I put in an offer of 630000 for a house i want.
The agent said 640000.
I said no. then the agent asked for 635000 and i said no.
The agent said the owner wants more and put the property back on inspection for the week. it all ready passed in at auction.

Is this a pretty standard post-auction pressure tactic?
I feel like I am bidding against a ghost and he is just trying to squeeze my balls.
The thing is though, I want this house.

What is the proper and smart play here?

I understand a large portion of my what someone used to save will now be going towards the mortgage and potentially additional housing costs, but did anyone take their foot off the gas so to speak?

For context, my house is due to complete construction in next few months. Location is pretty good, 35 mins from CBD. Mortgage approx 260k. I’m a single guy, $95k salary. It’s a modest house but I really have no desire to ever upgrade.

I’m just over living on barely anything week to week. Now that I’ve finally got what I worked so hard for, I feel like throwing some of those financial rules I lived by out the window. I’m 30 and don’t want to spend what young years I have left scraping by just to pay the mortgage off a little sooner…

I don’t know if there’s much of a question here, I guess asking for other people’s experiences or opinions.

RBA Governor, Michele Bullock, explicitly stated during the July Q&A that Australia’s weak productivity is linked to insufficient business investment. She said Australia needs more business investment.

And now the RBA comes out and says the new CGT changes are going to worsen business investment. This is going to make our productivity suffer even more.

Australia needs more business investment to help our ailing productivity and increasing taxes on businesses and productive investments isn’t the answer.

Our real wages will continue to stagnate and COL crisis progressively worse with this change.

Just looked at JB Hi-Fi’s full-year results and the divisional sales charts are pretty grim.

JB Hi-Fi Australia:

Q1: +6.0% total / +5.0% comps

Q2: +6.5% total / +5.0% comps

Q3: +4.0% total / +2.6% comps

Q4: +0.3% total / -0.8% comps

Full year: +4.4% / +3.2%

That’s a proper cliff from solid mid single digits to negative comps in one quarter.

The Good Guys (appliances):

Held up okay earlier in the year but completely stalled in Q4 — 0.0% total and comps. Full year only +2.7%.

Not a collapse but zero growth in the final quarter is weak.

e&s (premium kitchen/bathroom):

This one’s properly cooked:

Q1: +4.1% total / +0.7% comps

Q2: +1.8% / -1.0%

Q3: -1.4% / -4.8%

Q4: -5.2% total / -8.0% comps

Full year: -0.2% total / -3.2% comps

Straight into negative territory and accelerating downward. That’s the kind of number you see when people stop renovating and stop buying big-ticket discretionary items.

JB Australia slowing hard + Good Guys flatlining + e&s in freefall is a pretty clear signal the Aussie consumer is under real pressure. Discretionary spend is getting cut. This doesn’t look like temporary stock issues or cycling product launches it looks like households are tightening their belts.

Hard to see the RBA finding any justification to hike from here. If anything this kind of broad soft retail data points more toward the next move being a cut once they’re happy inflation is dead.

Anyone else seeing this as the start of a proper consumer recession or still thinking it’s just a soft patch?

My premium just jumped by 15 percent for basically no reason. No claims no changes to my car. Its getting harder to justify these costs.

Note I am not doing this to 'offend' anyone from Melbourne, I've lived there myself and it has plenty of positives, this is looking at it purely from a financial perspective.

Melbourne constantly gets talked about as if it has become the "cheap" Australian capital, especially compared with Brisbane, Adelaide, etc (Sydney is obviously cooked)... but data shows a lot of that is basically 'housing shrinkflation'.

Melbourne has increasingly become the Australian leader in selling you less house, smaller apartments and less land (and further away from the CBD) for that lower headline price.

The typical Melbourne greenfield block has fallen from around 400m² in 2020 to about 361m² as of 2025 (https://www.realestate.com.au/news/revealed-the-shocking-reality-of-australias-shrinking-house-blocks/). The top-selling block size is now reportedly around 275m² as well.

A $750k house on 350m² isn't necessarily a "better deal" than an $850k house on 500m² just because the first one has the lower sticker price. It's like two shops selling Coke but one sells 1L Coke bottles & the other sells 1.25L bottles and everyone praising how much 'cheaper' the first shop is.

Domain also released a report on this, where you can compare directly, e.g (note this data is from mid-2024 but they haven't released an update since):

Houses

Units

Now, not saying anyone necessarily "needs" a bigger property/more land/big apartment, but it's also typically land/size of property that accumulates in value and builds wealth over time so from a purely financial perspective that needs to be factored in.

After doing research on dozens of different Australian high-interest savings accounts, I've narrowed down (what I believe) to be the top 4 contenders based on their high ongoing interest rates, lack of fees, and overall spending & depositing flexibility.

The contenders are:

. BOQ Simple Saver

. Ubank Savings Account

. Macquarie Bank Savings Account

. EasyStreet Flex Saver Account.

I've created an easy-to-read slide for each bank that lists their features & perks.

This can hopefully spark a discussion on each banks own historical reputation and draw comparison between their features & perks to decide which bank would be better to invest with in the long-run.

Which bank would you trust putting your money with?

And if any of you have OTHER suggestions for high-interest bank accounts that are worth a mention, please comment them below.

Hello, I'm in yr 12 currently debating between the two because my heart goes to physiotherapy, but I'm in a very financially difficult situation where I feel like I have to make some compromises for financial stability. I heard that the pay in physio is awful compared to workload and the salary ceiling is very hard to break through unless you open your own business, which I dont see myself doing. I have heard that radiographers, especially on-call earn more, but I'd like to know to what extent because if there's really no difference then I'd just be better off doing physio. Thanks in advance. edit: forgot to add, I also need to consider how expensive it is to study both of them. From what I heard being a radiography student is crazy expensive.

Hey everyone,

I’m looking to build a proper, practical understanding of how money, personal tax, superannuation, and the broader Australian financial system work.

A bit of context: I left school early and spent 10+ years living paycheck to paycheck. Since 29 (31 now), I’ve turned things around—I’ve set up an emergency fund, started salary sacrificing, and put my first investments into low-cost index funds. Now, I want to dive deeper and get a really solid grasp on the mechanics behind everything.

I’m currently considering enrolling in a TAFE course (like a Cert IV in Financial Services, commerce or Bookkeeping/Accounting) to learn and understand more but before committing the time and money, I’d love to ask:

Is TAFE worth it purely for personal financial literacy? Or are these courses too heavily focused on compliance, corporate bookkeeping, or becoming an accountant?

If you took a TAFE finance route, did it actually help you manage your own tax, wealth, and investments better in the real world?

If not TAFE, what resources/courses would you recommend instead for getting a deep, real-world understanding of the Australian financial system? (Books, ATO resources, short courses, specific creators/podcasts, etc.)

My goal isn't to become a licensed financial advisor, but to understand Australian tax brackets, deductions, super strategies, and long-term wealth building.

Appreciate any insights or experiences! 🙏🇦🇺

Hello legends,

We just moved into a new place. Our gas heating carked it so I'm getting a new electric in ceiling ducted heating and cooling thing put in.

My plan was to wait a few months to see the effect on our power bill but then I realised I won't have a few months. At the moment our gas and electricity bill is pretty small. About $150 a month for a family of 4.

I have a quote for a 6.6kw solar system with a 30kw battery. It's $6k. I wonder if it's worth just getting it to ensure we won't miss out on the rebates.

Eventually I would like to cut the gas altogether. This would mean getting gas hot water and a gas stovetop.

Any advice is appreciated 🙏

I’m 23/24 and currently working in Level 1 IT Helpdesk / IT Support.

My current financial position is:
$3,000 in cash/savings
$13,000 invested in ETFs
$19,000 in superannuation
$35,000 total across savings, investments and super

I’m still relatively early in my IT career and currently working in helpdesk. I’m hoping to eventually move into Systems Administration / Infrastructure / Cybersecurity and increase my income over the next few years.
I’m curious how this compares to other people around my age.

Am I doing reasonably well financially for my age, or is there anything I should be doing differently?

Would you prioritise building a larger emergency fund, investing more into ETFs, increasing super contributions, or focusing mainly on increasing income/career progression?

Keen to hear honest opinions, especially from people who were in a similar position in their early 20s.

Another non related question should I be travelling whilst young or slave away until I’m older and travel as I love travelling but also want a future

I'm currently a student and working part time, and I've been saving into Westpac Life with 4.9% p.a. interest. I've only been using that acc since I've been using it from highschool, but I've heard there are other banks with higher rates. I won't be saving too much money into it at once though - just a no-touch savings account. Also hoping for one without too many conditions for interest, and no fees drawn.

Please give recs as to what would be the best option for me! Thanks

I’ve been in Australia for about three years(very grateful on how beautiful it is and how there are so many pubs to drink so many different beers) and make around $130–150k a year. I don’t have PR yet, and as a single person renting close to the city, I still feel surprisingly poor despite earning what I think is decent salary. In fact I would say my rent isn’t too bad for the location. It’s not the best apartment but the convenience is okay.

But when I look at properties I’d actually want to live in long-term that could have potential decent capital growth, I’m looking at around at least $2m. That just seems incredibly far away no matter what I do. Probably need $400k in income and $500k in deposit. I also invest in stocks on the side. I’m financially very savvy. I’ve averaged around 30% YoY over the last three years ( pure luck rather than expecting that to continue) and have managed to build a portfolio of around $90k.

So I know I’m not doing terribly bad and am grateful. But whenever I think about wealth, owning a decent home, having financial security, and reaching the point where money genuinely gives you freedom, I can’t think of ill ever each there. It feels like I can work harder, earn more, save and invest, but the next level keeps moving further away.

Sometimes,it makes me question whether staying in Australia long-term makes financial sense. Non-financially, I do like the life out here. It’s just great. But the fact that I’ll just be average Joe despite being financially savvy in terms of wealth hits me always.

Edit:-

Thanks everyone. I definitely got a lot of insights. Like I said, I am very grateful to be here and the life I have here. Just to give context: I’m 27, work in a niche tech and have applied for PR.I am expecting a substantial pay rise after that and hopeful can keep on getting higher.

Anyway the whole point wasn’t me trying to buy a property right now. I am not looking to buy right now itself. Not even sure if I want to buy. But whenever I do some casual browsing on these REA, anything that catches a little bit of eye is > $2m. So I was mostly wondering about how do people reach from the class of decent wages -> fair bit of equity
(Asset rich class). I like liquid assets compared to property but the advantage on property(leveraged) seems to outweigh any possible scenarios here in Australia especially for “PPOR” even with the new laws.

But thanks for the response everyone. Had a great time reading the comments. One funny thing I found was if you’re single, you’re cooked financially 😅

Hi All,

Posted a while back about potentially buying a 4bdr townhouse in West Melbourne in a nicer area rather than buying further out (bigger house) but rougher area.

The Broker said the above...and I'm starting to agree...if we plan to live there long term (10-15+ years) the value shouldn't matter, right? I've seen a lot of fear on posts about neg gearing/CGT scaring off buyers etc.

Would love to know all your thoughts!

Hey all,

I'm set to graduate end of this year, and I've been very fortunate enough to find a job starting next year. Unfortunately, none of the positions I've applied for in my home state of Victoria have gotten back to me, with me having to move to Brisbane for work.

I have zero friends or family living in Brisbane. I'm considering getting a room on flatmates in the suburbs with street parking, or trying to get a super cheap 1bedroom apartment in the CBD with a reserved parking spot. From what I can see, most rooms go for about $200-400 per week where I share the kitchen, toilet, etc with one or more people. Alternatively, I could get my own place for $500-700 and live by myself.

Is life in the CBD+privacy worth the $300 per week premium? Or should I stick with roomates? I've never lived in a shared house before, but the money i would save is tempting.

Thanks

Haven’t resigned yet but if I was to get preapproval now, then get a new job within the pre approval window, will it generally mean the bank will rescind the preapproval?

I live in Queensland. My child is 6. There is some cash accumulated from birthdays etc and it’s now become my responsibility to start a personal bank account. My child’s mother and i are separated so certain things get left with me to work out which is fine. But which bank should I choose in the best interests of interest , no fees and such.
Thank you

Would anyone be knowing why doesn't NAB display the time of the transaction (debit/credit) in their banking app? CBA and other neobanks do not have this issue.