According to the most recent ABS data, the average Australian income is $60,892 per year. However, this number is pretty meaningless if you're trying to work out the mode or median: the wages at the very top and bottom invariably skew the results.

If you really want to know how your income compares to the Australian average, you need to focus on people in similar circumstances to yourself. The WageSage website attempts to do the hard work for you: it limits the results to people who share your age, location and gender for much higher accuracy.

It's hard enough to manage your money on a steady, regular income. When your income varies from month to month as someone who's freelancing or self-employed, keeping your finances organised is even more of a pain. From my experience, you need a system. Set it up once, and it protects you forever. Here's the system I use.

To save money and grow your net worth, you have to spend less than you earn. Earning more money will get you further than simply being frugal and spending less of it, but frugality is still a crucial part of the equation.

When politicians talk about tax and fairness, it's easy for them to point out undeserved loopholes benefiting the wealthy, or multinational companies. But the elephant in the room is the difference between those who own and those who rent (or have recently bought and have huge mortgages) the house they live in. The tax advantages of housing offend against justice on every count: they place financial stresses on the poor, they are unequal, and the increase in price is not deserved.

When you're examining your salary, you probably compare it to your current (or future) expenses. To really get a feel for how comfortable you'll be, calculate how much of that income you'll be able to save.

If you're looking for a way to earn extra cash on the side, there are plenty of options out there, from starting a blog to renting out your stuff. Whatever your gig or "side hustle," these five questions will help ensure it's one that fits your lifestyle and goals.

If you want to boost your professional value and build a better career, you'll want to diversify and hone your skills. Personal finance writer David Carlson suggests periodically searching job postings to learn which skills are in demand.

No financial advisor in their right mind would tell you to put all your investments in a single company. When it comes to your income, you should probably take a similar approach.

The term "middle class" has become such common jargon that most of us accept it as both a clearly defined group, and a worthwhile goal. But what defines the middle class is a bit more fluid than you might think.

Ideally, we'd all earn what we deserve and our employers would give us raises according to our skill level, experience, and professional value -- we'd never even have to ask. Of course, reality doesn't usually work out that way. As author Chester Karrass has said: "You don't get what you deserve. You get what you negotiate."

Getting a pay bump is one of the best occasions you can have in your career. Instead of immediately changing up your budget to fit your new salary, however, wait a couple months instead.

When you're moving out of a house, you can be faced with a tough decision: do you sell your home, or rent it out to someone else? It's a tough decision that can cost a lot in the long run. Personal finance blog Money Crashers has some suggestions on factors to consider.

Over the past few months, petrol prices in Australia have fallen to record lows. Some motorists have been paying as little as 99 cents per litre; a price not seen in this country in more than half a decade. So what’s causing petrol prices to plummet so dramatically? We take a look at where the situation currently stands, along with some ways it could save you money beyond the bowser.