- Play the banks at their own game
Australia’s major banks are keen for your business – and so are their smaller counterparts. There are sign up bonuses and special interest offers. So remember: banks don’t reward loyalty, but they do pay for new customers.
- Sell, sell, sell!
We all keep “stuff” long after its use by date. But in today’s world, with sites like Gumtree, there is no excuse for storing away things that could bring you some cash and make someone else happy at the same time. It’s November – a great time to make room for Christmas presents by having a sale.
- Use Secret Santa
Talking of Christmas, make sure you get a ho ho ho out of the season this year by using drawnnames.com to compile a list of family and friends. The site then draws up a list so each member of the group buys a present for another. Everyone gets one gift – and everyone buys just one gift.
- Check those card bills
We recently found $900 a month in charges I had thought had been cancelled, or which related to services I no longer used. Most retailers won’t tell you when you stop using their products – and many of them have cancellation clauses that mean you can only cancel after a notice period. So make some time each month to check those bills.
- Make this your net shopping rule
Wait 48 hours before you click “buy.” Since we can have anything we want these days with just the click of a button, you need to find a system to help buffer your desire to buy. You could impose the rule coupled with a spending limit. But our rule: leave it in the basket until you’re shore