits
When you rent equipment that is used for business purposes, the monthly payments can be up to 100% tax deductible. This makes renting a smart and cost effective option for businesses – they won’t have to part with large sums in one go and will still enjoy tax benefits.

Flexible
Renting terms are generally flexible, giving you the freedom to update your equipment as your technology and computing needs change. This is helpful if your business takes on a new project or you embark on a new business endeavour.

There are a number of benefits – both financial and practical – when businesses choose to rent their equipment as opposed to buying it outright. It’s just one way that businesses can be frugal and benefit from a range of options when it comes to financing the equipment needed for a business to run and be profitable.

This guest post is a collaboration with Rent Smart