So what do finance writers do? Well, they write about finance obviously. And if you think that I’m padding out this article with stuff and nonsense, then you’d be right.

On the whole, I find finance writers write the most boring articles.  And surprisingly, they’re quite verbose people – that usually comes across in what they write.

Long lengthy articles about stocks, investments, bonds, margin loans and loads of other terms that sound simple but are in fact, quite complicated. Hence that’s the reason why they write such long diatribes to explain.

Of course, most of the population have fleeting interest in these types of articles. For many people, long winded investment products and the long term projections are of little interest.

The financial services sector prefers to keep it all a mystery I think. That way they’ll be sure to never run out of a job. Most ordinary people will never understand it and will need an expert to not only explain it, but also to look after it for them.

So it takes a finance writer to explain the mysteries. *rolls eyes*

But have you ever noticed that these finance writers never write articles about the most basic financial plan of all – the budget? Why is that?

Is it because they believe that it’s such a simple matter that there’s no mystery and there’s not enough to write about regularly?

Or could it be that they think that it’s such a boring topic that nobody would pay any attention?

Maybe it’s the need for simple words, when explaining a budget and how it works. After all, the budget is supposedly deemed to be too simple for educated minds.

But if that’s the case, then why don’t more people have a budget in place?

Now I’m not talking about a great big fancy spread sheet that shows every figure imaginable for every different scenario of every day of your life.

What I mean is, why don’t people just have a simple plan (or guide if you like) to enable them to manage their money on a daily basis.

This plan would include spending on bills and pleasurable things as well as cover the debt repayments. It would also encompass a regular savings pattern (if the income allows)

So why are there not more sensible articles written about that?

Maybe if there was, there would be no stigma surrounding the word budget and more people would embrace the lifestyle.

Yes, you too can have it all and live within your budget parameters. You just have to learn to think outside the box a little.

Carmel McCartin – Budget Bitch

And don’t forget – (The views expressed in this blog are the personal opinions of the author. Don’t rely on them to make financial decisions, you have to make up your own mind. If you don’t like the content – then either stop reading or send me an email)

He quickly thrust his identification into my face, making sure that I knew where he was from. That wasn’t really necessary – it was obvious. (but I guess that was part of his sales training)

How sad it is that nowadays anybody knocking at your door must be considered to be a stranger. Our level of distrust has surely grown as the years pass and I often wonder how long it will be before we revert back to days of protecting your ‘castle’ with a moat.

However, I digress….

The fellow was from an electricity company. I’d wondered how long it would take to have a visit from one of these people.  Living in the country certainly has its advantages.

He launched into his spiel – explaining that the cost of electricity has already risen by 6% and then offering me an immediate 10% discount on all future bills. He also said that I would be eligible for an immediate $100 credit and an extra $50 off every bill if I was eligible for a pension discount.

I mentally made plans to visit my hairdresser and beautician – I must surely be looking rather old and haggard to be offered an old age pension discount.

It all sounded wonderful – but “what’s the catch?” I asked. He reassured me there is no catch. It’s as simple as he has explained.

I asked about signing a contract – how long etc? And he sheepishly explained that yes, I would need to sign a contract that would bind me to that company for 2 years.

He could see that I was about to say ‘no thank you’ and he tried to recover his salesman demeanour. Consulting a clip-board he asked if this was the address of xxx. He’s got all our details in front of him.

When I asked why I had to sign a contract that would hold me to them for 2 years, he told me that’s the way it was.

But why is it? Why do they need to make us stay with them by signing a contract? What are they going to do to us during that period?

Now I don’t know about you – but I’m not keen on these types of agreements. The telephone companies have them, as do internet service providers.  They always offer a great deal to get you to sign, and then they treat you like a second rate citizen until the contract expires and they want you to re-sign. Then the charade starts again.

Some people tell me it’s a way of showing customer loyalty. From whom? As a customer, by the time the binding agreement time finishes, I’m so sick of the lack of service and compassion from the company, that I don’t want anything more to do with them.

And have you ever noticed – not long after you sign one of these contracts, there’s an even better ‘deal’ available which you can’t have because you’re already locked in to something else.

Nope, they’re not for me. Treat me right, keep your prices at an acceptable level and I’ll possibly stay with you forever. But start using strong-arm tactics to make me show my loyalty and you’ve lost me before you put the pen into my hand.

I told the salesman at the front door to put this great offer into writing and mail it to me. That way I’ll be able to consider and compare it in my time, and make sure it fits my budget.

He said they wouldn’t do that.

Well, AGL – if you won’t spend 60cents on a stamp, then I’m afraid you’re not the electricity provider for me.

Carmel McCartin – Budget Bitch

And don’t forget – (The views expressed in this blog are the personal opinions of the author. Don’t rely on them to make financial decisions, you have to make up your own mind. If you don’t like the content – then either stop reading or send me an email)

Considering the machine is only 8 months old, I took it back to where I purchased it.  The female store owner looked at it, and told me that it had been chewed. Yes, with my spectacles on, I could see that.

I’m not sure how our dog has managed to do that; the machine is always locked away and he hides when it’s going, because he hates the noise. However, it must have been him because I certainly didn’t do it. Power cords aren’t quite my idea of a snack.

She said the repair man would be in tomorrow and he would look at it. She also said it was probably covered by the warranty. (really?)

So this morning, Merve the repair man rang me. The first thing he said was that it had been chewed and it wouldn’t be covered by warranty. Ok, I’m not going to dispute that.

Then he said that he had cut off the part of the cord that had been chewed and had attached a plug to the end, so that it could be used. The charge for that is $20.

Then he said that he would order a new part so that the whole cord could be replaced properly with the correct length. It seems it’s not just a matter of replacing the cord, the whole ‘retractor’ part needs to be replaced as well.

He told me that the part could be in on Friday of this week, and because he only works 3 days a week, it probably wouldn’t be ready till next Tuesday. That means we might not have a vacuum cleaner for a week. Who cares? – Not me. Never let it be said that I’m in a rush to do the housework.

So my question is this – if the vacuum cleaner is to sit in the shop for a week, why do I have to pay $20 for the attachment of a plug that won’t be used? (Unless they intend to use it to vacuum the shop)

Merve the Maintenance Man has taken it upon himself to increase my costs by authorising a repair that I didn’t sanction and which will be unnecessary.

Now, I know it’s only $20 – but it’s my $20 and I can think of other things to spend that money on; a new book, 5 coffees, or 2 metres of material to make myself a new outfit. (or the time it’s taken to write this post)

If I didn’t want to be frivolous with that $20, it would pay for 1 weeks’ worth of household gas; 1/3 tank of fuel for the car or one week of my phone bill.

Nowadays money seems to be tighter than ever, not just for the consumer but also for business. For all of us, it’s hard to get and keep.

And just as we, the consumers need to justify the money we spend, so too do businesses need to justify what they charge.

Merve has ‘assumed’ that I want my vacuum cleaner back NOW because I want to do housework. Pffft! We all know what assuming does – it makes an ass out of U and me!

I can spend my money all by myself – I don’t need Merve or anybody else to do it for me without my knowledge!

This story isn’t over – I’m about to visit the store…..

Carmel McCartin – Budget Bitch

And don’t forget – (The views expressed in this blog are the personal opinions of the author. Don’t rely on them to make financial decisions, you have to make up your own mind. If you don’t like the content – then either stop reading or send me an email)

They then went on to say that once we’d spoken and made an appointment, they didn’t feel that way any longer.

So why did that person feel like a failure?

With further questioning this person told me that ‘everybody is supposed to know how to manage their money’ and because they felt like they were drowning under financial decisions, they had this sense of being a failure.

What makes you think that you have failed at something if you have never been shown or taught how to do it?

Planning a budget is a bit like origami. (that’s the art of paper-folding) Unless you are shown how to fold the paper correctly, you’ll never know how to do it.

So if the ‘flying swan’ you’ve created isn’t exactly like the one in the photograph, would you think you’ve failed? Of course not! And why not? Well, it takes a few simple lessons and a bit of practice to get it right.

Having a budget is also like losing weight. Most people know what they should or shouldn’t do in regards the food they put in their mouth. Many times they know they really shouldn’t take that extra helping, but they do it anyway.

To lose weight properly, you need to change your lifestyle. That means you probably need some help. And keeping that in mind, if you made an appointment with Jenny Craig or even at Weight Watchers – would you think you’d failed?

You’d probably see that as taking a step in the right direction towards making some positive changes in your life. Wouldn’t you?

Making a Budget Bitch appointment is exactly the same. Don’t for one moment think that you’ve failed because we treat everybody who makes that first call as a winner.

Carmel McCartin – Budget Bitch

And don’t forget – (The views expressed in this blog are the personal opinions of the author. Don’t rely on them to make financial decisions, you have to make up your own mind. If you don’t like the content – then either stop reading or send me an email)

We’ve come a fair way since those beginnings and if we’d had a bucket list of what we wanted to achieve when we started, we’d be looking at quite a few ticks.

Of course, nothing ever happens without the support of our many and varied customers. We like to think of them as family

Last year when we turned 4 we gave away a mountain of gifts. The birthday celebration took place on one day.

This year we’re doing it again and have decided that for every person who books an appointment in February – we’ll give them a gift. Yes, that’s right – we’re letting the celebration last for the whole month! (thank goodness we’ve been budgeting for this since last year)

I wanted to give everybody a holiday. Now, apart from the other director yelling at me and it costing me more money than I have, it wouldn’t be at all helpful to anybody.

You see, the things we have to work towards and save our money for, are truly the things we value the most. It’s the prize we reward ourselves with for achieving our goal.

And then I was reminded about that Chinese proverb –

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”

That’s made me realise that if I gave you a holiday you wouldn’t love or appreciate it as much as the one I taught you to budget for.

So that’s why we’re not including holidays in the birthday gifts this year.

Carmel McCartin – Budget Bitch

And don’t forget – (The views expressed in this blog are the personal opinions of the author. Don’t rely on them to make financial decisions, you have to make up your own mind. If you don’t like the content – then either stop reading or send me an email)

With the introduction of online banking, I find that rarely do I need to enter a bank. It’s so easy to log onto the internet in the comfort of my home and sort out what needs to be paid and how to manage my money.

Thank goodness I can do that because the 2 or 3 times each year that I have to attend the bank building in person, I find the service and experience deteriorates each time.

When I visited a few months ago, I discovered that my bank has now introduced a numbered ticket system. Possibly that’s good; if there’s a huge unruly crowd of people who are milling about and shouting at the bank staff to hurry up. Taking a number and waiting in order for your turn would perhaps quell the riotous crowd.

The day I was there, I was alone. There were no other customers. Not realising the now-correct protocol, I stepped up to the counter. But the teller wouldn’t serve me till I had gone back, got a number and waited for that number to be called.

*rolls eyes*

Like the well disciplined diva that I am – I did as I was ‘told’.

This time when I went to the bank I knew what to do – I took a number and waited to be called. The girl behind the glass was busy so I had to bide my time. With nobody to talk to (the bank was empty again) I was able to test that old theory; if-you-stare-at-them-long-enough-they-have-to-look-up-soon.

My number was called and I stepped up to the counter. “Hello XXXX” I said brightly “how are you today?”  Thank goodness I could see her name clearly, I wouldn’t want to be rude and not acknowledge that.

The bank staff member raised her eyes from the computer and mumbled – “which account do you want this in?”

I gave her the answer and she lowered her eyes back to the screen in front of her.  Then she handed back my account card – the one with my name on – gave me a paper receipt and turned back to her computer.

For one brief moment I wanted to say “if you can’t read or pronounce my name that’s ok. I won’t mind if you call me number 155.”

I didn’t; because I don’t think she would have got it. But I now understand why I was the only customer in the bank.

And as I walked away I thought to myself –

Oh, Barbara from Bank World  - you still have a lot to learn to improve your customer service skills!

Carmel McCartin – Budget Bitch

And don’t forget – (The views expressed in this blog are the personal opinions of the author. Don’t rely on them to make financial decisions, you have to make up your own mind. If you don’t like the content – then either stop reading or send me an email)

It was brought to my attention by a tweet. Yes, somebody on Twitter was considering the purchase of this but couldn’t decide whether they should buy it as a moving house gift for themselves, or just pack the one they already own.

$449 for a toaster! Even with a discount, that’s ludicrous!

A television is cheaper than that nowadays and although this particular toaster had glass sides so that you could watch your toast cooking, at least with a TV you can change channels.

Sometimes I think we’re living in a world that’s gone mad.

The price of that toaster is a week’s wages for somebody. It’s also the same price as some weekly household rentals or an average airfare from Sydney to Melbourne – 4 times. If you’re a single old aged pensioner, it’s more than the weekly allowance.

How many people can afford to spend that amount on something to heat up and brown their bread?

And if you wish to tell me that you would buy it because you want it and affordability doesn’t come into it – then I’m afraid that you’ve got a misplaced sense of what’s important and what is not.

Obviously other people won’t tell you this, but I will –

Save your money for more crucial things in your life.  And Don’t Be So Ridiculous!

Carmel McCartin – Budget Bitch

And don’t forget – (The views expressed in this blog are the personal opinions of the author. Don’t rely on them to make financial decisions, you have to make up your own mind. If you don’t like the content – then either stop reading or send me an email)

Wouldn’t it be great if we had a crystal ball and could see what this year held for us all?

Of course, at this time of year there is much talk about New Year resolutions. Have you made any? Did you keep the ones you made last time?

Do you make different ones every year or do you trot out the tired old ones that don’t seem to make it past the first few weeks?

According to recent polls, more than 33% of the population resolves to pay off their credit cards each year.

But figures from the Reserve Bank of Australia show that mortgage, credit card and personal loans are up 71% from just 5 years ago. One wonders how much of this debt will actually be repaid this year?

There are also reports showing that personal debt now totals 100.4% of Australia’s annual GDP – one of the highest ratios in the developed world. That’s a lot of debt!

It’s a great idea to plan some goals for the coming year but if your list is very long you may find that you struggle to achieve too many of them.

Sometimes it’s easier to just have three or four resolutions. Make a plan that works and you will find that you can conquer them all.

There will be some slip-ups along the way but if you stick to your plan you’ll get the results that you want.

Don’t forget to make a family resolution this year also. After all, they’re the important people who make our lives worthwhile and achieving your goal will be made easier if you enlist their help.

A financial goal is also a great way to start the New Year. If you’ve got your budget under control – keep up the good work!

Perhaps it’s time to reassess where it’s heading. If you don’t have one, then maybe it’s time to take some responsibility for your finances and get them into better shape.

Isn’t it funny how people spend so much money on gym memberships to get their body trim and taut, but never give a thought to spending anything on getting their finances into better condition?

Making your body look and feel better is a work in progress and sometimes, to get the results that you want, you could end up spending money on the pursuit for the rest of your life.

Getting your finances to look and feel better is also a work in progress. But, unlike the gym, it only takes one appointment with Budget Bitch to learn how to get the results you want for the rest of your life.

It’s not expensive – call me!

Carmel McCartin – Budget Bitch

And don’t forget – (The views expressed in this blog are the personal opinions of the author. Don’t rely on them to make financial decisions, you have to make up your own mind. If you don’t like the content – then either stop reading or send me an email)

My brother has five kids who are all grown and have partners; there are some grandkids plus other ‘family’ members. The total is 20, and there will be an exchange of gifts at some point during the day.

Now this is not part of my Christmas plans and I am totally unprepared to partake in the gift giving ritual. If there had been more time, I would have been able to put some extra money aside throughout the year. I would also have had time to organise something special for each of them.

So here I am, 24 hours to prepare and not only is there a shortage of funds but I am also lacking inspiration in the gift buying department. Let’s face it – even 20 tins of biscuits is going to cost at least $100.

And then (at 2am) it hit me! The answer came from my subconscious while I slept. I knew exactly what to do.

I couldn’t hit the shopping centre till lunch hour. Into Rundle Mall, and I quickly found a large ‘discount’ shop. So far so good!

Grabbing a shopping basket, I began the next part of my mission – to buy 20 gifts at a cost no more than $2 each. Nothing should be too obviously gender-specific; but to liven the party I chose some purely male and female gifts. (men’s razors, girly soaps; that sort of thing)

I helped myself to the pile of free store catalogues to use as wrapping paper, (they’re colourful and end up in the same place as gift wrap) then spent $2 for a large ‘Christmassy ‘bag to carry everything. Back at the hotel I borrowed scissors and sticky-tape from the reception desk and soon everything was wrapped.

Family gatherings are great fun and this was no exception. The joy of spending time with people I love, but am separated from by time and distance, was immeasurable. Just to be with them was my own personal Christmas treat.

And then it was “time for the gifts”. My brother took me aside, quietly apologised for the short notice and explained that nobody would be upset that I had nothing for them all. Just being together would be enough.

He was right – it was, but I was ready to surprise them. When all the presents had been opened there remained, under the tree, a large bag that nobody had seen before.

With a flourish I announced that it was time for “Aunty Carmel’s Bag of Christmas Cheer”. Everybody would get a ‘lucky-dip’ and if they didn’t like their gift – too bad. They could always exchange with somebody else later.

What a hoot! We played a trivia game with a dip in the bag being the prize; everybody was a winner. An hour later – we’re still laughing and swapping gifts. Even Grandma got into the spirit, swapping screwdrivers for incense sticks.

It was the best $42 I’ve ever spent and it’s a new tradition; with family members competing to prove that they ‘need’ to be the Christmas Cheer Bag person.

You know – sometimes I think we’ve forgotten that Christmas memories are about people and events – the size and cost of the gifts are insignificant.

Carmel McCartin – Budget Bitch

And don’t forget – (The views expressed in this blog are the personal opinions of the author. Don’t rely on them to make financial decisions, you have to make up your own mind. If you don’t like the content – then either stop reading or send me an email)

But how often have you thought about having a review of your personal finances?

While you possibly think you don’t need one – ask yourself these questions and you might just find that the time has come for a financial check-up.

• Do you have financial goals? (are they in writing? do they include deadlines?)

• Is your debt under control? Do you pay off your credit cards each month?

• Have you started a savings account? Do you understand what this is?

• Have you started a retirement fund yet? If you have, will your current rate of savings give you enough money to meet your future retirement needs?

• Do you need to start a savings program to meet the cost requirements of your children’s education? If you have, will your current savings rate be enough – taking into account inflation and rising tuition costs?

• Do you have a budget? If you do, when was the last time you had it reviewed? If you don’t, then do you intend to allow your finances to drift aimlessly?

• When do you intend to get your money working as hard as you do?

If you are not satisfied with your answers to any of these questions, then you’d better contact us today!

Together, we can get your finances back into tip-top condition, with a healthier bank balance.

Carmel McCartin – Budget Bitch

And don’t forget – (The views expressed in this blog are the personal opinions of the author. Don’t rely on them to make financial decisions, you have to make up your own mind. If you don’t like the content – then either stop reading or send me an email)