All Topics / General Property / Tips On Saving For Your First Home Deposit Faster

Viewing 9 posts - 21 through 29 (of 29 total)
  • Profile photo of gronk007gronk007
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    @gronk007
    Join Date: 2005
    Post Count: 54

    Never take a loan out on a car. Best tip ever. Public transport for $50/week max (in Victoria anyway)….

    Profile photo of grimnargrimnar
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    @grimnar
    Join Date: 2010
    Post Count: 86

    Also if you are a couple/family, think about whether you really 'need' 2 cars.

    My partner and I just got rid of our second car because it was costing us a fortune… even without loan repayments or the occasional fuel expense the car was costing us $40-50/wk to leave it sitting in the driveway.

    Funny to think about it actually, the number of young blokes I know with 2 cars and a motorbike just for themselves… And these are the same people that whine about the fact that they will never be able to afford a house.

    Profile photo of JamesSampsonJamesSampson
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    @jamessampson
    Join Date: 2010
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    Hi,

    this may be a little out there for some people but it is really easy and has very low risk if you understand how it works

    any spare cash i have i have been not putting in a bank account but investing in physical gold and silver. The reason is simple 'inflation'

    Today i believe gold is quite expencive but its little brother silver is still very cheap and has many gains to go even at $25 ounce.
     I started putting my cash into silver when it was $12 ounce 2 years ago. Obviously the price has doubled since then. No bank account will give you those returns. In addition  when you account for the inflation level of 2.8% your really only gaining 2% interest in most savings accounts. Not the advertised 5%.

    If you want to know more i sugest you goto http://www.goldsilver.com to read up on investing in precious metals.

    Profile photo of nicolas_bnicolas_b
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    @nicolas_b
    Join Date: 2009
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    I personally would not be putting every spare cent I have in Gold. Gold is an investment in Govt default. I do not believe there is any empirical evidence of Gold being a hedge against inflation.

    One suggestion I would put out there is Education.

    "If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest."
    Benjamin Franklin

    Non schola sed vita decimos!

     

    "Only the educated are free."
    Epictetus

    Profile photo of EPI_DenEPI_Den
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    @epi_den
    Join Date: 2010
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    Hey Gronk007,
    Great comments!
    I have employed all of these techniques, as well as deliberately "pooring" myself by putting money in a term deposit that I just can't touch, and then working out how I was going to get by. I did it as an exercise but once I found out that I could survive on far less than I ever thought possible, my dream of a retirement in my 40s turned from a laughable pipe-dream into a reality.
    I'm 39 now and there's no way I'll be working in a full-time job (especially if I don't love it) when I'm 45.
    It's the simple things that work the best, and you've provided a great list. Well done.
    Cheers,
    Den

    Profile photo of gronk007gronk007
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    @gronk007
    Join Date: 2005
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    Hi Den,

    Thanks for the thanks!

    Credit to Ryan for starting the topic…I just added a few specific ideas….some employers "hate" doing the PAYG variation, but I tell them they don't really have a choice

    As for everything else, it's entirely in every one's control.

    Thanks again…I wish everyone else a bunch of good luck, and happy hunting…looking for my next place as we speak….only just settled the last place 10 weeks ago, and I'm impatient as all hell at the moment!!

    Profile photo of fWordfWord
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    @fword
    Join Date: 2009
    Post Count: 471

    A couple of 'general' things that might have been covered already:

    1. Before buying anything, weigh it up by considering if it's a 'need' or a 'want'. If it's a 'need', then stop fretting over it, save your time, shop around for the best price and buy it. If it's a 'want', let it go. The only caveat here is when you 'want' something that would secure your health, wealth and happiness in the future, because in that case it really is more of a 'need' rather than a 'want'. I mean, don't you actually 'need' health, wealth and happiness when you're older? Nobody 'needs' to be miserable when they're in their golden years!

    2. Consider your long-term goals, and then do anything possible (so long as morally correct) to reach that goal. Likewise, if anything is holding you back from reaching those goals, ditch it and look for something more productive. It's easy to get comfortable with things in life. For example, it's easier to stick to the same job that you've had for years but pays pittance rather than moving to a job that pays more but has a great unknown hidden in it. But if that pay rise is going to get you closer to your goal, then do it! There's hardly ever a win-win situation in life, but decisions always revolve around weighing up your options and deciding which has a greater overall advantage for your happiness.

    These two general things might suggest a person be cold and harsh and to sell their soul, not to follow religion (if you have one) and not to help the poor. On the contrary, I'm suggesting that a person who is in better control of their life is much better poised to help and inspire others to do greater things, because they will look to you as a person who has done the hard yards and succeeded, and now you're helping others to do the same. It simply means doing your best to get what you want, and to get it quicker. Look at it this way, none of us are getting any younger.

    Oh, and something else:

    If you don't have enough cash stacked up to take a big loan for a house, or just not quite ready yet, read more into the stock market, study individual financial reports from the companies you're interested and buy wisely. Money made in the share market is a nice springboard into real estate. My Dad personally still prefers shares, but I'm going to play a bit of a game with him and go real estate instead!

    Profile photo of lbluedentolbluedento
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    @lbluedento
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    Oh, and something else:

    If you don't have enough cash stacked up to take a big loan for a house, or just not quite ready yet, read more into the stock market, study individual financial reports from the companies you're interested and buy wisely. Money made in the share market is a nice springboard into real estate. My Dad personally still prefers shares, but I'm going to play a bit of a game with him and go real estate instead!

    [/quote]

    Exactly how we did it. We used a share portfolio for 5 years to add to the cash we had stashed away while working overseas. Lucky for us we got into the share market at a good time and then used our profits to buy our first property. Unfortunately we didn’t get good financial advice and we also used our profits from shares to buy our 2nd house. I think we could have done that better. But the important thing is to learn each time and not make the same mistake twice!

    Cheers

    Ruth

    Profile photo of EPI_DenEPI_Den
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    @epi_den
    Join Date: 2010
    Post Count: 71

    There are also special savings plans that you can start, if you’re happy to wait a while… It’s called a First Home Savings Account and the government will put in 17c for every dollar you put into this account, up to $5k per year, plus you get interest. Furthermore, you’re taxed at 15% not your marginal rate. It’s a nice way to start saving, and there are other conditions but it’s worth investigating…

    :)
    Den

Viewing 9 posts - 21 through 29 (of 29 total)

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