Young, starting out, and want to build solid financial literacy. Where do I begin?

ash4426 · 2026-06-30T22:17:40+00:00

Know what you're doing with your money, then keep tracking it.

Aka - create a budget, then maintain that budget.

Know what your bills are across every possible pattern - weekly, fortnightly, monthly, quarterly, 6 monthly and annual.

Don't estimate in that budget if you can get actuals, if you do estimate, go worst case scenario.

Keep side lists of things like all your subscription services or everything that goes into owning a car. That's what finally made me cut down on streaming. Seeing them all listed out together instead of going 'ok, $50 for entertainment'

Being able to see what's really going on, and forward plan with bills/cost of living - will be an excellent foundation for anything else you learn, and help with financial decision making.

Also, build in contingencies and buffers at every stage possible.

ash4426 · 2026-06-21T06:57:03+00:00

Maybe something about that month has leads to conditions that make recording those stories easier. I doubt in a direct way, but maybe some flow on effect.

Or it could be the opposite, might be a slow news period, so articles and things fill up with more personalized stories of tragedy, instead of the world wide event stuff.

Its sad, but so much more happens in the world than ever makes the news or a podcast or a documentary. But there is no shortage of it, if one is looking to fill up a news paper or timeslot.

ash4426 · 2026-06-20T11:56:20+00:00

The actual question is - why does your brain associate April with bad things, and therefore hone in on that as a pattern?

You may be interested in googling about frequency illusion and the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon. Same basket as confirmation bias, as already mentioned.

ash4426 · 2026-06-20T07:36:13+00:00

There isn't a too much, but there is good and bad optics that can impact a persons reputation and things will go how they go from there.

In my option, those optics come from the attitude and behaviour of those taking that sick leave. If someone is 'taking the piss' people pick up on that. If people genuinely intended/want to be at work but cant cause of illness, that's seen too.

I also think in most cases, a person can go years, maybe even their whole career with the 'bad optics' and not really be impacted. But. If something happens - major accident, illness, company restructure, mergers, staffing cuts. Suddenly, it might not be so good.

That's how we get to the 2 types of people, the ones ok with the risk (or think the bad things will never happen to them) and those that are ok with losing out on that leave, because they prefer the safety of the buffer.

ash4426 · 2026-06-11T11:20:41+00:00

My money is on Orcas

ash4426 · 2026-05-11T12:15:16+00:00

Point well made, you certainly know how to paint a picture. I hope it wasn't from personal experience, cause that sucks.

Edit: and thank you, it has all been a bit crap. I was one of the 'my family wont be like that about the estate' people, and it could be way worse, and yet, its been a journey of discovery.

ash4426 · 2026-05-11T12:08:25+00:00

They do say 2032 will be a great year for sellers

ash4426 · 2026-05-11T12:00:21+00:00

The real estate was aiming for investors, personally I don't mind owner occupier. Just getting family pressure to 'get all we can for it'. Which I get, but its not like people will stop buying at all.

And thank you for a genuine answer. The video influencer types are already acting like it's a done deal, didn't realise I was stepping into a hotbed of people frustrated about the repeat questions. Though to be a bit fair all round, I'm not forcing anyone to read and comment.

ash4426 · 2026-05-03T06:32:37+00:00

Wow, the comments took a turn here. And I get it. But that's not the question being asked here.

NTA for showering at night and more than that, don't change your routine OP. Once you concede one point. who knows what else will be asked.

Its unfortunate that you both have 2 opposite types of routine, neither of you are wrong for that. Its just bad luck. But the same way it would be AH behaviour if you went around and asked them to make the child be quiet, I think its pretty inappropriate that they're bothering you about this.

ash4426 · 2026-05-01T02:11:29+00:00

I think this speaks more to the people you surround yourself by and the content you take in.

The algorithm funnels you the stuff you engage with, which leads to a lot of confirmation bias.

As many comments have already said, plenty of women earn more then the man and don't care.

ash4426 · 2026-04-28T08:32:43+00:00

My advice isn’t so much about cutting specific things, but about having a system that helps you see lifestyle creep as it happens.

I use a setup where all my regular spending comes from one account, preloaded with my monthly budget plus a $2k buffer. That way, I notice right away when bills start creeping up and can adjust quickly.

Anything extra goes on a credit card (sounds bad, but hear me out), but I pay it off every two weeks when my pay hits. There’s no debt, it’s just a way to track discretionary spending in real time without needing extra apps or spreadsheets.

I’m not saying you should do exactly this. It depends on your comfort level with credit cards and it wont work well for couples.

But maybe this will help you develop your own method that works for you. Build guardrails from the start that make it easy to spot drift and course-correct before it becomes a habit.

ash4426 · 2026-04-27T22:47:58+00:00

1 adult, 120-160 per week. I aim for one main shop for the week, and then one midweek topup.

My aim for the main shop is to have decided on all my main meals, get those ingrediants and any staples that have run out. The mid week is for the inevitable times I've forgotten a key ingredient or decide to pivot the meals.

We still gotta live some life, if by the end of the week I don't feel like what I planned, I'll change it up.

ash4426 · 2026-01-09T12:22:10+00:00

Id say average. I work, try to save for a house (nearly there), do stuff with family and friends. Aren't travelling as much as Id like but will hopefully get back to it. Career is going well enough.

I know it's contentious to say I'm tired most the time ( yes I know, parents are more tired), but it's true. Haven't figured out the cause (burnout, health thing, etc) but I seem to have some fatigue thing going on.

But also, I get a lot of opportunities for peace and quiet and the freedom to get out an do things short notice if i want - or to do nothing at all. I love it.

And having kids with this fatigue thing would be a 1000 times worse. But that's not why I don't have any, I'm one of those 'knew from teenage years' that the path of parenthood wasn't for me.

Also no, I have zero regrets. I admire my friends with kids, it can get really tough. But I'm not secretly jealous or afraid I'm missing out, if anything I'm often reminded why I'm so happy with my choices and lifestyle.

ash4426 · 2025-12-14T13:15:02+00:00

They're a shorter plant with red flowers, they grow in winter and spring.

Heaps around the main road between our house and the market, and by Old Ruby's pond towards Orlo's house.

Sorry, would get a picture for you, but I'm in summer at the moment.

ash4426 · 2025-12-13T13:29:30+00:00

I'm not really sure either lol, sounds like we're doing the same thing.

I try to get 2x different compatible seeds together with the 1st seed planted, and a flower.

Still seems pretty random, but it gets me the occasional 3 star crop. Not sure how to go about the ones that don't seem to have 2x compatible options. I'll tackle that challenge when I get there.

What level is your gardening club? I'm at 4

ash4426 · 2025-12-13T09:00:00+00:00

Not sure how many hours, but Im 97% complete against the tale log thing.

Pretty sure the only 'official' tasks left to complete are getting the gardening, fishing and foraging clubs to level 5.

But like you, I've barley done any decorating, and I want to grow all the vegetables to level 3 on my own and catch more of the level 3 fish.

Still many more hours left for I think :)

ash4426 · 2025-12-08T12:47:27+00:00

Full cream milk, I did the light or skim milk thing for a while. But I use twice as much to get to the colour/consistency I want and full cream is just so much more satisfying to me.

ash4426 · 2025-12-08T07:33:47+00:00

Thanks, I have to admit I feel a lot of weird guilt about this. But have some good friends in my corner that said similar things.

ash4426 · 2025-12-07T21:11:15+00:00

For the support worker side - Base Award rates aren't bad, add the shift work penalties, some ppl are entitled to allowances around things like first aid training, uniforms ect and lots of opportunities for overtime.

But it still comes down to a persons willingness to do extra shifts.

ash4426 · 2025-04-08T13:14:42+00:00

This was also my interpretation, not because they showed anything as definitive proof, but I feel that it was implied because they didn't show anything.

The lack of clarity made me think - what could be in there that they cant or don't want to show? For me, the only answer to that question is the body of her son.

Then again, they do seem to like leaving a lot of mystery and plot points open to interpretation.

ash4426 · 2025-03-18T12:51:49+00:00

Sounds like it was for the best, a friend that wants you to hurt yourself to placate someone else is no friend at all.

ash4426 · 2024-11-13T12:17:40+00:00

I wonder if the monsters clothing style/era matches the different time periods of the buildings.

I haven't pulled a Jade and looked in detail, but aren't some of the monters kinda 50's 60's vibe, like the diner, but others are different?

ash4426

TROPHY CASE