23Dec2019

Ways To Cool Down Your House And Save Using The Air Con

December 23, 2019

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The temperature in Australia can easily hit 30°C during the long summers. Thanks to air conditioning, you can retreat to a cool home.

There’s a downside, though. As your AC unit works hard to quench the heat, your electric bill could spike.

Now, there are simple and effective ways to cool down your home without using your AC much.

Turn the AC off at night

You can keep your air conditioning on during the day and off at night. Take advantage as the evening air is naturally cooler.

Just open the windows or doors and let the gentle breeze cool things down. You can still enjoy some nocturnal energy savings and comfort.

Set the thermostats

When it comes to reducing your AC bill and energy consumption, every degree matters.

Setting your thermostat between 22°C and 24°C is one of the most energy-efficient ways to save. An AC unit set 1 degree warmer can cut costs by up to 10%. You’re saving on your energy bill for every degree of cooling you can do without.

Note: Do not set the thermostat less than 8 degrees below the outdoor temperature.

Consider a thermostat with a built-in timer to maximise your energy bill reduction. This way, the hours of operation are automatically set for maximum energy efficiency.

Get shady

Whenever you can get shade, take it for it will make your home stay cooler. You can’t turn down the sun, but you can turn down the heat with some shade.

Keep curtains, blinds, drapes, and awnings drawn and closed to get shady. For windows facing the sun, have a light-coloured backings for curtains and blinds as they also deflect heat.

Tinted windows can also stop some of the sun’s heat from coming in.

Ways To Cool Down Your House And Save Using The Air Con

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Turn off heat-emitting appliances

Your home appliances — television, lamp, oven, stove, etc. — emit heat, forcing your AC unit to work harder. If not in use, unplug or turn them off.

Make a salad or any meal that doesn’t require cooking at all, or try to cook outside, perfect for summer.

Keep costs down with AC maintenance

To maintain maximum efficiency, keep your AC unit regularly maintained, and make sure the filter is cleaned or replaced. A dirty filter means higher energy costs as your AC works harder.

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Easy loans from Cigno can help you with your urgent needs by borrowing a small amount.

Cigno offers a 24/7 online platform, so you can apply anywhere, anytime. You can have the cash within hours — even on weekends!

The easy loans that Cigno helps you to apply for are designed to be easily understood. All costs are displayed in advance, with no hidden fees.

Note: You should only ever borrow as little as you need and look to pay it back as quickly as you can.

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18Dec2019

Ways To Save This Christmas

December 18, 2019

Henry Mabana

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The Christmas season usually leaves you spent, both physically and financially. Instead, you should be relaxing with family and friends during the holiday, not battling the crowd and breaking the bank.

Simplify things this year with these quick and easy tips to help you save and enjoy the holiday season.

Pre-Christmas clean up

“One person’s trash is another’s treasure.”

Take time to sort out things around the house — clothes, books, furniture, and jewellery. Clear out stuff you no longer need so you could sell them online or when you hold a garage sale.

You can earn a few extra dollars and make someone else’s Christmas extra special.

List them down

Make a list of the things you need in preparation for the festive season to help you plan and keep track of your spending — the best way to avoid going over your Christmas budget.

List down those you’re gonna give gifts to, the actual items you’ll get them, and the amount you’ll be spending individually.

List down the food and drinks you’ll need. Buy them in advance, especially those that can be frozen or have a long shelf life. Don’t forget to also list down how much you can spend on them.

There are also ways to save on holiday travel costs, whether flying or driving:

List all your costs like flights, accommodation, petrol, travel insurance, and airport transfers.
Figure out which day is cheapest to fill up on petrol if you’re driving.
Shop around for deals early on to avoid paying a premium for peak season increases or last-minute bookings.

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Personalise wrapping and cards

Avoid pricey Christmas wrapping by buying string and brown paper or plain coloured paper to wrap the presents.

Personalise your Christmas cards so the receiver will have a hard time throwing them away. Most people throw away their cards once they’ve opened the gifts, which is a waste of money on cards.

Smart shopping

Do a web search for discounts or coupons before you start your Christmas shopping online. There are sales sections on retailers’ websites of what they offer.

Instead of just going to one retailer’s website, search somewhere else online. You might find them cheaper.

Make sure to include any shipping costs when comparing prices, or look for items with free shipping. The cost of items can blow out once you add shipping.

For tips on how to pick an online shopping scam, check out the ACCC’s SCAMwatch website.

Limit the temptation to overspend:

Pre-pay — Check for option to pick up in-store if you buy online. Skip lines, save on freight. and there will be less chance to impulse buy.
Shop at odd hours — Go when it’s less crowded so you won’t have to jostle for space and you can choose the items carefully.
Shop on a limited time — Get in, do it, and get out.

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2Aug2019

Get The Most Back From Your Tax Return!

August 2, 2019

Henry Mabana

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You’re entitled to claim deductions for some expenses when completing your tax return — most of which are work-related expenses.

Deductions you can claim

Work-related expenses

To claim a work-related deduction, you must have spent the money yourself and weren’t reimbursed. It must relate to earning your income and proven with a record.

You can only claim a deduction for the work-related portion if the expense was for both work and private purposes.

Note: Employees can claim work-related expenses in the financial year they are incurred.

You may be able to claim a deduction for expenses that directly relate to your work, including:

clothing, laundry, and dry-cleaning expenses — a uniform needs to be unique and distinctive to legitimately claim it’s cost.
home office expenses — costs could include your phone, computer, or other electronic devices, and running costs (e.g. internet service).
self-education expenses — the study should be related to your current job — claim expenses such as course fees, student union fees, textbooks, professional journals, and stationery.
tools, equipment and other assets — protective gear, sunglasses, hats, office equipment, safety equipment, and technical instruments.
vehicle and travel expenses — if you work in different locations or you use your car for work.

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Other deductions

ATO interest (calculation and reporting)
interest charged by the ATO — imposed interest includes general interest charge (GIC), shortfall interest charge (SIC), and late payment interest.
cost of managing tax affairs — includes buying tax reference material, tax return preparation courses, lodging your tax return through a registered tax agent, etc.
gifts and donations — to organisations that are endorsed by the ATO as deductible gift recipients.
interest, dividend, and other investment income deductions
personal super contributions — if made during the year to a complying super fund or a retirement savings account (RSA).
undeducted purchase price (UPP) of a foreign pension or annuity — the UPP is the amount you contributed towards the purchase price of your pension or annuity – your personal contributions.

See Occupation and industry specific guides to find out more about income, allowances, and deductions you can claim for work-related expenses.

Managing your deductions

Keep your tax organised with the ATO app’s myDeductions tool.

Use myDeductions to keep records of your work, general expenses, income, and deductions to make lodging your tax return faster and easier.

Download the ATO app then select the myDeductions icon.

myDeductions tool - ATO app

Upload your completed records to the ATO from the myDeductions tool and pre-fill your myTax return. You can share your records directly (via email) if you use a registered tax agent.

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10May2019

Cheap Holidays and Where To Find Them

May 10, 2019

Henry Mabana

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Need a break from work, school, or household chores? You might feel like you’re stuck in a rut in your daily grind. If you’re yearning for something exciting and different, why not go on a holiday?

Exploring another place will give you a fresh appreciation and perspective on life. Traveling is also a special way to deepen relationships and meet new friends.

Now, where would you wanna go? You can search online for a range of cheap holiday packages near you or somewhere faraway that you may fancy.

Check out the following travel apps and discover where to go with great deals that won’t hurt your pocket. This extremely economical holiday destinations will definitely give you a much needed break!

TripAdvisor

With the all-new TripAdvisor, you’ll discover helpful travel recommendations and advice from the people you follow and easily save and share ideas to plan and book your perfect getaway. There are millions of traveler reviews and photos, bookable tours and attractions, and recommended restaurants — it’s everything you need to know and go better, every time.

TripAdvisor app

The TripAdvisor mobile app for iOS or Android is free and easy to use:

Discover what’s near your current location.
Find great deals and compare airfares.
Search and book amazing tours and attractions.
Find the best hotel for you, including Travelers’ Choice award winners.
See the lowest hotel prices from over 200 booking sites.
Explore restaurants and reserve tables online.
Access over 700 million traveler reviews and opinions.
Discover great travel ideas from the videos, trip guides, articles, and reviews in your personal travel feed.
Follow friends and travel influencers to get helpful advice and recommendations.
Visit the TripAdvisor forums and get answers to your specific questions from other travelers.
Save and organise your travel ideas in one place to plan and book easily.
Add your own reviews and photos.

Note: TripAdvisor app is optimized to conserve battery power and only use GPS where necessary. Although continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.

TripAdvisor app uses your location to notify you on personalized hotel, attraction and vacation rental recommendations, restaurant, as well as remember the places you visited via Travel Timeline feature. These locations are collected even if the app is in the background.

Airbnb

With Airbnb, you can now start your unforgettable travel experiences. Find travel adventures and new places to go near or far, and access vacation home rentals, places to visit all around the world, and new experiences.

Airbnb app

Book everything for your trip, or start earning money as a host. Download the Airbnb app for iOS or Android.

Travel experiences — Go on local experiences led by native experts, whether it’s for multiple days or just an afternoon. Explore Seoul’s underground music scene, hunt for truffles in a Tuscan forest, or give back to the community with a social impact experience.

Vacation homes — Choose from over 4 million vacation home rentals across 191+ countries. Search by price, neighborhood, amenities, and more.

Popular destinations — Experience the beautiful sights and find local guides for the perfect vacation:
- Barcelona – Discover the cities beauty with guided walking tours.
- Paris – Find your fill in some of the best culinary tours and museums.
- Rio – Explore the birthplace of Samba or Hand Glide over the sights.

For travelers:

Search for last minute travel accommodations or long term rentals.
Save your favorite rental homes, experiences, and places—and invite friends and family to plan the trip with you.
Book vacation home rentals and travel experiences for your next solo journey, family vacation, or business trip.
Add experiences and events to your itinerary.
Message your host and get directions to your home.

For hosts:

Share your extra space or lead experiences that showcase what makes your city great.
Update your listing and calendar availability.
Share what’s special about your neighborhood with a host guidebook.
Message guests and manage their reservations.

Cheap Holidays and Where To Find Them

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Trivago — compare hotels & save

Get savings when you hotel search with Trivago! Discover the great deals, compare hotel prices, and save money on your next holiday or trip.

Find hotels for your holiday or business trip, discover a last minute city break, or a winter sun weekend deal. With more than a million hotels to choose from and hundreds of worldwide booking sites to compare, plan your next trip stress-free!

Trivago app

Download the Trivago app for iOS or Android.

Discover travel discounts, deals, and savings from hotels worldwide so you can travel cheaply.
Compare and find hotels, motels, or B&B’s from hundreds of bookings sites worldwide including: Expedia, Hotels.com, Holidaycheck, ebookers, AlphaRooms, LateRooms, Travelrepublic, Amoma.com, Booking.com, Priceline, HotelTonight, and more.
Keep your hotel search within budget, search by both location and price, and easily compare.
Hotel search with the Trivago Rating Index® – see the combined online ratings of all available hotel review scores so you feel confident before you book.
Set a trip itinerary for that last minute getaway.
Save money on vacation and travel sites so you can book your ideal hotel at your convenience.
Trivago’s massive workforce will always find the great deals on hotel prices to make your next vacation stress-free.
The Guardian lists Trivago among the “10 best money-saving apps.”
Lifehacker lists Trivago among the “best price-comparison apps you need to download.”
Tech Times calls Trivago one of the “must have apps for frequent travelers.”

Skyscanner — book cheap flights, hotels, car hire

Whether you’re booking holiday, a city break, or a romantic trip, Skyscanner is the best travel planner for booking cheap flights, hotels, and car hire.

Travel smarter with Skyscanner’s slick all-in-one travel app. Instantly search, compare and book cheap flight tickets, hotels, and car hire deals anytime, anywhere for your next trip.

Independent, unbiased and completely free — Skyscanner simply find you the best holiday deals out there in seconds. Book your next trip with the award-winning, simple to use travel planner brought to you by the world’s travel search engine. Available in over 30 languages.

Search over 1,200 travel sites at once to instantly get the best deal. Skyscanner includes deals from:

Expedia
Wotif
Virgin Australia
Jetstar
Tigerair
Emirates
Air New Zealand
AirAsia
Scoot
Booking.com
Hotels.com
Accor
Avis
Budget
Enterprise Car Rental and more!

Skyscanner app

Compare and book them all in the one app. Download the Skyscanner app for iOS or Android.

No booking fees or hidden charges
Get notified of any price changes with Skyscanner Price Alerts push notifications. Never miss a price drop and make sure you get the cheapest flight.
Easily find and compare the cheapest days and months to fly with a colour-coded calendar and chart view.
For holiday inspiration, select ‘Everywhere’ in the destination box and cheap flight prices to the best destinations around the world will brighten up your day.
Filter results by airline, flight length, stopovers, cabin class, departure and arrival times. Book your perfect trip.
With the new Trips feature, you can keep track of your journeys and all your bookings in the one place. You no longer have to search your old emails to know your flight number or departure time. Find it in two taps of your Skyscanner app. Be kept updated on gate changes and flight updates.
Book your whole holiday with Skyscanner. Compare cheap hotel deals from hundreds of thousands of hotels, resorts, bed and breakfasts, apartments, and hostels. Find rooms near your current location. Even search last minute hotels for tonight. Just looking for inspiration? Search for hotels in all your top destinations and dig out some great hotel deals.
Search the world’s car hire deals in seconds. Choose from 30,000 car hire airport or city locations, then filter by vehicle type, auto, or manual and features to find just the car rental you want at just the right price. What’s more, the Fair Fuel Policy flag makes sure you don’t get ripped off on fuel when you rent a car on holidays.
Skyscanner team is contactable 24/7. Accessible via the Skyscanner Help Centre.
Access recent flight searches from your app home screen and quickly pick up where you left off.
Log in to sync your flight searches and price alerts across all your devices- phone, tablet and desktop.
Earn frequent flyer points when you search for and book cheap flights.

Holiday loans from Cigno

Holiday or travel loans are unsecured loans that allow you to finance your trip using the funds. Typically, you can spend the money on any worthwhile purchase or expense — this includes holidays and any other trips.

Some loan providers offer fast cash loans that are tailored for traveling, even if you have bad credit. You may be able to spread payments of a tour or travel package out over the few months before you leave or you could be given interest-free terms on a travel loan.

Cigno are specialists in facilitating and managing cash advances. With these easy loans online, you can borrow up to $1,000 with a maximum term of 62 days. Extra fees and charges are applicable if you choose to use Cigno’s services.

Cigno offers a 24/7 online platform, so apply anywhere, anytime! Even on weekends!

Grab the chance to have a break this travel season and come back relaxed and recharged with new travel anecdotes to tell!