Ideas From Our Customers On How To Save Money Without Really Trying

The ideas on this web page came from tips our newsletter readers sent us after reading our Top Ten Tips article. Here are some more great tips which will help you to save money. Click here to see our Top Ten Ways To Save Money Around The Home article

Readers Money Saving Tips:

Save on Travel

• Keep your tyres properly inflated. It makes driving safer and can cost less in petrol.
• Set up a car pool in your neighborhood and share the costs of travel, you’ll also be doing your bit for the environment.

Save on Shopping

• Plan your meals in advance. By knowing what food you need you will be able to buy in bulk (this is often cheaper). You will also cut down on convenience food purchases – these are almost always more expensive as you tend to buy extras that you don’t really need. A saving of $20 here a week can convert to $1000 in savings over a full year.
• Have a shopping list, this will help you avoid making ‘unnecessary’ purchases.
• Buy fruit and vegetables that are in season. These are not only less expensive, but they generally taste better because they are fresher and haven’t been stored for long periods.
• Stop buying bottled water and buy a water filter for your home instead. Just wash and reuse a sports drink bottle.Click here to see our range of water filters.
• Have one meal a week veggies only and save on the meat bill, and better still, plant your own vegetable and herb garden. You’ll have the pleasure of knowing that you are eating fresh. Click here to check out our tips on seasonal gardening.
• Get yourself a Fly Buys rewards card. It’s free to join and every time you fill up your car or buy some groceries at any of the participating stores you earn rewards points which can be used to order rewards products. Click here to register at Fly Buys.
• Buy clothes a season ahead. Buy next years winter clothes at the end of this season and save. The styles won’t change that much and you will pocket a big difference in the price.

Save on Other Stuff

• Pay your insurance premiums annually in advance. A lot of insurance companies charge you more if you pay monthly or quarterly. Pay once a year and pay less.
• Get organized and avoid late or missed payment penalty fees.

Save on Entertainment

• See movies in the morning or afternoon at matinee prices.
• Have a family board game night at home instead of going out, play classics like Monopoly or Pictionary.
• Visit the local library and borrow books for free rather than buying them.
• Plan a picnic at a park or beach for a low cost day out.

Save on Energy

• When you’re heating the house make sure you close the doors so you’re not heating rooms you don’t use. Remember wardrobe doors.
• Have showers instead of baths, and keep your showers short. Showers usually require less hot water than baths; you’ll use less electricity this way.
• Put an extra blanket on your bed instead of using an electric blanket.
• Set your computer sleep time so it automatically dims when it hasn’t been used for a few minutes. Turn it off when you’re not using it.
• Sweep the kitchen with a brush instead of using the vacuum cleaner.
• Turn the TV off one night a week and sit together in the back garden and chat.
• Get a battery re-charger and stop using throw away batteries.
• Make sure that you turn your battery chargers off at the wall when they are not in use, eg drill battery chargers.
• If you’re going to be out at night and want to leave a light on, use a timer so it comes on just before you are due home.Click here for timers.
• Dry washing on the clothesline rather than in the dryer. Click here for clotheslines.

Save on Home Maintenance

• Sometimes a good contractor will work out cheaper that your good intentions. Shop around and compare labour costs.
• Shop around retailers that have a price promise before making a purchase. You may be able to invoke a discount on that product if you discover another local retailer is selling it at a lower price. Mitre 10 stores have a 15% price promise. Conditions apply.