How much do you live off a week?

checkraiseulite

Norm Smith Medallist
Jul 23, 2010
5,762
4,140
AFL Club
Hawthorn
I found working more than 2 days a week effected my studies thus cut back my work.

What I would prefer is that Austudy, like HECS, is repaid out of earnings in the future.

could see this working well. fact is it's hard to get a job out of uni these days and most naive students have no idea of this when they decide to go enter uni. saddling them up with long term debt (even on favourable terms) is not a good idea.

anyway we have far bigger things to worry about than people like SA getting a couple hundred bucks a week, and putting it all back into the economy.

make the most of your uni years, and get what you can imo.
 
Sep 10, 2000
14,443
1,158
Perth
AFL Club
Fremantle
From memory to receive benefits while studying there was certain criteria to meet.

1. Your parents income and/or assets where below a certain threshold
2. You were proved independent (Had earn't a certain amount of money before studying in a calender year)

Is this still the case?

If you hit criteria one you come from what would be considered a low income family, do we not want these families to encourage their children to study?

If you hit criteria two you have shown you can provide for yourself, which suggest these people will go onto finish and make something of that degree.

Furthermore in order to receive the benefit you have study and at least when I was studying the benefit barely covered the bare necessities. Drinking money came from getting a part time job (The few hours your allowed to work)

Who cares how the money is spent? Big picture here its benefiting the country by motivating people to gain a higher education.

You could go as far to say that the partying through university is an education in itself.

I will never understand why people get so annoyed about how centrelink benefits are spent, especially when you take into account the hoops people have to jump through to get it and keep it. If you want to vent your rage about your tax dollar, send it the tax cheats way.
 
May 5, 2006
62,726
70,017
AFL Club
West Coast
Who cares how the money is spent? Big picture here its benefiting the country by motivating people to gain a higher education.

The problem is that 'higher education' isn't really that high in many cases. Every person who graduates with commerce or arts degree costs the government thousands already. What benefit does society really see for that investment?

You could go as far to say that the partying through university is an education in itself.

I don't disagree, but partying at that age is something you do regardless of whether you go to uni - it's just the environment changes. You don't see too many 30 year old mature aged students partying mid week at Club Bay View. I still don't think it's society's duty to pay for it, though.
 

checkraiseulite

Norm Smith Medallist
Jul 23, 2010
5,762
4,140
AFL Club
Hawthorn
The problem is that 'higher education' isn't really that high in many cases. Every person who graduates with commerce or arts degree costs the government thousands already. What benefit does society really see for that investment?

I don't disagree, but partying at that age is something you do regardless of whether you go to uni - it's just the environment changes. You don't see too many 30 year old mature aged students partying mid week at Club Bay View. I still don't think it's society's duty to pay for it, though.



You're kidding yourself if you think 30 year old mature aged students aren't on the government tit.
 
Sep 10, 2000
14,443
1,158
Perth
AFL Club
Fremantle
The problem is that 'higher education' isn't really that high in many cases. Every person who graduates with commerce or arts degree costs the government thousands already. What benefit does society really see for that investment?


Hard to argue that a commerce degree doesn't lead to a rewarding career and contribute to the economy, I'm going to presume your a Engineer grad with that kind of opinion and that you work for a commerce grad ;)

While a degree in Art's isn't as likely to be as financially rewarding, as a society we need these degrees and the contribution they make to our culture, especially Perth!. While I would suggest a backup plan to anyone starting an Arts degree, i certainly think there is a demand for them.

I don't disagree, but partying at that age is something you do regardless of whether you go to uni - it's just the environment changes. You don't see too many 30 year old mature aged students partying mid week at Club Bay View. I still don't think it's society's duty to pay for it, though.


When I was at university after the age of 25 you automatically qualified for centrelink without the need to fall into the two criteria I mentioned, so allot of them would be on centrelink as well.

Again I see no problem with my "hard earned tax dollar" going to supplement the life of a kid from low income, a kid who has proven they can support themselves or someone going back to school for a second chance. It's irrelevant how they spend the money while their studying.
 
I get the train to work, so my monthly petrol bill is about $80.

My food bill (just me, no wife or kids) would probably be $150 a week.

Speaking to the wife she said $200-$250 lol you can't blame me I don't shop

The $150petrol per week is legit though, a tank each per week
 

JuddsABlue

Norm Smith Medallist
Sep 17, 2009
8,626
5,674
Melbourne
AFL Club
Carlton
get paid 1030 a week clear, misses a touch more or less depending on her shifts etc, sometimes she smashes me on a good week

put $500 each a week into our shared account for 1k total a week
$402 mortgage normal payments
$300 extra on the mortgage
about 100 a week on shopping
the rest gets saved for bills when they come along, over a month if we are getting a cash reserve build up we put it on the house again

Currently at this rate looking at a 7 year mortgage which would be sweet and we dont ever stress about money, theres always a reserve in our shared account of at least a few hundred if we want to grab something for the house and we have our own splash cash to blow on what we want without any questions (her handbags and shoes and me punting and booze)
 

Smiling Buddha

Norm Smith Medallist
Suspended
Oct 17, 2007
5,417
4,310
Cultural Marxist Utopia
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Financial year 2012/2013 I had a total taxable income of roughly $25k.

I managed to save about $5k in that time. There were no 'off the books' earnings in that period either.

By my maths, that means I was spending about $400/week. Total. Kmart friend me good.

I reckon if I wanted to, I could go a full year on $150/wk (+rent). Might even try next year.

Should note that I haven't spent any money on piss this year. Has saved me *loads.
 
May 5, 2006
62,726
70,017
AFL Club
West Coast
Financial year 2012/2013 I had a total taxable income of roughly $25k.

I managed to save about $5k in that time. There were no 'off the books' earnings in that period either.

By my maths, that means I was spending about $400/week. Total. Kmart friend me good.

I reckon if I wanted to, I could go a full year on $150/wk (+rent). Might even try next year.

Should note that I haven't spent any money on piss this year. Has saved me ****loads.

Did you pay any tax at all?
 

Smiling Buddha

Norm Smith Medallist
Suspended
Oct 17, 2007
5,417
4,310
Cultural Marxist Utopia
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Did you pay any tax at all?
Only a little bit. For your benefit I went back to my tax return to find out just how much.

Rough figures:

Taxable income 24k
Tax on taxable income 1.1k
Medicare levy 350
Tax offsets 900

That is, I paid about $500 tax in total based on the refund I submitted via etax. Money hasn't turned up yet but I didn't do anything dodgy on it so I cannot see any reason why it wouldn't go through.

Personally I think it is a bit of a joke that somebody bringing in 24k/year only has to pay $500 tax. What's that, effectively about a 2% tax rate - including medicare levy? Freeloading. But then again, our entire tax system is a joke and neither major party seems interested in genuine reform.

If in the meantime that means I get a nice juicy return and virtually pay no tax, I'll happily take it. But I won't begrudge you or others, who pay pooloads of tax, venting your frustrations with the inequities in our system on innocent peeps like me.
 

blue_bear1

Team Captain
Jun 15, 2012
305
124
Perth
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
blow goats.
Only a little bit. For your benefit I went back to my tax return to find out just how much.

Rough figures:

Taxable income 24k
Tax on taxable income 1.1k
Medicare levy 350
Tax offsets 900

That is, I paid about $500 tax in total based on the refund I submitted via etax. Money hasn't turned up yet but I didn't do anything dodgy on it so I cannot see any reason why it wouldn't go through.

Personally I think it is a bit of a joke that somebody bringing in 24k/year only has to pay $500 tax. What's that, effectively about a 2% tax rate - including medicare levy? Freeloading. But then again, our entire tax system is a joke and neither major party seems interested in genuine reform.

If in the meantime that means I get a nice juicy return and virtually pay no tax, I'll happily take it. But I won't begrudge you or others, who pay pooloads of tax, venting your frustrations with the inequities in our system on innocent peeps like me.
I don't think most people give a toss how much low income earners pay in tax. They are more worried about the people on big bucks who pay the best accountants to avoid paying taxes.
 

scon

Brownlow Medallist
Apr 19, 2009
11,594
16,624
western australia
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Long haired Champs.
...splash cash...
(her handbags and shoes
and me punting and booze)
Classic!
I've been very fortunate and have only ever had a vague mental budget.Probably just adhering to Dickens' edict "Income 1 pound:expenditure 19 shillings;result,happiness.Income 1 pound:expenditure 1 guinea;result,misery."
Not being into the conspicuous consumption thing helps.
 
* me my mortgage is $600 a week!

between us we bring in anywhere from 1100 to 1400 a week depending on overtime for me and hrs worked for the misses
we still manage to eat really well run two cars (both 6 cylinders one being a turbo) have both cars insured the house insured have foxtel the internet and still mange to put away about 150 a week
our rates are friggin 2100 a year tho which absolutely pisses me off seeign as it went up by about 70 bucks a friggin qtr last week
 
May 5, 2006
62,726
70,017
AFL Club
West Coast
I'd be happy if this were the case. In my experience, though, downward envy is rife in this country.

I can't speak for all people of course, but I get the shits when "low" income earners pay no tax or even end up ahead after welfare is taken into account. The problem isn't guys earning $24k only paying a tiny effective tax rate (the tax free threshold is a good thing) but others earning $50k and ending up ahead because they decided to have kids - for example. Billions are wasted in welfare churn in this country. Money much better spent elsewhere.

I don't think most people give a toss how much low income earners pay in tax. They are more worried about the people on big bucks who pay the best accountants to avoid paying taxes.

People on big bucks are penalised so organise their affairs to not be on big bucks as defined by the tax laws that are in place.

The problem is the overly complex tax system and discrepancy between corporate and personal tax rates.
 
**** me my mortgage is $600 a week!

between us we bring in anywhere from 1100 to 1400 a week depending on overtime for me and hrs worked for the misses
we still manage to eat really well run two cars (both 6 cylinders one being a turbo) have both cars insured the house insured have foxtel the internet and still mange to put away about 150 a week
our rates are friggin 2100 a year tho which absolutely pisses me off seeign as it went up by about 70 bucks a friggin qtr last week
No kids?
 
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