by Candice DeVille | Oct 21, 2015 | Money, Self
This post is bought to you by Nuffnang and VicSuper
Have you ever felt as if finance was a game for maths wizards and genius “grown ups” – like an exclusive club you’ll never be invited to join?
That’s how I felt for years, until just recently. I finally realised how dysfunctional my relationship was with money.
I’m not talking about over spending or shopaholic behaviours. The real problem was believing that I didn’t control my financial future.
For years, I felt as if my money wasn’t “mine” and that, as someone with a dubious grasp of mathematics, I’d never be able to win at finance. Instead, my financial future would always reside in someone else’s hands.
From the outside this sounds ridiculous. How could a 38-year-old entrepreneur who’s launched and grown two businesses believe finance was beyond her skill set? And yet I did.
There’s been a seismic shift in my life this year. One that has given me an immeasurable sense of control, both of my own destiny and to make smart decisions along the way. How I will live in the future is a direct result of the choices I make right now.
In my early twenties I read “Rich Dad Poor Dad” with stars in my eyes and mental images of myself aboard a yacht counting my stacks of money. Then I went out and bought more shoes.
Numbers on paper can seem so unreal. The $1 million I wanted to make was an abstract concept, but the $100 in my wallet was real (and so were the killer heels I bought with it). I could feel it and use it right away.
Every time I got a pay cheque and saw the deductions for super, I’d cringe, feeling my pockets empty. Why couldn’t I get my head around what that money really was? It was the savings I wasn’t doing every time I reached for my purse and a shiny pair of shoes.
Over the years I largely forgot about my super, the neglected child of my financial family. I thought about my property and my bank balance, and even joked about my vintage collection being my real super.
Even when I started my own business, I kept telling myself I had to take charge of my super, but it still seemed rather ‘beige’ at the time. It didn’t have the instant gratification appeal of going to the ATM and getting that High Roller thrill on payday.
Have you ever held a million dollars?
No? How about $800,000?
I did.
In cash.
And it’s all mine. (Or at least it will be.)
As I stood there weighing the heavily stacked piles of notes in my hands, I had one thought: I want more.
That $800,000 was the reality of the cash I could have in superannuation by my retirement. I just need to care about it.
And there are no shoes, no fancy dinners and no bargains I want more than that pile of cash.
I’ll be honest with you. I’ve let my super become something quite off putting in my head. Something that’s for grown ups, and there’s this weird feeling that if I somehow started to give a damn about it, then I must be old, boring and I’d need to know a heck of a lot more about finance.
It’s amazing where your mind goes when you have that much cash in your hands. How intensely my inner Monopoly competitor arises and wants to win.
In a simple game of “How many pairs of shoes I don’t need”, I realised I could transform life for future me with one simple act. Saving a few extra bucks here and there, not losing fees to multiple funds because it was “too hard” to find all the paper work, will mean the difference between living on cat food or caviar. (I joke… maybe?)
How crazy does it sound that the biggest pile of cash I have right now, the biggest investment next to my property, is one that I’ve been ignoring?
I don’t even have a handbag big enough to carry that much cash.
What’s next? I’m selling most of the shoes that would have left me a hobbled old lady anyway and adding that cash to the pile. I’m proving to myself and my daughters that winning at the finance game isn’t nearly as hard as we’re often led to believe.
…….
From today, VicSuper are giving YOU the chance to physically hold you superannuation balance in your hands – head to www.getsuperactive.com.au to see your super as cash and for more info
by Candice DeVille | Sep 3, 2015 | DIY, Money
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I’ve been a keen op-shopper for so long I can’t even remember when I first started.
I have clear recollections of an original pair of Winkle Picker shoes in all their pointy, polished glory, making their way home with me and into regular rotation until their seams gave out.
There was a 1960’s leather trench coat with pencil pleating I scored for the grand sum of $10 and the multitude of tweed skirts I’d buy to emulate what I imagined was the feeling of a girl going of to boarding school. (I was obsessed with Girl’s Own Annuals at the time.)
When the money I had was only a tiny bit of pocket change, I’d unknowingly begun to develop my own fast money tips.
It has been a life time’s habit, one that did not always make me popular and certainly well before the term “vintage” ever entered our vernacular. It was just how I did things.
Fast forward more than thirty years later and I’m still at it. A habit which I attribute many of my keen shopping skills to, to say nothing of my money saving ways.
I realised recently just how much cash I save every year by choosing to make the op-shop my first port of call for many of my regular buys, things I would rarely, if ever, pay retail for.
Op shops are an absolute gold mine. Even now that many have put their prices up to much higher amounts in certain areas, there are still bargains to be had.
If you want to save cash quickly and regularly, these top 5 buys might just be the baby steps you need to set you on the right path.
[/vc_column_text][dt_gap height=”20″][vc_single_image image=”15828″ alignment=”center” border_color=”grey” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”large”][dt_gap height=”30″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”0″ padding_left=”40″ padding_right=”40″ bg_position=”top” bg_repeat=”no-repeat” bg_cover=”false” bg_attachment=”false” padding_top=”40″ padding_bottom=”40″ parallax_speed=”0.1″][vc_column width=”1/1″][dt_vc_list style=”1″ dividers=”true”]
Picture Frames
What to look for:
- Solid, stable frames with no fractures at the joints
- Frames with matting still intact
- No cracks in the glass
How to fancy them up:
- Spray paint
- Gold or silver foiling
- Glitter glue bath
*Hint: Check out this stunning transformation and DIY instructional from DreamGreenDIY. I’m in love![/dt_vc_list][dt_gap height=”10″][vc_single_image image=”15821″ alignment=”center” border_color=”grey” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”large”][dt_gap height=”30″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][dt_vc_list style=”1″ dividers=”true”]
Tupperware and other storage containers
What to look for:
- Matching lids with no warp and a tight seal
- Plastic that hasn’t suffered any melting or microwave burn
How to fancy them up:
- Vinyl stickers or labels as DIY decals
*HINT: search for Meyercord Decals to find original vintage decals![/dt_vc_list][dt_gap height=”10″][vc_single_image image=”15818″ alignment=”center” border_color=”grey” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”full”][dt_gap height=”30″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][dt_vc_list style=”1″ dividers=”true”]
Serving ware
Pyrex, casserole dishes, silverware (plated or otherwise)
What to look for:
- No pitting in the plating as this will quickly lift or corrode
- No cracks or major chips
- Matching lids
- Matching sets or complimentary colours
How to fancy them up:
- Silver or metal polish – easy to use and makes a big difference to the overall appearance.
- Glass or china wear decals
*Hint: Check out this fantastic post by Dans leTownhouse on restoring and cleaning pyrex[/dt_vc_list][vc_single_image image=”15815″ border_color=”grey” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][dt_gap height=”30″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][dt_vc_list style=”1″ dividers=”true”]
Timber Furniture
What to look for:
- Sturdy legs – no cracks or loose joins
- Well running drawers (these can also be fixed with a good sanding and a bit of baby powder if they stick)
How to fancy them up:
- Spray paint – enamel auto spray paint is a cheap buy and gives a great finish. Just make sure to sand properly in between coats
- Re-upholster – often very simple of timber furniture with upholstered seats.
- Add moulding panels
*Hint: This impressive timber stool makeover from The Red Thread blog has total DIY instructions.[/dt_vc_list][dt_gap height=”10″][vc_single_image image=”15817″ alignment=”center” border_color=”grey” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”full”][dt_gap height=”30″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][dt_vc_list style=”1″ dividers=”true”]
Cushions & Throw Pillows
What to look for:
- Size – does it fit the purpose you have in mind
- Overall condition – cleanliness
- Don’t worry about the cover or pattern, you can make you own later
How to fancy them up:
- Make your own cushion covers
- Add fancy trim, like fringing or braiding to the existing cushion cover
- Add buttoning for a more expensive look
*Hint: This Spotlight tutorial has the instructions on how to make DIY cameo or silhouette cushions[/dt_vc_list][dt_gap height=”10″][vc_single_image image=”15820″ alignment=”center” border_color=”grey” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”full”][dt_gap height=”30″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]These are some of our most shopped for decorator items and sometimes the dollars add up very quickly.
If like me, you prefer to save your money and invest it elsewhere (like paying off bills or supporting local artisans and buying handmade shoes), these tips will set you on the right path.
It’s a healthy habit to get into both for your wallet, the environment and for the creative part of your brain that gets a chance to flex its muscle.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_single_image image=”15808″ border_color=”grey” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
