Travels etc.

An article about Canadian problems regarding mortgage, but advice is international though http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/paying-off-your-mortgage-faster-can-pay-huge-dividends-1.2719753 However, in Canada the level of household debt relative to disposable income was a near record 163.2% this year. That means majority of people just don't have money to implement the strategies outlined in the article.

The Federal Government is moving to raise Australia's national debt limit from $300 billion to $500 billion. I am a strong supporter of a lower debt policy in the country. There should always be ways to reduce spending on some areas and get money from there instead of increasing the debt limits. However if there is a strong evidence that there is no danger of default in the 5-7 years then it's fine to borrow money and invest those into promising projects - free education, free medicine, help for young families, innovations in bio technologies, electronics, natural and sustainable technologies etc. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-04/joe-hockey-australia-us-debt-ceiling-comparison/5050616