Smarv

Are you looking for more incentives to save money?  Join the Origin Spike program , you not only save on your electricity bill, but also earn points for extra cash. You will need to be an Origin Energy residential electricity customers with smart meters.  How does it work? You'll receive an SMS and/or email to let you know when to save energy – it's called the SpikeHour.  It usually happens once a week. Reduce energy use during your SpikeHour to beat your forecast. Forecasts are based on your previous average use. Give the heater or aircon a break. Put off using the dishwasher, washing machine and dryer. Go below your SpikeHour forecast to earn points. Redeem your points for Paypal cash and gift cards. Save energy, the planet and get paid!

Being a loyal Costco customer since it sets its foot in AU, the price has been skyrocketed on many essential goods. I pay special attention to this particular product, Kirkland Signature's tencel unscented baby wipes. This is probably the best baby wipe you can get.  It's extra-large, thick, gentle, and made of 100% plant-based fibres. The price was around $22 at the start.  Over the years, it graduated to #26, $28, $33, $35...  And today, it is at an astounding $45.  Checking the price in US, it is still at this usual USD $20. Are Aussies been rip-off? USD $20  = AUD $29 (US Price)

A collateralized debt obligation is a type of structured asset-backed security.  This was the security product that caused the 2009 Global Financial Crisis. Investopedia provides a simple and detailed explanation. Or wiki it and learn more about it.

Australians are living longer. That means there’s a lot more life to enjoy. How prepared are you? Take our 10–minute quiz to find out. https://www.lifechecks.gov.au/

Suncorp Benefits If you are a customer on the Suncorp Network, you have access to Suncorp Benefits!  It enables you  to save money on everyday purchases.  Suncorp Benefits gives you discounts of up to 15% from over 100 retailers so you can save when you shop. If you are not a customer on the Suncorp Network, the easiest way is to open a bank account with Suncorp.   In my opinion, this is the account,  Growth Saver Account , that you should open.  It not only enables you the access to benefits, but also allow your money to earn high interest rates.  With this account, you will need to top up $200+ every month to earn 2.60% (as of 2019/05/12). Once you have the account created, you need to wait for a couple days for it to be activated to access benefit.  You will need to install the Suncorp App and link the account, then you are ready to purchase all these gift cards with discounts, e.g. Coles and Woolworths. Purchasing ...

iPhone XR 64GB  $1184.99 128GB $1249.99 iPhone Xs 64GB  $1579.99 256GB $1799.99 iPhone Xs Max 64GB  $1729.99 256GB $1969.99

Sick of Quicken?  I hate its subscription model.  Charging too much. Here is the alternative: Moneydance Using this code, you might get 20% off:   DANCEFB2017 To get a 20% discount off Moneydance purchases please use the code below when purchasing Moneydance from  https://infinitekind.com/ purchase

I saw this article on the ReNew and it's quite interesting (and sad).  Knowing that these smart devices use little power when standing-by, but I was not aware of that adding them up would come to such a scale.  http://renew.org.au/articles/houses-that-think-are-smart-homes-really-a-smart-idea/?mc_cid=7c8d83438f&mc_eid=d4d61202f4 Enjoy the read.  Think twice before you commit to smart home.

Just want to share a thought with everyone.  I read this article today and this piece grabs my eyes: A key use of wealth is using it to control your time and providing you with options. Financial assets on a balance sheet offer that. But they come at the direct expense of showing people how much wealth you have with material stuff.  from http://www.collaborativefund.com/blog/the-psychology-of-money/

Came across an article on news.com.au a while back showing when is usually the best time to make a particular purchase.  It is good to keep the following information in mind when we shop. TRAVEL Check the price on both booking sites and the airline's own sites. Avoid peak times for domestic travel — Friday afternoons, Sunday nights and Monday mornings. Try to be flexible with the time. The most expensive periods tend to be between 6.30-9.30am, and 4-7pm. Flying to Europe and the US is generally cheapest in February and March. GROCERIES Supermarkets generally price their produce down at the end of the day if it’s perishable so buying your meat, milk or baked goods in the afternoon instead of the morning can save you money. PETROL

Stop searching for coupon codes or sales.  This Chrome extension is going to do everything for you. Click on the Honey button during checkout and Honey will automatically apply coupon codes to your shopping cart. Click on the Honey button on a supported online store and instantly see all the coupons and sales available for the store. It currently supports shopping sites in the United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom and India as well as sites that serve global customers. Try it out.

Selling chocolate for fundraising again?  It does not build community, creativity, a connection to nature, a love of reading, or benefit for our health.  The only thing good about chocolate selling is encourage kids to talk in public and to learn money matter, but only if kids did sell them.  Not just eat them all. Here are some fundraising ideas to do: Grow The Seed fundraising.yates.com.au Grow herb, veggie, flower to sell. Do The Read scholastic.com.au Earn free books for the library School Family Cookbook createacookbook.com.au This one has nothing to do with kids.  Parents will be the one to organise it.  With the advertising sponsors, the risk is low.   It's all about arts. www.crazycamel.com.au Turning kids art works into calendars, towels, notepads, etc. Look for professionals?

Discover thousands of valuable up to 50% off and 2-for-1 offers for many of the best restaurants, cafés, arts, attractions, hotels, travel, shopping and much more – choose your way with the following: The traditional  Entertainment ™  Book Membership  that comes with the Gold Card and Vouchers. The  Entertainment ™  Digital Membership  that puts the value of the Entertainment ™  Book into your smartphone! To order your Book or your Digital Membership securely online visit: www.entbook.com.au/1848q68

May 21 marks the official launch of our ambitious plan for the rebirth of Pentridge. Come and celebrate the transformation of this site into a vibrant community hub. Enjoy tasty bites from the Bearded Bakers of Knafeh Bakery, Sliders on Tyres, Grace Coffee and Cake Caravan, Pizza Wagon and much more! There will also be educational gardening workshops for the kids by The Sage Garden, creative installations by Bangin Hangin and live music by local Melbourne-based duo, Tamika Duo, in the central courtyard. You’ll also be able to join regular tours of Division B – where Chopper Read and other notorious Australian outlaws did their time. Also launching on the open day is ‘Pentridge Unlocked’, an exhibition held in the building known as the Annex. Featuring photography, an immersive soundscape installation and video performances, it offers a unique insight into the history of this Coburg landmark. If you’ve ever wanted a peek inside Pentridge, this is your chance. We’d love to...

At today’s meeting on monetary policy, the RBA Board has cut the official cash rate to 2 per cent, a new historic low for the Australian market. RBA Governor Glenn Stevens attributes the following economic factors to today’s decision: Global Growth: “Is expanding at a moderate pace, but commodity prices have declined over the past year, in some cases sharply.” Australian Growth:  “Looking ahead, the key drag on private demand is likely to be weakness in business capital expenditure in both the mining and non-mining sectors over the coming year. Public spending is also scheduled to be subdued. The economy is therefore likely to be operating with a degree of spare capacity for some time yet."

Gmail — Best email service on the web; even though they may scan your emails from time to time. Google Drive / Dropbox — Free storage to store all your information online. Both Google Drive and Dropbox will let you upload all your photos and documents online so they can be accessed on any computer, phone or tablet at any time. Super handy.  $$ if you want more storage.

Legally-free eBooks resource: https://ebooks.adelaide.edu. au/meta/titles/A

Maui Around Australia Motorhomes Britz Campervan, 4WD & Car Hire Transfercar

1. Reshape a stretched jumper Soak stretched jumper in a tub of tepid water with a squirt of hair conditioner, it can be moulded back into shape. Just make sure you lay it flat to dry. 2. Speed drying trick Need a school uniform or other garment dried in a hurry? Throw a dry towel in with the wet item of clothing in the dryer and it will be ready to wear quick-sticks. 3. No more odd socks Give each child a mesh washing bag to hang in their room for dirty socks. Once a week, collect all the bags, toss them in the wash and the pairs will stay together. Have a separate washing basket for socks and undies so you always wash them together. 4. Chewing gum be gone Instead of trying to scratch the sticky stuff from your kids’ clothes, place the gummed garment in the freezer. When the gum is frozen it can be broken apart and easily removed.

Weather-seal doors and windows to prevent heat loss in winter Insulate ceiling/floor (if raised) to retain winter warmth and repel summer heat Shade west-facing windows with blinds or plantings Change to energy-efficient lighting Install energy-efficient devices, such as a ceiling fan to circulate air and exhaust fan with damper to prevent winter-warmth loss Install solar-boosted hot water service or (if the budget allows) a solar photovoltaic system Replace openings with double glazing or, more economically, hang heavy drapes to keep heat in Install water-saving devices or at least fix leaky taps Install a rainwater tank Plant a low-water or drought-tolerant garden   (Source: Domain, The Age - 1 August 2014)