The I am a pirate/fireman, I am not a hijacker thread, all about nothing in general

[alicia1506]

Originally Posted by battymum

I have insurance on my dog!

awwww

pets are 'spensive

[australiankaren]

Originally Posted by alicia1506

awwww

pets are 'spensive

I used to get pet insurance for my other 2 babies, but found it cheaper than the $50 a month just to pay OOP when I had to.....same as health insurance (touch wood)

but I too have CC insurance, wage insurance, car, home, contents....adds up..dont know how the average middle income family affords it all.

insurance are like taxes..a sign we live in a first world economy

[alicia1506]

Originally Posted by australiankaren

I used to get pet insurance for my other 2 babies, but found it cheaper than the $50 a month just to pay OOP when I had to.....same as health insurance (touch wood)

but I too have CC insurance, wage insurance, car, home, contents....adds up..dont know how the average middle income family affords it all.

insurance are like taxes..a sign we live in a first world economy

on the whole 'average middle income family' note... i was thinking of this the other day... i don't earn a lot. and neither does carlo. in fact, we've taken significant salary cuts in the last few years... just wondering what is now considered 'middle income' as we definitely don't make a lot, and yet we can still find room in the budget for trips and insurance and have paid off debt etc...

[battymum]

OK - I dont like to publish a number, but I consider we are average wage earners. We earn more than a lot of people, but less than a lot more.

What I dont get is that we dont have a huge mortgage, no other debts, I am constantly saying no to my kids - but we dont seem to have much left over.

We pay the bills with mine and live off his, so by the time we buy groceries, put petrol in the car - and just living, we dont smoke, or live extravagantly, but someone always needs something - it seems to disappear. DD goes to Catholic school, which is not free - but still We will be getting our third set of braces at the end of the year at -6.5k each, so have been paying an orthodontist for the last 5years

My DD has a part time job - so buys all her own clothes - but my boys know not to even ask for $200 shoes (which everyone seems to have) and all the other brands that teens wear. (we are well stocked since our trip, but thinking they might grow at some stage)

DD will be getting her licence soon, and I have had several people say "you will buy her a car wont you" - Is this the new standard?

and "umm - no!"

(maybe its all that insurance we're paying)

[craftymama71]

The finance guy on the Today Show (can't remember his name) said that the average wage in Australia atm is just under $70,000 ...Not sure how accurate that is though.

[BecBennett]

Really? Damn - I need a pay rise!

[miss.potatohead]

Originally Posted by battymum

DD will be getting her licence soon, and I have had several people say "you will buy her a car wont you" - Is this the new standard?

and "umm - no!"

(maybe its all that insurance we're paying)

On that note, all of my friends were given cars when they turned 16/18/got their licence. They weren't new cars, mostly hand me down ones through the family and the parents bought a new one for themselves, but I don't get it . My parents are making me buy my own; for now we're managing two cars between 3 of us, I take one for when I work etc and it's fine. These friends have all had minor crashes since getting their licence whereas I haven't...maybe because I know it isn't MY car I take more care? Either way, when I finally decide to part with my hard earned cash and get myself a little car, I will feel like it is rightfully mine

[alicia1506]

Originally Posted by craftymama71

The finance guy on the Today Show (can't remember his name) said that the average wage in Australia atm is just under $70,000 ...Not sure how accurate that is though.

wow. i don't earn near to that.

guess that puts me at low-middle income

[craftymama71]

Well i hadn't had my morning coffee yet, I may have heard it wrong

[WAMUMOF4]

Originally Posted by miss.potatohead

On that note, all of my friends were given cars when they turned 16/18/got their licence. They weren't new cars, mostly hand me down ones through the family and the parents bought a new one for themselves, but I don't get it . My parents are making me buy my own; for now we're managing two cars between 3 of us, I take one for when I work etc and it's fine. These friends have all had minor crashes since getting their licence whereas I haven't...maybe because I know it isn't MY car I take more care? Either way, when I finally decide to part with my hard earned cash and get myself a little car, I will feel like it is rightfully mine

We purchased our son a car for his 16th birthday, it's a daewoo leganza 1997 and only had 95000 on the clock we have had everything that needed doing to it done and one of the things we always said we would do was buy the kids their first car because the hardest thing for us when we had him was having to have a car loan to have reliable car and we wanted our kids to have the head start we couldn't.
Our son knows how lucky he is he is the only one of his friends to have had this done for him and he does appreciate it.

[PrincessInOz]

Originally Posted by craftymama71

The finance guy on the Today Show (can't remember his name) said that the average wage in Australia atm is just under $70,000 ...Not sure how accurate that is though.

It is accurate based on current information provided by Bureau of Stats. ABS stats for average weekly wage is Australia is around $1400. This equates to just over $70,000 per annum.

[welley]

Originally Posted by PrincessInOz

It is accurate. ABS stats for average weekly wage is Australia is around $1400. This equates to just over $70,000 per annum.

Yep, underpaid and over worked!!!

[PrincessInOz]

Anyone else watching The Amazing Race?


Boiled eggs anyone??

[Kangarucci]

Blaaaaaahhh!

[PrincessInOz]

Perfect! Now we have BACON! Yum-my!!!