Ah the frivolous twenties. A time of (mis)adventure, experimentation and discovery for every young man. The last thing any twenty-something year-old is worried about during this time? Financial goals.

This dull but often important aspect of a man’s life should never be neglected. The general perception of a young man is that finance can be taken care of later in life since assets are low, graduation is fresh and a casual job is well within reach.

“Save first and then spend what’s left over, not the other way around”

It may be true to an extent, but gaining a real financial advantage in your twenties today can mean ending up with your own place by your thirties or renting on the cheap until you’re fifty.

To alleviate the confusion, we’ve put together some money management tips with the help of an expert to find out how to utilise your earnings during your twenties and what financial skills you’ll need to come out on top of the moolah pile. Easy money.

#1 A Crash Course In Finance

The first step to any sound financial preparation for a young man is gaining the knowledge himself. It’s often said that the hardest part is starting and this will no doubt put many off. Not you though because you’re a fiscally-sound magnificent bastard and fiscally-sound magnificent bastards know where to acquire the good stuff with minimal effort.

#2 What To Focus On In Twenties

Young men in their twenties are bombarded with information regarding property, shares, multiple income streams and much more. What is myth or truth is harder to decipher. Luke Laretive who is the Senior Private Wealth Advisor at Shaw and Partners says that the time in your twenties is your biggest asset, so use it wisely.

“You can take risks and still have time to recover if it all goes belly-up. Also, the earlier you get started with good money habits and a financial plan, the longer your money will be working for you.”

He explains that a young man’s biggest income producing asset is his ability and potential to earn money. More specifically the income you make on an annual basis is what you trade for your time and skill. As such, young people should invest in themselves and build these skills – either in a career or a side business – to try to maximise potential earnings.

“You have a lot more control of this than the stock market or property market,” explains Laretive.

“Whether to put surplus money into savings, shares or property will depend on the individual’s goals, risk tolerances and circumstances. All have pros and cons so it’s best to do some research or get advice from a professional. Don’t just follow the herd or rely on BBQ chat for your financial advice.”

#3 Bad Financial Habits To Avoid

Being in your twenties is all about earning the disposable income to purchase all those goodies you’ve always wanted: the new car, the flashy phone, the cool threads, a bloody hoverboard if you must. The list is endless. And now the bad news.

Do not spend every dollar that you earn. It’s a terrible financial habit to be living by the paycheck or by credit card as a lot of twenty-somethings often do. It’s also doing you a lot more damage in the longterm for just a short term fix of the ‘feel goods’.

Laretive warns against this bad and commonly avoidable habit and says that young men should get into the habit of putting money aside for saving and investing instead.

“Spending more than you earn, living a lifestyle that you can’t afford and racking up credit card debt to fund it is a big no-no.”

Additionally, not defining your financial goals is also a mistake often overlooked. In your twenties you need to address these factors:

• What kind of life do you want and how much money do you need to make it happen?
• What is important to you, what do you want to achieve and what are you willing to sacrifice to get it?
• You could take an overseas trip every year for 5 years, or have a significant chunk of a home deposit. There’s always a trade-off.

To be more proficient in this area, a bit of attention and active interest in your finances is all that’s required.

“Get familiar with your superannuation and every now and then, check your big expenses and see if you could be getting a better deal whether it’s a mortgage, insurance or phone plan.”

The notion of risk should also play into the monetary acumen of a young man. Risk often comes with a negative connotation but it’s also important to realise that getting rich can’t be done via conventional saving.

Laretive further adds that young people aren’t taking enough educated risks.

“You should always have some amount of savings in the bank but with inflation and low interest rates you are never going to get rich by saving alone. Be willing to evaluate risk and take chances.”

#4 How To Balance Lifestyle & Saving

By now you’re probably thinking it’s all doom and gloom when it comes to being financially responsible in your twenties. Not necessarily, if you play it smart.

“There’s always an opportunity cost when you spend money,” says Laretive.

“$500 into shares is $500 not spent on something fun. You choose how to allocate your resources so identify and prioritise what’s important to you and be deliberate in your spending.”

The easiest way to navigate the lifestyle-vs-saving landscape is to decide and set your goals earlier on and the then set up your finances so you don’t have to think about it.

Budgeting is a boring and depressing affair for everyone so the key is to find whatever works for you – an app, a family accountant, whatever – just make sure it’s as easy and simple as possible to manage.

Laretive explains that you can even set up different accounts for bills/rent/emergency fund/investing/saving and set up auto debits for pay day.

“Then only have your spending allowance available on your access card.”

“However you do it, save first and then spend what’s left over, not the other way around.”

#5 Rent Or Buy

Welcome to the million dollar question faced by many men in their twenties today who don’t have a trust fund to fall back on. The predicament is simple: ‘Be a man – move out, rent and be independent’ or ‘Be a man – stay at home with the parents, save up, buy your own place and call it your own’.

So which path is the right path for a young man?

“There’s a lot of pros and cons for both renting and owning,” says Laretive.

“Financially, you’re not necessarily better off if you buy a house, and ‘rent money is dead money’ isn’t really the full story either.”

“Like all decisions, it’s about opportunity cost and alternatives. Think about what suits you and your lifestyle. If location flexibility is important to you, then renting is great. If stability is important to you, then owning is great.”

Most importantly though, he says that one shouldn’t feel the need to own a house just because that’s what everyone else is doing.

“Investigate the alternatives and make an informed decision. If you want to buy a house and you are lucky enough to have the opportunity to live with your parents while you save a deposit it can really fast track your saving.”

The obvious trade off is that a young man in this situation will need to give up the freedom of living by themselves whilst their parents are also making a sacrifice by providing free accommodation.

Laretive says that if you are going to take advantage of this option then you should really commit to saving hard and getting that deposit together as soon as you can.

The post 5 Money Skills You Need To Know In Your Twenties appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The annual Pow! Wow! art festival continues to capture the imagination of the world with its dazzling display of innovative street art.

This time it was California’s Long Beach which received hosting honours, using the opportunity to show off some of the finest murals from a panel of international artists.

The week-long festival first kicked off in Hawaii in 2015 and has grown significantly in just a year, attracting large scale  work features and artist talks from people such as Sean “Hula” Yoro, Felipe Pantone, Andrew Hem, Sean “Hula” Yoro, and Cinta Vidal Agulló amongst many more.

The event marked a fine occasion for Pow! Wow! Long Beach to spawn other like-minded events including a new exhibition at the Long Beach Museum of Art, the Vitality & Verve: In The Third Dimension. The spin-off focuses more on multimedia art and creativity in the digital space.

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It’s easy to forget about the humble train. These days we want airlines that spoil us rotten and hotels that spoil us rottener. We want plush lounges. We want five-star food. We want to see the world’s most famous monuments up close. A train seems like a quaint relic of a time long before celebs Snapchatted sessions with personal trainers and Pokemon were lurking around every corner.

Trans-Siberian Railway

The granddaddy of all epic rail journeys is the Trans-Siberian Railway. At 9,289 km (5,772 mi), it’s the longest railway line on the planet and easily its most famous. The classic Trans-Siberian route stretches from Moscow to Vladivostok. Other branches take travellers from Moscow to Beijing via Mongolia or Manchuria. As for accommodations, conditions vary vastly. The private Tsar’s Gold and Golden Eagle luxury trains offer comfortable compartments, attentive service, and opulent dining menus. The cheap seats in the standard trains offer an entirely different experience, but it’s an experience a certain species of traveller will love.

The Ghan

Australia’s most memorable passenger train makes the trek through Adelaide, Alice Springs, Katherine, and Darwin. The route spans 54 hours and 2,979 km (1,851 mi) through the stunning red vastness of the Outback. Fun fact: the name ‘Ghan’ is a shortened version of the railway’s former nickname, the Afghan Express, which honours the Afghan camel drivers who trekked the same route in the 19th century. Spring for the Platinum Service, providing finances allow, to score a private cabin and en suite bathroom.

Venice-Simplon Orient Express

No list of the world’s best train trips would be complete without a nod to the Orient Express – the Venice-Simplon Orient Express, to be precise. The legendary train harkens back to the heyday of rail travel, when royalty, diplomats, and other wealthy patrons would climb aboard to be whisked around Europe’s stylish capitals. Today the train retains its Art Deco charm, timeless romance, and top-notch service that could give the Four Seasons a run for its money. Destinations include London, Paris, Prague, Vienna, and Budapest.

Eastern & Oriental Express

For track-based adventures in Asia, the Eastern & Oriental Express consistently ranks as one of the best. As the sister train to the Venice-Simplon Orient Express, passengers can expect cocktails, fine dining, doting staff, and more indulgence than seems possible on a train. While you sip champagne in the piano bar or relax with a book in the library, you’ll chug past rice paddies, rural villages, gleaming pagodas, jungles, and vibrant cities. The route reaches between Bangkok and Singapore, with stops in Malaysia in between.

Rovos Rail

South Africa’s Rovos Rail connects various destinations throughout the country, along with stops in Namibia and Tanzania. The Pride of Africa has been hailed as the most luxurious train in the world, and it doesn’t disappoint. The locomotive includes observation cars, dining cars, lounge cars, and club cars to host smokers, all of which boast a glamorous Victorian atmosphere. To maintain the elegant aesthetic, guests are asked to dress smart casual during the days and more formally at night – a jacket and tie is a minimum requirement for gentlemen.

Hiram Bingham

The Hiram Bingham makes your once-in-a-lifetime trip to Machu Picchu even more magical. The train is one of the most renowned luxury rail experiences around – which means it doesn’t come cheap, but it is the most unapologetically lavish way to explore the Inca Trail. The 1920s Pullman-style train is named for the American explorer who rediscovered the Incan Citadel in 1911, and it is built to pamper up to 84 passengers with rich upholstery, live Peruvian music, and an onboard chef whipping up four-course dinners.

Glacier Express

Though it’s shorter than many of the journeys on this list, the Glacier Express is just as memorable. The Swiss train winds at the proverbial snail’s pace between the two ultra-chic alpine resorts of St Moritz and Zermatt, a seven-hour expedition that includes more than 90 tunnels and 291 bridges. As a passenger, it’s all about the scenery. Your surroundings run the gamut from plunging valleys, to soaring peaks, to deep gorges, to flower-filled summer meadows or icicle-decked trees. Glass-roofed carriages ensure you see it all.

Rocky Mountaineer

The World Travel Awards have crowned the Rocky Mountaineer the ‘World’s Leading Travel Experience By Train’ an impressive seven times and National Geographic named it one of the ‘World’s Greatest Trips’. It even has the more dubious honour of appearing on The Bachelorette. Several routes are available, all of which have their allures, but the most acclaimed is the First Passage to the West, a two-day passage through Canada’s stunning Rocky Mountains between Vancouver and Banff with an overnight in the historic town of Kamloops.

Maharajas’ Express

If it’s fit for a Maharaja, it’s certainly fit for you. India’s Maharajas’ Express is an unparalleled way to experience some of the country’s best-known sights and rich cultural heritage. The train includes two fine dining restaurants, two bars, and a “palace on wheels” Presidential Suite with a living room, two bedrooms, and a personal valet. Passengers choose from a selection of five journeys that hit destinations like Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, and Udaipur, any of which will set you back thousands.

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Loosen your belts lads, UberEATS will finally arrive in Sydney today, bringing with it over a hundred of the city’s best restaurants to your front door.

The service which goes live from 11am will include restaurants such as Three Blue Ducks, Sake, Butter, Fratelli Fresh and more. For now the service is limited to just inner Sydney suburbs between Bondi, Surry Hills, Pyrmont and Newtown but there is plans for city-wide expansion and restaurant partnerships as bugs get ironed out.

To get the service up and running users simply need to download the UberEATS app, which is also accessible through the standard Uber app, and they’ll be open to over hundreds of dishes from participating eateries. The hard part will be the wait time in which Three Blue Ducks chef Darren Robertson told SMH that “I think we’ll hit the average delivery time of 35 minutes. We’ve designed things so we can assemble pretty quickly.”

Meanwhile the fried chicken fiends at Butter reiterated a similar message, with head chef Julian Cincotta telling the media outlet, “our main goal it to deliver food on time and at a high quality with no disruptions along the way.”

UberEATS is free to trial now but will eventually attract a $5 flat fee as seen in Melbourne which has had the service in place since March.

Food delivery will be available from 11am to 10pm seven days a week with free delivery on for just a limited time. Users pay for their orders via card and can track their food as it arrives from the listed eateries. For those restaurants that aren’t listed, simply fill in this form.

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These days it appears that sex is the miracle cure to everything from high blood pressure, to obesity, pain, stress, lack of sleep and even cancer. Well, now we can add another health benefit to the list with a recent study finding that regular sex will make you a better athlete.

In light of the upcoming Olympics, sex toy company Adam & Eve decided to test if sex could affect how good we are at sports. Teaming up with Olympic coach Dr. Mike Young, Adam & Eve monitored how the sex and masturbation habits of 21 national and college athletes, of both genders, influenced speed, strength, and agility.

No surprise, really, that the results found more frequent sex and masturbation correlated with lower running times, higher vertical-jump heights, and greater strength. It was solo sex, however, that produced the most interesting result. It lead to a 10% increase in agility and a 13% increase in strength.

RELATED: These Personality Traits Are Linked To More (And Better) Sex

This isn’t the first time that sex has been related to better athleticism, either. Apparently, a Brooks Running survey conducted last year found that nearly half of runners under 40 performed better in races if they got down and dirty first.

But not so fast. Dr. Mike Young did mention in his study that subjective perceptions were actually more influential to athletic performance than sex. “If they feel like participating in a sexual activity will improve their athletic performance then it more than likely will and they should strategically seek out opportunities to be sexually active.” According to the study, athletes who believed in the power of sex to improve their skills were 68% more likely to see improvements.

So, it’s all in the mind as well as between the sheets.

The post Good News, Sex Will Make You A Better Athlete appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Jet lag may well be the bane of the world’s most avid travellers but scientists have potentially discovered why travelling from west to east can make the effect much worse.

To come to this conclusion, savvy academics from the University of Maryland developed a model which mimicked the special time-keeping cells in the human body. What they found via mathematical modelling of these cells was an answer to the increase in jet lag via this direction of flight, as well as further insights into recovery.

Let’s get technical for a minute. The inner-brain has a region called the hypothalamus which conveniently has its own internal clock ticking away. For every 24 hours lapsed, the 20,000 special pacemaker cells residing inside synchronise with one another to tell the body whether it’s day or night. The cells can distinguish this based on the light levels received from the external environment. For those playing at home, daylight means get up, night time means sleepy time.

RELATED: 7 Ways To Be A Gentleman When Travelling Abroad

Flying across multiple time zones such as going from Australia to England essentially messes up the rhythm of these cells which have their process sorted down to a tee. When this confusion happens the body attempts to pinpoint a time and doesn’t know whether to rest or stay awake. This ultimately results in the unwanted phenomenon known as jet lag.

Michelle Girvan who is a physicist who helped head the study added that, “most of our internal clocks are a little bit slow, and in the absence of consistent light cues – like when you travel across time zones – the pacemaker cells in your body want to have a longer day.”

“This is all because the body’s internal clock has a natural period of slightly longer than 24 hours, which means that it has an easier time traveling west and lengthening the day than traveling east and shortening the day,” Dr. Girvan explained.

All of these explanations wouldn’t be so helpful without a remedy though. Jet lag can be countered by simply adjusting your internal clock to the place of destination as quickly as possible. Luckily for you, we’ve got seven handy jet lag cures for the world traveller.

[via NYT]

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It’s been less than 6 months since Australia received its first shipment of the highly anticipated Tesla Powerwalls, but the country’s developers are already gearing up for big changes, announcing plans to build the world’s first Telsa-powered town in Melbourne.

The mini-suburb located on the outskirts of Melbourne’s CBD, has been dubbed “YarraBend” after the river that runs through it and will feature brand new houses, all fitted out with a solar roof and built-in Tesla Powerwall.

Hailed as one of the most environmentally sustainable developments in Australia, YarraBend’s 2500 houses will apparently see water use reduced by 43%, landfill contributions reduced by 80%, and will give residents the ability to recharge their electric cars for free.

The homes, designed, developed and built by property group Glenvill, will be made up of a combination of single-family homes, townhouses, and apartments, solar powered and containing energy efficient lighting and appliances.

The post The World's First 'Tesla Town' Is Coming To Australia appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Social media peacocks of this generation, it needs to stop. Once upon a time the convenient platform was used for innocent things like catching up with friends and stalking exes. Somewhere along the way that thin black line became blurred and the mutant child of a trashy magazine for every one of those five hundred million users arose.

But we digress. Tread carefully men, for these are the seven sins of social media no man should ever commit.

#1 Snapchat Filters

You’re not cute and you’re not a tween. Why some men on social media feel inclined to wear puppy ears whilst licking the screen at unassuming followers (read: partner who is about to dump you) is beyond anyone’s comprehension. Fathers playing with their kids get a free pass, but for those hoping to stay hip with the youngans of today, some word of advice: ‘Hip’ stopped being a thing back in 1989.

#2 The Sneaky Hashtag Deleter

If you’re still using hashtags like #Boss #Squad or #Baller then you’ve already committed the first crime. Do it in the hopes of building more likes and then deleting those hashtags a day later to appear more modest? You’ve just reached the pinnacle of douchebaggery, my friend. Nobody likes you. Not even your mother.

#3 The #BlackLivesMatter Bandwagon

There’s a proper way to show your support for the #BlackLivesMatter movement, and a horrendous way which spits in the face its meaning as you ride away on a majestic unicorn. Don’t be a social media version of Mischa Barton. Or any version really. Protest on the street with a sign like every other normal human being.

RELATED: How To Date The Instagram Girl You’ve Never Met

#4 Broga Bragger

Yoga is a health thing now. We totally get it, headband-wearing quinoa junkies of this world. Although if you could kindly space out the posts of yourself downward dogging every horizontal surface, that would be greatly appreciated. #Namaste, you filthy animal.

#5 Business Class Bragger

Consider yourself the well-travelled VIP? Naturally. If you have to rub it in the face of every other civilian in this world who can only afford economy, then you’re definitely doing it wrong. Do it once so often with a bit of tact that says ‘Now how cool is this?’ and it’s all good. Hit repeat too many times whilst firing off #FirstClass, #BusinessClass or #FlyGuy tags and you’re sailing dangerously close to Wanker Island – it’s an island where wankers go to holiday.

#6 Incessant Dabbing

Please. Just. Make. It. Stop. We feel you, man on the left.

#7 Paradise Hair Flick

The post 7 Annoying Social Media Habits That Are Killing Your Game appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Incoming: 21 fresh entries for your travel bucket list. UNESCO have named 2016’s new World Heritage Sites following their annual meeting in Istanbul, Turkey.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization meets each year to induct significant sites, both natural and cultural, to its prestigious preservation list. To be considered, the sites must meet one or more of 10 criteria such as representing “a masterpiece of human creative genius,” containing “exceptional natural beauty,” or exhibiting “an important interchange of human values.”

• The Archaeological Site of Ani, Turkey: Once a thriving medieval town known as the “City of 1,001 Churches,” Ani was razed by an earthquake in 1319. Today only ruins remain.
• Antequera Dolmens, Spain: UNESCO calls this collection of megalithic tombs “one of the most remarkable architectural works of European prehistory.”
• The Persian Qanat, Iran: Iran’s ancient water transport system used 11 underground tunnels to support agricultural and permanent settlements throughout the country’s arid regions.
• Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art, China: Rock art is all that remains to illustrate the life and rituals of the Luoyue people, who date from the period around the 5th century BCE to the 2nd century CE.
• Nalanda Mahavihara, India: These crumbling stupas, shrines, viharas, and art once comprised a monastic and scholastic institution dating from the 3rd century BCE to the 13th century CE.
• Nan Madol, Micronesia: Humans constructed these 99 artificial islets off the coast of Pohnpei between 1200 and 1500 CE. Today they harbour the remains of stone palaces, temples, tombs, and residential domains.
• Sanganeb Marine National Park and Dungonab Bay, Sudan: Sudan’s dual site contains a coral reef in the central Red Sea and a bay with a highly diverse system of flora and fauna, including a globally significant population of dugongs.

You can view the full list of newly inducted World Heritage Sites, along with in depth descriptions of each, here.

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