Not sure that I can really add anything in here that hasnt already been said. Ive been PPS for a number of years now. The key that I have found is budget, budget, budget. It can get really depressing micromanaging your finances, but it is worth it in the long run.
As someone said, add up all your long term known bills and average them out. Pay a bit each fortnight, you can centrepay or just pay them direct. I found if I put the money aside into a different account it was nothing to just "dip" into there when something came up. Also budget an emergency fund, even if its just as little as $5-$10 a fortnight at this stage - it adds up and you never know when something will suddenly die.
If you have insurances, it may help to pay them monthly. Yes it does cost more in the long run, however if you dont have that money here and now then it too can help cut the costs temporarily. If you have health insurance - are you benefiting from the current level of insurance that you have? Can you drop it down a tier?
Different states do different deals, but generally, rego and license are reduced if not free - check it now as you can/could get a pro rata refund on these. Gas/Electricity (only one does it cant remember which) and phone also gives rebates.
Phone - PREPAY! No nasty $1000 bills. If you are on contract see what the penalities are for breaking, how long you have left etc and go from there. Also if its prepay then if you cant afford it then you just dont buy credit.
Budget your food, meal plan, and look at what you can buy homebrand and what you cant etc. DS has special diet requirements so costs are increased there, but we can skimp on some of the other "luxuries".
Are you still studying? You may also be eligible for Pensioner Education Supplement which varies from $30-$60 depending on study load, plus you may get reduced day care fees if eligible.
Skip the playcentre if you can, we make the most of our parks and free/cheap entertainment.
Pre-loved clothes, if you have friends with older children they may pass them down otherwise use your charity shops and there are even facebook buy swap pages now. I have bought things with their tags still on in both places. I also pay it forward and the things he grows out of go back to those places.
Honestly I get no CS so eventually did return to work casually. However we made it work for around 3 years without any extra income. Its frightfully hard but if you can make a budget and stick to it then it can open up more opportunities.
Thanks so much everyone! So much helpful stuff in there.
I am a meal planner. Just trying to get used to planning smaller meals! I am used to being able to freeze all the leftovers.
Thanks N2L - I will definitely look into NILS. I found a direct rentals place that does no interest Centrepay rentals to own over 12 months to HCC holders, will look into that more too I think.
BG - can't use my advances, I am not eligiable for them at the moment, I used them to help cover moving costs and what not over here a couple of months ago.
Keike - the phone thing isn't a bill stuff up - it has come from an issue when I first moved over here with Telstra not connecting my home phone on the bundle properly, which has only been resolved in the last week, meaning I had to keep using my mobile to make calls, which went above and beyond my cap in a BIG way. DH had lowered my cap without telling me and so I am screwed, and VF had removed the free call between our two numbers, despite both DH and I calling to put it back on on 3 separate occasions. I am in the process of getting rid of the contract mobile altogether, but will be stuck paying it out as there is about 12 months left on it. We got them both on a business deal years ago and it just keeps rolling over, which i did last year and upgraded the phone. Since separating and separating the accounts though and putting it in my name, we lost a major discount (the point of having them both on one name ITFP ). Anyway, I have a prepaid, and have a home phone now that includes the net, and ALL local and mobile calls, which I can start using by Wednesday to contact D for the girls to talk to him. That is really our major expense, phone wise, comeone is always calling to or from a mobile.
WRT to the Foxtel, yep, I watch it and for me it is worth it. As I said, there really is no going out or anything on my own, so movies, everything, all happens at home. The girls watch the cartoons, and I watch the footy, cricket, movies and most importantly, the docos. It will be getting reduced when uni starts back in a couple of weeks though.
I have given the concession details to the utilities and to Telstra, all of which come out each fortnight via Centrepay so I don't even see that money - which is AWESOME! lol Love that it comes out before I see it, unlike the money that comes out the day after it goes into my account, that is depressing!
Abigail - I didn't realise that the rego could be reduced or free with the pension card! I have the WA rego on the car until October, then will need to switch it to Vic (which I think will also involve a trip over the pits to get a RWC, is that right??) so having to not pay that full cost will be a life saver.
I use the car much less frequently here than in Perth, so that is helping. I am getting about 3 weeks from a tank of petrol most of the time, if I don't go to far too often, saving me about $100 a month.
The girls are covered under exDH's top notch private health insurance - a BIG bonus of his job is the supreme health cover included on top of his salary - it doesn't cover me, but does him. The car insurance is about to get changed over too next month when it expires, so will be doing that monthly, but should only be about $80 a month for full comp cover.
I get boxes and things of fruit/veg, but I can't plan that way what is coming, so I am hesitant. I have looked into having the basics delivered from AFD and a few other places, and it is just not economically viable at the moment. The girls can't drink cow's milk anyway, so have to get "specialty" milks and I only drink milk in my coffee and for cooking (which I use theirs). Will be making our own bread though, I can't afford my bread anymore, but the $1 loaves from Coles just don't sit well with me. They eat a lot of bread so need to be careful with it. I really hate processed crap.
We go to the park OFTEN - about 3-4 times a week. It is our staple now, but when it is raining and freezing, the playcentre is a good out for them - in Perth though most of the time it is too hot to go to an outside park, so the playcentre became something we did several times a week - but it was more than HALF the cost of our local playcentre (which is crap, expensive and we won't be going back to).
It is good to now there are some places I can take them that are concession friendly - DD2 is *almost* at an age now where I can take her to places like the museum without her getting bored witless.
DD1 is at kinder days a week, and the mums have told me about the Steiner playgroup that runs for DD2, but not sure I can afford a daycare day for DD2 yet. She goes to the creche at the gym when I go, as does DD1 on her days off kinder, the hour to myself is lovely! lol But will be leaning on my brother and sister I think to take them for a day every fornight so I can study.
Abigail - yes, I am on a FT study load, who do I contact about information for the Pensioner Education Supplement?
Fionas - thank you That does help immensely, I think I need to work on my mindset a lot at the minute, it is all pretty negative up there really, and needs to change, or I am going to end up in a ball rocking back and forth in the corner. Not Pollyanna at all - exactly what I needed.
Can anyone tell me anything about Myki? Has this replaced the oldschool yearly/half yearly tickets? Is it worth getting this, or will I need to get one for me and one for DD1 herself (she is 5 in November), or am I still best off sticking with Metcards for now? When do the Metcards stop being sold?
Thanks again everyone, I think it is really just going to require much more attention than I am used to it needing, and me getting used to doing it all on my own 100% of the time.
I don't think you can get met cards anymore, myki only from now on. Also, you do not need to take the car for a RWC to register it here. If you do it before is due, you can get back some of the rego you paid in WA.
Another thing. With the ftb advance you can pay it off earlier and get it sooner too. So if you previously got a 500 advance and have paid back 300, you can get the last 200 paid back and advance the whole 500 again. Puts you 300 up now. May not help you with the freezer situation right now, but it may when rego is due or something.
I increased my payments each fortnight so I could get advance again a week earlier due to rego. You don't have to pay that one over 13 fortnights. That's the maximum timeframe.
Just puttIng it out there. Something to consider. I paid an extra few bucks a fortnight and got it paid off a fortnight early. Some people double the payments so thy get limp sums every few months, some pay a lump sum like I first mentioned as they could use the extra cash for a situation like yours with the freezer...
I didn't know that, BG. Will have a look at that, because I have found that if I don't have the money, it doesn't worry me not having it - that's why I love Centrepay! lol Thanks
Reply With Quote
). Anyway, I have a prepaid, and have a home phone now that includes the net, and ALL local and mobile calls, which I can start using by Wednesday to contact D for the girls to talk to him. That is really our major expense, phone wise, comeone is always calling to or from a mobile.
That does help immensely, I think I need to work on my mindset a lot at the minute, it is all pretty negative up there really, and needs to change, or I am going to end up in a ball rocking back and forth in the corner. Not Pollyanna at all - exactly what I needed.
Bookmarks