Australia’s unique urban petrol discounting cycle, which benefits savvy drivers but confounds many others, means the cost of filling up can be a gamble. Given this volatility and the unpredictability of price swings, and our sensitivity to the price of petrol meaning we’ll drive further to find a saving, consumers need help. Especially with the so-called ‘information asymmetry of oil ... read more>

British pensioner Ilona Richards has been dubbed the world’s thriftiest woman. She skimps and saves on every aspect of her life – living off an equivalent of $5,000 per year and a maximum $2 budget for every meal. Ilona’s blog is well worth a read. Titled “Life After Money“, Ilone describes how she quit working in her mid-fifties. Her theory was simple – “if I didn’t spend any money, ... read more>

The Federal Government will return-to-sender the premium increases of health funds for next year, unless they pass-on an entire $86 million of annual savings to consumers. But premiums will still rise next year, even if the full amount is shared with policyholders. Federal Health Minister Sussan Ley told the FiftyUp Club Radio Show last night: “I, as minister receive the requests from the... read more>

Since I began at the FiftyUp Club six months ago, many organisations have made contact with me with ideas for our Club. Some good, some not-so-good, but a consistent theme is accommodation options for older Australians. NSW Minister for Ageing Michael Ajaka told us on the Fiftyup Club radio show this week that the state government had set aside $1 milion for the Liveable Communities Grants P... read more>

Across Australia, families are struggling to get ahead. The rising costs of energy and private health insurance (if you’re lucky enough to have it) are chipping away at your savings. One area where you could be saving yourself big dollars each month is…wait for it….car repayments. According to ratecity.com.au a $30,000 loan over 5 years on 9% interest will cost you $623 a month. Have y... read more>