Markets

Markets have to be one of the best ways to get products at bargain prices, no matter what it is you’re looking for. Although some markets can be very up-market (no pun intended) price-wise, you can often get cheap clothes at them all over the world, and Sydney is no exception. If you’re a student looking for bargains that still look great, or even if you’re not on a tight budget, don’t be afraid to seek out clothes markets. Glebe, Rozelle and Kirribilli are just a few ones that have great stuff at bargain rates. Markets are an accessible way to pick up some vintage pieces without spending a fortune. They are definitely a gateway to mixing and matching, and you can find great accessories at them too. If you’re the type of person who wants their wardrobe to be more original than the typical ‘high street fashion’, you may have just found your very own outlet. Importantly, markets like these are not only a fantastic way to get cheap, original pieces but also a great way to make money for yourself. Why not get a group of friends together and organise a stall one weekend? After all, someone may love your neglected clothes, and you can get some extra cash on the side.

Google Cardboard VR Headset

Ever wanted to try out virtual reality without shelling out a lot of money for the privilege? Well luckily, as it does with most things in life, Google has the answer.

With the tech world racing to produce mind blowing wearable devices, many high profile companies such as Facebook, HTC, Microsoft, and Samsung are hoping to make virtual reality headsets that are desirable to everyone.

Google has decided to show the world that you may already have everything you need to build your very own with their Google Cardboard headset. Google have created instructions that you can follow to turn household items such as cardboard, Velcro, rubber bands and magnets into this amazing headset. 

Google Cardboard - photos by James Dimarco

However, the simplest way to go about this mini project is with a pre-arranged kit that can be ordered online such as this one ($11.40): http://www.lightinthebox.com/diy-google-cardboard-virtual-reality-3d-glasses-for-iphone-6-plus-samsung-galaxy-note-4-note-3-lg-g3-nokia-moto_p2227963.html . I decided to do this because I thought it may be a little difficult to find plastic lenses of the right size, so it was much easier to just order in the full package.

The only other things you will need is an android phone (running Kit Kat OS or higher), or an iPhone 5 (or higher), and some sticky tape for re-enforcement. 

Once you have the kit just follow the simple folding instructions, install the plastic lenses and within 5 minutes you will have your very own VR headset.

  

Now all you need is to download and install the Cardboard app from the App Store or the Play Store. Open the app and slide your phone in. You are now ready to go.

Put the headset to your face and enjoy the immersive experience you may have never thought possible. You can experience 360 degree videos, virtual concert experiences, ride rollercoasters, play games, watch movies in a virtual theatre, walk through foreign cities, and even re-experience your own 360 degree panoramas that you have taken.

The Cardboard is a fun simple project and well worth the small amount of money required to make one. I was very surprised with how much fun it is to use, and to show off to your friends.

Article by James Dimarco

Why ASOS Is A Lifesaver

It may be mainstream and obvious, but ASOS is truly a lifesaver for students. An online fashion and beauty store originating in Britain, it is literally your one stop shop, and a very affordable one at that. In an increasingly fast-paced and digitalised world, online shopping is often the easiest option. Aside from just convenience, it’s also a good place to shop if you want international trends in your wardrobe, as these are available. 

It's never been easier to look like you've spent a lot without actually spending a lot. The aesthetics are great. You can sort low to high while still finding great items! How rarely does that happen?!

I bought a fair few items that arrived last week (pictured above), which came to around $230 – not bad for nearly an impulsive, whole new summer wardrobe.

I'm not here to tell you what exactly you should buy, because ASOS really has everything. Although of course, as is common knowledge, start with basics and then move to more specific items of clothing (i.e. make sure you have plain bottoms before buying patterned tops). 

However, I would recommend that if you are unsure of sizing (you vary from item to item etc.) then it’s probably a good idea to avoid getting that item altogether – after all, doubt means don’t. It will also be a money saver, as the downside to any form of online shopping is you can return, but you have to pay for postage which usually isn’t that cheap.

The Rocks Markets

Where: The Rocks, Sydney
Cost: As much as you want to spend
Opening Hours: 10:00am - 5:00pm
Website: http://www.therocks.com/things-to-do/the-rocks-markets.aspx

The Rocks is a perfect location to bring friends from out of town. It is steeped in Australian history with heritage buildings dating as far back as 1816. The streets are lined with gorgeous terrace cafes, open for for lunch  as well as  stunning parks with views of the harbour bridge and opera house.

Each weekend The Rocks markets are filled with anything you could want as well as many things you never knew you wanted. While  it contains all the common stalls for unique handcrafted jewellery, candles and children's toys it also has a variety of stalls that are unique to the rocks.

  This includes blown glass and handmade wire décor that is created by the craftsmen right in front of you, incredible local artists paintings and even a place where you can create your own custom lamp.

There is something for every budget here with most items starting at the $5 mark. With henna tattoos, snow cones and plenty of Australian memorabilia it makes for a great day out at The Rocks for  everyone. 

Vegemite and Cheese Twists; Snacks on a budget.

Recipe: Vegemite & Cheese Twists

Prep: 10 mins 
Cook: 10 mins

For those who are looking for a nice, easy and best of all cheap snack to get you through your day, this recipe was created for you! 

The amount of vegemite you use can be varied depending on personal taste.

Ingredients: (Serves 4)
- 1 tbs Vegemite
- 1 cup of (pre) grated Cheese
- 2 sheets of puff pastry 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (fan forced)
2. Remove puff pastry from freezer. Separate 2 sheets of the pastry, returning the leftovers to the freezer. Allow these sheets to thaw for 5-10 minutes. 
3. Once thawed, lay on of the sheets on a breadboard, spread the pastry with vegemite (amount depending on taste). Sprinkle with cheese. (Make sure the vegemite and cheese is evenly spread for best results).
4. Brush some water on the second sheet. Place this sheet down, on top of the cheese and vegemite.
5. Cut the pastry into long strips of equal width and height. Press down on the edges of the strips to seal contents in pastry.
6. Line an oven tray with baking paper. Place the strips onto the baking paper. Grab each end of the strip and twist on end in a complete circle so the edges don’t split open. If they do split, pinch together again until stuck. Complete this for all strips.
7. Place tray in oven and cook for 10-15 minutes. Remove when puffed and golden brown and serve. 

Dressing Like A Professional

The August 2015 edition of Vogue Australia features articles on two highly powerful and inspirational women – our recent Deputy Prime Minister Julie Bishop and, perhaps unexpectedly for some, Victoria Beckham.

Sometimes what you wear can really transform your confidence – I know dressing like these two ladies would definitely make me feel like I could take on the world. They are often wearing structured ensembles, which are perfect to emulate if your part time job is in a professional environment.

Victoria’s own ready to wear collection mostly features sleek, smart pencil dresses but aren’t exactly justifiable price wise for the average student.

For both men and women, you can find great dupes from the likes of Zara, ASOS, GAP, J Crew, Uniqlo and which are all good quality.

Victoria Beckham dress (https://www.victoriabeckham.com/ready-to-wear/back-tab-t-shirt-fitted-16.html), $1250, versus:

Zara Dress, $50

http://www.zara.com/us/en/woman/dresses/view-all/mid-length-tube-dress-c733885p3004575.html 

For even cheaper options, you can get some very inexpensive shirts from places like Cotton On and H&M.

H&M men's blazer $79.95

http://www.hm.com/au/product/56281?article=56281-C 

Cotton On shirt $29.95

http://cottonon.com/AU/p/cotton-on-women/giselle-cotton-shirt-2/2024648717937.html#start=1 

If you're super strapped for cash (and let's face it, most of us are), then don't doubt places like Target and Kmart for corporate attire!

The 4 Best Value Smartphones You Should Consider

Hi I'm James, and welcome to my first post!  I'll be writing about how to maximise your tech lifestyle whilst living on a budget. 

It’s not that long ago that owning a smartphone was a luxury only a lucky few could afford.  Well it’s 2015 and there now really is no distinction between a “phone” and a “smartphone” to the average person.  Smartphones have become more and more affordable each year and we’re now at the point where you no longer have to pay a premium price for a premium experience.

Here is my list of the 4 smartphones you should consider on a budget.

iPhone 5C ($360 – Ebay)

The iPhone 5c comes in a variety of colours.¹

The only phone Apple has ever produced for those on a budget.  Released along with the iPhone 5S, the 5C offers the essentials of a smartphone, without the premium specs or materials found on other iPhones.

Pros: Cheapest iPhone.  All the benefits that being an iPhone brings.

Cons:  Now 2 years old.  Discontinued product.  Difficult to find in stores.

Verdict:  Good phone at a good price, however destined to be painfully slow to use in the next year or so with new releases of iOS.

OnePlus 2 ($550 – Everbuying Store)

The second iteration of One Plus’ budget flagship phone that started the trend of premium specs sold at a budget price.  Branded the “flagship killer”, OnePlus hopes it can prove to the world they are paying too much for their phones.

The OnePlus 2 "flagship killer" has an interchangeable back cover.²

Pros: Top of the line specs.  Brand new on the market.  The design of the back of the phone is interchangeable (pictured).

Cons:  Unfortunately, to buy the phone you need to register to receive an invitation from OnePlus.  This has caused a supply-and-demand premium that means the phone is currently being resold for more than it’s worth.  In a few months it is expected to be sold at the advertised price.  Average camera.

Verdict:  Everything you could want in an Android phone, for a competitive price.

ZTE Blade S6 ($350 – Gadget Gear AU Store)

The Blade S6 can take 2 SIM cards, and can
run on two mobile networks at once.³

ZTE is a Chinese company that have traditionally specialised in designing network infrastructure.  They have more recently tried to break into the consumer smartphone market.  Their Blade S6 has been the first model with the potential to compete in a premium space.

Pros: Well-built phone with a good camera and an option for a second sim-card.  Expandable memory.

Cons:  Lacks the battery capacity and the screen quality that the Plus 2 boasts. 

Verdict:  For $200 less than the Plus 2, the Blade is perfect for people who can live without a full HD screen.

Huawei P7 ($488 – Harvey Norman)

Selfies come out massive with the P7's 8 Megapixel
front-facing camera.⁴

Huawei is the Chinese company emerging as one of the big players in consumer electronics.  Their P7 offers a premium build for a discount price and it has made a real statement to the likes of Samsung and Apple to either innovate or become competitive with their prices.

Pros: Well-built phone with a glass backing.  Huge 8MP selfie camera.  Big 5 inch FHD screen, strong Gorilla Glass 3, quad-core CPU.

Cons:  Will not run on the fastest WIFI standard wireless AC.

Verdict:  Most complete package.  Best value phone of the mix.  Phone is 1 year old yet still offers very solid specs.  A steal below $500 and set to drop in price as successors are released.



Images:
1 - Mac Rumours http://cdn.macrumors.com/article-new/2013/09/iphone5c-header.jpg
2 - OnePlus 2 https://content.oneplus.net/skin/frontend/oneplus2015/default/images/events/op2Launch/oneplus2-og.png
3 - ZTE http://www.ztemobiles.com.au/assets/img/Blade_S6_angle1_SIM_Tray.png
4 - Huawei http://consumer.huawei.com/ucmf/groups/public/documents/webasset/hw_334681.jpg

Fagan Park

Cost: $5 for parking on site
Where: Galston
Opening Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
If you live in the hills district almost all of you will have visited the beautiful Fagan park. If you are from Sydney I would mark this down this park as a must visit.

Parks are a huge money saver for spending time with friends. The problem however is that they are usually only seen as for families with young children. Fagan park manages to cater for everyone and is so big that you can visit Fagan 10 times and still feel like you are stepping into a new park. It is set on over a massive 55 hectares at Galston and hosts 11 different nation themed gardens. The gardens are perfect for picnics where you can be transported to Holland, China, Japan, the Mediterranean and even to Outback Australia. 

To the more actively inclined there is plenty of wide open space for games of cricket, soccer or even kite flying. The park also contains short bush walking tracks and plenty of paths with room for bicycles. 

For those who prefer a more relaxed approach there is a coffee cart available every weekend and every day of the school holidays. There is also barbecues located throughout for an operational fee of $1. While there is plenty of activities for families at the park there is still plenty of room in the park for adults to find a quiet corner to sit in the sun and read a book. 

For the history buffs among us pay a visit to Nethersby Cottage, the original homestead of the Fagan Family from 1848. Come learn the history of the orchards and cattle in the adjoining museum and check out the restored milking and packing sheds.

There is truly something for everyone at Fagan park. So set up a Facebook event and convoy up to Galston with your picnic rug and basket in tow.

Welcome to Travel

Welcome To the travel section of our Macquarie Living blog. Here we will adventure to some of the exciting places  for those on a uni student budget to visit. To begin we must of course start close to home so the first few posts will be exploring Sydney.

We will take a look at some almost cliché favourites of uni students including bars, parks, markets and museums as well as any fun places to visit in between. I hope you enjoy these establishments and locations and share them with your friends as we explore this magnificent city together.