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'It makes me feel ill': Author Elfy Scott on the reality of living in Sydney's current rental market

It's Pay Day! Author Elfy Scott answers all the money questions we don't like to talk about as we seek to demystify personal finance and normalise conversations about how we think about money, what we earn and how we spend it.
A woman in her 20s smiles with an orange backdrop, wearing a black dress

The AI rules you should know before you start using it at work

Implementing rules around artificial intelligence at work helps protect privacy, and can allow workers to feel supported, rather than threatened. They can also reduce the misuse of AI.
Six people, surrounded by laptops and tablets, gather around a table for a meeting. Two are shaking hands.

'You don't have to go into detail': How to call in sick for work

Gone are the days when a phone call was the main way to call in sick. With email, text and messaging apps now in the mix, we ask experts about the best ways to let an employer know you're unable to work.
A man sits on a couch, draped in a blanket, checks his temperature, while talking on a smartphone.

'Our farming debt has carried over for generations': Leila McDougall on farming, finances and making her first film

It's Pay Day! Farmer and filmmaker Leila McDougall shares the surprising truth about life on the land, how her family informed her attitude towards credit cards, and why it's important to believe in yourself. 
 A woman in a brimmed hat, long-sleeve shirt and vest stands leaning on a cattle fence, cattle behind her

Pay Day with Caitlin Figueiredo: 'I've lined up back-to-back house-sitting gigs so I don't have to pay rent or utilities'

It's Pay Day! The ACT's Young Australian of the Year, Caitlin Figueiredo, shares the first big purchase she made at just eight years old, why she won't stop buying people gifts and how she's managed to stop paying rent.
A young woman in a blue, button-up shirt stands in front of a marble staircase.

Jayda was excited when she got her first pay cheque. Then, she looked at the hourly rate

Employers can pay youngsters aged below 21 less than the minimum wage. But some say it is not a fair deal and are pushing for equal pay.
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Girl in school uniform, striped shirt, grey sweater, nose ring, black hair tied, slight smile. Graphic of money, coffee, chips.

Amanda went to an academic-focused, all-girls private school with zero tech options. But she wanted to be a sparky

When Amanda Hewer was in high school and still figuring out what she wanted to do with her life, trades never felt like an option. Now, she's on a quest to get more girls into the industry she loves.
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A smiling woman poses on a tree lined street

Gen Zs like Flynn are happy to career hop until they find a job that makes them happy

Gen Z and millennials are job hopping much more frequently than their boomer bosses in the pursuit of happiness — and it's putting pressure on employers.  
Graphic of man in high vis with an arrow pointing to him dressed in a black polo

Why Dallas gave up the glamorous city life to happily return to her family's sheep farm

Dallas Davidson grew up as a farm girl, but in her heart she dreamt of Oscar nominations and red carpet walks. Now she juggles both, hosting camera crews to film everything from country music videos to science fiction movies.
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A woman with a sheep

'I have shop-lifted to feed my family': Dr Liz Allen on the shame of poverty, and the life lessons it has taught her

For Pay Day, demographer and social researcher Dr Liz Allen shares the shame that comes with living in poverty, the secrets of survival, and how this experience "grants perspective that can never be bought".
Liz Allen, wearing black floral blazer over navy top, smiles outside in front of a brick wall

'So much love': German medicos reflect on 17 years in the outback

When intrepid medical couple Ulrich and Sabine Orda arrived in Mount Isa with four young kids in the mid-2000s, they did not expect their short-term adventure would turn into a love affair with the Queensland outback spanning almost two decades.
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A middle-aged woman and man stand in a medical surgery, examining a chart.

When Rachele fell for a colleague, she tried to repress her feelings. It didn't work

Workplace romances aren't uncommon, but what are the consequences for dating colleagues or even your boss? 
two people hold hands discreetly at a printer in an office.

Olivia's small business failed and she's finding ways to deal with the financial impact

Self-professed "over-achiever" Olivia Franklin shares what she has learnt after being forced to move on from her failed dream, and the more than $100,000 worth of debt that has come with it.
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A woman with short, curly ,red hair in a floral dress posing behind an orange tiled bar.

The $4,000 travelling mistake that left drag superstar Hannah Conda at the 'lowest point in her financial life'

It's Pay Day! Australian drag superstar Hannah Conda explains the expensive reality behind the scenes of her glitzy appearances on RuPaul's Drag Race, and the travel mistake that led her to the lowest point in her financial life. 
Hannah sings into a microphone in a frilly pink dress with white underwear on display. A shirtless man plays a pink piano.

Baby boomers are sharing offices with Generation Z — and they're learning plenty from each other

Baby Boomers who used telex machines in their first jobs are working alongside Generation Z colleagues who have always had a smartphone. With more of us living — and working — for longer, how are we making it work?
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Jess and Gabby

New career at 31 for mum amid cost-of-living crisis and nursing shortage

A surge in enrolments to fee-free nursing across North Queensland TAFE campuses gives aspiring nurses a foot in the door during a cost-of-living crisis.
TAFE student stands near wall looking directly at camera

For self-employed artist Nordacious, home ownership still feels like 'a lofty aspiration'. But this is his 'slow and steady' plan

It's Pay Day! Brisbane-based visual artist Nordacious, AKA James Hillier, shares the lesson of "delayed gratification" that he learned from his parents and the irresistible guilty splurge in his shopping trolley most weeks.
A split image shows a man sitting against a brick wall and two pop-art style illustrations of David Bowie and Freddie Mercury

Sarah spends her days surrounded by dead bodies. The 22-year-old says 'it's a calling'

Taking up a job as an embalmer may sound like an unlikely career pivot for a woman in her early 20s, but Sarah Broanda is part of a growing cohort of young people taking up jobs in the funeral industry. 
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A young blonde woman wearing pink scrubs in a room filled with coffins

Is a positive RAT sufficient evidence for sick leave if you have COVID?

Here's what you need to know about providing evidence for sick leave when you have COVID-19.
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A hand holds a COVID-19 rapid antigen test. The test shows two lines, indicating a positive result.

Salary sacrificing her car taught Elly two valuable lessons: read the damn contract and plan for the worst

It's Pay Day! Elly Desmarchelier shares the financial reality of living with a disability, why salary-sacrificing her car turned out to be a disaster, and the money advice from her parents that she carries with her to this day.
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A woman with red short hair in a light blue shirt is in a wheelchair and laughing while in front of a beach outside

Priscilla, queen of the horses: How a Dutch backpacker became an outback drover and award-winning trainer

Priscilla Oberreiner had big dreams of adventure when she arrived in Australia as a young backpacker, but she never imagined winning one of the country's most celebrated horsemanship challenges.
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Pris with a mic

How South Australia will attempt to solve its rural doctor shortage crisis

As part of a newly announced training model, an extra 60 junior GPs will be employed across regional SA for the duration of their five years of training, with hopes they will stay on in the towns afterwards. 
Medical students stand with politicians and a doctor in a hospital room.

Michael Ko has built his platform by sharing financial tips and tricks. His best advice? Avoid bad debt

It's Pay Day! Finance content creator Michael Ko shares the money advice he would give his 18-year-old self, and explains why he splurges on a new smartphone upgrade every year — even though he knows he doesn't need to.
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Michael Ko is squatting down in a field of yellow flowers, he's wearing a grey sweatshirt and blue jeans.

From Moe to Paris, Emily's stilettos are stepping out on catwalks around the world

This 26-year-old fashion designer from Moe is making a name for herself on the catwalks of Paris after working two jobs as a teenager at Kmart and KFC.
blonde woman taking selfie

Pay Day with Campbell Harrison: 'I'm always gaslighting myself out of essential purchases to try and save money'

It's Pay Day! Top-ranked sports climber Campbell Harrison takes a break from training for the Paris Olympic Games to share how working from a young age to pursue his dream career has taught him the value of paying it forward.
A man wearing green and gold jersey clings to a boulder wall with two hands and a toe