Ah, yes, date nights. If you’re a parent, chances are these have become a bygone conclusion. In fact, it’s often hard to reconcile just how much time you had on your hands, pre kids. Whether that was being able to shoot off anywhere at the drop of a hat, or, more importantly, spending quality time with your partner. Nowadays, even catching up with friends for a coffee on...
Let’s face it, we’re fast becoming a cashless society. With the advent of payWave and the like, we tend to carry less actual ‘cash’ in our wallet these days. Now, here’s the problem. With money flying here, there and everywhere, digitally speaking, it becomes increasingly hard to keep track of where it all goes. Unlike hard cash. Often before you know it, you’re left with a big hole in your...
The superannuation system is stacked against women. So much so that, once you start to do the maths right through to retirement, it’s a bit of a worrying proposition. And I’m speaking from experience. This is the inequality that is women’s superannuation: My wife and I had our first child when she was 35. Like most families, she took a year’s maternity leave before returning to work, part time. Then,...
Private or public education? Deciding where to send your kids to school is a tough one. If you have a young family and want to send them to a private school, you’d be forgiven for losing the odd night’s sleep. To be honest, my wife and I are on the fence. I went to a co-ed public school; my wife, a Catholic girls' school. Like any parent, we want...
A few years ago I was feeling tired and unfit. My exercise regime was non-existent and my diet was getting progressively worse. One day I decided to go for a run. Wow, what an eye opener, I could hardly run 1km and I was panting and wheezing. I needed help. I decided to give a personal trainer a go, but I didn’t know how to...
Wouldn’t life be so much easier if we just had a little bit more money? I’m sure it’s a question we’ve all asked ourselves now and again. It’s easy to fall into the cycle of thinking that "if only we could get that better-paying job" or "get that pay rise" we’d been angling for, then we’d definitely be happier. We then think that with all...
When I think about my family home, the saying, “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today,” comes to mind. The purchase of our family home is hands down, the best financial decision I’ve ever made - but in today’s housing market, it’s not easy. As a kid, I remember running around my family house with my brother and sister and those memories...
Clichés usually exist for a reason and that’s because more often than not, they’re true. And the adage that nothing can prepare you for what having a baby is really like is absolutely true. Newborns are notoriously unpredictable and much of your early days as parents will be a frantic blur of feedings, interrupted sleep, constant doctor visits and all manner of baby poo. With...
Have you even seen one of those plate spinners on TV? It’s usually someone standing there furiously spinning a series of plates as each one hangs precariously on a stick, working on such a momentum as to not all come falling down. Well, sometimes life looks a bit like that. We’re all so busy trying to keep afloat while dealing with everyday stuff like work,...
Going on holidays was something my wife and I have always enjoyed. Especially when it comes to beach locations like Thailand, Bali or Hawaii where we can get away from it all. We were determined not to give up on that after the birth of our daughter two years ago! While we knew that family holidays wouldn’t be the same as when we travelled just the...
