How many hours are too much for a used seadoo?

Going from 35 hours/week to 20 hours/week. . .how to get used to living on less money?

• I switched jobs. I used to work 35 hours per week, now I'll only be working 20 hours per week. I took a pay cut also, but it is only 25 cents, so that hardly matters in my mind. ...show more

• Answer:

  First of all, begin living on less, even before your pay reduction comes into place. Get your employer to put at least 10% of your earnings into another account on payday. Use a cash management or passbook or internet bank account -- whatever gets good interest and is not instantly accessible. That way, now that you're on less, you'll always have an 'emergency' fund to protect you if you have a disaster. In a few weeks you will get used to living on less, but you need to budget. Since you're still working, you need to commit to taking your lunch to work from home. Doing this even 2 days a week, at $5 a day, saves you $520 a year. Next, since you're working less, consider putting in a vegie garden. That's what we did, and after you set it up, there is very little maintenance. We have 3 garden beds, with a variety of vegetables in them, which get watered out of our shower recess. We use a hose from the inspection inlet on the external wall and just let the water drain onto the vegies. Even getting just a few vegies a week from your garden will save you money. Onions, potatoes, zucchinis, silverbeet, and pumpkins are relatively easy to grow. What you grow will depend on how much space you have. It is not uncommon for my partner and I to have an entire meal (meat excluded) from our back yard. Check out factory sales outlets in your area. If you live near food or toiletry factories (or perhaps paper goods factories -- it all depends on what is near you) you can get some discounted stock in bulk packs. I live near Pental Soaps, Campbell's Soups, and SPC. I get heaps of food and soaps from these places at far less than what I would pay at the supermarket. While you're at it, buy in bulk. Buy the 2 kilo pack, and often you'll pay less per kilo than if you bought the 1 kilo pack. Take your pocket calculator or a mobile phone with a calculator and use that to work out the price per kilo or litre. Buy generic products. I get washing powder in bulk cartons from Kmart when they have a heavily discounted item. This saves me $3 a kilo over what I'd pay at the supermarket, and I don't have to buy washing powder for almost a year. You might consider finding a part time job to complement your hours. I work a full time and part time job, and even though it's a bit draining, because I work so many hours, having a change of scenery is a bit stimulating. If you could pick up another 8 hours a week, that would really take the edge off your budget. Tailor your resume and cover letter to each job. Even a crappy job like food retail or cleaning is better than nothing. Consider getting a flat mate or house mate into your house to split expenses. That could help your situation immensely. You need to get rid of all the unnecessary bills. If Internet isn't necessary for work, axe it or get the cheapest dial up plan you can. Mine is only $92 a year unlimited. If you live in Australia, you can go through netbay. It's just some Indian guy with a desk and a computer in Melbourne, and everything is paid for via credit card over the web, but I've never had a problem with it. It's dirt cheap, no frills internet. Look at switching utility providers to get a better deal. Get rid of pay television and other expenses. If you have any loans or credit card debt, pay it off now. Don't carry any debt. That's a bill you don't need. If you have debt, sell stuff around the house you don't need in the newspaper classifieds, and pay off that debt. Sell coffee tables, bed bases, and appliances. You can sell all sorts of things. Drive as little as you can to save wear and tear on the vehicle and use of fuel. Take off roof racks, and even if it's hot, don't drive with the windows down. That creates more wind resistance and uses more fuel. Inflate tyres to their highest safe inflation. It'll be a more bumpy ride, but over time you'll use less fuel. Get yourself down to the local library and get some books out on personal finance. They are chock full of tips on how to budget and run your finances. You just read the bits you want to know about. They are usually pretty easy to read. Block draughts around your home, and use heating and cooling sparingly. Buy your clothes at the secondhand charity stores, and only at retail stores if they are on clearance and last season's stock. Pay a little on your bills every week. If you pay a little each week, it's not a massive bill by the end of the month. That way, if you do have a blowout, you've already paid some of it. Best wishes