Whilst driving with my 17 year old red p-plater the other day, he put my automatic car into neutral whilst cruising down the road at 70kmh. When I asked him why he did that, he said “to save money on petrol”. When I explained that the fuel he would be saving would be absolutely minimal, it got me thinking about our petrol-price obsessed culture. Nightly news bulletins now feature a “fuel-wat... read more>

Santa is 5 weeks off sliding down the chimney so it might be time to start thinking about the shopping. To say my children have had the best year ever is an understatement. I’ve forked out plenty of money on them so it will be a lean Christmas at my house. I’m not feeling guilty at all as they will still pick up plenty of things at their father’s house from his family. At my place it will... read more>

  The term frugal has a special meaning for older Australians because they tend to be more prudent, economical and averse to waste that our younger counterparts. But what if that frugality is somehow counterproductive and you could, to use that great English phrase, be ‘penny wise but pound foolish’? Two separate surveys out this week suggest some people’s efforts to be frugal are misp... read more>

The NSW Government this week released a discussion paper for feedback aimed at reining in excessive insurer profits and creating a fairer and more affordable scheme for NSW motorists and injured road users. Currently only 45 cents in every Green Slip dollar goes to injured road users, with the rest going to scheme costs including insurer profits and legal fees. Minister for Innovation and... read more>

I have a confession to make. I’m terrible when it comes to saving. There are two types of people in this world – those who can save and those who can’t. I have friends who are great savers and I look on with envy at how they have money that seems to miraculously stay in the bank! Recently I borrowed money to convert my garage into a granny flat. I had some cash left over so I decided to f... read more>