Vote of confidence, page-7

@Pioupiou

Thanks for being transparent and honest - it's always great to hear about what people have, are doing, or were doing - but not often do you get a transparent answer. I think many like to puff up their gains, and hide their losses in embarrassment. So on that front I commend you for addressing bluntly your capital loss. I too have an average of I would say circa $1.30-1.40, I think I bought higher albeit the one or two DRP's I got in for dividends has averaged me down ever so slightly.

I think $1.264 is clearly achievable - I hope it will be in your lifetime, if not as you said your adult children will be blessed to have it. The hardest part is I believe instilling the same investment principles, if they aren't interested they may just sell it off, realize the money and alas the potential rebound/upside when the cycle inevitably ticks back up will be lost.

I have had many of those 'character building' experiences.

That's a fair few dividends, over how many years have you held do you reckon? That said the average price you mentioned for your buy ins I assume did not include any DRPs or dividends, in which case all the better!

That's a good use of the retirement/pension phase account. I agree - dividends and imputation credits for a retiree are a very good combination. I should push it with the parents but they're highly risk averse having been burnt with the typical mums and dads stocks of mining and the like which went down and never came back up. They should have ideally accumulated more income based stocks to take advantage of the imputation credits boosting returns whilst exempt during retirement. Particularly while the government haven't gotten their hands on it!By the time I head to retirement I doubt that it'll exist! I'll probably have to pay the government!

Great to hear your story. A low spending habits is a great thing to have. At least you can rest assured at being content with what you do have, than those who require big spending budgets year on year just to maintain their utility/happiness. In that sense, where did you gain your investment knowledge/finance head? You seem to have a decent mathematically sound analytical approach to finbar, which would be uncharacteristic of most mums and dads of your age, so I am assuming you had either a grounding in finance, business, or a strong interest over the years that you have honed in terms of investing.

On nuptials - I have the ring made and I am gearing up for the big question. I am already sweating! Only literally the next weeks till I will likely have to bend down on one knee and try not to splutter out complete nonsense over my nerves.

Then the hard slog on saving begins! I've been to a fair few weekends full of wedings lately and it seems inviting 100-200 people will be easily done. WE tend to give money to the wishing well with the standard being $100 per person, up to $150 for a more "nicer" venue such as Crown Casinos' ball rooms. Basically with the idea that it covers most if not your meal/attendance for the night. IN reality most places cost upwards to closer to $200 pp for the meal, drinks packages and not including all other 'sundries' like photographers, decorations, flowers and the like. The dollar signs are already escaping my wallet!

I am hoping to stuff as much as I can into Finbar in the new year when I finally have spare money (given the rings all paid for by then!) , and before it can get grabbed and placed into the wedding budget!

I don't know how you got away with $2-3k for your restaurant meal, I think now adays that would be closer to $6-8k for inflation adjustments etc. But still, that's a good , well thought out low cost celebration. Which is how it should be done!

Unfortunately these days 30-60k weddings are "normal" , some even higher - horse drawn carts etc, crazy! I would rather take a loss but be left with holding $30-60k worth of finbar shares. Imagine that, $5c dividends on a conservative 35,000 FRI shares ($30k/$0.85 share price) - that's $1,750 in recurring income a year eliminated from any future.

Incredible when you think of money and a few steps ahead to the future rather than instant gratification

Seems like John's days are numbered here - but I also note he has been stuffing more into the super fund too !

With Hanssen my concern is - if they dont' stick around once escrow periods and agreements lapse - what fallback would FRI have? Using only one builder is great for cost savings but only as long as they continue to work for us in both of our best interests... I would be more comfortable having two major building partners tbh.You mentioned Finbar uses other contractors - but I thought Hanssen was the only contractor? They may subcontract out after that - but I thought all construction work went straight to them from Finbar?

Regarding your Adelaide how are you finding the non unit market there? e.g. houses? I have heard some mixed stories of the property crowd turning their way there due to the decent prices yet yield on houses that way, and a decent demand for rental properties. Of course once you hear about something rather than stick one foot on the ground ahead of the pack... then usually it's too late.

Regardin the share buyback - I think you are right. The softening when one thinks about it is evident in the cash position fall by Finbar during the last financial report. While they maintain they have a decent coffers obviously the fall has preceded the halt of the buy back...

It may be a good year or two before the big projects come online and some decent revenues come in, as all the other lagging projects due this year and shortly next year are either not fully sold or I would say, are going to be somewhat slower given how the market has been in this last year or two. Which IMO, is probably going to continue to deteriorate.

Thanks for taking the time to answer everything + more.​