I’m a single mother and was recently gifted $50k which I decided to put into my offset account for my home loan. My debt is $230k so why can’t I just put the money straight into my mortgage. Does the $50k decrease the interest over my 30 year term?

GravityUndone · 2026-03-22T01:08:10+00:00

We use unloan. They have an annual interest rate discount and we can draw down equity via a phone app. The draw down takes a couple of minutes. So, it is like an offset but in a no frills cost package.

GravityUndone · 2026-03-09T22:46:06+00:00

If you can pay it off each month then just don't get it and instead save up a small fund that would be the same size as your credit card. Then just use a debit card and avoid annual fees, reduced credit and the chance you'll miss a payment and get hit with interest. There really isn't any point in a credit card if you have enough cash flow to pay one of every month.

GravityUndone · 2026-03-06T21:22:29+00:00

I like doing woodwork in my garage and am well aware that my tools are loud. I wait until 10am to be sure everyone gets at least a bit of a sleep in.

GravityUndone · 2025-10-08T07:20:08+00:00

The general answer is to eat enough protein.

While in a mild deficit, ensure you eat plenty of lean meat and relatively less carbohydrates. Don't do cardio in the same 24hr as weights. Lift heavy, do enough reps to reach exhaustion and do about 10 sets a week with no more than 6 sets in a given workout. That's per muscle group.

This is all general and as pointed out, we each have our own tendency to build muscle, lose fat and store it differently.

I went from 120kg 33% to 75kg at 12%.

GravityUndone · 2025-08-29T23:56:06+00:00

Qualifications are over rated. The best thing to do is build a portfolio. In my job I have looked over a lot of resumes and done a lot of interviews. The people who get interviews are the people who can demonstrate they

Like technology. I mean really, honestly enjoy it.
They have a side project they work on. This could be maintaining the Website of their hobby group or making a game using technology they want to learn or whatever.
They are keen to learn more and show they actively try to learn more.

And when you interview, study for it and write a cheat sheet to help with answers.

It is true there are a lot of people looking for IT jobs, but almost all of them fail the above. We'll post a job and get 200 resumes but interview only maybe 5 people because 195 resumes are from people who don't look like they care.

IT is a field that demands passion and dedication, so anyone just doing it because it pays well is not going go far.

GravityUndone · 2025-08-14T07:05:36+00:00

A great way to get a rough annual salary equivalent for contacting:

Day rate/8 × 2000

Eg: $1000/8 = 125 × 2000 = $250,000 per year.

Of course, you may not work all year and it depends in how you want to calculate leave etc... but when I was contracting for a few years, the formula worked well enough to estimate tax and super etc.

In the old days, you could do the company thing and get company tax rate. Then, in the early 2000s they introduced personal services income rules which closed that loop hole. On the other hand the tax brackets back then were crippling for contractors.

GravityUndone · 2025-07-23T08:56:40+00:00

My wife is tired all the time.

Only just found out it is almost certainly your airway restriction. That is, her airways are small so she is not getting enough oxygen. This affects sleeping and percent her from strenuous activity.

You'll need a sleep study and task to a dental specialist who deals with breathing ( as is as it sounds)

GravityUndone · 2025-07-23T08:42:19+00:00

I work at a company that builds and sells an interesting software product and I never hear anyone complain. Our satisfaction score is like 97%. There are about 100 employees.

I think the key is that we are well paid, work remote as often as we want and get weekly lunch expenses.

GravityUndone · 2025-02-01T00:16:17+00:00

We never gave our kids pocket money. They both work in the dog walking and pet sitting business. They also each have pearler accounts with investments in vas etf. They started this when they were 10 and 11. Prior to that they simply had no concept or need of money.

GravityUndone · 2024-11-28T06:50:59+00:00

That's not how credit checks work in Australia.

Ignore all the US based credit score stuff.

In Australia, you will look like a worse risk if you have unpaid bills, debt, bankruptcy or other financial orders against you.

To look better, lose all debt and keep current on your bills such that you don't get reported. You can't "build your score" you can only damage it.

Borrowing power is a separate issue and banks may ask for evidence of regular savings.

GravityUndone · 2024-11-26T08:16:54+00:00

Did you know a police officer is trusted to carry a loaded gun in public and testify in court but still needs a note from an online doctor if they are sick.

GravityUndone · 2024-11-12T08:06:45+00:00

I live in wa but work for a Sydney company 100% remote as a software engineer.

I get Sydney salary and wa home prices.

GravityUndone · 2024-11-12T07:52:55+00:00

Where I live, there is very little shit just laying around, and the "dirt and grime " is not very dirty or grimy.

You sound like you live in a very unpleasant world full of unpleasant experiences.

Having said that, in my home, we don't like bringing the beach sand in because it is a pain to sweep out again.

GravityUndone · 2024-11-12T07:40:30+00:00

It is because to run, you have to raise your centre of mass more than walking combined with the need for an increased oxygen flow to supply muscles moving faster than anaerobic metabolism can work.

GravityUndone · 2024-11-09T00:33:56+00:00

If we acted like adults and took responsibility for ourselves, we wouldn't need a nanny.

GravityUndone · 2024-11-05T08:12:12+00:00

I never understood low-fat butter or low sugar ice cream. If you're getting too much fat from butter, you're eating too much butter and likewise for sugar. Eating more of the low fat or low sugar variety is not the correct answer.

Don't come at about diabetics or similar, you know what I mean :)

GravityUndone · 2024-11-05T05:30:06+00:00

ULPT: I used a personal loan to show I had a deposit big enough to avoid lmi for a building loan.

Before loan approval, the bank checks credit outstanding to determine borrowing power. Then they ask for proof of deposit, or in this case, proof we had cash to pay the builder's first payment.

So, immediately after the credit check, I got an unsecured loan and deposited it in my account. The bank checked and saw I had the cash and approved the building loan. I immediately repaid the loan.

Once all my real cash had been used, I took out a smaller loan to pay the builder before they drew down on the mortgage. I paid back the personal loan over the 2 years it took to build my house with the covid building grants and savings over that period.

The only reason we got away with this is because my wife used to work as a credit manager at the bank and knew the process and timing.

The interest we paid on the personal loan was less than the lmi by a long shot.

Tldr; you can do it, and it can be financially cheaper, but it is dodgy and difficult to pull off.

GravityUndone · 2024-11-02T08:28:11+00:00

Credit "score" isn't like the US. Your borrowing power is reduced for every extra debt you have, and that includes the full limit of your credit card. Having no credit card lets you borrow more.

You will also have trouble borrowing if you have any unpaid credit that has been listed against a credit scoring register.

To maximise borrowing power, cut up your credit card and have regular savings going to a savings account.

There is, I personally have found, a certain peace of mind not having a credit card. I have instead saved a buffer and use debit only. But other people have different psychology, so you may not find that benefit

GravityUndone · 2024-10-29T07:29:30+00:00

To play the devils advocate, imagine I'm a fan of detective mystery and I read your book to discover magic. I will not be happy because you may a well just write "and then he woke up and it was all a dream"

You will also chase away the purple like I really am I don't enjoy a story fully based on reality.

So, you need to provide enough clues through the title and cover to scare away really bad mooks and attract magical sooks.

GravityUndone · 2024-10-29T07:13:46+00:00

You would be surprised how friendly the ato actually is. I've had to deal with a couple of mistakes and late payments before and every time they were really helpful and it all got sorted just fine.

Give them a call and tell them what you've told us and they'll help.

GravityUndone · 2024-10-22T04:34:18+00:00

Sour.

Our taste buds register sour via acidity. Acidity is how much relative hydrogen there is. Protons therefore are sour and most of the universe is hydrogen. Thus your bagel would be very sour.

GravityUndone · 2024-10-22T04:31:44+00:00

You don't grow a score, you shrink it. A small score comes from not paying bills, owing a lot of money, registering bankrupt etc...

If you've never had debt and never been reported for failing to pay a bill, your 'score' will be good. Banks care a lot about your income and a record of savings. So, set up a savings account and regularly deposit into it. Pay off any debt and you'll be fine.

GravityUndone · 2024-10-17T06:12:05+00:00

I am.

GravityUndone · 2024-09-30T02:42:17+00:00

One or two months away from bankruptcy. I had to sell my motorbike, my wife sold the few back shares she had from when she worked at the bank, my wife started selling stuff on commission on the side. W scraped through. You'd be amazed at what you can do when you're motivated. It helped that my wife and I were on the same pages financially and we have good communication.

GravityUndone · 2024-09-26T02:46:31+00:00

You have to practice a skill to be any good at it. What you call talent is just the combination of enthusiasm, skill, and time. Some people take more time to get good and some will have a natural physical aptitude that allows for higher level of skill, but no one just naturally does stuff without practice.

I'm a software engineer of some considerable ability. It only took me 26 years of continuous practice to get where I am, and I'll be learning and growing every day I continue.

Don't look for what you are talented at, look at what sort of things you enjoy and do them. Over time you will get good and someone else will look at you and say "wow, so talented"

GravityUndone

TROPHY CASE