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Money Saving Tips
Shopping:
1) Make a shopping list and stick to it. This will save you from impulse buys.
2) Make a meal plan for the week. This will help you to determine the exact ingredients you need, hopefully reducing waste. This will also save valuable time if you are able to make fewer visits to the shops, especially if you have children in tow.
3) Buy fruit and vegetables in season. Fresh produce in season is generally cheaper, and you will get the freshest stock for your growing family.
4) Go shopping after you have eaten. This is another tip for cutting down on impulse buys.
5) Buy items in larger pack sizes. The larger the pack the better value. Also avoid buying individually wrapped portions for children's snacks (eg cheese, sultanas & yoghurt). While the packaging is convenient and appealing to children, you pay much more for it! If you buy a large block of cheese this can be cut into smaller portions as required.
6) Take time to read labels - compare products and save! Supermarket shelf labels contain information about savings and price per kilogram, use this information to get the best value for your money.
Insurance:
There are many insurance companies in the market. Don’t just pay your renewal notice when it is due – take the time to find the insurance policy that is right for you and you could potentially save hundreds of dollars!
- Shop around. Take the time to get 3 quotes and compare premiums.
- Find out what discounts are available. Insurance companies will have discounts for a range of reasons including new customers, combining policies, age, loyalty etc. Don’t be afraid to ask for a discount!
- Consider getting a lower premium having a higher excess.
- Pay for what you need. Check the fine print and what it covers and make sure it is appropriate for your needs. Make sure your property is correctly valued and you have adequate cover.
Reduce The Frequency of Your Purchases:
We all love those little luxuries but remember to treat them as luxuries and start purchasing them less often
- If you or your partner buy takeaway coffee every day or every playdate try to take a bottle of water and only purchase every second time. Don't forget to use the discount cards most coffee shops offer when you do buy a coffee.
- If you or your partner buy lunch every day, start to pack lunch from home and only buy once a week as a treat.
- Facials, massages etc are a nice luxury howver if you have them regularly start to try and reduce the frequency
- When you do the washing don't use a whole scoop, try 1/2 - 3/4. It's better for sensitive skin and you won't need to purchase it so often
- Magazines are a great treat, however try buying them every fortnight instead of every week. Perhaps even find a friend to swap them with.
- Lotto tickets....that 1 powerball is a long shot. Consider buying lotto tickets less frequently.Takeaway dinner or dinner out as a regular occurance can add up, start cutting back how often you go. Instead make pizza at home, or make a picnic and take it to the local park
Can you feel your purse getting heavier with loose change, it all adds up!
Our mums tips for saving money & cutting down costs in the home.
- Stay at Home Mum - The Secret to Living on One Wageis a good facebook page
- Meal planning, so you shop to a list and don't buy things you dont use.
- Do your groceries shop online, by not browsing you tend to only buy what's on your list & don't make any unnecessary purchases, also I make bread from scratch, have a veggie patch & shop mostly at markets instead of supermarkets. Also, at tax time every year we re-evaluate everything & look for better deals on everything, this tax time we saved ourselves $200 a year by changing some of our insurances, lots of ways to save money, you can also see a financial planner, they work wonders & find money you never knew you had! Xx
- Buy meat from a wholesale. Turn off appliances at the wall.
- Buy in bulk when on special things like toilet paper etc, fill up petrol on tues/wed, cook bigger portions so meals last a few days and leftovers can be taken for lunch by hubby. Find out if there is one of those chemist warehouses near you. You would be surprised how much you can save at those places.
- Half vinegar + half water in a spray bottle cleans everything + kills 99.9% of bacteria! From kitchen to bathroom to windows. If u need abit of elbow grease, sprinkle ova bi-carb soda 1st. :)
- For a month (or ongoing) write down every cent you spend and you can soon see where your money is going an decide where you can cut back.
- Turn appliances off at wall, don't use lights until dark, costs a bit at the start but a vegie patch!! Give up 1 thing each for 2 months eg takeaway, beer/alcohol etc
- Look for free activities eg story time at the library, local festivals, in Perth their is buster the funbus with free activities. Make your own snacks eg biscuits and eat some fresh and freeze the left overs. Walk when ever you can rather than using the car. Join a toy library or swap toys somewhere like Australian Toy Swap.
- Invest in a slow cooker so you can make really yummy meals with cheap cuts of meat eg stews etc, with lots of veg. Healthy, made ahead of time, lots left over for more than one meal. Also, don't be afraid to buy 2nd hand- Perth Gumtree is great for kids clothes, furniture and toys
- Layby everything. Lots of places do payment plans on white goods & furniture. Kids go through clothes fast. Get a group of friends together with kids of all different ages and when your kids grow out of clothes, bag them and swap. Dont think badly of charity stores, they have a mix of good items. Clothes, toys, books, cutlery, furniture.
- Put all your $2 coins in a 2 litre coke bottle, when its full you will have $2000. Perfect time to start coz it will come in handy christmas time!
- Turn things off at the power point and make a grocery list and DO NOT buy anything not on it :)
- IF you smoke. Quit.
- Also for make a list of birthday presents for the year and shop when there are sales. For Christmas consider doing a Kris Kringle rather than buying for every individaul person. For family adults you could even do that throughout the year, I think we often end up buying gifts people dont need or even give people your time vouchers for activities you plan or a home cooked dinner.. time is more valuable than money.
- Each year I buy a large money tin put all my lose change in it don't run air con till over 35 deg walk instead of drive the car light off unless in use washing in off peak shop to a list op shops or second Hand for kids stuff we saved enough $ to buy hubby new car :) and write everything u spend down
- Use mcns instead of disposables, buy secondhand, find ur local op shops. Do all your errands on 1 day to save fuel. Sell unused items around the house.
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