Tuesday, May 13, 2008

MAY NZ GIRL Second Sneak Peak!


Q: Dear Frankie,
My groomsman won’t talk to my head bridesmaid! Just to paint the picture, the groomsman is my fiancĂ©s brother, and the head bridesmaid is my best friend. They used to date for three years, and the wedding is going to be awkward for them. Head bridesmaid
has been like a sister to me since we first met at the age of eight.
We have tried to arrange minimal contact for my sake. However, he continues to ignore her, gets grumpy when she rings and constantly bitches about her to me.
What should I do? A very Stressed Bride!
A: Dear Stressed Bride,
Ok, so this is a tricky one because there are multiple peoples’ feelings involved and you have to live with these people basically until death do you part, right? Unfortunately, you probably don’t want to pull a Donald Trump and say, ‘You’re fired!’ and walk away.
First question is: I understand these two people are important to you, but are they as important as yourself and your fiancĂ©? I would hope the answer to this is no, of course not. This guy and you are about to do something pretty scary! Probably not much else is as important as this. Whether it is a wedding or a casual dinner party, you wouldn’t allow a guests’ negativity or problems to bring you down after you.
Second question is: And what is the purpose of a big wedding in general? I would hazard a guess that the reason you didn’t just run off and elope with your hubbie is because you wanted to share the special day with your friends and family? Yes? I don’t think their behaviour is allowing you to do this. You’re not having this big expensive party so your friends can have a free meal and carefree day while you stress and minimize awkwardness!
Third question: What is their fundamental role as head bridesmaid and groomsman? I would imagine the role of your two sidekicks was to handle any problems that may occur for the special day, not to create problems of their own! I’m worried maybe you think their job it to look good in the outfits you picked out and make up the numbers in the group photos. If this is the case any old friends would probably do!
Finally, I’m interested in why they declined to stand down but continue to act like small children? Maybe you could swap them with the page boys and flower girls so you had a more mature groomsman and maid of honour? If they were real friends, and as close and important as you think they are, they would put their differences aside and focus on you. You shouldn’t be made to feel guilty as you’ve done nothing wrong, but if they refuse to grow up and shape up maybe you should replace the guilt with a bit of strength and tell them to ship out!

Read the further articles and questions at www.nzgirl.co.nz! And while you're there sign up and check out their great fashion, travel and useful girl power advice!

Monday, May 12, 2008

Tax Return Time

Ok kiddies, its tax return time, yeah!! I must confess that even I, a business nerd do not enjoy doing my tax return. But it must be done and hopefully you will get a bit of money out of it!
A financial year is from July 1st to June 30th the following year. This is the period of which your income is totaled and your tax is calculated from the tax you have already paid and that which you should have paid.
By the end of the financial year your employers should send you a group certificate as a total of your income and tax. You then have from July 1st to October 31st to lodge your tax return. Remember, the earlier you get it done the earlier you get any returns.
To carry out a tax return you must have a tax file number and group certificates from all of your employers over the past 12 months. If you don’t know if you need to lodge one go to http://calculators.ato.gov.au/scripts/axos/AXOS.asp and answer the questionnaire there to find out.
If you do have to complete one there are lots of ways to do so. You can go to www.ato.gov.au and complete the online e-tax section or over the phone. You can also pick up a hard copy of the TaxPack 2008 at newsagents and some book shops. Some registered tax agents offer student discounts to help do your tax returns. It can be a good idea to use a professional for this as they know the ins and outs of what can be deducted and get you your return quickly.
After you lodge your return they may say you owe the government tax. If this is the case the earliest you will have to pay it is November 21st, regardless of when you lodge your tax return.
Frequently asked questions around tax returns are about what work related expenses can you tax deduct? This is when a professional is handy. Basic things to think about are:

- Work uniforms with logos or embroidery on them are generally tax deductible
- Laundry and dry cleaning of these uniforms are also generally tax deductible
- Every industry and role will vary from what they will be allow to tax deduct. For instance, the modeling business will allow you to tax deduct haircuts and pedicures where as some sales role will include home internet and phone.
- Tax deductible car and public transport use is only considered between work hours. The use of your car or transport to get to and from work is not included.
- A percentage of educational expenses such as pencils, textbooks can be deducted if the studies are in direct connection with your employment.

Good luck and I hope it is as painless as possible!

Student Budgets

This month I want to write about the importance of understanding finances and budgeting. BORING I hear some of you groan, but it’s YOU who should read on! Unfortunately, whether you like it or not the world runs on money, economists call it the oil of the world. So best to keep your piece of the pie as yummy as possible!
What is the importance of budgeting?
What’s the point doing something if you don’t know why? When you begin budgeting you can have many reasons and great results. Some of these include:
- To know the truth about your financial state so you don’t get a scare or live beyond your means
- To use your money wisely so it better reflects your priorities and wants
- To save for something you really want maybe a ticket overseas, computer, car
- So you’re not getting ripped off by banks, other big institutions

Ok, so budgeting is important but how do I do it?
Keep a record of what you spend. There’s lots of ways of doing this, I keep a spreadsheet on my laptop but I use to write spending into the back of my diary. Some people keep all their receipts, others only use cards so they have a record online. However you do it you have to keep a record of where your money is going for budgeting and also in the future for tax.
I always start a budget by breaking down the cost of basic living weekly, fortnightly or monthly, whichever period works best for you. Refer to the useful links to get a downloadable or printable template to start budgeting with!
Firstly ask yourself what do you need, and how much do these cost. I have found some general ‘rules of thumbs’ for these. Rent or housing costs should equal about one third of your gross income (before tax). Utilities bills such as gas, water, electricity average about $2 to $3 a day in usage costs only, plus the annoying charges they seem to add on for no apparent reason, usually between $20-$30 a quarter. Transport is a real killer that lots of people forget. Tram tickets for students average to be about $3 a day, whilst cars can average $10 to $18 a day after insurance, servicing and petrol. Mobile phones and internet connections are always big killers for students’ hip pockets considered the number one cause of student debt. Generally you should not spend more then 10% of your net income (after tax) on these. Groceries are another big expense which can be difficult to calculate. I try to aim to spend no more then 20% of my net income on them. As students this probably doesn’t leave you with much! But if we can budget right we should have enough for the suggested 10% to 20% in savings.
The next thing is to look at what do you want to do? How much would you like to spend on going out, presents, clothes? What is necessary to keep you sane? Maybe you want to go to the movies once a week for $12 or out to dinner for $20, see a gig or get a few drinks at the local pub. Add these costs onto your budget too and see how realistic you’re expectations are.
An example of a typical student fortnightly budget might look like this:
Income - $680 net a fortnight
Work
$450
Net
Centrelink
$230
Net
Outgoings - $610 a fortnight
Rent
$290
Approx. one third of gross income
Bills
$30
Between $2 - $3 a day
Public Transport
$40
Between $2 - $3 a day
Phones & Internet
$35
Less then 10% of gross income
Groceries / Food
$155
Less then 20% of gross income
Going out
$60
Approx. $30 a week
Savings - $70 a fortnight
Between 10% and 20% of gross income
Not much room to move is there? This is why savings is important. If you lived on a knife edge like this and didn’t save you would have a very fragile lifestyle. Any little problem like an employer paying late, getting an infringement notice or going over on your phone bill will mean you won’t be able to make ends meet.
After you’ve done you’re budgets some ways of improving it should become clearer. In terms of spending maybe you need to change your mobile phone arrangements, find cheaper rent, eat in more or get rid of the car. Or maybe you find that you’re living comfortably within your basic needs and you are wasting lots of money on unnecessary things such as daily red bulls and trashy magazines? Maybe this money can be spent on bigger and better things instead.
On the other side of the coin maybe you need to earn more. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to work more. Changing your pay structure can help, for instance, if you are a casual employer and on Centrelink re-structuring your contract to a part time basis can even out your pay over holidays and sick days so you can claim more from Centrelink fortnightly. Or instead of working Saturdays try and work Sundays on a higher hourly rate. Or refer to last month’s magazine and ask for a pay rise!
Never the less, a budget should highlight that once daily needs are met you must prepare yourself for larger one off costs such as car insurance, a special friends birthday present, tickets to an expensive concert or a new piece of furniture etc. These things must therefore be saved for in advance, not via the credit card approach.
How to save
To save successfully it is important to have a goal. Ask yourself, how much do I want to save and by when i.e. ‘I want to have $1,200 by Christmas’, then work backwards. Ok, if Christmas is 26 weeks away I will have to save $46 a week,
26 x $46 = $1196.
But this is EVERY week, if you are likely to miss a few weeks over the next 6 months allow for this and factor it into your weekly amount say an extra $10. Therefore,
26 x $56 - $224 (4 missed weeks) = $1232.
If you currently have debt this should be your number one priority to save for and pay off. As a young person I often hear old people say, ‘In my day we didn’t live beyond our means and only bought things when we had the money in the bank.’ Well this is good in theory but our generation realizes that life is short and we take opportunities when they arise. This doesn’t mean you will never pay it back, it just means you have chosen to enjoy it now and pay for it later. When the ‘later’ comes be sure to pay your debts off from the one with the highest interest first. Many people make the mistake of paying the largest amount off first. The interest you save by paying off a higher interest card first will enable to you pay the lower one of faster later.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Tips on how to save

- Have multiple bank accounts, one for spending, and one for long term saving and one for medium term saving. This will stop you from spending it all at once.
- Look for account with high interest rates and low minimum amounts and charges.
- As soon as you receive income put the planned savings amount away. Do not wait until the end of the month to put it away because you will have spent it.
- Give yourself your planned spending amount in cash at the beginning of the week so you can see exactly how much you have left.
- If you are not good with cash buy things ahead of time so you’re not put in the situation of buying something on the spot where you are tempted to overspend.
- Consolidate multiple debts into one low interest loan, even if this means your parents pay your debts and you owe them the total amount.
- Avoid expensive supermarkets such as Safeway and Coles. Do your grocery shopping at markets such as Box Hill, Queen Victoria or Prahran for the vegetable, fruit and meat and get the other stuff from Aldi or BigW.
- Re-fill water bottles instead of buying new ones daily
- Buy your Metcards in bulk, 10 trips or monthly can save up to 20%
- Ask if you are eligible for discounts at bookshops, utilities, ticketing places etc.
- Structure your pay to include monthly bonuses and save the lump sum.
- Save any windfall or unexpected money such as tax returns, presents etc.
- Speak to your phone, internet, and utility providers regularly to see if any new cheaper plans are available.
- Plan your days spending as you start the day, don’t wait until you’re starving to think about how much you want to spend on lunch.
- Spend as regularly but spend less. Instead of getting the large meal, get the medium. Buy one CD instead of three.

Saturday, May 10, 2008

BUSINESS BOOK OF THE MONTH


‘Free Prize Inside’ By Seth Godin

All marketing students will know the prolific author Seth Godin, and probably have read his books ‘Purple Cow’ or ‘Permission Marketing’ (if you haven’t you should do so quickly before anyone realizes you haven’t!) His next read, ‘Free Prize Inside’ endeavors to offer ‘the next big marketing idea’.
Published in 2004 this bite size book is packaged in a cereal box with the book acting as the ‘free prize’. It can be read in a day or two and will get you itching to put its’ ideas into practice. Although pitched as a marketing man, Godin’s books, blogs, web presentations are interesting for anyone in business, which is everyone! He is a modern thinker and understands the modern consumer intimately, essential for us young movers and shakers in any industry.
‘Free Prize Inside’ is short and snappy in writing style, making it an easy read. It offers great practical advice in ‘cut out and carry with you’ form such as, ‘You can’t buy attention’ and ‘The harder you try to play it safe the more likely you are to fail’. He uses examples ranging from Redbull to David Letterman’s teeth to Yahoo! And demonstrates ideas in really simple graphs for visual people like myself!
In true marketing form he spends the first few chapters pumping up the book and how great it is that you’re reading it, someone bought it for you, you should buy it for other people etc. He includes a bit of business jargon some of which he has coined himself over the years such as, ‘champion’, ‘purple cow’, ‘edges’ but all in all very easy to understand.
My advice to best enjoy the Godin theology is to grab a copy of ‘Free Prize Inside’, skim over the headings, read the bits that sound interesting and sign up to his blog or watch some YouTube clips. However you do it, I hope you enjoy!

Friday, May 9, 2008

A Good Home Life with Housemates

After two years working in Real Estate I have heard a lot of bad housemate stories. Many tenants have had to leave houses due to messiness, inconsiderate noise, not paying rent on time and privacy issues. Apart from the odd unreasonable freak many of these household issues can be sorted out with a bit of ‘living’ preparation. Sit down and think about what is really important to you at home. Do you enjoy things being clean or would you rather live life and worry about the mess later? Discuss these things with your housemates at the beginning of the lease so everyone is very clear on everyone else’s expectations. Pin up these expectations somewhere communal so all housemates and their guests are reminded regularly. I have outlined some of the things I think are important to include.
Consider Other People and Their Belongings
§ Keep other housemate current with major life changes such as change of jobs, university courses, selling a car etc. as this may impact the whole house
§ When making decisions on or changing shared spaces such as where couches and TV’s are, or financial things such as internet you must consult with others and agree
§ Always ask to borrow clothes and personal items in person or via txt message
Guests are to be Respectful of Everyone
§ Guests are to be attended to by their host who is responsible for the guests behaviour
§ When returning home check if housemates are sleeping. If so, act quietly & SMS if anyone is staying over
§ Only people known/introduced to all housemates are allowed to stay over night
§ Guests may eat shared household and hosts personal food in moderation
§ If more then 5-6 people including host come over for a long period of time, a days notice to all housemates is required
§ If guests stay more then 3 - 4 nights a fortnight proportional contribution to household expenses is payable as agreed by housemates
Keep House and Housemates Safe at All Times
§ Locked and deadlocked front door when leaving the house empty
§ Front door is to be snipped locked so you can leave easy in case of emergency while people are sleeping
§ No spare keys are to be handed out to guests or hidden outside unless agreed to by all housemates
§ Do not discuss with others if the house is vacant or when a housemate is home alone for periods of time
All Bills to be Paid on Time
§ Rent paid weekly to main tenant
§ Water and Electricity and Gas to be paid quarterly by main tenant and reimbursed by each tenant pro-rata, according to period since commencement of lease
§ Use of utilities are to be used in reasonable amounts i.e. heaters, water, lights turned off when not in use
§ Gardening, shopping, shared household expenses to be recorded on household calendar and reimbursed monthly so each housemate has paid their share.

Household cleaning tasks to be shared among housemates
To be done fortnightly
Bathroom - Shower, Toilet, Sink, Floors
Vacuuming - All shared areas, and quickly in each bedroom
Outside – Watering, Mow lawns, Recycle bin out/in
Dusting - Surfaces, spider webs, books shelves
Moping – Tiled areas
To be done weekly
Outside – Garbage bin out/in
Lounge - Tidy and put personal items away when finished
Office - Tidy and put personal items away regularly
To be done daily
Kitchen
- Clean all dishes left in and around sink
- Stack dishwasher as you go and turn on when full
- Keep bench and table clear and clean each night

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Top Ten Things Oprah Taught Me

Years of Oprah viewing has taught me many life lessons. From how to live my best life to improving relationships to staying fit, I am never short of an Oprah-ism for any occasion. So to save all you valuable time I have plucked out the top ten things Oprah has taught me from the hundreds of hours of Oprah gold. Enjoy.


1) Live your best life
The overriding message of the Oprah philosophy is based on the idea, ‘If you want the best the world has to offer, offer the world your best.’
Based on the Reverend Jesse Jackson quote and Sidney Poitier philosophy, ‘Excellence is the best deterrent to racism. Therefore, be excellent.’ I agree with Oprah when she says that, ‘this is the most fulfilling path to personal freedom.’
2) Believe Peoples’ Character Ideas
If someone tells you who they believe them! They know themselves better then you do.
When people make comments such as 'I'm selfish' or 'I'm mean', you can save yourself time and effort by believing them as they already know their own history and relationships.
3) Have Aha! Moments
The greatest enlightenment you can have as we learn about life is when you hear something and think, 'I never thought of it that way'.
If you can think of things in a different way it means you are growing and challenging your own ideas and removing prejudices.

4) Love Doesn't Hurt
Relationships should not physically hurt. Any guy who says he loves you but displays threatening or abusing behavior, is lying about the love.
Over 10% of females are said to have been abused by a male in a relationship. Many girls depend emotionally on men and stay in these relationships. Stand up for yourself, complete yourself and end the abuse.
5) You Teach Others How to Treat You
Eleanor Roosevelt famously said, ‘Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent.’ Dr. Phil regularly asks his guests, ‘Where did they get the idea they could treat you so badly? From you! You let them do it.’
6) Be Grateful Everyday
Oprah believes the, ‘magic of gratitude’ is the more grateful you are, the more you have to be grateful for.
Hard core’s like myself keep daily gratitude journals and look for five things a day to be grateful for. Getting up in the morning is different when you are looking for grateful acts.
7) Eat Breakfast!
Eating breakfast is like starting the car engine in the morning, it gets the metabolism working.
Oprah’s buddies Dr. Oz and personal trainer Bob Greene insist we eat breakfast and exercise everyday to get the heart pumping and body running well.
8) Make Wildest Dreams Come True
A simple act of kindness or time can go a long way, making others and yourself feel like a million bucks!
The 20th season of Oprah was all about Wildest Dreams and my favorite guest was Bernadette, an amazing Starbucks employee whom was supporting a family of twelve. Oprah swung in and helped her and her children, nieces and nephew and mother. I tear up remembering how overwhelmed with joy Bernadette was.
9) Surround Yourself with Beauty
Take time and care to make your home nice no matter what your budget is. Showing pride in your external world then allows you to look after your inner being.
Oprah talks about when she was younger and living in hardship she would find flowers to display or pin pictures up on the walls, anyway to show beauty around her.
10) Pay Debts Fast
Structure your repayments so you are repaying the loan with the highest interest rate off first.
Finance expert Suze Orman reminds us that many people make the mistake of repaying the loan with the largest amount owing first, forgetting the extra interest could be saved and help you pay off your debts faster!

Read the further articles and questions at www.nzgirl.co.nz! And while you're there sign up and check out their great fashion, travel and useful girl power advice!

MAY NZ GIRL Sneak Peak!


Q: Dear Frankie,
I have a rather strange and random ex boyfriend. We broke up at the start of the year and even though he lives overseas (which is why we broke up) we still keep in touch. After not hearing from him in two weeks, he randomly emailed me asking if I wanted to go on a ‘free no-strings attached, fun holiday’ with him! He said he’d fly me overseas and pay for everything! I still really care about him, but I have moved on, and I know it would never work between us (we tried long distance and it didn’t work). By the way he kept repeating the words ‘no-strings attached’ and ‘just fun’, I don’t think he wants to get back either (but it does sound like he wants some easy sex!).
It would be cool to hang out with him again and I would love a free holiday (who wouldn’t?!) but I’m worried that it might open up a whole can of worms… I’m scared I might fall back in love or want to try again… I really, really want to say yes (even though I realise it’s an international booty call!) but I’m not sure.
How would I explain it to my friends and family? And if I did go, how should we act? Like friends or ‘lovers’? Should I even go at all?! And what the heck is he even thinking offering?! Help a confused girl out!
A: Dear Confused,
An international booty call, how exotic?! WRONG! You didn’t say how long you were with him but to have moved on in five months is a fantastic feat! I wouldn’t jeopardize that for anything. I understand that lots of girls want to remain friends with their ex’s, but I have no idea why! But even if a regular friend invited you on a holiday you wouldn’t go if you knew there was a chance they would treat you badly, or heaven forbid use you for sex!
Why did he ask? Boys will always ask for two reasons; one, they want to make sure all possible options and doors are open as they are indecisive buggers and two, they don’t understand ‘getting over people’. It’s all very grey for them, they don’t label relationships like we do - ‘boyfriend’ ‘friend’ ‘ex boyfriend’, and conduct our behavior in accordance to the rules associated with that label.
But back to you! Yes, it might be cool to hang out with him again but it would probably be cool to have your mum make you a colorful birthday cake again, but we don’t do these things anymore, we’ve moved on! Follow your instincts; Oprah reminds us that a ‘maybe’ is as good as a ‘no’. Don’t fill your life with half experiences! If you think your family and friends would disapprove ask yourself why. Maybe they recognize he’s a bad influence on you? Or realise it will probably end in tears rather then a nice suntan?
I worry that for a holiday it would be more games then relaxing. If you did go the only way to act would be distant and detached so he knows you’re not interested in getting back together and shield yourself from getting hurt again. But where’s the fun in that holiday? Sounds like work to me! I’d rather wait until I could go on a holiday I paid for that fitted all my wants. Allow me to quote Destiny’s Child when I say, ‘The shoes on my feet, I’ve bought it, the clothes I’m wearing, I’ve bought it, ‘Cause I depend on me.’
Life is short and you are young. Don’t waste another second working on a jigsaw puzzle that you know is missing half the pieces!

Read the further articles and questions at www.nzgirl.co.nz! And while you're there sign up and check out their great fashion, travel and useful girl power advice!