Your BEST tips for saving money......

[Bathsheba]

I shouldn't be answering this either as we don't "budget" as such but we have reached some amazing financial goals through living frugally (managed to pay for our DD's private primary school fees for example, on mostly a single wage).

My basic philosophy is to live simply. Think of solutions that your Nana may have used to economise. You need to make it a way of life. Our ego's are often our biggest expense. If you can examine your 'needs' and discover that they are only "nice to haves" you'll save a fortune. Do you need new clothes? No, you can most likely do with second hand. Do you need a late model car? No, you only need a car that's safe and reliable. Don't let it affect you that you aren't keeping up with the Jones in terms of what "stuff" you have. Remember the best things in life are free!

[Daydream Believer]

1. If you use a spray and wipe type product, next time you need more save the spray bottle and get an undiluted "pine o clean" or similar and dilute with water (thats all the spray is anyway) and that will last you months.
2. when cleaning your teeth, put water in a cup & use that not the tap.
3. DP shaving fill the sink with water and dont use a running tap
4. We do all our fruit & veg shoping at the market & it costs between $15 - $30 per week whereas at the supermarket for the same things it was $40-$80 per week.
5.Invite people over for coffee or go to their house, cheaper than a cafe
6.Turn off unused appliances at the wall
7. Use 2/3 of the recommended amount of laundry powder/liquid, it still cleans just as well
8.Use a clothes horse or washing line instead of the dryer
9.If you see something at the shops that you want but dont need, instead of buying it, go home if you still want it the next day then you'll know you really wanted it & it wasnt just something in passing
10. Plan birthday shopping and Christmas shopping well in advance, keep a birthday list & a christmas list in your bag. When you come across something on special for someone, put it away until their birthday or christmas and tick them off the list. We normally have our christmas shopping done by October

[chrysalis]

Hi I forgot one which has helped us go from being a 2 car family to a one car family - if you or DP can - ride your bike where ever you can - before child DH and I both rode our bikes to work and home most days all up 60km round trip saved heaps on petrol, rid us of public transport frustration and cost etc etc and no need for gym membership! Takes a bit of planning (ie have to get work clothes to work) and a little capital investment but a great great green way of getting around!

[Mrs P]

I'm a big fan of online shopping. eBay is great for things like cheap DVDs and CDs, as well as cosmetics (let's face it, us girls still need to shop!).
I just stocked up on my favourite lip gloss, I bought 3 at once from an international seller so they ended up costing AUD $14 including postage each, in the shops here they are about $40 each! I know that's probably a bit of a luxury item, but if it's something you know you'll end up buying, it can be an idea to check online every now and then. Big brands like Clinique, Nutrimetics, Avon etc can all be found on eBay too. You'll also save petrol & parking!

I agree with making stuff from scratch - I've recently discovered how fun it is to make your own pizza! Buy some 'strong' or '000' flour and some dry yeast, that's all you'll need! Oh plus the toppings! Simple!

[Roryrory]

Make a conscious decision to not buy "stuff". There is always something you will want - a beanbag for the kids, a new set of towels cause your old ones are frayed, a rice cooker cause you are sick of boiling rice on the stove, a new pair of boots cause you don't have this season's style - all stuff you WANT, none of which you NEED. If you actually make a promise to yourself to not buy random "stuff", the next time you see these sorts of items you won't feel deprived because you don't have them - you will feel SMUG because you aren't wasting your $$$ on cr@p that you don't need and will most likely end up in the Salvos bin in a few years. It can be strangely empowering when you realise that all those clever marketing campaigns aimed at separating you from your cash just aren't working.

For a bit of support on this type of living - google the San Franciso Compact. A few years back a group of friends made a promise to eachother to not buy anything for a year. It is now a world-wide anto-consumerism movement........

[Bathsheba]

It can be strangely empowering when you realise that all those clever marketing campaigns aimed at separating you from your cash just aren't working.

How true! I always say our biggest expense is trying to fix a fragile ego.
Marketers are focused on how to make your purchases come from your heart rather than your head. I studied this at uni! They are trying to sell an emotion. Don't make emotional purchases. Easier said than done! Especially when it comes to revisiting our childhoods ie buying things for our children. For example: My mum never bought me jeans... so I'll be damned if my kids are going to go without the best jeans and lots of them!

Know that, when it comes to shopping, you will be a better person for identifying your emotional weaknesses and resisting them!!!!

[Aimz]

Some of these might have already been mentioned but I though I would share them anyway:

- Draw up a meal plan for the week. Check the pantry for what you already have and write a list for what you need. Shop only for what is on the list.

- Set aside an amount each week to buy bulk products. If the supermarket has toilet paper/laundry powder/dishwashing tablets etc on sale then you can buy up and put them away for when you need them (DH and I have enough washing powder to last us 12 months).

- Throw a $5 or $10 voucher in with the shopping every week - you save them up over a year and then you will have christmas dinner more than covered!

- Use a clothes airer and the clothesline for everything - only use the drier when it is completely necessary!!

- Call your electricity company and ask them about peak/off peak times. It takes a while getting used to turning on the dishwasher/washing machine after 10pm but we save around $30 a quarter by doing it this way.

- Get a mobile plan for you and DP that allows you free calls to each other. In 2 years I have never paid a cent to text or call DH.

- Set up a high interest savings account that direct debits from your normal account. We have an account with Bankwest that currently has a 7.75% interest rate with no minimum deposit. It automatically direct debits from our transactional account. Instead of deciding whether we should put away a certain amount each week - it takes it regardless and if there are no funds in there - it takes it anyway (you are not locked into anything - you can cancel the dd anytime). Great way to save as it is automatic. Pay yourself first!

- Make your lunch for work. The cost of bread, salads, cold meats and cheese for a week is usally the cost of 2 bought lunches. Chuck in a yogurt and an apple as well as a bottle of water and there is no need to buy lunch!

- Get a debit card (doesn't have to have an overdraft). This means you can press the "credit" button for everything and you won't pay anymore EFTPOS fees (usually around $2 per transaction I think).

- Pay a little extra per week on your mortgage - even if it is only $10 a week. It will help when the interest rates go up and also if you can't make a payment.

- Buy toiletries/pharmacuticals online through websites such as Pharmacy Direct. We save around $40 a month on these items (pain relief, pads, tampons, razors, deoderants, makeup etc.) They also ship for free if you spend over $50. We shop for these items on a monthly basis.

- Make sure you have some "entertainment" or "play" money put aside each week to do something you enjoy. My DH and I are movie buffs and we have a collection of over 1000 dvd's (not even kidding)! We never pay more than $10 per DVD because we buy ex-rental. When money is tight we have a whole library to choose from!

- Love each other to the ends of the earth and remember why you have a mortgage - to build a firm foundation for your lives. Financial issues are the #1 reason for divorce so try and stay positive when things get tight!!

[Aimz]

Wow sorry that was so long - I got a bit carried away!!

[dusty]

*bumping* as i reckon this is an excellent thread that can help us curb our costs with rising inflation and interest rates/rent!

any other ideas?

anyone ever done freecycle Segment Publishing : Design.Develop.Host online? have you ever received anything from freecycle?

[2girlz]

hello,
Buy meat in bulk packs from a butcher not coles or woolies they charge way too much and the quality is crap. Bulk might be a bigger upfront cost but will save you more in the end

also buy fruit and veg from local markets or small fruit and veg shops they're half the price and once again better quality I work at my local markets tomatoes cost over $3.00/kg at coles we sell them at around $1.80/kg

[smiles4u]

1. Shop at Op shops for baby/kiddies (& my own) clothes & occasional toy. I wipe the plastic toys with dettol.
2. We buy a big 10kg DUO washing powder from BigW (oh, I miss my dynamo liquid), but the powder does the job.
3. Use plastic shopping bags from the grocery shopping as rubbish-bin liners.
4. Buy up big when nappies are on special.
5. Use Aldi or Coles brand nappies during the day & better brand like Huggies at night.
6. Buy plastic nappy-bags from Warehouse or Go-Lo.
5. Nappy-san (cheaper brand) from the Warehouse.
6. Still bath my 22mth old toddler in her baby bath to save on water (luckily she is short, LOL). We have extremely tight water restrictions in Ballarat.
7. Wash dishes ONLY in sink & wait for a sink full's worth of dishes to do so.
8. YES, I too have heard (on TV) that petrol is cheaper on a TUESDAY !!

[Cricket]

Like Bathsheba, we don't really budget, but we do live on one income, and donate nearly $700/month to the church and Christian school that our children will attend. So we know how to live a little tighter.

Just wanted to add a couple of things -
DON'T impulse spend! Go home, think about it, wait a while, talk to your DH, and then decide whether you really need that item.

NEVER pay for things with your credit card that you don't have the money in the bank for. We have a credit card that earns us points towards free groceries, so I use it for purchases on occasion, but I pay it off immediately online when I get home. No surprise bill, or late fees, or outrageous interest.

If you want to eat out once in a while for a special occasion (and make sure you save it for special!) try going out for breakfast instead of dinner. It's way cheaper, and often you get so much food, you don't need lunch!

Shop second hand for as much as possible. I have bought pretty much all of my children's clothes second hand, and I think they look great. I buy all good quality, brand name stuff that is in great shape (hurray for everyone else having only one or two babies ) and it will last a long time. My stuff was bought second-hand for my first DD, and has been used by my three girls and my sister's two girls, and much of it is still fine!

Give up satellite/cable TV. Seriously. You won't miss it. (after a week or two, anyways.) You'll find you and your DH talk more, read more, play more games. It's much nicer for you as a couple, and much cheaper that way!

Learn inexpensive hobbies. Scrapbooking can cost an arm and a leg, if you want your stuff to look like the examples in the store. Knitting and crocheting, and even quilting, I find, are cheaper. The library is cheap. I'm sure there are lots more.

Don't have a gym membership. Go for walks!

Oh, and BTW, apparently the dishwasher is more efficient than handwashing! Who knew?! But maybe that's just for water usage?

Congrats on the new house!

[Danni]

A huge thank you to everyone for your replies. They have been absolutely fantastic!!!

Please keep them coming, even if you think its an obvious idea... you never know!

Im going to ask a mod if this can be made a sticky? there is priceless info on here

[Kitt3n]

With the whole dishwahser thing, it depends on your actual washer. Older versions use up to 100 lites of water each load!!! But mine (ASKO) uses 13 lites of water for a full wash. Thats less than what i think i would use to wash in the sink!

Also, the upfront costs of a water saving washing machine mite be a little high, but will work out much better in the end - just like insulation.

And, my best tip that i have recently started doing myself - drink your coffee at work! I have a cup of tea in the morning now (aldi organic green tea, $2 pkt) and then have the more expensive beverage as soon as i get to work, courtesy of my place of employment. Over a year that adds up!

[njon2]

My number 1 saving tip - do not bring husband/partner/boyfriend shopping with you , it's like having a 2nd child, "can I have this, look it's on sale, I REALLY need this...."

I think I save close to $30-40 a week in the grocery shopping and by not letting him get things I forgot maybe another $20 a week.

It also takes half the time but you have to do it on your own

[chody47]

Just bumping this thread again. There are lots of great tips here but I'm sure there are some people who have more. I'm on the look out for great tips as I'm hoping to take a longer maternity leave with this bubs and am trying to work out how to make money stretch further lol.

[~TT40~]

wow didnt even know this exisisted!! the main thing we do is:

we pay our mortgage fortnightly (not monthly) means you pay an extra payment a year, we also pay a little bit extra than we are meant to (only an extra $100 a month) by doing this we have cut 10years off our mortgage. plus we put all our bill money for the month and a little extra into the offset account. means we get charged less interest too. and we can always get some money out of that in an emergency rather than having to charge our credit card.

[Mrs O'M]

Bumping again, We are in the process of trying to save a deposit for a mortgage, and would love some more handy tricks and hints!