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3 days ago | 
thatslife.com.au | Samantha Ireland
The infamous prison is said to be home to several spirits Asides In the 1940s, James Johnston, the first and longest serving warden of America’s notorious Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, hosted a Christmas party in his cottage on Alcatraz Island.
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1 month ago | 
thatslife.com.au | Samantha Ireland
I remember watching the Back to the Future movie when I was a kid and being fascinated by the car, a DeLorean.
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1 month ago | 
thatslife.com.au | Samantha Ireland
I love the little bottles of complimentary shampoo and conditioner you sometimes get in hotels, and I still get a thrill when I turn the page in a magazine and there’s a sample of a new face cream stuck to an advertisement. Everyone loves a freebie, but they can be hard to find. I thought I’d share a few tips on how to score some for yourself, but first it’s a good idea to set up a new email address to use just for this kind of thing.
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Feb 5, 2025 | 
thatslife.com.au | Samantha Ireland
My friends and I are all now in the stage that’s known as ‘mid-life’ and it can be a tricky time. It’s a time when we wear many hats – some of my friends are still raising young kids or teens, while others are grandparents. One has even had a new baby herself. Some care for ageing parents, some are embarking on second marriages, others are going it alone. And while some have invested a lot into their careers, there are a few who are making a fresh start.
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Jan 20, 2025 | 
thatslife.com.au | Samantha Ireland
It’s storm and fire season in many areas, which means the potential for property damage. If you’ve got adequate insurance you may not be too concerned, but making a claim can have unwanted consequences, like losing your no claim bonus, or future premium increases. There’s also the inconvenience. My son’s car is 22 years old and can only be insured for $2400. We’ve owned it for 16 years, know it’s safe and reliable, and it’s only just hit 100,000km.
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Sep 16, 2024 | 
thatslife.com.au | Samantha Ireland
When I think about home loans, the first thing that springs to mind is, What is the interest rate? Finding the lowest rate available is drummed into us all the time. And this is undoubtedly one of the biggest considerations when taking out a mortgage. But there’s more to think about when choosing a loan to be sure it’s right for you. With most home loans, your monthly repayments cover the principal, or the amount you borrow, plus the interest.
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Sep 5, 2024 | 
thatslife.com.au | Samantha Ireland
Customer reviews can be a great way to check if a product or service is the right one for you. But beware the fake ones. When an ad for a herbal supplement claiming to tame perimenopause symptoms popped up on my Facebook feed I was excited. ‘I wonder if this would help my hot flushes?’ I said to my husband, Shannon, opening the website. I went straight to the customer reviews and saw they were all five star ratings.
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Aug 18, 2024 | 
thatslife.com.au | Samantha Ireland
It’s important to know your rights regarding consumer guarantees. This scenario happened to me the other day. Approaching the counter at a home appliance store, I held up a box containing the hand blender I’d purchased just the week before. ‘Hi, I used this for the first time last night and within minutes the motor overheated and stopped working. I’d like a refund please,’ I explained to the sales assistant.
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Jul 3, 2024 | 
thatslife.com.au | Samantha Ireland
My friends and I can talk about almost anything for hours on end, but not money. Before I started writing this column, our discussions about finances began and ended with, ‘Gee, everything’s so expensive these days!’For many years, talking about money wasn’t in my comfort zone. As illogical as it was, I felt ashamed of struggling as a single mum and always felt I had to put on a brave face.
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Jun 30, 2024 | 
thatslife.com.au | Samantha Ireland
It’s the time of year again where I, like many others, tally up all my receipts and expenses and hope to get a bit of cash back after doing my tax return. With the rules on what you can claim for and how much you can claim changing all the time. And the topic of tax can get very confusing. And it’s even worse if you’re transitioning from employment to being self-employed, semi-retired or retired.
