👋 G'day {{UserAttribute['First Name']|default('')}} |
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 | Do you have a concession card? |
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| Are you a self-funded retiree in NSW? |
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| Or aged 65 or over living in QLD? |
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| Are you living in Victoria, NSW or ACT and about to do a home energy upgrade (even if it’s a bit of insulation in the roof or a new induction cooktop) |
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| Are you living in regional WA where 20°C is a cold snap? |
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If you tick any of these boxes, or will soon, this story right → HERE ← is for you because you could be leaving energy discounts on the table that belong in your back pocket. I’m talking about up to $5,000 in home energy upgrade rebates and up to $1,200 off your electricity bills. Elsewhere this week we saw: |
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ASIC put the spotlight on car insurance. A good read if you’ve just been hit with a premium increase that just doesn’t make sense
- The RBA kept rates on hold 🙌, although plenty of smiles turned upside down in the 22nd minute of the Governor’s press conference where she said, personally, she thought another hike was “quite possible”. 😱
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And lastly, ANZ released its revised property price forecasts, with predicted drops to the median house price in Sydney of as much as $236,000. Just remember, this is a forecast and what we know from years of analysing them is they can be wrong, so anyone thinking they’ll engage in a staring competition with others in a bid to buy at the bottom, know that you often can’t see it until it’s gone.
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In case you missed it... Top reads from last week |
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The ‘real’ cost of buying coffee |
Canstar has crunched the numbers and it’s not the $5 flat white — It’s what you could’ve paid off instead. Read more → |
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9 unknown perks your health insurance could be paying for |
Beyond the old faithfuls like dental, physio, and optical, your policy could pack lesser-known perks to save you cash.
Read more →
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Our insider tools and offers 💰 |
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🚨 WALLET WARNING: How blind bank loyalty cost me hundreds
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We’re always warning about the loyalty tax here, but I recently found I’d fallen into the trap myself. After the bank I’d been with since I was 16 disappeared in a merger, I decided it was time to finally bite the bullet and see what else was out there. Before I made the switch, I looked up the interest rate on my old savings account, finding it was a paltry 2.65% p.a.
Prior to making my switch, I was shocked to realise my new bank was offering a transaction account with a higher interest rate of 2.75% p.a., which is rare as most transaction accounts don’t even offer interest. To top it all off, my new savings account rate is also 2.35% higher with no monthly conditions!
I’m trying my best not to think of all the interest I’ve lost out on over the years due to my blind loyalty. My lesson: Just because you have a personal history with a bank doesn’t mean you should accept a below average savings rate. |
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| Nick Whiting Finance Writer |
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| Small switches could save your family $11,340 in a year, our cost of living comparison found. |
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Got the idea but no gear? A tool library can fix that |
Aussies love a good DIY home reno, but if you don’t fancy shelling out for every tool in the hardware section of Bunnings (and the obligatory snag on your way out), a tool library could be what the wallet ordered. Tool libraries work in a similar way to regular ones – you borrow tools for free or rent them for a small fee. Check out Brunswick Tool Library in Melbourne, the “Library of Things” in Sydney, the Tools n’ Things Library in Leederville, Perth or the State Library in Brisbane, which even has a dedicated space for you to hammer away, away from home.
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Boost your Apple skills for FREE |
Do you really know if you’re getting the most out of the features on your iPhone? If not, head down to your local Apple store where the shop runs courses daily on everything from how to use your Apple Mac effectively, to learning how to take proper portraits on an out-of-store tour that teaches you how to use portrait lighting and flattering angles (left side only please!). They’ve even got kids courses on how to code your first app, or create your own emoji or theme song. Just head to the Apple website for details in your capital city.
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Afterpay Day is here — but beware botching your budget for a ‘bargain’ |
The Afterpay Day sales start today (August 13) and, despite the name, run through until Sunday, with discounts across fashion, appliances, homewares — even experiences such as concert tickets are included this time. Just don’t let the discount do the thinking for you. Ask yourself: would I buy this if it wasn’t on sale? Can I buy it cheaper elsewhere? (For example, on the Le Creuset site you’ll find clearance items at double the discount offered in the Afterpay sale). Finally, ask yourself: can I afford it? You don’t need to use Afterpay to get the sale price, which is important because a discount is never worth it if it means getting into debt.
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