Your best tips for saving money?

[peanutter]

wysiwig - I have spreadsheets on excel that I use for doubledigit entry bookkeeping, in categories - sounds similar! They've just been sitting unloved fora while, but I'm going to get back into them ... the App sounds like a better way than writing notes on scraping my handbag though, during the day ... will look into it, thanks! I actually did start with a series of physical envelopes when I started working though ... I upgraded to Excel when I bought my first computer (a 84th hand 486 ...) AnNd yes, there be basically no allowances for "going into the red" on slush or entertainment, etc ... And I will definitely have to reacquaint myself with our local library.


n2l - we use cloth for them both. Tried to TT DS1 twice now (once laissez-faire and once full on) but no bone ...he's just not ready. Recently done the utilities, phone and insurance switch (everything cheaper except phone, but we now actually get coverage on our mobiles at home ... so worth the extra cash!) ... Need to start leaving those petrol coupons in the car!! Is Wednesday still cheap day? Will get some door snakes. And next investment might be thicker curtains (a catch 22 - curtains are expensive ...) ... no electric blanket. Meat free nights would definitely be a saving, with 4 people eating... and DH is learning some great vego recipes, courtesy of the 12WBT! Selling stuff is scary... I keep on thinking "what if I need it??" or I think of someone who would actually really need it, and who I don't want to sell it to (eg: stuff that DS2 has outgrown ...my littlest bro and his wife want 2-4 kids, and they aren't flush, but are family (and some of the most generous people I know) and I've always just planned on blessing them with any of our baby stuff they want, when the time comes, rather than selling it ... maybe I need to think more broadly.

zazou - no Foxtel - but I did do that with our credit card and insurance very nifty, thanks! Where do I buy a [chopped up] lamb? I found somewhere I could get half a cow, but that's REALLY big! A lamb seems much more feasible Non perishables other than generic brand are bought in bulk at our quarterly Costco trip with my sister and SILs, but I need to behave myself when I'm there ... I save $3 on toilet paper, but buy 5 books and a robot costume I really didn't need...

ladyneon - do you find that helps? I get so much fresh produce, and I'm really picky ... I always worry that I'll get scungy fruit ... ?

rowellen - no paid TV... will try meal planning further in advance to avoid wastage, thanks,and definitely will need to improve on using what we already have! Might have to set certain days when dinner is a "pantry night" or something ... there's always onions and curry and lentils and rice and veggies, so there's no reason this wouldn't work, right? And throwing out the junk mail before I read it in non-shopping weeks is a great idea. I have cancelled all my online email subscriptions for groupon and so forth ... that was a good move Making things from scratch is a really big one here - we've become SO SLACK. We *have* a slowcooker, a perfectly good oven, cook books, etc - we just don't use them very often. No smoking, we do drink a bit. But again - we need to drink what we have (in moderation!) before getting more ... finish the wine before buying more scotch, etc. And not having it as a standard ... We only recently went up to 2 cars (and until a little before that, got by without one at all!) but it's just not logical now. I catch the train to and from work every day, it's too far to walk (about 5kms) and the bus doesn't go past after 7pm - I'm not often home by then. DH used to drop me off and pick me up daily, but with two kids who are generally asleep when I leave, and often in bed or having dinner when I get home, it's just not logical. It's an expense I would love to drop, but until I have regular hours I know I can keep long term, it's not doable.


Thanks for all the ideas! I would love to hear more!

DH and I are going through them together

[nothing2lose]

Go easy on yourself. Who could pass up a robot costume! (I am assuming it was for you).

[wysiwyg]

Even if you don't want the software the stuff on the YNAB site is really good - quite a different way of thinking to what I have seen on other budget sites and it is really targeted at people who really need to save / get out of debt rather than the whole financial planning side of budgets. Astrid uses it too I think there is a thread somewhere on here. The forum is a bit American but has alot of money saving ideas.

I save money on petrol by putting everything on my credit card, then using the points to get a petrol voucher - probably save about $300 a year that way - for us we are using one every other fill up - but much of the money on the CC is from Childcare - but anything else I can like health insurance I put on it just to get the points - it is paid off every month.

Check you are paying the minimum on your mortgage - I had forgotten that we had at one point told the bank not to decrease our payments if the interest rate dropped so they stopped doing it, I then realized we were paying over the minimum approx $200 a month. As we have free redraw I decided not to change it but do count that 200 in our budget.

[me4ever]

Check gumtree.com.au if need for new clothes/toys/books and lots more - it's awesome to get some good bargains for hardly used items. And you will feel good about reusing stuff as well! And you're doing your bit for environment. Also a good website if you wanted to sell any old clothes/toys etc that you don't use any more! Watch out though - it could be very addictive

[Phteven]

Where do I buy a [chopped up] lamb? I found somewhere I could get half a cow, but that's REALLY big! A lamb seems much more feasible

PM Rouge and ask her for the details of her halal butcher. They are super cheap. Then you can ask them if they will do a lamb for you. If they don't they might know a butcher who will. Usually you just need to ask around a bit.

[Mumma T]

There are pages on FB that are PIF (pay it forward) and you can pick up almost anything. I got a full sized trampoline on there, bookshelves and a single bed. People are always giving something away.

We have a retractable clothesline set up under our undercover area outside and we only ever use the dryer now when I have more than 5 loads of washing - which is never than goodness.

Groom the pets yourself. I have just started clipping our dogs myself, its a bit time consuming but certainly saves money.

Having been made redundant a week ago we were already tight but now have to tighten the belts too. I hope you can manage to find enough savings that the money stretches

[nothing2lose]

I have never owned a dryer so you can definitely live without it altogether.

At the end of the day put all of your loose change in a jar. It adds up very quickly!

[Tinks]

THe change thing is a good idea, we put all of ours in a tin every day. It actually funded our Summer holiday. The tin is currently half full already and it's only April.

[Rowellen]

Pinterest, liking FB pages etc - very very bad! Looking at pinterest makes me want to go shopping. And spend money. Unsubscribe from Pinterest. Unlike FB pages. You can always like them again later but in the meantime, you won't be tempted by the "great deals" and "competitions" that are really just trying to get you to part with your $$. Hide your "friends" that insist on sharing these pages & competitions from your newsfeed.

Also, I agree with Artechim regarding allowing yourself some miscellaneous spending money. Having none budgeted makes it very hard to stick to a budget. DH & I both have a set amount we get at the start of the month for things like clothes, eating out, gambling, golf, gym, extras for the kids (necessities are budgeted). When it's gone, it's gone. It saves fights too. If he decides to blow the lot on race 7 horse 7, well & good. No bother to me. He gets no more money. He similarly can't complain if I decide to buy a new pair of shoes. We each have our own fee free savings account. Our joint account is where all our income goes. We don't have card access to this account, so we can't be tempted. It works for us. I know that if we didn't have this "spending money", I would not be able to stick to a budget as I would see the money there in the joint account and want to spend it & I'm pretty sure we would be divorced by now to as DH likes to play golf & gamble which are rather expensive hobbies that I find rather annoying. He thinks it's great too as he knows how much he can spend without feeling any guilt.

Totally understand about needing two cars. We survived with just one for years but now we live in an area with poor public transport and with two kids, stupid work hours (DH starts at 2am somedays!), it's just no longer feasible to have only one car. I insisted on having two after being stuck at home with two kids unable to go anywhere or do anything because DH needed the car for work or having to wake DD from a nap to go pick DH up. Total PITA. Do you use your car for work? If so, have you been claiming a tax deduction? For every $ you can claim, there'll be some extra in your refund.

All just suggestions so feel free to ignore anything that's not relevant. I think it's great that you are taking on board people's suggestions