Today, Raquel and I had to get up earlier than usual to drive the car over to the Toyota car shop in the city for its long overdue scheduled maintenance service. I had to get the car at the shop between 7:30 AM and 9 AM. So, we originally planned to wake up at 6:30 so that we could get the car there at 7:30.
The incentive to get the car in the shop as early as possible was that the shop closes at 5:15 PM. If we got the car in at 9 AM, we will get in the office at about 9:30 AM. And that will mean that we can only leave the office after 6 PM. If we get in early, we will be able to pick up the car from the shop before it closes with no problems.
Then during lunch break, I called up AAMI and RACV to get some quotes for a building insurance on the property we will own come end of November. Afterwards, we went to the post office to mail my old mobile phone which I just sold through eBay to this guy in Newcastle, New South Wales.
After that, we decided to drop by Myer to look at electric kettles. I’ve been nagging Raquel about getting one for a while now because it makes it very easy to make a cup of hot coffee or soup. So today, we found a kettle we liked and bought it.
Well, it wasn’t really an exciting day. What can I say? I’ll just fire up the new kettle and make myself a warm cup of noodle soup. Signing off for now.
Palabok 
hey geejay, really appreciate your lengthy and informative reply to my queries. You and Raquel are such gems for sharing all these infos to us prospective migrants. Hope you won’t get tired answering more questions in the near future, hehe. Hope you get your much needed vacation.
Best Regards
@Mel: I didn’t buy my own car until my third year in Australia. I understand that a second-hand car would be cheaper but I wanted to buy a car I really liked and I had not intention of replacing it real soon. So, we bought a relatively brand-new car (a 2004 Toyota Corolla Conquest hatch-back). At the time, I was a contractor so when we tried to go to the bank for a car loan, we basically got denied because they were afraid that my contract won’t get renewed in the future and we would end up defaulting on the loan. Fortunately though, we had enough petty cash to buy the car outright.
In your case, you might find it difficult to get a car loan, too, if not more so. I think your best bet to get a car of your own is to buy it outright with cash. If you don’t have enough cash to buy one, you may want to either save up first or go for a cheaper second-hand car which could probably be as low as $10k. That is, if a car is all that important to you. I mean, we got by without a car for three years. When we needed a car, we just rented one.
Still, if you or your husband has a permanent job, then you could probably still get a small loan from the bank even if you don’t have a credit history. I can’t guarantee it though.
As for furniture, I would’ve said go for Fantastic Furniture as well. Most of our current furniture, I’m embarassed to say, was bought from there. You could also try Ikea but they have like only one big shop per state. Here in Melbourne, it’s at Richmond, I think, which is pretty far from Werribee.
Another way to get cheap furniture is to buy second-hand. It depends on how comfortable you are at sitting on a somebody else’s old couch. You can buy second-hand furniture on eBay, too. You’d have to pick it up though. There’s also the Trading Post newspaper sold on newsagencies. Lastly, there’s also the dedicated second-hand furniture shops.
As for appliances, go for The Good Guys. They sell brand new named brands for cheaper if paid with cash. Since you don’t have a credit card, I’d say you’ll save with them.
I should turn this into a full-pledged post. 😉
what an exciting day. /:)
Speaking of cars, may I ask your opinion on purchasing a car upon arrival in Melbourne. I think it’s practical to get a 2nd hand but my husband prefers brand new. However, since we have no credit history or credit card for that matter, how can we go about in applying for a car loan?
About home furniture and appliances, fantastic furniture was recommended to me. Any other recommendations for new migrants on where to purchase the necessities in furnishing a home that would be budget friendly? Preferably in Werribee or nearby areas.