Skip the small luxuries for a home

"A penny saved is a penny earned!"

YOUR Facebook page (QT May 16) made me feel quite sad that all of your respondents seemed to miss the point.

I grew up in the era when our elders often said "a penny saved is a penny earned", and I saved and banked all my pennies and and small silver coins which were banked when my little purse was full, unlike my brother who spent all his money on comics and lollies.

As an adult, I never drank coffee and did not know what an avocado was, but I did indulge myself once a week by purchasing a malted milk.

Every pound and then dollar was saved.

During my two-year engagement to my now wife Pam, I was on a small wage as a clerk and Pam was a trainee nurse earning even less.

In that two years, by being very frugal and saving diligently (neither of us ever smoked or consumed alcohol), we were rewarded by saving the deposit to enable the purchase of our first home just prior to being married.

In those days, the minimum deposit required in order to qualify for a home loan was 25% (yes 25%) of the purchase price of the house.

A few years later, I was loans officer at the old Ipswich and West Moreton Building Society.

While in this capacity, I encountered many clients struggling to save enough for a deposit.

When we calculated just how much money was being spent each week on the consumption of alcohol and smoking cigarettes, the amount of money, if saved, when added to what they may have already been able to put aside, would have enabled them to save sufficient for a deposit in three to five years.

Remember, 25% deposit.

PAM BALES

Aid would help famine in Africa

LAST night, while I waited in the supermarket queue, my impatience grew as my stomach growled in hunger.

I felt annoyed as I looked down at the food in my trolley, because I wanted to be at home, cooking my dinner rather than waiting to be served.

I tried to stop myself feeling annoyed by thinking about the people suffering hunger pains in Africa.

With 20 million people facing a famine and starvation crisis in the countries of Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan and Nigeria, the $303 million Mr Turnbull heartlessly cut from the AusAid Budget could have gone a long way preventing one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes from engulfing Africa.

Mr Turnbull, is there really anything left in the AusAid Budget to cut?

Mr Turnbull, when will you recommit Australia to the UN Millennium Declaration and ensure Australia contributes our fair share towards achieving the first UN Millennium Development Goal - eradicating extreme poverty and hunger?

ELISHA McMURRAY

Victoria

Originally published as Skip the small luxuries for a home