But what about those deductions? Well, the ATO has an app for that too. It's called myDeductions, and it's actually pretty good. It allows you to take photos of receipts and enter work-related deductions on the fly. If you're claiming a car expense, it has a built-in GPS tracker to record car trips. Best of all, it feeds directly into MyTax. The

If you pay just $1000 extra (on top of your minimum repayment) a month off your home loan, along with getting a cheaper rate, you'll save $77 641 in interest and wipe almost seven years off your mortgage (based on a $400 000 mortgage over 18 years). To work out exactly how much you can save, head over to ASIC's MoneySmart Mortgage Calculator and do

If you have multiple properties or a non-standard situation, call a cash-back mortgage broker like Mates Rates on 1300 558 161, who'll refund you the annual trailing commission the banks pay them. It can be as much as $1000 a year, every year, on a $500 000 mortgage.

place where you can relax and be yourself — like a comfy old jumper. The day I bought my home was the proudest day of my financial life — second only to the day I paid the sucker off. It'll be the same for you too. Which brings me to …

We'll discuss buying an investment property in greater depth in Step 5, but for now my advice is simple: if you want a family home, save up and buy one.

Second, because it's the two of you against the world. That's the way I look at our marriage. Yes, we're parents, uncles and aunties, friends and bosses, but at our core we're just two big kids doing our best to create a life for our kids that makes us proud. And if you're going to create an amazing life that isn't dictated by financial fears,

Once you've finished putting together the folder, there are only a few things left to do. Find a safe place to store it (I'd suggest paying for a safety deposit box — houses can burn down). Then write a letter to your spouse and your kids. Tell them you love them. This is a good warm-up to the ninth, and final, Barefoot Step ...

Yet our massive debts are just a symptom of the real problem: our out-of-control spending. Did you know that Australians on average live in the biggest homes in the world? Our supersized McMansions are 10 per cent bigger than the Yanks' (our nearest competitor in the battle of the housing bulge).

Purchase top-level ‘comprehensive' private hospital insurance. I get the best hospital cover I can for my money. Don't purchase extras or ‘combined' healthcare cover. If I want a Swedish massage, I'll pay for it out of my own pocket. Most of the ‘extras' in insurance policies can cost you hundreds of bucks extra a year whether you claim or not.