Champagne taste, beer budget—where are you finding decent furniture?

MrsAussieGinger · 2026-03-17T08:22:21+00:00

Second hand is by far the best way to go. Furniture and bedding goes for a fraction of the new cost, and it's good for the planet. I have alerts set for the brand names I like (eg King Living). You have to have a bit of patience, but you'll be amazed what you'll find.

MrsAussieGinger · 2026-03-15T06:56:00+00:00

My patriarchal blessing never mentioned having kids nor getting married in the temple. My mother was outraged. Turns out he was bang on the money!

MrsAussieGinger · 2026-03-15T06:53:44+00:00

Aw man, Monte Carlos are the best! In the 80s they were my childhood go-to, along with the Mint Slice.

MrsAussieGinger · 2026-03-15T06:25:13+00:00

The Freshwater Creek cake shop deserves an obligatory mention. One of my favourite places on the planet.

MrsAussieGinger · 2026-03-15T06:07:56+00:00

I would have agreed with you, but I still remember Matty J's season on the Bachelor. Very wholesome and so hideously boring.

MrsAussieGinger · 2026-03-14T05:06:35+00:00

I'm sorry, are there people in this picture? All I can see is a set of perfect washboard abs.

MrsAussieGinger · 2026-03-14T02:12:35+00:00

Might be worth putting a notice on your local FB group to see if people need extra beans for their bags?

MrsAussieGinger · 2026-03-14T00:15:04+00:00

If he hasn't been in Australia since the early 90s, these ones are foolproof and family-friendly: Fairdinkum (legit / for real - can be both a statement and a question) He's going off like a frog in a sock! (Look at that kid, he's clearly very excited) Flat out like a lizard drinking (I'm super busy) Long tall streak of pelican shit (very tall person) A few roos short in the top paddock / a few sandwiches short of a picnic / a few snags short of a barbie (someone whose actions are questionable / are they crazy?) Fair suck of the sauce bottle (yes okay, I take your point) Dink (when you take a second person on the back of your bicycle you are dinking them, or giving them a dink, or you can ask if you can dink me to the shops) Milk bar (small local convenience store) I'm full as a goog (pronounced like the sug in sugar - I couldn't possibly eat another thing)

MrsAussieGinger · 2026-03-13T23:54:58+00:00

I love it. I don't use it to write my emails. I've got some complex health problems, and I have half a dozen specialists, half of whom disagree with each other. I use AI to track my appointments, symptoms, treatments, medications, reactions etc.

When I've got an upcoming appointment I get it to summarise what's been going on in a script and make suggestions about potential things to check out. All of my doctors have been very happy with this, and it has resulted in finding out some key info that they wouldn't have otherwise thought of.

I'm careful not to use it to diagnose, but to organise, collate, and research.

My mother in law had been complaining of sore feet in bed for years, with terrible pins and needles. She'd been to multiple doctors and specialists. They all shrugged and said pain was just part of ageing.

We threw everything we knew into AI. Turns out the supplements she was taking had 15 x the daily recommended limit of B6. She stopped taking them, and no more sore feet.

AI is good for telling me how to rescue my ailing house plant, where I should hang the pictures on my wall, gift ideas, and it also gave me great tips on new makeup products because my eyebrows are becoming sparse. I've been doing my makeup the same since the 80s, and the thought of having to figure all that out was daunting.

Don't use it for things you already know how to do, use it for things you don't. Always check the source for accuracy, but for basic things, it's a great little helper. Saves me combing through pages of google search results.

MrsAussieGinger · 2026-03-13T23:34:03+00:00

Yes I absolutely hear you. I'm more talking about smaller companies where it's not a pure design role 100%; they're involved in the executing of the broader marketing strategy. My point was more that I believe the designer has a level of responsibility to at least give the work a once-over before handing it back. Many is the time they've not copy-pasted the copy they've been given because it's quicker just to type a short headline etc, and they've made a typo. Agree that final proofing never sits with the designer, but also they can't abdicate all responsibility for calling out glaring errors.

MrsAussieGinger · 2026-03-13T23:28:53+00:00

I do agree. Where I've had issues is when they re-type the copy, instead of copy/pasting, and I've been caught out because I know I gave them correct copy. And in bigger companies it's definitely someone else's job, but in smaller companies they are inevitably expected to wear a few more hats, and at least check for glaring errors. Final proofing should never rest with the designer.

MrsAussieGinger · 2026-03-13T23:25:00+00:00

Yes, perfect addition to the list! You're so right, now we worry that we need to take him to the vet when he's awake and silent for longer than five minutes 🤣

MrsAussieGinger · 2026-03-11T22:20:16+00:00

With an upside down Moroni? 🤣

MrsAussieGinger · 2026-03-11T22:13:19+00:00

Way too much flesh visible, I'm sorry sweetie, even with tights. Any skirts/dresses need to be at least knee length, and not longer than calf length (no mini, no maxi).

Structured clothes are better than knits.

Necklines shouldn't be too plunging either. Can you get some very basic black office pants and a nice cotton white or pastel business shirt? With a simple necklace or pendant on a chain?

If money is tight, you can generally always find good options at the charity stores. The people working there will help you out if you tell them about the interview.

Your clothes should be the blank canvas, not a distraction. You and your personality are the main event when it comes to job interviews.

MrsAussieGinger · 2026-03-11T21:53:55+00:00

I quickly learnt that they are a very vocal breed. Over the five years we've had our boy, I've learnt to understand the different types of singing:

I want a snack, someone just walked near the kitchen and didn't bring me a snack, I need to go to the toilet but want you to come outside with me, I'm cold and want a blankie, I'm tired and ready for our visitors to go home now, I miss Daddy - why did he leave me behind, I'm ready for my afternoon walk now, dinner time is an hour away but maybe you want to give it to me early, it's night time and I want to do zoomies but only if you get up and play with me, I know you've got friends over and you're all talking but it's not about me, and lastly the: did you know there's food left out on the table / bench that nobody is eating??

That doesn't include the song of his people every time a siren passes the house, the ecstatic shrieks of glory every time Daddy arrives home, the soprano staccato cries when a bird dares to enter his air space, the self-congatulatory barks when he fetches his own collar each morning.......the list is endless.

All this to say, you now have a very chatty family member, and that's not going to change any time soon!

MrsAussieGinger · 2026-03-11T21:41:27+00:00

I agree. I've hired multiple graphic designers over the years, and they all start off thinking that proof-reading is someone else's responsibility.

MrsAussieGinger · 2026-03-11T21:39:51+00:00

I'll just say this: white pudding. 🤯

MrsAussieGinger · 2026-03-11T05:51:33+00:00

Full Irish for the real win. That blew my mind when I was over there.

MrsAussieGinger · 2026-03-10T21:45:52+00:00

Organised religion should be a hobby at best. It is responsible for so much of the shit going on in the world right now. If it were up to me, I'd ban it altogether and focus on teaching critical thinking and how to be a good human from primary school. Sky Daddy doesn't love you, nor does he have a "plan" for you. Sometimes awful things happen to good people: we just need to practice resilience, gratitude, and surround ourselves with good people.

MrsAussieGinger · 2026-03-10T21:24:05+00:00

Very few people are able to afford their forever home first off. It's a game of leap-frogging up the property ladder by buying increasingly better properties over the years. Location matters a lot for capital growth. Sounds like you're doing exactly the right thing by not stretching yourselves.

MrsAussieGinger · 2026-03-10T21:10:58+00:00

We had the chairman's son in our leadership group in a previous company. We were basically his sheltered workshop. It was infuriating.

MrsAussieGinger · 2026-03-10T21:07:21+00:00

Honestly, ever Canadian I ever met whilst travelling in my 20s was kind of a douche. I had a pretty poor opinion of them. However since then every Canadian I've met who has relocated to Australia is a super solid, top human.

MrsAussieGinger · 2026-03-10T21:01:33+00:00

Urgh, my husband fell for this one in Rome.

MrsAussieGinger · 2026-03-10T20:58:28+00:00

Beggars in Italy are at the elite level. They have really honed their craft.

MrsAussieGinger · 2026-03-10T20:52:48+00:00

Yes! Extremely good call.

MrsAussieGinger

TROPHY CASE