My Money Habits
Money is something we all think about, yet we often approach it so differently. Over the years, I’ve developed simple, practical habits that help me live a life I enjoy — without financial stress. In this post, I’m sharing the routines and mindset shifts that have worked for me. They’re not fancy or complicated, just things I do consistently that make a big difference. I’ll keep adding to this list as I pick up new habits or remember others I’ve already built. 1. Separate Bank Accounts for Different Purposes I set up a direct debit to pay myself a monthly salary into a main account. From there, I divide the funds into three buckets: This setup gives me clarity and control of my finances and keeps things clean for tax purposes. No personal expenses come out of the investment account, and no deductible expenses come out of the personal account — everything has its place. 2. Review Expenses Regularly (At Least Quarterly) I’ve tracked my expenses since I was 15. Back when I didn’t even have a computer, I’d jot down my daily expenses in a notebook (which I still keep). Once I got a computer, I moved everything into an Excel spreadsheet and updated it manually. Then there was a period when I used a free app called Money Manager, but I stopped due to some limitations. These days, with most banks allowing you to export transactions in Excel or CSV format, it only takes me about 15–20 minutes to categorize everything quarterly. Doing this regularly helps me spot where most of my money goes — and where I can cut back. For example, I used to pay around $110 a month for pet insurance. After shopping around and cancelling, my provider offered me three months free if I stayed, plus a small discount. That alone saved me about $350. I also noticed I was still paying for a Netflix subscription I hadn’t used in months, so I paused it. Subscriptions are tricky like that — you sign up once, and payments just keep rolling unless you remember to cancel. Another big benefit of reviewing expenses is planning for major purchases. Before an overseas trip, I’ll estimate how much I’ll need, then look at where I can cut back in the coming months. If things feel tight, I’ll adjust my investment contributions or other non-essential spending accordingly. 3. Pay Myself and Sort My Own Tax First As mentioned earlier, I set up a direct debit to pay myself a wage each month. I also make sure to lodge and pay my BAS and super before doing it for any of my clients. I use a task management system with recurring reminders so nothing gets missed. I usually lodge my BAS and make super payments in the first week following the end of each quarter. For tax returns, I aim to get mine done by the end of October each year. Throughout the year, I estimate how much tax I’ll owe and pay PAYG instalments quarterly — that way, I don’t get hit with a big bill at year-end. 4. Buy Second-Hand Who doesn’t love a bargain! Whenever I need something, the first places I check are Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace. You can find so many decent items there for a third of the price of brand-new ones. Sure, there’s some risk and no guarantee, but personally, I’ve never had a bad experience. I still remember the first thing I bought on Marketplace after moving to Australia — a pink bicycle (I didn’t have a driver’s licence at the time). I got it for around $50, used it for a few months, then sold it for $80. What a win 😊! I also bought my first scooter and car in Australia through Marketplace — and later sold both for a decent profit. Unlike in Vietnam, I’ve found second-hand goods here are generally in great condition. When I got my puppy, I quickly realised how expensive dog toys were. At first, I bought from big stores like Pet Barn or Pet City, but soon thought — what’s the point of buying pricey teddy bears when he was going to destroy them in minutes (he was teething then, but thankfully grew out of it). So I switched to second-hand goods instead — teddy bears, toys, blankets, towels — all from Salvos or Good Sammy. With $10, I could get about 10 teddy bears. What a saving! 5. Make My Own Coffee As a coffee lover, I have at least one cup a day. Rather than spending $7–8 daily, I invested in a good espresso machine. It saves time, money, and I can enjoy coffee anytime (especially helpful in Perth, where cafés close early). 6. Cook at Home To be fair, I don’t cook at home mainly to save money — I do it because I genuinely enjoy it, and it’s healthier. Growing up, eating out was a rare luxury, so even now, it still feels a bit indulgent. When I lived in Singapore and Vietnam — where eating out is quite affordable — I still chose to cook most nights. Cooking stimulates my brain, helps me unwind, and gives me full control over what goes into my body. One thing I’ve noticed with many Asian restaurants is they tend to use a heavy amount of MSG. Sure, it makes the food taste great, but it’s not always the best for your health. If I do the maths, I spend about $500 a month on groceries — that works out to roughly $20 a day, assuming I cook at home 25 days out of the month. That covers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Eating out, you’d likely spend half that just on two decent meals. I’d say I’m pretty frugal overall, but there are three things I happily spend a little more on: my dog, education, and food — because they truly bring me joy. 7. Wash My Own Car With a golden retriever
From Digital Nomad Dreams to Property Ownership: How Australia Changed My Mind
Before I moved to Australia, I wanted to be a digital nomad — to live with zero possessions, travel the world, and work from anywhere. The thought of owning property never crossed my mind, let alone building a portfolio. But since moving to Australia, my views have completely changed. Here’s why. ✈️ Being A Digital Nomad: Freedom Over Finances Before Australia, I lived in the UK and Singapore for five years with no plans to stay put. I was ready to quit my job, live out of a suitcase, and see the world — even if that meant living on a tight budget. I was happy to trade money for memories. Owning property seemed like the opposite of everything I wanted: a huge financial commitment, zero flexibility, and a mountain of responsibilities. Back then, I didn’t value physical assets — I moved often and could pack my life into a suitcase in half a day. I kept things light, simple, and flexible. 🏡 Mortgages Weren’t an Option Where I grew up in Vietnam, home ownership was common — but mortgages were not. For many in my parents’ generation, borrowing from the bank wasn’t a real option. Incomes were often unstable, and the financial system lacked the transparency and reliability banks needed to lend confidently to residential property buyers. Property investment was mostly limited to those in government, where access to wealth often came through connections rather than merit. In that environment, the idea of taking out was simply out of reach. Moving to Australia: A Whole New System Then I moved to Australia — and everything changed. I quickly realised that, while property prices here are high, so are incomes. More importantly, people have access to finance. Home loans are relatively affordable, interest rates (at least when I first arrived) were low, and there are systems in place to support home ownership. Compared to Vietnam, the economics made much more sense. For example, in Hanoi you might rent an apartment for around $400 a month, but that same apartment could cost $200,000 to buy. At an interest rate of 10%, the mortgage repayment would be closer to $1,750 a month — more than four times the rent. In contrast, in many parts of Australia, monthly mortgage repayments can be comparable to or even lower than rent. If you’re planning to settle down, owning can be a smarter long-term move. 📈 Paying Off a Mortgage vs Paying Rent That’s when I started to think differently. Rent is money you never get back. You’re essentially paying off someone else’s mortgage. But when you own a home, every repayment helps you build equity — a valuable asset you can later use as leverage to invest in more property or other assets. There are also some tax benefits. If your rental property makes a loss, you might be able to use that loss to reduce your taxable income — this is known as negative gearing. And if you hold the property for more than 12 months, you could be eligible for a 50% discount on capital gains tax when you sell. (I actually made a video on how to reduce capital gains tax HERE — feel free to check it out!) 💰 A Different Kind of Saving One unexpected benefit of owning a home is that it forced me to save. I’ve always been quite frugal, but knowing I had a mortgage to pay meant I had to be more disciplined. I cut back on travel, saved more for emergencies, and started thinking about my long-term goals. It gave me a sense of security I hadn’t had before. 🏠 Stability vs Flexibility When I was renting, we had inspections every three months, and at one point, the landlord decided to sell — meaning we had to move. It was disruptive, expensive, and stressful. Applying for new rentals, attending viewings, dealing with agents — it all takes time and energy. Owning a home gave me stability, which in turn allowed me to focus on growing my business. ⚠️ It’s Not All Sunshine Of course, property ownership isn’t perfect. There are some downsides too, including: It’s a big responsibility, and it won’t suit everyone. But for me, it was the right decision at the right time. 🧭 Final Thoughts For a long time, I thought owning property would tie me down and take away my freedom to travel. But it turns out, the opposite is true. Owning property hasn’t stopped me from living the life I want — it’s helped me build the foundation for it. It’s forced me to be more disciplined with money, helped me grow my wealth, and brought me closer to the bigger dream: having the freedom to work less, retire early, and travel more — not just for a few weeks here and there, but on my own terms. It’s not always easy, and it’s definitely not for everyone. But for me, buying property in Australia wasn’t just a financial decision. It was a mindset shift — from short-term freedom to long-term possibilities. And it’s one of the most important decisions I’ve made. Disclaimer In Money Talks series, I share personal reflections on money — everything from budgeting, investing and saving to mindset and lifestyle. This isn’t financial advice. I’m not writing this because I think I’ve got it all figured out. I just want to share what I’ve learned along the way — personally and professionally. Some of it might be useful to you, some not — and that’s totally fine. What works for me today might not work tomorrow. If you want tailored advice, please speak to a financial advisor. Otherwise, read with an open mind and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.