LifeTips for Getting Ahead in Australia

ggkfc on 01/05/2017 - 15:02
Last edited 02/05/2017 - 11:01

What's your tips for getting ahead in life, besides scrouging Ozbargain for sweet deals? Personally, I think negative gearing is one.

Some offered below:

mokr: "surround your self with successful people, its mostly about contacts"

railspider: "get a good job that pays good money"

Archi: good general points but seems like people think good guys finish last

mini2: being frugal, delay kids, make use of family to help childcare

Seraphin7: "Study, work hard, demonstrate value to your employer/customers, spend less than you earn, repeat"

Education & Work

Comments

      • canyoudoitcheaper on 03/05/2017 - 21:29
        +1

        Emotional intelligence; one of the few workplace skills that won't be at risk of being automated.

        • mooboy on 04/05/2017 - 11:22
          +3

          Not so sure… Siri shows more empathy than some people.

    • ramb9 on 02/05/2017 - 18:37
      -1

      This is more of a life lesson post rather than getting ahead in Australia lol

      • Archi on 03/05/2017 - 09:22

        it's all the same, its a way of life regardless where you come from.

    • OzzyOzbourne on 03/05/2017 - 17:44

      None of those have helped

  • pernunz on 01/05/2017 - 16:40
    +45

    Don't eat smashed avocado for breakfast.

  • 2ndeffort on 01/05/2017 - 17:04
    +6

    Be the reliable guy that over-achieves, don't be the unreliable guy that under achieves.

    • Diji1 on 01/05/2017 - 19:44

      Labour isn't going to touch negative gearing.

  • uder on 01/05/2017 - 17:17
    +9

    Go back in time and buy Sydney property. When you get back to the present make sure you then lobby for any government policy that keeps housing prices high and headed higher.

    • mini2 on 01/05/2017 - 20:07

      Just go back to pre-2013 you'd do alright.

    • jacross on 02/05/2017 - 15:07

      The second half of your plan doesn't make any sense. You would come back, sell at the peak, and then lobby for policies that bring housing prices down. Housing value is just paper profit if you don't realise it. You better pull the trigger or you are going to find you own a very expensive house in a land filled with very expensive houses.

      • fezzo on 03/05/2017 - 16:19
        +1

        I think the second sentence is making reference to politicians and other people in power who own multiple investment properties.

  • peterpeterpumpkin on 01/05/2017 - 17:56
    +2

    Due to the laws of thermodynamics there's probably no point in even trying once you've attained the average expectations of your envrionment.

    If you can't change the world, change the way you see it.

  • oscargamer on 01/05/2017 - 18:08
    +16

    Don't have kids.

    • Ozbargainite on 01/05/2017 - 19:22
      +1

      Or pets.

      • oscargamer on 01/05/2017 - 20:05
        +12

        or kids that look like pets

        or vice versa

      • mini2 on 01/05/2017 - 20:09
        +1

        Yeah those things don't have Medicare…that's the killer.

      • nrg2010 on 01/05/2017 - 20:16
        +1

        Or a life

      • ozbargainer888 on 02/05/2017 - 13:19
        +6

        Pets are awesome! Improved my life :)

        • virhlpool on 07/05/2017 - 22:30
          -1

          Did you improve theirs by having them with you (away from their natural habitation) though?

    • TheZohan on 04/05/2017 - 14:49
      +1

      Or have 4+. Economies of scale start kicking in at that point.

    • barginsarelife on 04/05/2017 - 18:35

      Just pets no kids

  • Findo on 01/05/2017 - 19:20
    +9

    Be born into a family with money, and get with someone of a similar social class. Donate money to the Liberal Party and hope they'll look after you when in power.

    • gimli on 02/05/2017 - 22:30
      +1

      you can;t choose that.

      • Findo on 02/05/2017 - 22:33

        The second and third ones you can choose. Instead of marrying someone of a similar social class, aim higher and marry someone with wealth in their family.

        • gimli on 02/05/2017 - 22:34
          -6

          btw isn't ur username inappropriate.

        • Findo on 02/05/2017 - 22:37
          +3

          @Gimli: it's not etymologyically similar to the racial slur. A niggard is a miserly or stingy person.

        • gimli on 02/05/2017 - 22:41
          +3

          @niggard:
          Ah ok
          Forgive my ignorance

      • vetopower on 03/05/2017 - 07:17
        +2

        The fact that you can't choose it is the point lol. With rising inequality in Australia, it is increasingly reaching the point that the only way to get ahead is to be born ahead.

        • FatBlanket on 04/05/2017 - 19:46
          +1

          Isn't that being ahead ? Not getting ahead ?

        • Findo on 05/05/2017 - 19:04

          @FatBlanket: no need to get ahead when you're already ahead! If you're not ahead by the mere fact you had an expensive spoon in your mouth, set your future kids up by getting with someone with money.

    • YellowDieselGolf on 04/05/2017 - 16:21

      Or get an education and a good job.

      Six of one….

  • Ozbargainite on 01/05/2017 - 19:21
    +9

    Open a video shoppe.

  • mini2 on 01/05/2017 - 19:41
    +3

    A couple I know who's on average income still managed to own a house and an older unit in Hornsby. Their formula to success - be frugal, delay having a kid, find jobs near home to do without transport, be tight, import the mother in law over to be childcare when they eventually have a kid. Noticed it's singular not plural…

    • Findo on 01/05/2017 - 20:02
      +2

      Kids cost money. My parents always joke that my sister and I meant they couldn't retire at 40. Dad calculated that I cost the family from the ages of 0-18 well over $700k to raise, my sister a little less because she didn't have any major medical issues as a kid.

      • mini2 on 01/05/2017 - 20:06

        They're only as expensive as you make them to be like most things in life.

        • Findo on 01/05/2017 - 20:36

          I don't think you can dodge expenses of at least $20k a year for a child

        • jacross on 02/05/2017 - 15:08
          +3

          @niggard:

          Yet some of the poorest people do just that.

          You 'can' do many things. It's just a fact. Once we get past that point we can have a proper discussion about should.

        • Findo on 02/05/2017 - 19:56
          +1

          @jacross: hard to raise a child properly without raising their ire of the authorities for neglect. You can choose to not feed your kids if that floats your boat. How much does infant formula cost? How much does sending a child to school cost?

          If you can't afford to have a kid and raise it, it would be extremely irresponsible to pop one out.

        • dogboy on 02/05/2017 - 20:49
          -2

          @niggard: Ok, so infant formula is ~$30/900g tub at Woolies. Would expect that lasts at least a couple of weeks. So ~$750/year. Public school is ~$1000 max I guess. Clothes ~$500/year? So the bare minimum is around $2500/year. I think it is all the extras that are sinking people with kids. I.e. Toys, taking the kids to events, parties/presents, etc.

        • xoom on 03/05/2017 - 00:13
          +1

          @niggard: yes tell that to the many teenagers thats been there done that and to the ones who dont learn from those who were before them.

        • Findo on 03/05/2017 - 00:22
          +2

          @dogboy: Common, bare-essentials things across their lifespan whilst they live under your roof: food, a means of contacting them, school supplies, clothes, shoes, healthcare costs. Assume they eat 40% of the food on average in your weekly budget of $200 for the family. That comes out to be around $2080 for food. Clothes $500 a year. A means of contacting them: $20 for a basic phone plan and $0 for a hand-me-down device. School supplies and school fees: $1000+300. Healthcare assume $1200 per year. That alone is $5320.

          0-3: nappies, formula, baby supplies like a cot, pram, stroller etc. I have no idea how much those things cost. Let's assume $1750 a year on average.
          4-6: pre-school fees, some childcare and one fun activity per week. Let's assume $11k if pre-school is $100/day, 3 days a week.
          7-12: school fees+excursions ($1600), 0.75 birthday parties per month at a cost of $40 per party, 1 birthday party for the actual kid (assume $40 per head with 10 kids in attendance + $50 misc. costs), and Christmas at a cost of $50. That comes out to be $2460.
          13-18: school fees+excursions ($1600), 0.5 birthday parties per month at a cost of $60 per party, 1 birthday party for the actual kid (assume $40 per head with 15 kids in attendance + $100 misc. costs), Christmas at a cost of $50 and one extra-curricular activity/sport at $35/w. That's $4110.

          That alone comes to $77.67k without the cost of stuff like teaching a kid how to drive, their 18th birthday, extra extra-curricular activities in their primary school years and other random expenses kids incur. At a very conservative guess, having a kid will cost approximately $4.5k a year without any bells and whistles.

          For a typical, middle-class upbringing, I would hazard a guess that the costs would be tripled or even quadripled. If the kid has tutoring, extra sporting expenses, etc the costs could easily be 5-8x the amounts listed above. Tutoring in years 5-6 would easily exceed $40/w, and tutoring in years 11-12 would be over $80 per subject per week.
          Swimming is seen as an essential skill and a cheap sport once they move into squads, but when the numbers are crunched a kid that learns to swim from the ages of 3-8, then move into competitive swimming between the ages of 8-17, costs can rise almost exponentially. Looking back at when I swam, $90/w for squads (unlimited swims per week, assume 7 pool sessions and 2 dry land), one major interstate meet a year at a cost of $600 including transport/accomodation/entry fees (national age, more if the kid qualifies for opens), 3-4 major meets at a cost of $17 per event with 2-3 events qualified for ($170), a handful of meets needed to attain qualifying times every year (with entry costs being $8/event, 8 events per meet), equipment needed for training (assume initial outlay of around $300 every two years to buy swimmers, goggles, snorkels, pull buoys, kickboards, fins, etc) and racing suits at a cost of $350 per year, that alone would come to $6270. Don't forget sports nutrition is expensive, as well as the support services needed like physio, psychology etc.

          Tl;dr kids are expensive, don't have one if you can't afford to have one. They cost just as much as your mortgage every year.

        • John Kimble on 03/05/2017 - 00:50
          +1

          @niggard: It's old, but this article says between 500K to 1 mill for two kids: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-23/kids-eat-into-family-b…

        • Findo on 03/05/2017 - 00:56

          @John Kimble: that seems about right, pretty much hits my father's estimates of $700k to the age of 18 for me. I don't know how they managed to get $1m for two kids to 21 though, that seems like a low amount. Pretty bloody expensive if you ask me, and no guarantee that the investment will work out either! No chance of the investment generating income returns for the parent/s until past the age of 30 either.

        • jacross on 04/05/2017 - 09:30

          @niggard:

          1, None of your estimates came close to your original claim of $20K a year.
          2, Yes we actually have excellent data on typical costs for low income, middle income, and high income families. That goes to the heart of the matter of can and should though. I could get a year's worth of perfectly fine clothes for my child for nothing (parents can't give them away quick enough). I haven't chosen to do that but you could.
          3, No you shouldn't neglect your child. Thus my comment about can versus should. But let's say can is a bar set at basic necessities to the point you aren't a criminal. Still well below $20K or even your follow up estimates.

          The fact of the matter is you can either spend very little or you can spend a great deal. The ethics and efficiency is a matter of consideration and that is exactly what I called for.

        • Findo on 04/05/2017 - 10:07

          @jacross: I would love to do an experiment and raise a child for as little as possible. Not my own child of course. I wonder if this kind of experiment has ever been done before.

        • jacross on 04/05/2017 - 10:29

          @niggard:

          Mmm interesting. You've obviously got the derros but that's not very informative. A really good case study of probably either a 'off the grid' kind of family or the 'uber frugal Money Moustachian' type would probably be a good indicator.

        • congo on 06/05/2017 - 00:05

          @dogboy: please don't have any kids

  • Ryanek on 01/05/2017 - 19:48
    +9

    Work to live, not live to work.

  • BuyoTheCat on 01/05/2017 - 20:13
    +10

    go slightly after than the speed limit. Only a little to not get a speeding fine

    • Findo on 01/05/2017 - 20:38
      +2

      Nah, if you're gonna speed do it right. 20-30km/h over is the sweet spot, if your speedo is calibrated 32km/h over is best because they'll take 3km off your speed if it's highway patrol in NSW. Over 30km/h you lose your licence and the fine is still somewhat affordable considering the time you save speeding.

      • BuyoTheCat on 01/05/2017 - 22:30
        +1

        I know people who do exactly that. They speed according to how many demerit points they have left and how much they have to spend on fine. Yes. Speeding fines are part of their budget.

        If he follows my advice, he will get slightly ahead and still have some money to spend on OZB

        • Findo on 01/05/2017 - 23:27
          -1

          I haven't been done by HWP yet, I've had a few close calls though. Even had a cop car pull out with lights on to find me, but sped past me. He probably couldn't believe a turd car could go 140km/h.

      • urzu on 02/05/2017 - 19:24
        +3

        Police cars here are only factory tuned.
        If you can do better than 180K they can't catch you, so they don't even try.

        • Findo on 02/05/2017 - 19:53

          Can't outrun their radios or their dash cams. Dunno if speeding past them at great speed will get recorded properly as evidence though.

        • urzu on 02/05/2017 - 21:03
          +2

          @niggard: I think top gear did a test on that once. Anyway, my comment above is a quote from an (average) movie.

  • Seraphin7 on 02/05/2017 - 09:02
    +3

    Study, work hard, demonstrate value to your employer/customers, spend less than you earn, repeat.

  • Scorpex on 02/05/2017 - 09:17
    +2

    Abandon religion (of any type or brand) and other superstitions. Embrace humanism.

    • Deridas on 02/05/2017 - 16:27
      -5

      If you want to get ahead in life, believe in Jesus.

      Or at least that's what the church apparently teaches.

      • [Deactivated] on 04/05/2017 - 08:13
        +2

        Can Jesus negotiate my shitty wages with my employer ?

  • thord on 02/05/2017 - 11:30
    +16

    Reality check, if you really want to "get ahead" in the world, there's only really 2 ways, and you're not going to like either of them:

    1. Be born into a rich family
    2. Be born smart, be a risk taker, and be extremely lucky

    You can work hard, do everything right, but if you came from a poor family you're only really going to go "one step up". If your kids do the same (work hard, do everything right), they might go another "step up". But you'll be trailing the the lucky ones born into rich families for generations. That's the harsh reality of the world.

    Happily, it's not like your life will be bad. Even if you start out totally poor, working hard, doing the right thing, saving, making the right decisions, not being reckless, you can come out in the end with a relatively good life.

    The harsh truth is that the circumstances of your birth dictate more than almost any other factor.

    • yycan on 02/05/2017 - 16:47
      +14

      Definitely true. Being born in Australia means you already won the lottery compared to someone born in a poor country.

      • humdingaling on 02/05/2017 - 17:03
        +18

        being born means you already beat millions of other sperm
        so technically you are ahead from birth!

        • Scrooge McDuck on 07/05/2017 - 22:55
          +1

          Existing in a stable universe is good luck.

          Existing on a planet with a geodynamic ferrous core, hospitable atmosphere and abundance of water orbiting a main sequence star in a spiral arm of a galaxy is good luck.

          Existing after a number of mass extinction events and at a substantial time since the last is good luck.

          Being born at all compared to the billion other sperm in one ejaculation alone which didn't make it to the egg is good luck.

          Being born within the last hundred years is good luck.

          Being born in a developed country is good luck.

          Being born into a wealthy family is good luck, but not compared to being born into a wealthier family. So what is wealthy?

          https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/4577234/redir

      • OzzyOzbourne on 03/05/2017 - 17:47
        +3

        Not if you get hit by a truck in Australia. Some poor countries don't have trucks.

    • vetopower on 03/05/2017 - 07:23
      +1

      Absolutely correct. If you're not already ahead due to your family's wealth or your very very good luck, you won't be getting ahead in any meaningful sense. The rising cost of living is ensuring the average worker will be crushed by simply paying for a house and child rearing expenses.

    • ProggerPete on 04/05/2017 - 14:04

      Calculated risk taking is the key point here. So many people complain about not having their fair share, but refuse to take the sort of risks that the people they envy took.

      This happens at all points on the class spectrum. How many people do you know who moan about their job, yet fail to do anything about it? It's not hard to knock up a resume and spend a little time once a month sending it out to people, but most people don't do it because they are scared their small effort will be wasted. I think a lot of people live by the motto "It's worse to try and not succeed than it is to not try at all".

      • thord on 04/05/2017 - 15:17
        +1

        There's absolutely some truth to that. The problem many people have today, especially young people, is if you were part of the older generations / gen X / boomer, and you took a really dumb risk that all the metrics would tell you was dumb about 10-15 years ago, you're absolutely rolling in cash at the moment through no skill of your own, simply dumb luck and preferential policy from government.

        That kind of stings for a lot of people.

        Now ignoring that we all need to take calculated risks to reap rewards, but we need to be smart and take smart risks, and hope that the world doesn't act insane around us.

    • FatBlanket on 04/05/2017 - 19:54
      +1

      How to not succeed: have an attitude like this guy.

      • thord on 05/05/2017 - 14:51

        I never said you couldn't succeed, or that you shouldn't try. I said explicitly you absolutely should try. I just said keep the reality of the world in mind with your expectations.

    • VinceVinceVince on 08/05/2017 - 00:02

      @thord
      I couldn't disagree more, made an account just o reply to this.

      Both of my parents were born into extremely poor families in rural villages in Asia (in the mountains)
      The amount of resources were so lacking that often times, there simply isn't enough food to go around the family and they would go to bed hungry.
      And other circumstances like:
      - Not being able to afford bare necessities like shoes (my father got his first pair of sneakers at 12), he would hold his shoes in his hands while he walked barefoot several Kms to school, because he doesn't want to wear them out too fast.
      - Nobody in the entire village can afford to eat meat, they would only eat meat once a year at New Years.
      He left home at 15 to go into the city, and studied while working to support himself with no help from his family.
      My mum grew up in similar circumstances.

      From those environments, they both retired at 37 and 32.
      They own 6 properties (2 in Asia and 4 in Australia) and their passive income exceeds 250k (Aud equivalent) from rent and other investments.
      They constantly travel the world together, and I cannot be more jealous of their life and remind myself of what my goals are.
      I regularly ask them for tips on financial advice and tips in general to get ahead in life.

      "The difference between people to people isn't how hard you work. Its's about what you do in your free time when other's are resting. If you work while others work, and rest while others rest, you are bound to be mediocre for the rest of your life. When others work, you work, when others rest, you work. After weeks, months, years, decades, the differences become overwhelming."

      He started off as an Engineer , then assistant manager, manager, head of department…all the way up to GM.
      All within 16 years of his career, and became the youngest General Manager of the company's history.
      When all his peers would go out and drink after work, he would come back home and read books about financial investments.
      At our old house there is a huge bookshelf with more than 1500 books, all about financial investment.

      Sure, I am aware that there are some people who are working as hard as they can, and they still can't make a break and get ahead, but if you really have a powerful drive to become successful, you will be.

      "Whenever I feel like things are getting too hard and I feel like giving up, I remind myself what it feels like to be hungry and poor. Then I am reminded that I promised myself I will never be poor again, and my willpower is renewed."

      I'm currently overloading on 5 subjects in an Engineering degree, it's (profanity) hard as (profanity), and every time I feel like giving up I remember that quote and try to imagine the same sentiments and push forwards, because I know what my end goals are: to retire before 40.
      When my peers are still fighting over for a middle management position and struggling over company politics and all that bullshit. I will be retired and (profanity) off to some vacation island sipping martinis.

      "The harsh truth is that the circumstances of your birth dictate more than almost any other factor."
      Absolute horseshit^

      Tl;dr: Parents born in remote village in poverty in Asia, both retired at 37/32 because of hard work.
      You can change your destiny.

  • Kunalk222 on 02/05/2017 - 11:35

    start a business and claim all tax back

  • tsunamisurfer on 02/05/2017 - 12:19
    +61

    This is what I do in no particular order:

    • Use a credit card to purchase items for the points. Clear the balance at month's end to avoid any interest.
    • Do not use a credit card if you cannot repay it in full before attracting interest.
    • If you cannot afford to pay for something now, wait until you can. Save for it instead of going into debt for instant gratification.
    • Put away a portion of your income to savings where possible, put the savings into an online deposit account that attracts a better interest rate.
    • Don't buy lunch at work, on average its $10 for a lunch meal. With 200 working days a year thats $2000. Instead cook extra for dinner and take to work. Depending on ingredients home made meals are around $5 per meal.
    • Ride to work if possible. My bike cost $700 and I have ridden to work for 5 years. At around a saving of $8 / day, thats $8 x 200 avg working days per year x 5 years = $8,000 saved. It also saves you time going to the gym or paying for a gym.
    • Don't go to the gym, its expensive. Many parks have their own public equipment now.
    • Don't buy coffee, have one at home and at work drink their one. $3.50 / per cup x 200 working days = $750!
    • If working, always keep an eye out for opprtunities for better work. Be mindful of what the market rate for your line of work is paying.
    • Buy petrol only at the cheap end of the cycle where possible.
    • You don't need a Samsung Galaxy S8 when it comes out. A Samsung Galaxy S7 is now around $500, in fact a Xiaomi Redmi is sufficient for most uses @ $200.
    • Draft a budget, forecast your earnings and expenses. Then track and measure. Review every 3 or 6 months to see how your actual income / spends match your planned.
    • When going out try to use an entertainment voucher or shopadocket where possible. If on a date, make sure you pay using those away from your table.
    • Avoid sexually transmitted debt. Be clear where financial boundaries are in a relationship.
    • Archi on 02/05/2017 - 14:10
      +23

      •Avoid sexually transmitted debt. Be clear where financial boundaries are in a relationship

      LOL

    • kale chips suck on 02/05/2017 - 14:45

      Pretty much awesome advice here, but I would add that all those calculated expenses are after tax money. You have to earn that much + the tax you pay.

      So you don't actually have to earn $2,000 to buy lunch everyday, you have to earn $2000 + the tax rate you're on. So all of those figures underestimate the time you'll need to work to pay for those things. Unless you're rich enough to be able to afford to not pay any tax, in which case, well, you're probably not on OzB anyway….

    • Shame on 02/05/2017 - 15:36
      +3

      Good advice, but remember to spend just enough money on dinner, cafes, and gyms so you don't end up divorced.

      • rgr on 03/05/2017 - 10:09

        care to elaborate? :)

        • Shame on 03/05/2017 - 10:37
          +2

          Which one do you want to hear about? I'm a slow learner.

        • rgr on 03/05/2017 - 13:51

          @Shame: i assume you mean that you should spend some amount of money otherwise your wife will get fed up with your tight-arsery that she'll leave?

        • sleepy120 on 04/05/2017 - 09:19

          @rogr: find a tighter arse

      • banzini on 04/05/2017 - 11:38

        yup. they all need the pampering like their friends husbands apply to them. Can't have them missing out.
        Friends of wives will bring you down.

    • dogboy on 02/05/2017 - 20:54

      Some good advice. Rather than put your savings into a savings account, put it in your offset if you have a mortgage.
      Having a budget and sticking to it is essential.
      Also, review your insurance annually to always try get the best rates. It is crazy the amount of money we spend on insurance these days (Car, House, Contents Income, Health)

    • EnALup on 04/05/2017 - 11:57

      Great advise. No wonder you are a TSunami Surfer…

    • FatBlanket on 04/05/2017 - 19:58

      Some good points but I like coffee and Australia makes some of the best. I might be in the minority but I don't think it's expensive considering the quality.

  • munecito on 02/05/2017 - 12:54
    +1

    Become a bikie

  • jacross on 02/05/2017 - 15:04
    +11

    Devote some time to considering what 'getting ahead' means to you and why you chose the term 'getting ahead' in the first place.

    Personally I recommend stoicism.

    • yycan on 02/05/2017 - 16:49
      +1

      Yes, we need a clear definition otherwise the advice is useless and not fit for purpose.

  • Shame on 02/05/2017 - 15:26
    +2

    Get dual citizenship so that if Australia governments turns out to be crap (high taxes/low services) then you can escape to a better place.

  • niknah on 02/05/2017 - 15:35
    +1

    You don't have to do much. Just don't do anything wrong.

    If you take the general population.
    Subtract all the people who spend everything they earn.
    Subtract all the people who don't exercise.
    Subtract all the people who don't eat well.
    Subtract all the people who have bad habits, smoking, drinking, drugs, etc.
    Subtract all the people who don't use ozbargain and pay RRP.
    You'll be left with a minority of society.

  • retiredfeline on 02/05/2017 - 15:35

    Scatter thumbtacks behind you.

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