Life Admin Life Hacks

Latest Episodes:

020: Organising holidays Jul 17, 2019

Show notes

This episode will help make planning and preparing for your holiday more efficient so you can get away smoothly and make the most of your time away

While many of the listener survey respondents didn’t feel that booking holidays was life admin, Dinah and Mia firmly believe it qualifies, given all the research, comparing, booking, planning, communicating and organisation involved.

This episode includes a heap of hacks in four areas relating to holidays: planning, booking, preparing and enjoying a holiday.

Mia and Dinah give tips on planning a holiday including:

booking in advance and taking into consideration public holiday opportunities
setting a budget and saving to meet your goal
websites to use to assess the impact of timing on costs
how to efficiently plan trips with friends and family.

They discuss tips to do with:

Using frequent flyer points
using travel insurance provided with credit card accounts
Using boutique travel agencies that really know your destination
storing all your holiday booking info.

When preparing for a holiday Mia and Dinah talk about all the hacks they use to make leaving the house as stress-free as possible including:

Packing Lists and other To Do Lists
packing techniques
Making the most of the facilities in a hotel
How to remember all the things you need to do before you head out
Getting activities for your kids organised before you leave.

While on holiday they discuss Dinah’s hack of giving an allowance to her kids at the beginning of the holiday.

LIFE ADMIN HIGHS OF THE WEEK

Dinah talks about finally embracing Siri to add to reminders on her phone
Mia talks about reserving library books online to encourage her to read more and foster her daughter's reading habit

LIFE ADMIN LOW OF THE WEEK

Dinah talks about the hassles or returning internet shopping including her dread of the post office

POWER TOOL

Google Maps Commute

RESOURCES

The Art of Travel - Alain de Botton
Point hacks website - website on how to earn and make the most of frequent flyer points
Seat Guru website - website to find the best seat on planes
Life Admin Life Hacks episode on Scheduling
Life Admin Life Hacks episode on To Do Lists
Life Admin Life Hacks episode on Shared Cloud Storage - Going Paperless
Tripit - App to store travel itineraries
Lonely Pets Club - Pet Sitting Service

Please head to the Life Admin Life Hacks Facebook page to connect with listeners and share your thoughts, questions or suggestions.

019: Filing your tax return Jul 02, 2019

Show notes

This episode will help you set up your systems to make tax time as minimal as possible.

People whose lives are otherwise in good shape can suffer a mental block when it comes to tax. This episode will give you tips to get motivated and preparing your tax return more efficient.

Mia and Dinah discuss:

motivations for doing your tax by the deadline
the benefits of using an accountant or tax agent
why you might want to see your accountant before tax time
thinking about your tax refund as a payment for the work you need to do
options for setting up an online filing system to keep tax records
using scheduling to set aside a time to do your tax return
rewarding yourself when you get your tax return done.

LIFE ADMIN HIGHS OF THE WEEK

Mia discusses how she organised her son’s birthday in one Power Hour : finalised the guest list, booked the venue, bought gifts and invited family for a separate get together
Dinah talks about how she cleared out the 16,000 unread emails in her personal email account

LIFE ADMIN LOW OF THE WEEK

Mia talks about a visit to Centrelink to sort out her Child Care Subsidy
Dinah talks about the difficulty in banking a cheque

POWER TOOL

Book - Mentors: How to Help and be Helped by Russell Brand

RESOURCES

myDeductions - ATO app to save your receipts

Please head to the Life Admin Life Hacks Facebook page to connect with listeners and share your thoughts, questions or suggestions.

018: Controlling digital safety and screen time Jun 20, 2019

Show notes

This episode will clarify the options you have to manage how you and your children use their screens.

There are all kinds of connected devices in our homes: tablets, smartphones, laptops, televisions, gaming consoles and more. Dinah and Mia give you some tools and tips to help keep your children safer online and also help provide screen time limits.

Mia and Dinah talk about resources like Common Sense Media that you can use to decide on which games and apps to download for your children. They also discuss how as your children get older it is more important to make sure you have enabled the parental controls on all the devices they access.

They discuss tips relating to:

Setting up individual profiles for your children and using family sharing settings for Apple and Google
Using Screentime in Apple devices (iOS 9 and above)
Using Content & Privacy Restrictions in older Apple devices
Using parental controls for your PC and gaming consoles
Setting up profiles for Netflix and other streaming accounts
Password protection and staying one step ahead of your digital native children.

They also discuss some options for improving security at the router level including upgrading your router or adding additional gadgets to control all the devices connected to your home internet connection.

LIFE ADMIN HIGHS OF THE WEEK

Dinah’s daughter had cooked dinner based on the family meal planner without being asked

Mia is currently applying for a new role at work and she is able to use the CV she had prepared by an outsourcer earlier this year

LIFE ADMIN LOW OF THE WEEK

Dinah talks about channel confusion caused when groups of friends move between various communication channels like email, WhatsApp and text messages.

POWER TOOL

10% Happier Podcast Episode on Digital Minimalism When - The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel Pink

RESOURCES

Australian Parents Council - Recommended Screentime Raising Children - digital safety and screen time strategies eSafety - Office of the e-safety commissioners Common Sense Media - Aged Based Media Reviews Guide to Screentime functionality for Apple Devices Parental controls for older Apple devices that don't support Screen Time Circle - Screen time management and parental control device that controls wifi access and displays usage history

Please head to the Life Admin Life Hacks Facebook page to connect with listeners and share your thoughts, questions or suggestions.

017: Meal planning & grocery shopping Jun 07, 2019

Show notes

Dinah and Mia discuss their adoption of meal planning and hacks to make grocery shopping more efficient. This episode features an interview with meal planning expert, Nicole Avery, from Planning With Kids and Planned and Present.

Nicole gives some great tips about:

developing a system to share the load (eg shopping)
involving the family to suggest meal ideas
taking into account your family’s schedule
cooking in bulk to create leftovers for lunches
making every meal work more than once
meal preparation ahead of time
enlisting family members to help with putting the groceries away
where to find inspiration for recipes
how to get your family to try new meals
how to accommodate family members dietary requests and allergies
how to get started and use simple rules to make choosing meals easier
keeping it simple and not over complicating the plan.

Mia and Dinah talk about some of their techniques including:

using criteria to guide your plan (like Friday pizza night, fish night, breakfast for dinner night)
weekly planning vs monthly planning
buying in bulk for staples
using subscription services for toilet paper and pet food
having magnetised shopping lists and meal plans on the fridge
how to get inspiration for meal ideas.

LIFE ADMIN RESOURCES

Nicole Avery’s website – Planning with Kids

Nicole Avery’s Meal Prep Primer course

Please head to the Life Admin Life Hacks Facebook page to connect with listeners and share your thoughts, questions or suggestions.

016: Simplifying gift giving May 15, 2019

Show notes

Get the hacks to buy appropriate, thoughtful gifts that are within budget and in time for the occasion, efficiently.

Mia and Dinah explore the joys and lows of giving gifts and how to make sure gifts are meaningful without overthinking it. The hacks covered for selecting gifts include:

setting up wish lists for family members and close friends using your lists app
simplifying decision making by using categories and themes (eg books, sport, experience, games/puzzles, clothes, accessories, food, plant)
finding a few favourite online and bricks-and-mortar stores with good quality items
using social media to identify hobbies or brands the recipient may enjoy
buying gifts for children’s birthday parties
planning for Christmas shopping.

They also give their perspectives on Kris Kringles, gift cards, movie tickets and group gifts.

This episode includes hacks on how to make shopping for gifts more efficient including:

online shopping
shopping late at night when stores are quiet
only shopping when you have already decided what you are going to buy
scheduling in regular shopping trips.

Mia and Dinah also give some advice on hacks related to creative gift wrapping and the task of sending birthday wishes.

RESOURCES

The Five Love Languages – book about how people experience and demonstrate love differently

Geraldine Hickey – from “Upfront 2018” including “Nicole” – stand up comic on the topic of group gift buying

Please head to the Life Admin Life Hacks Facebook page to connect with listeners and share your thoughts, questions or suggestions.

015: Switching home loans Apr 30, 2019

Show notes

This episode is all about how to compare and switch home loans to save you money, and features an interview with a mortgage broker.

There are thousands of home loans available on the market, so chances are at least one of them offers

a lower interest rate
lower fees
more flexible repayment options or

features like apps and internet banking that are better than your current mortgage.

Depending on your current loan amount, loan period and other loan terms, the savings to be had can be enormous.

Mia and Dinah talk about the recent changes in the home loan market in Australia due to both falling property prices and the impact of the Royal Commission into banking. This could lead to a rate decrease later this year, which may make it a good time to switch home loans.

Dinah and Mia talk about the key features you should consider when comparing loans including:

establishment fees
interest and comparison rates
redraw facilities
offset accounts and
customer experience including online banking and in branch access.

This episode includes an interview with mortgage broker, Donna from Wilde F&I in Melbourne. She provides some tips on what to consider when comparing home loans and the benefits of using a broker including understanding the products that are out there and the deals that are available. The interview also covers the costs and process of switching and the paperwork you will need such as loan statements, tax records, and budgets. They also talk about what paperwork is important to keep.

LIFE ADMIN HIGHS OF THE WEEK

Dinah talks about finally switching her gas and electricity contracts, which were inconveniently in her husband’s name.
Mia reviewed her store loyalty cards including switching to more immediate cash back benefits for her supermarket rewards and starting to use the FlyBuys app.

LIFE ADMIN LOW OF THE WEEK

Dinah talks about the frustrations she faced when her son’s sporting team rescheduled all its practices after she had already spent time adding all of the information to her calendar and negotiating logistics with her husband.

RESOURCES

Money Smart website – government website with financial guidance on switching home loans

Please head to the Life Admin Life Hacks Facebook page to connect with listeners and share your thoughts, questions or suggestions.

014: Selecting energy plans Apr 16, 2019

Show notes

This episode is all about finding the best offer for your electricity and gas in those states of Australia where you choose your energy retailer.

There are more than 37 energy retailers vying for our business yet many of us never switch, even though prices have risen quite significantly in recent years.

The key considerations for comparing energy providers are:

Dual Fuel – do you want to consolidate your electricity and gas? Even add your solar? This little convenience as you still receive separate bills and may only get an initial discount, rather than an ongoing one.
Tariff choice – Single tariff, Block tariff, time of use/flexible tariff
Daily Supply Charge
Discount – is it applied on total bill or only on useage?
Contract Length – up to five years
Connection and Disconnection fees
Green Energy
Administration – Billing and online tools

The recommended steps are:

Review your recent bills to confirm your current costs, plan details and energy usage
Visit the relevant energy comparison siteVictoria : Energy Compare
NSW: Energyswitch
SA: Energy Made Easy
National: Powering Forward
Download your usage data
Compare the providers
Phone your current provider to ask if they can match the best deal
Assess if you should switch
Phone your preferred provider to confirm the plan details and then switch.

LIFE ADMIN HIGH OF THE WEEK

Mia talks about outsourcing the preparation of her CV to a professional resume writing service and how much more time efficient it was

LIFE ADMIN LOW OF THE WEEK

Dinah talks about the time involved in manually moving all the direct debits to her new banking arrangement.
Mia talks about how she had planned to start working on her digital photos but her pairing plan was foiled, once again.

POWER TOOL

Outlook Email App – better app to manage email and calendar sharing

RESOURCES

Government energy comparison sites:Victoria : Energy Compare
NSW: Energyswitch
SA: Energy Made Easy
National: Powering Forward

Please head to the Life Admin Life Hacks Facebook page to connect with listeners and share your thoughts, questions or suggestions.

013: Choosing an internet plan Apr 02, 2019

Show notes

Mia and Dinah talk about switching broadband internet plans to save money and improve their service.

There are more than 35 internet service providers in Australia, with an array of ever-changing offers and promotions. This, combined with advancements in internet technology such as the NBN and improved modems and routers, and the changing use of technology by households, means that most of us should be reviewing our internet service plans to make sure we are getting the best deal.

The key criteria for selecting a plan are:

Data needs – do you need unlimited or will a smaller plan be enough for your household usage?
Cost – what savings are worth it for you to switch?
Provision of equipment – will they provide the latest modem router to maximise your connection speed?
Network performance – is uptime and speed important for your family?
Customer service – is help at hand when you need it?
Contract length – are you willing to lock in for two years, which is the most common contract length?
Bundles – do you want to bundle with other telephony or streaming services?
Ease of activation – do you need to make appointments for a technician to visit?

To compare broadband plans:

Confirm your current monthly costs, plan details and monthly usage history
Decide what criteria are important to you
Speak to your current provider to see if they can improve your current deal
Use comparison sites to shortlist providers based on your criteria
Compare the providers for your key considerations
Phone your preferred provider to confirm their offers and then switch.

LIFE ADMIN HIGHS OF THE WEEK

Mia talks about how she has moved from Microsoft Outlook to Google Calendar for her household’s shared calendar, which has fixed synchronization challenges and provided a seamless experience across iOs and PC devices.
Dinah talks about how she has added her To Do List app (Wunderlist) and shared family Google Calendar to her daughter’s phone, which has allowed some more delegation.

LIFE ADMIN LOW OF THE WEEK

Mia talks about how her son’s passport has expired and that she procrastinating about renewing it.
Dinah talks about the fact that the Google Photos app does not work effectively for sharing photos and she needs to research an alternative app.

POWER TOOL

WhatsApp – great for group chats and voice messages. Also you can use Siri to send a WhatsApp for you when you need to be hands free, such as in the car.

RESOURCES

Choice Magazine – consumer advocacy group that surveys members to publish independent reviews and ratings. Free online access may be available through your local library.

Canstar Blue – broadband comparison site, whose annual survey of providers is supported by referrals to advertisers

Whistleout – broadband comparison site, with paid referrals to advertisers

Please head to the Life Admin Life Hacks Facebook page to connect with listeners and share your thoughts, questions or suggestions.

012: Comparing private health insurance Mar 19, 2019

Show notes

Mia and Dinah talk about principles for efficient comparison shopping and fast decision making, before getting into the process and tools specific to reviewing private health insurance.

To avoid spending days researching better deals and ending up with analysis paralysis, there are several principles to embrace when comparing products or services:

Keep the end in mind – Make sure you know what you are aiming to achieve – saving money, finding better quality products or services – before you start comparing. Decide how long you are willing to dedicate to the research stage, and for what benefit.
Satisfice more and maximise less – Establish standards for what is good enough and accept and embrace them rather than being resigned to it.
Use rules of thumb to reduce effort – Decide what criteria you will use to compare providers, and how many providers to compare.

In respect to health insurance, Mia and Dinah give an overview of what Medicare covers versus insurance, explain industry jargon and outline and things to consider when comparing different types of cover, such as:

Medicare Levy Surcharge
Health Insurance Rebates
Lifetime Health Cover Loading
Difference between Hospital and Extras cover
Excess
Waiting periods
Limits and benefits
Comparison sites

They each talk about their own process for comparing private health insurance and Mia’s satisfaction when she dedicated an hour and a half to the task to save $100/month with higher annual benefits on the services that are important to her.

How to compare private health insurance:

First, look at your current financial situation and cover to understand your premium, what rebate level applies to you, your benefit limits and claims history
Decide what type of treatment, customer service and price saving is important to you before you even start to compare and agree how much time you are willing to dedicate to the process
Pick how many providers and cover types you are going to compare
Jump online to familiarise yourself with each provider’s products, then call up each of them and switch when you find a better deal.

RESOURCES

Privatehealth.gov.au – government website that explains private health insurance and provides a comprehensive cover comparison tool

Members Own Health Funds – comparison site with cover from 16 Australian not-for-profit and mutual health funds

PHI Extras Calculator – a Google Drive spreadsheet, built by Life Admin Life Hacks, which helps you compare extras cover

Please head to the Life Admin Life Hacks Facebook page to connect with listeners and share your thoughts, questions or suggestions.

011: Drafting wills and powers of attorney Mar 05, 2019

Show notes

Mia and Dinah interview Justin Hiew, a lawyer from McMahon Fearnly Lawyers, to get some expert input into the morbid but important topic of wills and powers of attorney.

The information provided in this podcast constitutes general information only. It is not intended to nor does it constitute legal advice and it is not a substitute for professional legal advice. You should obtain professional advice before taking any action in relation to any matter discussed in the podcast.

They talk about:

why it is important to make sure you have a will and powers of attorney
when a will kit is probably good enough
the difference between a will and a trust
how financial and medical Power of Attorneys work
when you should consider updating your will
the importance of where to store your will
what to look for when you are choosing a lawyer to prepare a will
typical costs of preparing wills and powers of attorney.

Mia and Dinah talk about what were the key blockers for them to prepare their wills and powers of attorney. For Dinah, it was finding a lawyer and choosing an Executor and for Mia, it was thinking through her final wishes, the guardianship of her children as well as the distribution of her assets.