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How to get that finding-money-in-your-pocket feeling

15 October 2013

It's an ungodly hour in the morning. You're pulling on your ski pants for the first time in eight months and old candy wrappers and receipts are falling from the pockets like snowflakes. Suddenly, a cool, crisp twenty peeks out from amongst the litter.

There really is no better feeling than that.

But unfortunately, these moments are rarer than Christmas, which is why it's so important to consider making plans to leave money in your pocket for further down the line sooner rather than later.

If you grew up with Harry Potter and chatter rings, then you're at a good age to start securing your financial future..

The first item on your being-grown-up and-responsible checklist is to take a look at your superannuation fund.

While most employers pay a compulsory contribution to your super fund account at a rate of 9.25 per cent, you can also build up that nest egg even more with salary sacrifice payments.

A salary sacrifice means voluntarily setting aside a little extra from your wages into your retirement kitty. The best part is you even get to choose which fund your money goes to, so you can watch it grow. This could be retail funds, industry funds, public sector funds, or something else. Plus, there's the added benefit that non-concessional (after-tax) contributions to your superannuation fund may not be treated as taxable income and be taxed within the super fund instead.

Similarly, you could consider making personal contributions, which is where you make payments to your superannuation funds at your own pace. This could be a good option if you have varying expenses from pay day to pay day and therefore can't make regular contributions with the salary sacrificing option.

Also, be sure to check if you're eligible for government super contributions. If you are, the government may help you boost your retirement fund with either the super co-contribution or low income super contribution schemes.

It is important to remember that limits apply to the amount you can contribute and that contributions made can't be accessed until you meet a condition of release (such as retirement). You may also want to consider talking to a qualified financial adviser to find out what is best for your individual circumstances.

When was the last time you found money in your pocket?

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