 Money. In Australia, you will have to manage your own money so you can pay for rent, food, electricity and telephone bills, clothes, transport, medical expenses and more. Centrelink. Centrelink is an Australian government agency that can help by giving you money while you learn English, study or look for work, care for children or someone who is old or sick. You can also get money if you can't work because you are sick, have a disability or are retired. You will need to visit a Centrelink office within three days of arriving in Australia and there will be someone available to speak to you in your language. You will be asked lots of questions so Centrelink can decide which payment is the right one for you. It is important that you give accurate information and bring your travel documents on your first visit. People are entitled to different payments depending on their circumstances. Centrelink gives money to individual family members so it is important that each family member contributes money to the household. If you put all your money together, it will help you run your household better. Everyone has to follow certain rules to receive a Centrelink payment. It is important to tell Centrelink if you change address or if your job or income changes so you keep receiving your payments. It is important that you respond to Centrelink letters as quickly as possible and attend Centrelink interviews or your payments may be stopped. Ask about a healthcare card at Centrelink. This card can give you discounts for some health services and medicines and on other things like transport. If you need help with Centrelink and don't speak English, you should call Centrelink's multilingual call centre and state your language. A staff member who can speak your language will help you. Or you can ask for an interpreter at a Centrelink office or show staff your I need an interpreter card. Bills and Expenses If you use electricity, gas or telephone services, you will receive bills. A bill is the amount of money you owe for using a service and it is charged after use usually every three months. Though you can arrange for bills to be issued monthly if you prefer. Make sure that you allow money to pay for your living expenses and bills before you spend money on extra things like entertainment, mobile phones or sending money back home. Everyone in the family should contribute to family expenses and everyone should try to find ways to save money. Your money needs to last until your next Centrelink payment or until you get paid by work. Keep a receipt when you pay your bills. Saving Money There are many ways to save money. For example, by using public transport, buying second hand clothing or furniture and getting the best deal on your mobile phone. Mobile phones are expensive in Australia. If you need a mobile phone, consider buying prepaid credit. This means you won't spend money you don't have. Don't call overseas from your mobile phone. Buy a phone card and use your home phone or a public phone as it will be cheaper. You can also save money on your bills. For example, when you use your heater, remember you will have to pay for the gas and electricity that you use. Instead of turning up the heater, put on warmer clothes. Turn lights off when you are not using the room. Shopping In Australia, shopping might be different from what you are used to. Many people shop in supermarkets and malls and Australians don't normally bargain for a different price. The food might look different but many areas in Australia have Asian food shops, so you should be able to get most of the food you are used to. Fresh food is much cheaper than takeaway food and much healthier too. Ask about fresh fruit and vegetable markets. Some shops are cheaper than others for the same items. Look for items on special and for sales when prices are reduced. Secondhand stores and garage sales are a cheaper way to buy clothes and furniture and are popular in Australia. You will see advertising everywhere, on television, in the mail, in magazines. Some salespeople might approach you in the street, knock on your door or telephone you, to try to sell you things. Do not be pressured into buying anything you do not want. It is important to know what you are buying. If you don't understand, don't be afraid to ask for help. I will tell you when I knew arriving here, when I went to the supermarket, because I can't read it, I don't know if there are so many things that are different from Thailand products. The product is very different. I asked, what is this shampoo? This is a conditioner. Always, if you ask, we get more information. Be careful using credit cards, because you might have to pay back more than you spend, even if you can't afford to. Credit cards charge interest on outstanding bills. Ask your settlement service provider to explain this to you. When you buy something, keep the receipt in case you need to return it. Banking You will need to open a bank account so you can receive your Centrelink payments, or a wage if you are working. Once you have a bank account, you will get a key card. You can use this card to get your money, either from a bank or an automatic tele-machine, or ATM. Some ATMs charge fees each time you take money out, so it is better to use your own bank's ATM. You will get a personal identification number, called a PIN number, with your key card. You will need this number to access your money. You will need to memorise this number and don't tell anyone else your PIN number. If you lose your key card or it is stolen, tell your bank and they will cancel and replace it. Many people in Australia now use internet banking to pay bills and manage their money. Insurance Many people in Australia pay for insurance which can replace belongings if they are stolen or destroyed. Ask your settlement service provider to explain insurance to you.