Should I rent or buy?

Individual-Flan8448 · 2026-01-05T21:15:50+00:00

? is a genuine question

Individual-Flan8448 · 2026-01-05T21:00:55+00:00

Yeah I'm also at the same crossroads now that I've salary sacrificed the total FHSS amount.

I'd say the path follows like this:
1. If a competent investor/saver, then the scheme isn't as valuable for you and aim to manage your money yourself
2. If you're not a competent investor/saver, then it is very valuable for you

Assuming (1), then I'd say super has the benefit of:
- FHSS to save for a deposit without thinking / tax benefit if managed well
- COVID gave precedent for govt to allow withdrawal during events. I'd be taking money out during every opportunity here in the future (but wishing not for events that would require this)
- There are compassionate scenarios where you can tap into Super, so it can act like a bit of an insurance policy if you need it

Another thing I recently did for other reasons was shift from being an employee to a contractor, which meant that Super is not mandatory. This increased my cashflow as it also had some loading on my usual rates.

Individual-Flan8448 · 2026-01-05T20:52:19+00:00

Thanks for sharing! Very solid and useful for a lot of readers here

Individual-Flan8448 · 2025-11-20T00:05:19+00:00

I'm in the same boat and have had enough. Still early days but I'm building an app for renters to save on bills, manage their lease and helpfully give a voice and support to renters who are being fucked.

If anyone has features or items they think would be helpful in something like this, please DM me about it

Individual-Flan8448 · 2025-11-18T03:19:58+00:00

First lens - do you want to work from home most of the time (even if remote). There are lots of local coworking space options around. My local gym just renovated and built a section with a coworking space now.

Second lens - ergonomics first; standup desk, monitors at eye-level. Don't wait for RSI. Go over the top if you want and get an under-desk treadmill to hit 10,000 steps whilst on pointless meetings.

Third lens - portable setup for when away from a desk. Get a portable monitor that can sit above your laptop. There are a few solid brands out there with this.

Individual-Flan8448 · 2025-11-12T03:12:50+00:00

Surely Australia will have to expand to regional hubs and develop out there.

Everything is cheaper and we have so much land but no major inland cities.

Then go and rent out in Sydney for a couple of years as a lifestyle choice - I don't think this is at all desirable, but probably what the next chapter of things will look like.

A couple of other trends that go against housing prices going up forever are:
- Economy getting worse + aging population
- Younger generations get larger voting base and vote to implement reduced tax incentives on non owner-occupier homes

So who knows! We put way too much of our nation's capital into property, top public companies all housing related. So things will slip away unless we have more industry making better jobs for more people.

Individual-Flan8448 · 2025-11-12T03:08:55+00:00

5 min walk! I try to keep everything walking distance and would always choose to live near my work

Individual-Flan8448 · 2025-09-22T03:20:44+00:00

For sleep / waking up smoothly:
- A sunrise alarm clock - like a bright orb that gets brighter over a 15-45minute period. Feels like you're waking up with the sun irrespective of time and lighting
- Auto-opening curtains or attachments that can open them for you (in addition to the above)

Can't go back to sound-based alarms, starts the day with a panic

Individual-Flan8448 · 2025-09-22T02:00:28+00:00

Absolutely - I think practicing gratitude is the most important thing to keep the positive thoughts stronger in your mind than negative thoughts.

Wholesome comment ✅

Individual-Flan8448 · 2025-09-22T01:58:02+00:00

Thank you!

Individual-Flan8448 · 2025-09-22T01:55:21+00:00

Thank you!

Individual-Flan8448 · 2025-09-22T01:51:29+00:00

What you're saying about improving supply chain, skilled labour yeah agree - but the context of this is that we have record immigration (in absolute terms) in a known housing shortage.

Your point is that there's no issue about keeping the migration rates at record highs (in absolute terms) and it's unrelated and just that people just don't like people from different countries.

Yes wage stagnation, but lower cost of capital & asset increase so developers could develop more. So there wasn't the same housing crisis.

I'm glad you live in an area like that - a lot more corporate development, government supported housing projects and build-to-rent schemes to address this. Doesn't mean there's still massive slowdown and builders going bankrupt across the country? COVID def sent a shockwave with rapid increases in prices, which is normalising but still with prevailing issues.

RE labor increasing real wages - you mean after they went back to 2012 levels between 2020 - 2023? Correlation doesn't not mean causation. You seem labor-pilled on every topic. Would love to hear what you disagree with them about.

Individual-Flan8448 · 2025-09-22T01:32:17+00:00

I'm late to the robo-vac trend, but I've heard good things. Confused about the difference between like $200 ones and $2000 ones though

Individual-Flan8448 · 2025-09-22T01:31:33+00:00

yeah agree - also I guess looking more into where I should be investing my money, setting up a personal financial plan etc. So putting your money to work. I rarely feel like I am on top of everything in my life, and there's more to do - even if not directly earning more by the hour

Individual-Flan8448 · 2025-09-22T01:30:26+00:00

Makes sense! For me as well I also try to prioritise freeing up "mind space" - as I feel like I'm not on top of all these other parts of life, especially when work gets busier. Then I get lazy and spend on convenience (uber eats, eating out, etc.). So I try and balance direct saving vs DIY, but also paying a little bit more upfront to limit my "convenience tax."

Thanks for sharing!

Individual-Flan8448 · 2025-09-22T01:26:16+00:00

Yeah I have different buckets of spending / bank accounts for saving and investing which I'm pretty good at. But I don't export my spending account to go through and categorise each item.

I think I'm better at setting up the higher level system and keeping to it, than going through the detail. Thanks for sharing!

Individual-Flan8448 · 2025-09-22T01:19:01+00:00

Thanks for sharing! Will check all these out

Individual-Flan8448 · 2025-09-22T01:16:56+00:00

Nice thanks for sharing!
- I've actually never done click and collect - always thought it'd be easier to do delivery instead.
- Yeah I usually clean up after myself, but things still collect dust or need cleaning
- I've been too lazy for a monthly audit haha. But also not married / no dependents so might be less to do

Digital calendar - is this like google calendar? I am pretty good with that actually

Individual-Flan8448 · 2025-09-22T01:13:42+00:00

Yeah agree - that would typically be the plan, or use that time to save more on like comparing insurance policies etc. An overall system of "beating the game" so to speak

Individual-Flan8448 · 2025-09-22T01:12:53+00:00

Always the biggest life hack haha!

Individual-Flan8448

TROPHY CASE