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There are lots of ways to save money when budget traveling around East Coast Australia. I will show you the main ways you can save your Aussie dollars on accommodation, shopping, transport and much more so you can come home with more souvenirs and more happy memories without an empty pocket. I have lived in Sydney and Brisbane as well many other towns and cites on the east coast, hopefully my experience will save you lots of money!

Australian money

Money in Australia is called the Australian dollar. We have $100, $50, $ 20, $ 10 and $ 5 notes, and $2, $1,.50 cent,.20 cent,.10 cent and 5 cent coins. Many shops will charge for items something like AU$ 10.99 for a product, just for marketing effect, but in the end you will pay AU$ 11.00. Capital cities expenses are usually more than country areas but sometimes it is the reverse. For example fuel can be more expensive in the country areas but not by too much. The list below is an estimate average of the prices charged in Australia, to be referred to as a guide only. It is all based on 33 years experience…

Accommodation

Budget tip: Use the Internet to get bargains and save loads of money. Some of my favourite sites are on the links page. If you’re travelling on a shoestring budget then I would suggest staying in hostels or caravan parks. They vary in price based on quality and location. A word of warning caravan parks especially along the coast are not what they used to be. These days they have almost resort style facilities so they can be just as expensive as staying in a motel.

Getting around

By air: Australia has 4 main airlines to choose from: Qantas: Usually the most expensive VirginBlue: Basic service at cheaper rates JetStar: Similar to VirginBlue TigerAirways: No frills basic budget service. Some of these don’t fly to certain parts of the country so you need to do your homework.

Public transport

A great way to save money on a tight budget. Queensland Rail or QR mainly covers south east Queensland (Brisbane, Ipswich, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast) now offers a goCard which is valid for train, bus and ferry services mainly in Brisbane. It is cheaper than paying by cash. I am a big fan of getting the train around Brisbane. It is convenient, safe and cheap. You can also purchase daily, weekly or monthly QR passes. The longer the pass the more money you save. QR also offers concessions for pensioners and students. City Rail (New South Wales): covers Sydney, Wollongong, Central Coast and Newcastle): Has loads of different tickets to save you money.

I used CityRail all the time when I was living in Sydney. Sometimes the trains run late but for the most part it is a good safe service. For families consider the Funday Sunday pass where currently (2009) you will pay just $2.50 per person you just need a minimum of one adult and one child. City Rail also offers other discounted tickets Cityhopper (for Syndey only), day tripper and the Sydneypass (Sydney only for 3, 5 or 7 days for travel within a 8 day period) which gets you unlimited train, bus and ferry around Sydney. Concessions are available for students and pensioners.

Getting to or from the international airports

Avoid taxis. These will cost you a small fortune mainly because of traffic congestion. The price of a ticket from the Domestic Airport to the City is $14.60 and from the International Airport to the City is $15.20. And sometimes the cabbies get lost.

SUPER BUDGET HINT:

Instead consider airport shuttle services. Do a Google search for Airport transfers in the city you are landing in. For example ‘Airport transfers Sydney airport’. Sydney New South Wales: Usually price range for shuttle services will be $20 return to major CBD locations but may be cheaper if you book online. Brisbane Queensland: Airport transfers by Rail. These are privately owned companies that don’t usually offer concessions. They are an excellent way to save money though. Brisbane Airtrain: This is a rail service that will get you from Brisbane International or Domestic terminals to Brisbane CBD, Brisbane suburban areas or Gold Coast. The price shouldn’t be more than $30 one way to most destinations. Check out the Airtrain interactive map on their website to give you an idea Airport Link Sydney: Similar to Brisbane. As of 2009 a one way ticket to the CBD from the Domestic or International airport terminals will be a little under $20. Check out the FAQ section on their webpage for details.

Hiring a car

East Coast Australia has all the major hire companies Hertz, Budget, Avis and independents which may be better for budget travelling. There are all types of cars and vans to choose from, the bigger the car the more you will pay. They’re a few websites out there that allow you to compare hire car prices. Use them, they will save you lots of money! If you will be here for a bit longer then consider hiring a van. There are lots of options for you. In Queensland a popular choice is Wicked. In NSW they have depots in Sydney and Byron bay. In Queensland their depots are in Brisbane, Hervey Bay and Cairns.

Grocery Shopping

Australian grocery shopping is dominated by 2 big ‘players’ in the market namely Woolworths and Coles. If you spend over a certain amount your sales docket will get you cheaper fuel (see below) You will find Woolworths and Coles in most bigger towns and they are of course in every capital city. They now use ‘price per weight’ tickets so you can compare and save whilst browsing the shelves. Australia also has Aldi stores in most regional towns and all capital cities down the Australian East Coast. These are my favourite for budget shopping especially if you are travelling and you only need basic items along the way.

SUPER BUDGET TIP:

Cheaper items are usually below eye level. That’s right the more expensive items will be on the middle shelves so look down and grab a bargain. Australia’s generic brands such as Home Brand, Black and Gold and Woolworths and Coles own varieties are just as good in value as the bigger name brands. Aldi are cheaper than Woolworths and Coles and the quality is just as good. You will though have to take your own bags to pack your items or buy bags at Aldi. There are other supermarkets in Australia such as Foodowrks and IGA and they are great if you just need a few items in your travels.

Fuel (Gas)

We call a gas station a service station. Australia has all the major fuel companies available (BP, Caltex, Ampol, Shell etc). Some offer 4c off your fuel if you present a supermarket docket. Caltex accepts Woolworths dockets and Shell accepts Coles dockets. I highly recommend using these especially if you are doing most of your traveling by car. Fuel prices go up and down through the week. Anecdotal research indicates the cheapest day to buy fuel is now either on a Tuesday or Wednesday. To save on fuel drive smoothly, limit using the air conditioner and don’t speed, this chews the fuel (and it is dangerous too!) A special word on Service station stops: All service stations want you to buy something else while you’re in the store such as drinks, chocolates, lollies, CDs etc. Avoid the temptation, as you will be paying extremely high prices for doing so. Instead plan your trip by buying drinks and food at a supermarket for your travels. Some service stations even offer 4c off your fuel if you buy $2 worth of food. This means you are worse off then if you didn’t buy the food or drinks. Don’t be fooled!

Phone calls

Cell phones are called ‘mobile’ phones in Australia. AVOID USING YOUR MOBILE (CELL) PHONE. INTERNATIONAL ROAMING RATES WILL STING YOU.Of course mobile phones are useful for emergency situations. Cheapest option when on a budget to save money when travelling is using international telephone cards. With one AUD 10 card, you can talk to the USA for longer than 2 hours. Keep in mind that making a lot of shorter calls will costs you more than a 1 longer call. For instance 6 calls of 10 minutes will cost you more than 1 call of an hour. There are lots of telephone cards available. Including: Ozcall, Daybreak and Gotalk. There are also lots of online sites to compare prices; just do a Google search such as ‘International telephone cards Australia.’ You can buy the cards from Newsagents or online and for a range of prices. To make it easy though buy them in even amounts of AUD 10, AUD 20 or AUD50 and use them from your home phone and also public phones.

Food and drink.

Eating out and drinking lots of alcohol can be very expensive. Depending on the bar or restaurant beer can cost from AUD 2.50 up to AUD 7.00.

SUPER BUDGET HINT:

Size of glass will determine the price. The Beer names given to different beer glass sizes varies from city to city in Australia and generally from state to state. For example asking for a Schooner in most Victorian or Western Australian Pubs will earn you a confused or annoyed look, as the don’t serve that size. Ordering a ‘Beer’ in Victoria will get you a 285ml (10 oz) ‘Pot’ however if you said the same thing in a Queensland Pub you might find yourself with a smaller 200ml (7 oz) glass. In other words a Pot (in Qld) is the same thing as a Middie (in NSW) and usually is a comfortable size to enjoy a beer. A schooner is larger and a pint is larger again. A jug of beer is (literally a jug of beer) is 1140ml or 40oz is the largest of all. Careful though, you’re not meant to drink straight from the jug, pour it into a pot (middie) and enjoy! Ordering spirit drinks (rum, bourbon, vodka etc) at a bar will normally cost you from about AUD 7.

SUPER BUDGET TIP:

One way to save is buying alcohol at a bottle shop. There are big ’superstores’ such as LiquorChoice and Dan Murphys in all capital and some regional cities. A six pack of local beer (xxxx, Tooheys, Cascade etc) will be anywhere from $12 to over $20. A carton of beer consists of 24 cans or stubbies (small bottles). Local beer will set you back anywhere between AUD 35 to AUD 65.

Wine

Australia boasts some of the finest wines in the world and I highly recommend you try some while you’re here. The prices range but you can usually get a ‘good drop’ for about AUD 15.

SUPER BUDGET TIP:

Look for the ‘clean skins’, which are bottles with no brand. Some have labels some don’t but they are often in the bargain bin but can be tasty surprises. A ‘clean skin’ will cost you about AUD 7.

Eating out

Australia has all the main food chains McDonalds, KFC, Hungry Jacks Wine Australia boasts some of the finest wines in the world and I highly recommend you try some while you’re here. The prices range but you can usually get a ‘good drop’ for about AUD 15. I especially like the light variety of Moscato. It won’t give you a hangover and it won’t dent the budget. Subway and numerous pizza franchises: If you want to stay healthy on a budget Subway is a good option. They offer special prices for certain subs on each day of the week. Some pizza outlets such as Dominoes offer discounts on a Tuesday.

SUPER BUDGET TIP:

For budget travellers (backpackers and families) the best option is to: Buy food at the supermarket such as cheese, ham, and chicken and make sandwiches to pack for traveling. Also consider buying ‘popper’ packs, which are little square packs of juices that usually come in packs of 6. Australians love their pub meals and I highly recommend them. They can be costly though, expect to pay from AUD 15 upwards.Smokers Better stop smoking, as a packet will cost you about AUD 15 for a packet of 20 cigarettes. Some states in Australia also have strict laws about where smoking is allowed. Queensland probably has the toughest laws of all with smoking banned in indoor and outdoor public places. Also Queensland has just brought in a new law banning people smoking in cars if children under 16 are in the car too. Fine is $200 on the spot!

Entertainment

Movies (Cinemas): Go on a Tuesday, tickets are cheaper. DVDs: Again, buy on a Tuesday. Many outlets offer reduced prices on this day for whatever reason. Free entertainment for kids: Kids love beaches and there are loads along Eastern Australia. Keep the kids entertained for free by stopping off at some. Kids also love parks, and parents love them because they are free. Why not stop off at our great parks, which are often near beaches. The playground equipment is tested to the highest safety standards so you can rest assured the kids can play hard and then rest hard!

Summary

There are lots of ways of ways to save loads of money when travelling in Australia on a budget. My best advice is to plan ahead. That doesn’t mean a regimented itinerary but just some forethought such as picking up some groceries at the supermarket the morning you plan on setting off. My other super tip is to budget and add at least 20% on that. If there’s one thing I have learned in my travels is that despite all my good intentions and strategies I have always gone over budget. Hopefully though I have given you some tools and tips that will mean you keep more of your hard earned money in your pocket and leave the Australian East Coast with loads of happy memories!

What is life insurance? It is a kind of agreement between you and your insurer. According to the agreement you pay the insurance company payments, called insurance premiums every month (or annually, depending on the contract) and in case you pass away, people, who are mentioned in your policy, will be able claim money.

Life insurance is the most expensive kind of insurance. According to the statistics, people buy almost a million life insurance policies every week. Those, who buy this product, know less about it than anything else they buy. Someone may think, it is a product, everyone needs. In fact, it is not quite true.

Why do we need life insurance? Here are some examples, which will answer this question.

Life insurance is for breadwinners, whose death would reflect in financial income of others. If you are single and have little or no debt you probably only need to consider the cost of final expenses of your funeral.
Now, if you have decided that you really need life insurance, another step for you will be to choose, which policy you need. There are five basic types of life insurance:

- Term Life Insurance

- Whole Life Insurance

- Universal Life Insurance

- Variable Life Insurance

- Variable Universal Life Insurance

What is the difference between them? Here are brief definitions of each type.

Term Life Insurance is the cheapest type of coverage. You can bye it every year or for special period. If you die during the term, your heirs will receive money, but if you are alive when your policy expires, you lose money unless you renew for the addtional term.

Whole Life Insurance is the most traditional. The premium stays the same for the length of the policy. A savings component, called cash value or loan value builds over time and can be used for wealth accumulation.

Universal Life Insurance offers some flexibility. You may change the amount of the premium. However, you pay for these flexibility higher fees.

Variable Life Insurance may provide a larger cash reserve, though increases are not guaranteed and losses are possible.

Variable Universal Life Insurance is a combination of variable and universal life insurance. The insurance policy has a cash value that enjoys tax-deferred growth over time, and allows you to borrow against it. VUL policies allow the insured to choose how the premiums are invested. This means that the cash value of the policy as well as the death benefit can fluctuate with the performance of the investments that the policyholder chose.

How can you choose the right type of insurance?

The best advice can be to hire an agent you can trust. A competent agent will take into account your needs now and any future needs you may have and help you make decision.

The Mortgage Modification Plan that the Obama Administration has passed has brought a sigh of relief to millions of homeowners. This program was set up with the goal of providing help to people who were facing the foreclosure of their homes. Exactly how does this program operate?

This government assistance works by modifying existing home mortgages through the original lender. The interest rate, loan term and even principal can be adjusted to arrive at a house payment that is affordable to the homeowner. If late fees and penalties have been piling up, those can be worked out, too, providing a fresh start.

If your lender is approved by the Treasury Department to participate in this program, you need to determine who services your loan. You may not even know, but your lender could tell you. Only loans that are serviced by Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae are eligible for this program. The loan has to be signed on January 1, 2009, or before and can’t be for an amount more than $729,750.

This Stimulus Bill program has two sets of financial requirements. To start with, you must be able to show the bank that the events that unfolded to cause you to have financial problems were not of your own making. You had no control over them, and they were not the result of your bad decisions.

The bank also wants to see that you can make the modified, lower payment in the future. Your risk is being assessed, and your determination to stay in your house is also a factor. Your financial stability is being examined, and it must be presented in a black and white budget presentation.

You are only allowed one application for loan adjustment, so you need to be careful that you are doing it correctly. Be sure that your paperwork matches the guidelines set out for the program. You have a lot riding on this application, and you do not want to be hasty. You must document every fact and figure concerning income and expenses.

You may find the solution you are looking for within the Mortgage Modification Plan. $75 billion dollars has been set aside to help homeowners with financial hardship, and you might qualify. You could get a house payment that you could live with. Before you decide that you have no options, you should check out whether you can qualify or a reworked mortgage that you can afford to pay.

Usually, size of any business is an essential factor for deciding over the matter of implementation of various strategies but as far as accounting activities are concerned, there are very few options to maintain an effective accounting system. No doubt that an efficient accounting system can turn a small business into large organization and can double its profit; therefore, it is mandatory for all businesses to manage every aspect of accounting and finance very carefully. Accounting is must for every business; no matter what the size and purpose of any company is, every business owner needs to take care of his or her available finance and should utilize it in a prolific manner. Since accounting section decide the future prospective of any business, it is essential to understand and implement beneficial plans for establishing a flawless accounting system. Normally, businesses prefer to handle that task with available staff but in cases where this policy is not able to maintain a flawless accounting system accounting outsourcing can prove to the great help.

Accounting is a monotonous task; therefore, anyone can get bored very easily while maintaining the day-to-day accounting and financial transactions. In such situation possibility of flaws can increase that can affect the annual financial status of the company. Usually, in every company, people who manage accounting task also bear variety of responsibilities such as balance checking, financial planning, tax assessment; it is for sure that these extra responsibilities affect their efficiency and accuracy. Since these additional tasks can never be ignored, it is always better to employ more accounting professionals or to hire services of a firm. It is quite obvious that hiring new professionals will increases the company expenses as their cost to company will be very high in comparison to any outsourcing service. Moreover, the company will be liable to bear many other additional responsibilities of these professionals; however, in case of accounting outsourcing Service Company can be free from all these additional responsibilities.

At present, all well-established companies hire a huge work force to perform the task of accounting management; for small organizations and sapling businesses it can be quite difficult to hire required work force. In such situation, is it not better to take help of external accounting professionals to manage every aspect of accounting? Not only cost but also efficiency of these firms are incomparable; certainly, accounting records that their accounting professionals prepare will be flawless, as they do not bear additional responsibilities of any organization.

For a business owner there are also many other important things to ponder over, thus he or she cannot waste available resources in accomplishing accounting task only. It sets every business owner free from all accounting hassles so that he or she may better concentrate on the growth of their organization. If you own a business and are worried about maintenance of accounting transactions flawlessly then you must try out any accounting firm, as it will perfectly manage your financial activities without increasing company expenses and responsibilities. Therefore, do not waste your valuable resources and time and utilize them perfectly with help of an efficient accounting firm.

This is March 2007, a month yet before the end of the 2006 tax season, and audit letters from the IRS are already going out, some private tax offices have been closed and some people have been charged with fraud. All because of abuse of this years one time Federal Excise Tax Credit.

The government is refunding the Excise Tax because federal courts ruled that it is an improper tax. The IRS in response must refund the tax to all individuals who can prove they paid the tax. The refund is only for taxes charged as excise tax on long-distance, nothing on local is being refunded. This tax credit is a one time refund.

When examining your past phone bills look for the itemized part of the bill that states Federal Excise Tax. It can be as little as a few cents to a couple dollars. Anything more than that and you may not be looking at the right billing item.

The rule has two ways of filling. The most popular and the one I suggest is to use the standard deduction, where individuals can claim from $30 to $60.

One exemption, the standard refund amount is $30;

Two exemptions, the standard refund amount is $40;

Three exemptions, the standard refund amount is $50;

Four exemptions or more, the standard refund amount is $60.

If you are considering itemizing the tax credit to get the maximum credit, the first and most important rule, you MUST have a copies of the bills that you use to add up your total credit. These bills are from February 28, 2003 to August 1, 2006.

There is a rule that is getting many people into a lot of trouble. The rule is about listing the bundle service tax charges if the Federal Excise Tax in not individually listed out. If you do this you can just about bet you will get your very own nasty-gram from the IRS. Individuals with multiple phones over the three year period may pay some where between $100 to $200 dollars in Federal Excise Tax, yours could be more or less this is meant just as a broad example. If you add the bundled taxes it can get to be more than $1500. If you dare to think the IRS will let that go by, you will be sadly mistaken.

Finally if you have the records, by all means do your home work and take the credit. For a family, this bit of record keeping could change your $60 credit to $200 credit. If you do not have the records, do not fake it.