July 8, 2010

Hey guys!

We’ve got two shiny new guesthouses – number 5 and number 7, Oatley road, Paddington – on the market! Have a look at this neat little walk-through of number 5:

Enjoy!

November 11, 2009

Pay for a couple of entrance fees, a few beers, a round of drinks, a greasy late night snack and a taxi fare, and your night out in Sydney has probably cost you close to next week’s rent!

It’s not easy making a budget night out for Sydney flatshare tenants. You all know the drill – You head out with good intentions, reminding yourself that you will only have a few before calling it a night. You say “hi” to some friends and decide to have just one more because everyone is having such a great time. One more turns into a few and before you know it, it’s 3 am and you’re stumbling into bed a lot less richer.

Believe it or not, there are ways that you can combat this vicious cycle. Just by making a few small changes to your routine, nights out in Sydney can be more budget friendly. Here’s how:

1. Have a few drinks at home. Drinks are usually much cheaper at the store than they are at the pub or club. Start your night off at home so you will hopefully spend less when you finally head out.

   *Please be aware that alcohol is not to be consumed in Furnished Property guest houses. You may have to find a cheap, local pub to get you started.

2. Go out later. If you are the type of person who loves to stay out all night, then try to start your adventures at a later hour, thus lessening the amount of time actually spent at the club buying expensive drinks.
3. Alternate with soft drinks. What makes drinking so expensive? That’s right… the alcohol. Space out the fun by mixing in a couple of soft drinks here and there. Trust me, your body and your wallet will thank you.



4. Avoid buying rounds of drinks. Rounds of drinks can cost a lot depending on the amount of people in the group, and who knows if everyone will still be around to get their shout when the time actually comes. Make it clear early on that you will be buying and drinking at your own pace so you don’t feel obligated later on.
5. Gather a group for the taxi. If you think you’ll be taking a taxi home, then try your best to fill it up in order to spread the cost over as many people as possible. Try looking into night rides if and when the opportunity arises.
6. Drink what’s on special. It may not be your favourite, but it may very well save you some cash by imbibing the discount drink of the evening. Even if it only saves you an extra few dollars per drink, it will seem like much more when it starts adding up!
7. Keep your tolerance low. Avoid alcohol during the week in an attempt to keep your alcohol tolerance low. If your body becomes used to a certain level of alcohol, you will start to feel like you need more in order to have the same effect, thus raising the cost of your nights out.



8. Make alternative nights out. Over time, the pizzazz of the same old every weekend activities can fade. Try to regain that sparkle and shine by giving it a break for a bit. Maybe a night of bowling, a low-key visit to the movie theatre, or even inviting a few friends to your home every once in a while can help you maintain your budget, and make going out on the town exciting again.
9. Take only the money you want to spend. Of course, there is always the tempting ATM around to magically dispense cash at the push of a button, so even this option can easily fail. While leaving the ATM card at home is also an idea, it may actually be good in cases of emergencies. Either way, perhaps the extra step of having to search out a machine when low cash flow emerges will better deter overspending.
10. Avoid club-hopping. Cover charges alone can make a huge impact on the cost of a night out. Pick a place and stick around for a bit if you can in order to spread the cost out over a larger amount of time.

And just when you thought the list would never end, I will impart yet another piece of hopefully enjoyable information upon your laps. For those looking for the best drinking deals during the week, be sure to take a look at Sydney Happy Hour for a mapped out view of the best locales to get your drink on from Monday to Friday.

Hopefully this guide can be of assistance to our budget Sydney flatshare tenants, as well as anyone needing to cut back their weekly night out spending habits. Cheers!

May 15, 2009

So, this post goes out to all the Working Holiday Visa-ers who have found their way to the Sydney area. It was definitely a concern of mine upon arrival, so I’m sure you’ve had to think about it as well. What is the best route to take after arriving – find a job, or a place, first?

photo credit: SOCIALisBETTER

The decision was a difficult one for me to make, even after weighing all the options. If I decided to find a job first, I would then be able to find a place closer to it and have a better idea of the budget I was working with. This could mean the difference between living in a dive, or living in comfort during my time in Sydney. It could also spare the cost of certain travel expenses in the future.

On the other hand, I found it was just too difficult to look for a job while living in a hostel. There’s a certain amount of preparation that goes into getting interviews, as well as looking the part, and living out of a backpack was just not cutting it. Just finding a quiet place to talk on the phone to potential employers was difficult, not to mention the fact that internet use was limited. Some nights, I didn’t quite get the sleep I was in dire need of because of the sounds from my other roommates. Also, getting ready for the interview itself seemed to take me twice as long as it would otherwise.

Because the stress of needing to find a job was breathing down my neck, I cracked one Sunday and decided that I needed to find a place first so that all efforts could be focused towards the job. I hurriedly made appointments to view whatever I could for the cheapest I could. But, what did I know? I barely knew the area, or the market.

I ended up taking something that day, and later regretted the decision immensely. I won’t get into the details just yet, but I’m sure they will come up in future posts. Overall, I do think getting my own place first was the way to go because my ability to look for jobs was significantly improved, but really it should have been done in another way.

What do you guys think? Find a place, or a job, first? Take our poll below, or share your own experiences by leaving a comment.