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Tip Store: Finances: Centreline

Borrow the Barefoot Investor from the Library

​You need to look up the Barefoot Investor. He has a book that you could borrow from the library. Scott Pape is the author. In a nut shell he suggests date nights with your partner to sort out your money issues. He is my go to guy for financial advice.
Contributed by Robyn Howard, 5th October 2017

​The Only Money Guide You Will Ever Need

​Go and buy a book by Scott Pape called The Barefoot Investor. "The only money guide you will ever need." Follow his simple steps along with the great advice in The Cheapskates Club, and you can't go wrong.
Contributed by Carmel Stingel, 5th October 2017

​Get Your Financial Priorities Straight

​I actually read that 50% of divorces are caused by too much debt. Not sure why you have an investment property, while living in a rental property. Owning your own family home should be Number 1. It does not have to be big, most financially successful people actually live in modest homes and eat basic food. At this stage the family home is exempt from asset testing for any pensions or Centrelink payments. Both of you need to sit down and work out your future goals and a plan to achieve this. Interest only may be good from a taxation reduction point of view however for increasing your asset base it is not. Would the rental property be suitable to live in until you have a decent deposit for a bigger property? Sometimes sacrifices need to be made to achieve the goal.
Contributed by Ann Green, 5th October 2017

​Pay a Partner Spending Money

​Perhaps the answer is to give him spending money each week and tell him that he can spend it on whatever he likes but once it is gone then it is gone. Or if you are the one paying bills open up a separate bank account and just start putting saving in it...if someone you are trying to spend your life with isn't ready to sit down and have a conversation then is there really much hope...it is a partnership so he needs to be sitting down and discussing these issues...you can obviously save if you have an investment home so if he can do that doing the same for his family should be a no brainer. If he doesn't want to then do it on your own.
Contributed by Kay Taylor, 5th October 2017

​Concentrate on Living the Cheapskates Way and Partner will Follow

Not only am I promoting Cath and all her wonderful work but I'm going to add someone else to the mix.  You concentrate on the Cheapskate way. Get your husband Scott Pape's book. About $20 from Big W. Cath and Scott are the best investments we have ever made as a family. He can talk to your husband in a blokey way to get him to understand that men look after their families and don't care what the Jones's are doing next door because they are probably in debt up to their eyeballs! We have a 5 and 7 year old. I've actually been able to give up work and we have a mortgage and NO other debt. Commit to making small changes and turn to the membership forum for support and advice. And I love both tag lines from Cath (Be encouraged!) and Scott (You got this!). I repeat them often when things seem overwhelming. Best of luck!
Contributed by Sarah Daly, 5th October 2017

Keeping the Other Half Motivated to Save

​I've been following a budget for eight years now. When my husband and I purchased our house in Sydney at 22 years old we needed to be smart with our money if we wanted to make it work. So month in month out we stuck to it. We have since been able to travel overseas annually and I've been able to be a stay at home mum with our two children, 2 and 4. We have renovated our house and own our car, owe nothing on credit cards and are always up to date with bills and mortgage (ahead by approximately 10 years). My tip is in our case when my husband may say "spaghetti again" I'll just give him a happy reminder that "Europe next year is going to be amazing" or "isn't it great we don't stress about meals and bills". It works every time. 
Contributed by Erin L. 

​Convincing a Non-believer

My husband doesn't always see the real value of watching what we (or he) spends. With a finance background, budgeting and money management are not difficult for me, however, on principle I deplore any type of poor spending through lack of proper research, or even need! To help non-believers understand you could try subtle things like cutting out pictures of items you both would like to have e.g. boat, appliances/tools, plasma TV, caravan, holiday etc and placing on the fridge or somewhere they will be noticed. When the non-believer asks about them, just mention they are long term goals you both could aim towards with combined savings, and attaining them sooner is possible with a change of spending behaviour! Use of a calendar to plot the progressive savings for one or more goals will help and maybe even fast-track the goal with improved habits. If subtlety doesn't work, then discuss the possibility of a discretionary spending limit e.g. if an item costs more than $50, justify its purchase by comparing prices whether via online or store catalogue etc. Good luck!
​Contributed by Rita, Brighton, 27th July 2009

​Living the Cheapskates Way Shows by Example

​My DH is wonderful, except when it comes to money. Although, he doesn't go out and purposefully spend, somehow the credit card gets used for those emergency expenditures without enough research into doing things cheaper. Also, I was forever turning off lights/appliances and monitoring water usage. He also had an aversion to finishing the last of anything e.g.. toothpaste, milk, deodorant, soap, coffee etc. Because I do the bill paying in the family (which can be stressful), I asked my DH if we could do a pie chart of all our yearly expenses on the computer (excel spreadsheet), and how much we would have to put aside each week to cover the costs (still working on doing that!). He was astonished to see that we are spending more than we're earning. With that in mind and also the fact that we could never save enough money to have an o/s trip (one of our dreams), my DH is starting to see things the cheapskates way. Whenever I have to switch off the computer that he's accidently left running all day or turn off lights after him, I remind him of that o/s trip and that I might have to go alone as he's spent his share on other things! I hope this will help in your situation. Contributed by Julie, Strathpine, 1st August 2009