We asked and you responded. We’ve been inundated with tips from our readers on how you can save money and reduce the impact of the increase in the cost of living.
But there is still a chance you could WIN our month’s worth of groceries with a FREE Woolies voucher – just send us your best savings tips on the comments below and you’ll be in the running.
But hurry – this competition must end on July 29th.
Following these simple ideas will save you money – and they are already in the running.
Shop your pantry and fridge/freezer
Tracey explains that you should shop your pantry and fridge/freezer before writing your shopping list, “so there are no double-ups or anything goes off.”
Foodbank Australia has calculated that Australians waste around 7.6 million tonnes of food and that 70 per cent of that food is still edible, yet one in six Australians aren’t eating enough.
Shopping your pantry and fridge/freezer will save you money and you may discover new recipes as well.
Run your appliances during off-peak times
Jennifer says you should “run the household washing machine, dishwasher and/or recharge mobile phones etc during off-peak times.”
According to Canstar Blue, peak electricity times are between 3pm and 9pm on weekdays and off-peak times are generally between 10pm and 7am. CNet reports that weekends are also considered off-peak for the whole day.
Pay your bills in advance
Kelly says: “I transfer $20 per fortnight to my dental practitioner’s account and I get 5 per cent discount for upfront payment.” She says it covers her dental expenses for the whole year.
You can also pay your power, gas, internet and phone bills in advance to avoid any late payment penalties.
Buy food on sale
Mary says: “If it’s on sale it’s the dinner choice” so instead of buying expensive options, get the cheapest available and take advantage of discounts.
Get someone else to do the shopping for you
Sue shares: “If I really want to save at the supermarket, I make a list and get my husband to get it. He always gets ‘what’s on the list’ whereas I tend to browse and buy extras ‘just in case’. Simple but effective for us.”
Doing your shopping this way removes any temptation to buy things you don’t need so you save money and don’t end up with things that you won’t use.
Buy in bulk
Linda suggests: “Buy all your dry goods in bulk. I buy online and even after paying a delivery fee, not only do I save money, I get good quality.”
Another spin on this is from Maree Sulter who says: “My friend shops once a fortnight instead of weekly and says that saves him money. I’ve switched to doing my main shop at Aldi which seems to help a lot.”
Grow your own produce
Maree says: “Eating edible weeds at home to replace lettuce and spinach and growing herbs and greens” helps.
“I have citrus trees too but the chickens have stopped laying. A pumpkin vine out the back is handy too. Rhubarb is easy to grow. Make your own soups and cook at home from scratch.”
She also recommends: “Make your own soups and cook at home from scratch. Ditch the eating out and takeaways too. Hunt around for cheap fuel and travel less. Do return and earn for your household and other households too and surveys on the net.”
Switch heating for layers
Maree continues her advice: “Wear more clothes in place of heating. Take shorter showers. Buy bargains. Only buy what you need. It’s amazing what you can save on. Try buying pet food in bulk from a stock feed place. Visit op shops for household items and clothes. Some have free bread and fruit and veggies etc.”
Use your credit card wisely
Esther says: “Only put what you can pay off each month on your credit card. Limit online purchases by unsubscribing to eNews updates on special deals that lure you to buy more that is not needed. The savings from not paying nearly 20 per cent interest is immense.”
She also says you should gather savings of $50-$100 per month from your alcohol or cigarette budget and minimise purchases of trendy dresses and shoes, and then put that unspent money towards your mortgage. She says: “The compounding effect on savings is tremendous.”
Her advice extends to meals: “Learn to prepare de-constructed meals that are nutritious and quick to prepare. Reduce the dependency on takeaways and UberEats. This may even help with points one and two.”
Save in an account with little or no fees
John King advises: “Best savings tips are: Put your money in NAB Classic Account with no fees.”
He recommends putting your super in “ING Living Super” and says it has the lowest fees or you can “put your super in a term deposit for two years and continually roll it over.”
If you’re working you should: “Put $1,000 a month in a high interest savings account and continually add to it so that you can have heaps of money to put in your super when you retire.”
Set out a daily budget
F suggests setting a daily budget: “I allow myself x$ daily for groceries. It’s amazing with a set $ amount that I can be very creative in the kitchen. It’s achievable and seems to work for me.”
Don’t go to the shops
To remove temptation, Sue gets her husband to do the shopping.
“If I really want to save at the supermarket, I make a list and get my husband to get it. He always gets “what’s on the list” whereas I tend to browse and buy extras ‘just in case’. Simple but effective for us.”
Make your savings work for you
Esther shared a few tips with us.
” Only put what you can pay off each month on your credit card. Limit online purchases by unsubscribing to enews updates on special deals that lure you to buy more that is not needed. The savings from not paying nearly 20% interest rates is immense.
Gather savings of $50-$100 per month from alcohol budget, or cigarettes , or minimising purchases of trendy dresses /shoes for your kid/s, and put that savings to paying off mortgage. The compounding effect on savings is tremendous :p
Learn to prepare de-constructed meals that are nutritious and quick to prepare, and reduce the dependency on takeaways and UberEats. This may even help with Points 1 & 2.”
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