Planning to lodge your tax return yourself this year? Be careful as the Australian Tax Office (ATO) will be watching closely in 2018. Here are four traps to avoid.

We're just about half-way through the year, so let's take some time to do a check-in on our 2018 money goals.

Adhering to a strict financial plan is a lot like following a healthy diet. You do it because you know it will help you feel good now and set yourself up for the best possible future.

Sometimes we waste money on things we don't need without even realising.

It can be difficult to spot things that are wasting cash because an item's affordability is subjective based on situation and personal preferences. Here are five things that may be a waste of your money.

I've long had a "to buy" list that I'll add items to throughout the year, pruning and updating as needed. Right now it's relatively short, including a water purifier, art for my apartment, and wireless headphones to use while running.

A new class of college graduates means millions of young people are entering the workforce for the first time. But between building your emergency fund, paying off student loan debt and investing for the first time, there's still a lot more to learn. So what do you prioritise? That's what we're tackling this week.

Whether it's regular clients, some freelance work you did on the side, an item you sold or just money that your mates borrowed from you, it's a pain trying to get people to pay you the money they owe you. With Christmas just around the corner, it's a good idea to start chasing down that money that is owed before everybody goes off on their holidays. You could probably use the cash to buy Christmas presents as well. Here are four ways to increase your chances of recovering the money.

It has been billed the 'burger-and-milkshake' budget, with up to $10.19 coming to Australian workers per week in personal income tax cuts. There's a lot to unpack, so let's get stuck in!

This weekend, I bought a bouquet of $8 peonies for my new apartment, a small celebration of sorts. The few dollars were tiny drops in the bucket of money I had just spent, considering the movers, increased rent, fees and everything else that comes with a move.

Unlike those costs, however, the flowers were rather impractical. Beautiful, yes, but purposeless. And so as I walked home with them in hand, I couldn't help feel a twinge of guilt. Sure, it was only $8, but with all the other money I had just spent, was it necessary?

Our parents are our first and, for better or or worse, most influential teachers. They instill in us our values, expose us to their ideas and politics, and shape who we become.

One of the first things I did after my first job offer was call my parents. I ran through the pros and cons, expounded on how it would help my career and marveled at the thought that I'd somehow landed a full time job in journalism, with benefits and everything. It seemed too good to be true.

Used to be, you'd sit down once a month with your bank statement, receipts and check register, and make sure all of your deposits and withdrawals lined up.

Life happens. One minute you're coasting towards graduation, ready to take on the world. The next, you've lost your job or haven't been able to find one in your field and you can't afford the rent any more. If you're lucky, your parents are both willing and able to let you move back in and regroup before you go back out into the world to live on your own.

If you're looking to cull some of your unwanted books, say, or other possessions, you'll want to be careful of how (and to whom) you're selling your old stuff.

A lot of our thinking about money revolves around the gains: I'll invest X to get returns of Y per cent in the long term; I'll buy this couch because it will brighten up my apartment and make me happier. But when it comes to financial decisions, it's also important to consider what you'll be giving up.

Each week, we're tackling one of your pressing personal finance questions by asking a handful of money experts for their advice. This week: Investment advice!

Crypto experts have revised their 2018 predictions for bitcoin in 2018. By year's end, the world's most popular cryptocurrency is forecast to hit $27,898 - 400 per cent above today's price. Dogecoin, meanwhile, is still rated the highest potential mover.

One of the struggles of covering personal finance is that the tips and tricks most experts recommend only make sense for a certain group of people: Those who have some disposable income and are likely upwardly mobile. Sure, you can write about handling setbacks and how big an emergency fund should be, but standard advice won't work for everyone.

When you spend money impulsively, it isn't necessarily on luxuries. We buy some pretty boring stuff: Household cleaning products, for example. Research shows we like to buy practical, useful things, which makes spending impulsively even more dangerous.