little rip-offs can add up

In the past week I have saved myself $5 a month plus over $7 in fees that I shouldn't have paid. This was simply from glancing at two statements - my mobile phone bill and my Myki account - and feeling something wasn't quite right. Whilst this does not add up to a great deal of money in the grand scheme, it has made me wonder how many other organisations charge accidental or incorrect fees somewhere on some obscure line on any of the many statements we receive. 

i used to read on the tram, but now i am so crammed in i can hardly reach my phone in my pocket

I was reading this article in The Age about public transport in Melbourne over the weekend as I thought about alternative ways to get to and from work. The public transport system is at bursting point around peak times every day. I stand at tram stops and have to let one, and sometimes up to three trams go by before there is one with room for anyone else.

I've tried cycling, but drivers in Melbourne seem to feel like they are competing with cyclists and behave very aggressively.

just bought a house? do yourself a favour & don't think of it as yours until you pay it off!!

Australian banks are conservative, risk averse and socially inept

In a recent transaction I was involved in, I sold a property where the loan and Title were held by one of the big banks. I made a nice little profit and was pretty happy with myself until the bank called. 

"I'm not sure if we can let this sale go ahead!" said my branch manager!

With four days to settlement, I was pretty annoyed and had to apologise later for the language I used to express my lack of affection for the bank at that moment.