LifeTips for Getting Ahead in Australia

ggkfc on 01/05/2017 - 15:02
Last edited 02/05/2017 - 11:01

What's your tips for getting ahead in life, besides scrouging Ozbargain for sweet deals? Personally, I think negative gearing is one.

Some offered below:

mokr: "surround your self with successful people, its mostly about contacts"

railspider: "get a good job that pays good money"

Archi: good general points but seems like people think good guys finish last

mini2: being frugal, delay kids, make use of family to help childcare

Seraphin7: "Study, work hard, demonstrate value to your employer/customers, spend less than you earn, repeat"

Education & Work

Comments

  • pingMarky on 04/05/2017 - 09:25
    +2

    Option 1 - Rob a bank. Option 2 - let bank rob you.

  • wamo on 04/05/2017 - 09:48

    Get some headphones for the bridesmaids

  • DiscoJango on 04/05/2017 - 10:53

    You could also go the "aussie battler" a current affair route:

    . Spend all your money on smokes and beer
    . Pump out 3 kids by the age of 17 (dropping out of school in the process)
    . Cry poor and say there are no jobs,
    . Scam/live off centerlink benefits and baby bonuses for the rest of your life
    . Rip at least 30 cones a day
    . Wear flip flops no matter the time of day or weather

    • jenkemjunkie on 04/05/2017 - 21:05

      I only have the cone rippin part down pat.

      The rest is too hard

  • MrMister on 04/05/2017 - 12:00
    +5

    Reading through these comments is painful. There's not too much value. People complaining about politics and property mainly. There are a few good points though…

    Here's what I think. Take this "advice" light heartedly:

    • Get a degree. Get an education. Even if you don't know what to do, just pick something you're vaguely interest in! This is an avenue of opportunity - a path for discovering what you want to do with your life. You'll present a positive impression when meeting others. Call me judgemental, but when I meet an educated degree holder, I feel MORE confident in communicating various thoughts and ideas. OBVIOUSLY, there are exceptions.

    • I agree with people saying "Get a good job" and "live with your means". It means security and no financial stress (unless you spend more than you make). Invest the rest of your money in things like super, stocks (international & domestic), joint business ventures etc. ALSO NOTE: Finding a good job doesn't mean you'll be trapped forever once you've settled in.

    • Create Value. Sounds cheesy huh? This is where things get a little interesting! There are many, many avenues. FOR EXAMPLE: I'm interested in today's rapidly evolving digital world. I've learnt to create apps (I admit they are very basic) , become a social media influencer (i.e. Youtube), write a book for Amazon etc. etc. I have a mate who is a weekend photographer. NOTE: Nothing is built overnight, or in a week or even a few months. You gotta keep at it for a few years (unless you're super lucky).

    • Chase after the money. People who say "money isn't everything" are obviously delusional. It can bring so much relief, security and happiness for the entirety of your life. OBVIOUSLY there's a limit (say $10 million dollars??). But just imagine if we all had enough money to buy: the house of our dreams mortgage free, the car of our dreams finance free, quality education for our children and everything in between.

    Advice on property:
    Forget about property in Sydney (or Melbourne) if you can't afford it at the moment. You'll turn into a penny pincher, just so you can make a damn deposit. You'll then get strapped with a 20-30 year mortgage. You'll realise that this isn't the house you dreamt of as a kid. You'll be living in some wall in the hole in Western Sydney (not that there's anything wrong with living in WS!). Also contemplate council fees, new furniture, renovations. I'm no economist or anything but what if the property market becomes unstable?

    Probably turn into one of these pessimistic buggers on the internet!

    Perhaps I'm still young and naive, but I reckon we should all seek a more financially secure life.

    Thank you if you've read up to this point. LOL, I don't even know what I'm doing. I have a question for everyone: If you own a property in Sydney (mortgaged and all), does it make you financially secure? My answer is a straight forward: NO. Up for debate though I reckon.

    A note for all the grammar police out there:
    - I haven't proof read this
    - I don't always construct full sentences
    - Like many, my English isn't perfect.
    - Have a great day.

    • MrMister on 04/05/2017 - 12:03
      +1

      just read through this and jeez………

      If anyone needs anything cleared up, let me know down below!

    • ProggerPete on 04/05/2017 - 14:49
      +2

      Get a degree is terrible advice. Many degrees are worthless. If you want to become a Doctor or an Engineer then fine, but don't waste 3-4 years of your life and saddle yourself with debt just to get a piece of paper you aren't going to use. For some people the best advice is genuinely to drop out of school after grade 10 and start an apprenticeship.

      • MrMister on 04/05/2017 - 17:37

        Let me be really harsh. I stand by my advice 100%.

        1. In a world as judgemental and competitive as ours, you must differentiate yourself to become valuable. Truth of the matter is that more people don't go to university than go (not about to google this. I'm sure it's true. Look it up if you don't believe me. Prove me wrong.) Also, first impressions matter ALOT, especially when looking for a good job and so….. I argue you must have a degree. There is also a certain respect that comes with having a degree, it's unspoken.

        2. People who've finish university are GENERALLY more intellectual and more informed. They've been exposed to a variety of materials and have been more intellectually challenged (i.e. questions/ideas that provoke critical thinking).

        Apprenticeship? Sure. If you want to go down that route, go ahead. However, OPs question is about getting "ahead" in life. Not many trades allow you to get "ahead", comparatively speaking to jobs in finance, engineering etc. etc. I understand that construction is booming at the moment, but is it sustainable? Personally, I'd place my bets with a uni degree and hopefully, a good job in industries such as finance or computing.

        Now unless you're some super lucky, well funded entrepreneur, programmer or trust fund baby etc. , I advise to get a university degree so that you can maximise your opportunity of getting ahead.

        • jenkemjunkie on 04/05/2017 - 21:13
          +2

          Everyone has a degree. I thought you said differentiate yourself? A degree is the new norm and there's a glut of graduates. A trade is way better route, and I'm saying this as a degree holding professional.

          I'd never waste my time going back to uni - all I paid for was the piece of paper. Google pretty much taught me everything.

          I knew uni was a joke when my housemate who got all sorts of scholarships and the university medal for engineering had no idea how to change a brake light on his car so he sent it to the dealer and paid $50. Yep that's an education right there.

        • zerocents on 05/05/2017 - 12:43

          @jenkemjunkie:
          The painful part isn't even the not knowing.

          A lot of people are completely oblivious to the concept of searching for 10 seconds to find out how to do something.

        • MrMister on 05/05/2017 - 13:29

          Sorry couldn't reply. Had to wait 24 hours because I'm new. I could only write 5 posts/24hours. Hahahahaha

          Not everyone has a degree. Maybe everyone YOU KNOW has a degree, but that certainly doesn't mean "Everyone has a degree." I hate stats, so let me keep this short: in 2016, people aged between 25 - 34, only 37.1% had a bachelor degree or higher. It's from the ABS. Link where I found it: https://www.universitiesaustralia.edu.au/australias-universi…

          That's not even 50%! A far cry from "everyone"…not even close. Although, let me say that this stat is steadily increasing.

          It may not seem like it, but you are definitely differentiating yourself. I admit, for most of us, it's not what we do at uni that makes a difference. We learn a h*ll of a lot more in real jobs dealing with real people and real situations. You gotta look at uni as being a stepping stone
          .
          Correct me if I'm wrong, but if I'm a employer, the first thing I look at (in reference to resumes) is if the candidate has a degree or not. This is aside from the obvious: if you have a criminal conviction you're f**cked. Again, I feel that this is the rule, but there are exceptions.

        • ProggerPete on 08/05/2017 - 12:30

          @MrMister: I've hired people and the first thing I look at is the cover letter. There are better ways to differentiate yourself than having a degree.

          People need to think about about what they want to achieve. If it's a government job then a degree is mandatory. Anywhere else it's a nice to have. In most industries I think you'd do best to find a company that employees people to do what you want to do and offer to work for nothing for 6 months.

        • MrMister on 09/05/2017 - 11:13

          @ProggerPete: I haven't hired anyone, so thank you for the insight. Can I ask, what are better ways of differentiating yourself (on a resume) without having a degree? I can only think of work experience and volunteering (which many people have).

          I kind of agree that people should do what they want to do, I mean after all, isn't it happiness that most of us seek? However, would that be most profitable (aka "getting ahead" in life)? Would that be beneficial for future career advancements? This is debatable.

        • ProggerPete on 09/05/2017 - 11:57
          +1

          @MrMister: 'Find a job doing what you love' is almost poisonous advice. Very few people love their work and if you expect to be able to love your work you'll likely be dissappointed. Most of us make do with enjoying parts of our job and the things you can do because you have money. That's why I said think about what you want to achieve, not what you want to do.

          On the hiring front, I'm sure everyone is different but I'm unlikely to look past the 1st couple of pages of a CV. Stick everything you think is important on the 1st page. The rest of the CV is just verification for the job winning claims you made on the 1st page.

          The quality I want most from someone I hire is a strong drive to perform. Everyone says they are a hard worker but lots of people will put their feet up and wait for help when they encounter the smallest obstacle. I want someone who will do what it takes to get the job done. Sometimes that means asking for help and that's fine. The difference between asking for help and waiting for help is huge.

          I'm in IT and obviously for senior positions I'm going to hire the guy with 5 years experience over both the IT graduate and the high school IT nerd 99.99% of the time.

          If I'm looking for a junior developer then things like a link to the application they developed in their spare time will do wonders. Any evidence of bettering yourself can help. Are you in toastmasters or something similar? Do you run triathalons?

          If 2 candidates are identical except for one having a degree and one not then yes, I will hire the one with the degree. Most degree holders won't have written an application I can go look at though and you can do that in a lot less than 3 years.

        • MrMister on 13/05/2017 - 14:31

          @ProggerPete:

          Firstly, I agree, Find what you love is poor advice.

          The rest of your advice is brilliant. So, thank you very much! Everyone should read this.

          However, I feel we've drifted from OP's question. The focus is "Getting Ahead". The guy with "5 years experience" that you'd hire "99.99% of the time" must've started somewhere right? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe in most cases they have a university degree (especially in IT). Obviously, there is the odd genius who's completely self taught and has an impressive portfolio of apps and software betas. I feel like we're comparing 23 year old graduates with experienced 28 year olds when "experience" comes into play. I mean, unless you're real talented, experience wins 9 times out of 10.

          I mean, I'm 26. I'm not trying to "get ahead" of my 38 year old manager. He'll probably always win if we compete for the same job because he's more experienced. What I do know though, is that I'm quite ahead of many other 26/27 year olds. Put in the hard yakka to get a degree and subsequently a "cushy" office job. Quite satisfied with my pay, of which most is invested. Can't afford a property though because I live in Sydney. Also, I don't know if it's financially wise to buy overpriced real estate and strap my self with a 25 year old mortgage. I'll be a damn anxious mess, praying interest rates don't rise and that the market won't crash. Plus, I enjoy travelling too much, so it'll be a challenge to save for a deposit without compromising my investments. Anyway, If I don't get sick of my industry, I'll be here till my late 60s, making good coin and I'll hopefully have a great investment portfolio to rely upon in retirement (and maybe buy a small yacht hahahahaha). From my perspective, I feel that it's quite a good life.

          Obviously, like many others, I dream of retiring at 32 with tens of millions in my bank, lying on some far away beach paradise. How realistic is this dream though?

        • ProggerPete on 15/05/2017 - 11:41

          @MrMister: Yes, most of the time the guy with 5 years experience started with a degree. My point is that I believe a lot of the time you could 'get ahead' by skipping the degree and doing unpaid work instead. You'd have your 5 years experience before the guy that got a degree and you'd also not have a big HECS debt.

  • Make it so on 04/05/2017 - 12:09
    +1

    "Getting ahead" sounds like living life by other people's standards.

    Decide what would provide you with true fulfilment in life and work towards that. Work hard towards your goals but accept what is not in your control.

  • drfuzzy on 04/05/2017 - 14:57

    Negative gearing is not a strategy. It's an outcome.

  • cashless on 04/05/2017 - 15:17

    Stick more money into super

    • DiscoJango on 04/05/2017 - 21:44

      plot twist: die early from a car crash, super money wasted. didnt get to enjoy life.

      • cashless on 05/05/2017 - 00:16

        Typical selfish b/s. Putting money into super means not just cash for you (main purpose of course), but possible legacy for your dependants should the worst happen and you keel over. Doing something good for yourself might just result in doing something even better for those who rely on you.

    • joeno on 05/05/2017 - 17:00

      How is this good? Isn't it better to invest the money yourself.

  • Moose-au on 04/05/2017 - 18:18

    Find what really boils your kettle and make a career out of it. Does NOT matter whether you are a mechanic, a hairdresser, or software developer = find what you really love to do and work extremely hard to learn everything you possible can out your chosen career so that you are the very best you can possibly be and you will be extremely successful, earn a packet, and retire young. Invest in education ! That does NOT mean that you just buy worthless uni degrees - it means take every opportunity to advance your knowledge of your chosen career path. Sure worked for me !

    • t_c on 04/05/2017 - 22:19
      +1

      Are you saying I should be a Gigolo.

  • Sweetnsour on 04/05/2017 - 19:10

    Appreciate everything you have and be grateful that we are in a country that you can exercise freedom and be safe from controlling government. Working long hours to earn money and spending the money on material goods just sounds like a hamster. I remember best times were when you were a teenager or student years and had little money but the best of times with family and friends.

    The best way to get ahead is to avoid the traps of "keeping up with the joneses".

  • johnyBgood on 04/05/2017 - 19:10
    +2

    Quote from the late Steve Jobs:

    • Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.
    • Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking.
    • Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice.
    • And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
  • [Deactivated] on 04/05/2017 - 19:10
    -1

    buy lotto on weekly basis. when you win, you will be ahead in life financially.

    apart from that, if getting ahead in life financially and mentally is that easy, there will be no one doing low value work. there will be no rubbish bins collection and everyone will be bosses…

    then life is no longer sustainable.

  • tjc589 on 04/05/2017 - 20:14

    Lots of good advice here, and good that we can also all have a joke about situations and ourselves too.

    My advice is to not worry so much about how to start or what will be the 'best' option. Just making a start is half the battle.

    Look at investing options that are out there- even at small scale. Things like passive managed funds (Vanguard, etc…) can be a good start and allow you to just put a little away when you can. Lots of low cost long term options like this out there.

    As a 'slightly' older person I which I had started with something like this a while back. You need to think long-term, and stick with it.

    Great quote from Bill Gates that I often think of- “Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.”

  • loil on 04/05/2017 - 23:48
    +1

    Spend more money on your own personal development than on material goods. Constantly learning and growing will serve you well in the long run.

  • Ottah on 05/05/2017 - 07:47
    +5

    Hi

    I'm assuming from the title, you wants to know how to be better off in Australia.

    Long story:
    My parents migrated to NZ, worked 12 hours days, 6 days a week on minimum factory wages.
    Most of the money they worked for, they saved. After 2 Christmas and birthdays of not receiving anything, I was finally given a BMX bike. Yes, how dare they!
    In 2000? they were given an opportunity by the landlord to buy a home where we lived. The terms was something like she would pay our deposit required in return for 15% interest on the loan. I think right about this time, my parents took up 2 jobs and paid off her loan within 1.5 yrs. Most days, I never saw my parents due to their finishing and starting times.
    From here they invested in the home, painting, replacing the rotten wood etc… it was a horrendous.
    Thankfully they property prices started rising in Auckland and they were able to get 100% return within 8 years.
    They further invested in properties in Auckland and finally migrated to Australia to be with the kids and grandkids.

    Invest, invest, invest, this was the golden statement my folks enriched me with growing up.
    I have bought few properties in Sydney. It was all I, with counsel from my folks could afford when we arrived. People made narky faces when I mentioned where I bought them. Now they are worth more than what I paid for them. I have no complaints, I bought homes where we could afford - some even with asbestos :?

    I also started investing in shares. I have stock portfolio of $6000? All micro stocks with $500 on each. I'm no genius when it comes to stocks but I do have certain stocks area I wouldn't touch - retail. I do alot of reading when deciding to buy stocks.
    I manage my own super and my fiance's super - not Self manage fund but able to buy choose the specific stock I want to buy (AustralianSuper you can). I sell and buy stocks every few months and so far on average I can get return of 15-20% p/a. I know AustralianSuper can only get me around 13% over 10 years which isn't hard to beat imo.
    Recent stock purchase: TPG Telecom.

    Resources I use to buy these stocks:
    Company shareholder documents
    [Intelligent Investor] (https://www.intelligentinvestor.com.au)
    [Ausbil] (http://www.ausbil.com.au)

    Hook up with a partner who believes in you and your vision. I have a great partner, who is always supportive and always pushes me to achieve. She questioned my motivation early but hopefully has realised I am good at investing by now as she is happy to get married.

    Except for fridge ($200), sofa ($180), T.V ($200), queen size mattress (yes we sleep on a mattress - $180) everything in our house was donated to us. We do our best not to buy junk.
    We don't have the habit of going out every weekend. We like to have people every few weeks instead at our place.
    When we are on holiday together, we are mindful with our costs, when we are with her family or our other friends in QLD our budget seems to get blowns - usually by me funny enough. My point is, spend on when it's necessary.

    In the current environment, I would ask you to focus on:
    Invest where you can afford, don't go rural Australia. You could look at regional NSW (think Newcastle, Wollongong) near Sydney. These places will continue to rise over time and it may not be at the same pace. Have fund stashed away for emergencies - I have one tenant who is behind $1100 in rent and can't afford to catch up on rent but is moving out - had to go through tribunal, another tenant who has given notice to vacate. All up, $2000 will be lost in loss of rent from the properties.

    Look at microstocks. I think Ausbil - mentioned above have great ideas of stocks to consider. Do readings and understanding the market and company you are investing in.

    Good luck and remember it's never too late to invest.

    • T1OOO on 05/05/2017 - 08:54

      Why not take it out of their bond ?

      • Ottah on 05/05/2017 - 09:37

        Bond is not enough to cover clean up cost after they leave (usually $500 + rubbish removal cost), rent arrears and loss of rent while it's vacant.

        I had a previous tenant who left all their crap behind, broken furniture etc… It went through a property manager :(
        They were fine until their circumstances changed - divorced but by the time it got to the tribunal stage, they were around $1200 in rent arrears. Bond sorted part of the cost but clean up and loss of rent while it was vacant cost was just under $2000 - most people want to move in but they themselves have to give 2 weeks notice.
        Bank doesn't care your not getting your rent, they just want their money.

        I had few tenants who have been great but others have been painful to deal with. The great ones keep on top of rent, inform me about any repair required, keep the place tidy etc…
        There should of a database somewhere with 'great tenants' names on it. I would put quite a few but every 3 tenants you get, I always seem to find one bad.

    • [Deactivated] on 06/05/2017 - 10:16
      +1

      You sleep on a mattress, and have a $200 second hand fridge, sofa and TV? You never go out? To me your life is solely focused on the accumulation of wealth no matter the cost. What's the point in having money if there life you live is a step above a homeless person?

      TLDR: your life sounds like shit.

      • Ottah on 07/05/2017 - 01:06

        Yes we sleep on a mattress because it was what I could afford when I first moved to rural NSW. I guess we haven't got around to changing this.
        We have a T.V that does me nicely as I couldn't afford paying $500 when I needed it to and instead paid $200. Sofa is comfortable and it does the job.
        We go out few times a month with people but we don't usually go out on our own to restaurants unless it's something special. We do alot of driving and exploring other regional towns. We focusing on getting people to come for dinner instead of going out. We go on holidays around Australia/NZ every 6 months.

        Why?
        We want to get ahead by saving and investing to retire early. We are hoping we can start looking to work part time in our early 40s :)
        We have started reading up about small hobby farms we want to own in NSW as well.

        Our aim in life is to be comfortable and spend more time with family and friends. We don't want the pressure to work as we get older.

        I think my life is great and our aim is achievable.

        • [Deactivated] on 07/05/2017 - 09:51

          So seeing as you don't own a proper bed, I'm assuming that when people come around you all sit on the 2 seat sofa and take turns as to who gets to sit down when they are eating. Do your gueats enjoy the tinned spaghetti and baked beans on toast?

          Dude, you are nuts. What's the point in scrimping to such a ridiculous degree that you live like a pauper, so you can have an early retirement and 30 years of doing the same or worse? It is crazy.

        • Ottah on 07/05/2017 - 14:13

          @Burnertoasty:

          Lol that would be funny but no.
          We do home cooking, we avoid processed/takeaway foods when possible. We have plenty of sofa seats to accommodate up to 8 people comfortably.
          We are really serious about retiring in our 40s, living in our hobby farm :)

        • [Deactivated] on 07/05/2017 - 15:32

          @Ottah: You make people eat on the sofas when they come to your house?

  • T1OOO on 05/05/2017 - 08:53

    I think that there is no right answer. I mean some one with a chronic gambling problem could have hit the lotto and their advice is to buy as many lotto tickets. The chances are it won't turn out well for you.

    Personally, I just think doing what you love no matter what others think is the way to go. We are lucky to have freedom and choice yet too many people just squander it in a dead end 9-5 job or never being brace enough to take risks.

    If you wona get a head you really have to try and fail a few times.

    Anything else is living everyone else's dream or nightmare.

  • gunnny on 05/05/2017 - 09:30
    +1

    If you can't be a medical doctor, leave the country.
    Come back when you are 45+ with 20 years of experience overseas.

  • Ottah on 05/05/2017 - 13:20
    +1

    Hi

    I should add, read through all the comments mentioned in this topic. Some are quite good. Invest in your education. You may not need a degree but you'll have a decent foundation.
    I'm not sure about some of the suggestions around marrying someone rich. My own best mate thought he could but ended up with someone who loves to spend and now has 3 kids, number of pay day loans out.

    You don't have to be born rich either. Just a plan of some sort in how you'll invest going into the future.

    Everyday counts, work towards your dream.

    Good luck.

  • congo on 05/05/2017 - 13:26
    +4

    Just be happy with what you already have - family, education, food, shelter, friends.
    "Money & Things" are only a temporal fix to happiness.

    Relax, aim to make a just a bit more money than what is really needed, enjoy your short time on this planet.
    When you are in a positive mind set, ideas and opportunities will come.
    When they do, don't hold back.

  • aromatase on 05/05/2017 - 15:34
    +2

    Work hard and get into dentistry.
    Be a dentist, 100-200k/pa.
    Own a clinic, 1M/pa (will take 5-7 years to see a profit though).

    • congo on 06/05/2017 - 00:01

      Why so long?
      I know the chair and tools are expensive, but surely one year should be enough to cover it?

      • aromatase on 07/05/2017 - 20:31

        I'm not a dentist, but reportedly large overheads, fees, and staff etc.
        Anecdotal evidence from friends.
        Dentistry is the way to go!

  • Brainwhacker on 05/05/2017 - 16:12

    Start your own business/ Strive for innovation; think BIG,

    • congo on 06/05/2017 - 00:02
      +1

      Depends on the personality.
      You need a lot of passion and grit to succeed in business.

  • JV159 on 05/05/2017 - 17:02

    Buy a house in a less desirable area. Wait for that area to gentrify and become in demand overnight. Rent your old crapshack house at an inflated to poor people who weren't old enough or didnt have enough money to buy it when you did 15 years ago. Profit? Usually, yes..

    INB4 neg votes by cashed up grumpy middle aged men who don't agree

  • noshopping on 05/05/2017 - 19:27

    Most people know what it takes to be successful, but fear, lack of self control and capital defeats most.

    • congo on 06/05/2017 - 00:03

      It's usually lack of capital.
      You need money to make money

  • [Deactivated] on 05/05/2017 - 20:41

    Dont get caught in Columbia.

  • jaimex2 on 05/05/2017 - 20:48

    It's simple. We kill the batman.

  • stingyasian88 on 05/05/2017 - 22:23
    +1

    To get really ahead, you need a good paying full time job and a second part time weekend job. Australia is your oyster.

  • congo on 06/05/2017 - 00:27
    +1

    The world is owned and rules by a few wealthy families (bankers).
    Their system is in placed so that a majority of the population continues to work hard in this rat race until they are no longer fit to do so.
    Things that we buy and the entertainment that we seek, gives us the illusion that we are getting wealthier.
    But reality is that we are only moving up one insufficient rung of the ladder.
    It takes generations to move up classes, but only one generation to lose it all.

    To get ahead you will lose the prime of your life.
    It isn't worth it, but most people still do it (including myself), so that their kids can have a more fortunate future.

    The system is rigged to favour the top 0.0001%, but it is the best system that we have.

    Do what you love, enjoy the journey, the finish line is like a rainbow, don't spend your whole life looking for the end of the rainbow.

  • [Deactivated] on 06/05/2017 - 01:38
    -2

    Be born as me.

    Oh, sorry, i've already taken the slot.

    • uraha on 06/05/2017 - 21:19

      and become the best KFC?

  • DiscoJango on 06/05/2017 - 10:06
    +5

    invest in self help\learning. we can quite easily watch 3 + hours of comedy shows on tv each night, but if you ask someone to do even 30 minutes of reading? "man i just dont have time im so flat out!".

    if you drive or catch PT to work, listen to a pod cast, or the same book, in audio book format. i spend 30 - 45min driving to and from work each day. i realised that this was roughly 5 hours each week, i spent just listening to mindless useless music. so i started listening to podcasts. anything and everything in regards to improving your life, finances, work etc etc.

    this works out to me getting around 20 hours of knowledge a month or 220 hours over the course of a year. yes not all of it will be relevant, but even if 90% of the content is irrelevant, im still 10% ahead vs watching tv shows all night

    one more major tip, which i dont think ive seen anyone mention in this thread, is to get a life coach, a mentor, whatever you want to call them. they dont nessecarily have to be someone you pay, and they might not nessecarily be easy to "find", but my god, when you do find them, its like someone showing you the light. a mentor is someone who is basically an older version of you, they have been through everything you are going, all the struggles, all the confusion, and can offer guidance and reassurance. mine for example is a work colleague, who is around 10 years my senior. we are similar in every way, the way we think, our hobbies, work ethic. he saw in me, a younger him, and a natural relationship evolved. this is how i found my "mentor"

    peace :)

    • donkeydoc on 06/05/2017 - 12:54

      Podcasts the way to go when commuting to and from work! Ones of interest, JRE gets some incredible guests!

  • donkeydoc on 06/05/2017 - 12:52
    +1

    Don't bother with university unless you're suited for and driven towards your degree. Much better off with a trade qualification, not much competition in trades, if you're professional enough to show up to work as an apprentice youll get somewhere.

  • ThatBargain on 07/05/2017 - 00:35

    Work hard, organise your time and keep important contacts

  • PerthectDeal on 07/05/2017 - 01:50

    Earn as much as you can,
    cut your overheads as much as you can,
    learn to do as much as you can(i.e do your car oil change $40 oil and filter instead of paying $150-$200 etc)

  • b1ackmai1er on 07/05/2017 - 09:49
    +2

    Invest in your relationship.

    The biggest cost you will ever have is to buy back or replace everything you have lost in a divorce.

    • mini2 on 09/05/2017 - 03:42

      That's even before your evil ex-partner who's ears have been copping a boat load of advice from their friends/other devil's advocates/sour divorcees on how to rip you a new one taking a mountain share of your assets.

  • Mrgreenz on 07/05/2017 - 12:03

    If I were to be 11yr old in Australia right now I would probably do the best I could in highschool whilst learning a trade on the side. I would then go straight into the construction industry after finishing highschool and move to Melbourne. Live frugally in a share house near the city. Save 50% of my income and party on the weekends till 22yrs, then do the same but instead of partying so much I would do several overseas trips till 26-27.

    Invest allong the way in stocks/property depending on the markets, then look at settling down.

    Probably have hundreds of thousends in assets by then and be too far ahead of any Uni goers for them to catch up. Then maybe look at a course to transfer into a more long term less on the tools based job.

    Other option would be a medical industry route if I had the passion as a young one

  • Bunnyburger on 09/05/2017 - 13:32

    Establish dominance, look them in the eye as you finish!

  • LakeVostok on 09/05/2017 - 21:32

    Read this book and become a follower of the Barefoot Investor:
    https://barefootinvestor.com/

  • cupcake on 17/05/2017 - 14:08

    Stop gaming online.

  • Bryan Davis on 17/07/2017 - 22:01

    Haha..) I want to ask you, people, the same question.
    I've recently moved to Sidney and work as a freelance writer on https://edubirdie.com/blog/pay-for-essays
    I can't say it's a job that 'pays good money' to me. Maybe someone knows what can I do in the country to feel myself better in terms of the financial position?

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