Unlike here in the land of Oz, many people in the service industry in the U.S have to rely on tips as the main form of income. Restaurant owners are able to pay their workers next to nothing under the pretence that the customers will foot the bill - so to speak.

More of us are relying on debit and credit cards to get through our daily lives. A study from the researchers at the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) found that Australians are using cards more often than cash to pay for things.

While this may be the case - thanks to things like PayPass and tap-and-go - not everywhere will accept cards, so how much cash should you be carrying?

If you want to know how your spending levels compare to the average Australian, you now have the answer.

The black economy is more common than we think – how many of us have paid tradies, gardeners or cleaners cash without the exchange of relevant paperwork? This is what it's like.

If you're not already aware, Amazon Australia seems to be knocking the price of a whole swath of products down - perhaps in preparation for Easter? Regardless, that means that the budding bargain hunter can trawl for hours on Amazon's homepage, trying to find a great deal.

Or they can come to us! We've loaded up five of the best bargains to throw cash at.

Most of us have a stash of coins somewhere in our home. It could be a change jar, a drawer, or even a pile of the jingly, jangly stuff sitting on a window sill. You save it because, well, it's money, but also because it's a pain to carry around and actually use. Here's what to do with that massive coin stash.

Australian companies are the slowest in paying overdue bills; the average time for local businesses to pay outstanding invoices is 26.4 days after they are overdue, according to research by MarketInvoice. Based on a new survey by one of the world's largest credit insurers Atradius, it seems that Australian ICT companies are the worst offenders when it comes to late business-to-business (B2B) payments.

Do you use your credit card or your phone to pay for your morning coffee, or are you still holding on to that pocketful of coins? Sydney-based coffee roastery and cafe chain Pablo & Rusty's is opening Australia's first cashless cafe in Brisbane, ditching the notes and coins in favour of credit cards, phone-based payments and even smart coffee cups.

The Scottish Pacific recently released results for its bi-annual SME Growth Index and has found two-thirds of SMB owners have resorted to personal finances to support the growth of their businesses. This is a worrying trend. Here's why.