Tips on frugal living (for the financially struggling)

[Guest_322]

Hi everyone,

So I thought it would be helpful for anyone who (like me) is financially struggling to share tips and tricks on how to make a dollar stretch that much further. I was inspired by Dizzy and her wonderful advice on anther thread.

Here are mine:

1. Do the bulk of your shopping at Aldi (it's a LOT cheaper than Woolworths or Coles for the most part).

2. Wait till the afternoon/late evening to stock up on bread at supermarkets as the prices are often heavily slashed.

3. Your freezer is your best friend to keep cheap/discounted groceries that you buy in bulk.

4. Plan your meals to save money and avoid waste.

5. I understand that obviously you can't always do this but (& always check with your doctor/pharmacist first) see if you can ask for the generic brand of meds.

6. If you live with other people, you will probably eat better if you all chip in.

7. Markets and op shops are great for updating your wardrobe.

8. If you live in an inner city suburb, see if there's a not-for-profit local food co-op to get really cheap veggies and fruit.

7. If you're a bit of a TV junkie, Netflix is a lot cheaper than Foxtel.

8. Many (phone) service providers offer $10-$12 vouchers for cinema movie tickets. Use those to save at the cinemas.

9. Candy bars at the cinemas are notoriously expensive. Buy your snacks from a supermarket.

phew...that's all I have for now.

I WOULD love to hear your tips!

Thanks in advance!

Dottie x

[Guest_322]

Hi Wandercharm,

Thanks for sharing the Gumtree tip! Yes, eclectic is a perfectly valid sense of aesthetics 😊 Better eclectic than being pedantically matchy-matchy in my opinion. Makes things more interesting.

Seems you and James have bike riding in common. It does seem like a very healthy way to get around.

Dottie x

[Guest_322]

Hi Wandercharm,

Re: frugal grocery shopping.

When my housemates and I shopped at Coles or Woolworths, our weekly groceries was about $250-$280/week (between the 4 of us).

But we got it down to about $150-$180/week after switching to Aldi.

We still go to Coles and Woolworths here and there (especially for their cheap bread in the evenings) and occasional deals on fruit. But it's mostly Aldi for us 😉

Dottie x

[Clues_Of_Blue]

Glad my tips are potentially useful to you Dottie. I got some of them from online, spent a lot of time searching for ideas.

Wandercharm, the vast majority of my first pieces of furniture were second hand. As long as they function, eclectic is just fine. 🙂 That said, I went looking for a new couch recently and actually found a decent new one significantly cheaper than its second hand equivalent. There's something to be said for research.

It's great that some of you guys can get away with riding a bike where you have to go. Personally I've always had to cover too much distance for that. My tip on being a bit frugal with driving is get better fuel. Sure it costs a bit more in the immediate to get 95 or 98, but you get more distance for it. I found I was getting a good 50km extra out of a tank of fuel, and it's better for the engine than regular unleaded (i.e. reduced mechanical costs).

Blue.

[MsPurple]

I have some tips for saving money

1. Shop around. I check online at a few stores and compare prices so I don't waste money for the same product.

2. Use coffee vouchers. Some let you get on coffee free every 5 or so, so if you need your coffee go to a place that has loyalty vouchers

3. If you are needing to catch a flight compare prices. Jetstar has a price beat guarentee (if the competitors flight is within the our of one of their flights and it's to the same destination). I use this all the time. Also don't pay by credit card unless it is free. Jetstars free option uses poli or something like that

4. Check out savers. They sell second hand stuff but some of it is really good and super cheap. If you want some around the house clothes it is perfect.

5. Buy fruit and veg in season as it is cheaper

This is all I can think of for now 🙂

[blondguy]

Hey Dottie

Excuse the late post....these are some of my tips on being fiscally restrained 🙂

• Australian frozen veggies...the same nutrients if not more and way way cheaper..(Woolworths)
• Top 3 appliances for mega power usage....The Evil Oven...An Electric Kettle....A Toaster
• Tumble Dryer.....no way....emergencies only....or get rid of it....
• Many Homebrand products (Generic) are made by the major manufactures and great value....(avoid the Homebrand tinned tomatoes.....made in Italy but they also grow tomatoes near nuclear waste areas)
• Ive done many checks on power costs (kwh)...Red Energy is cheap power...
• Simple rule...Never pay full price for anything....It can be done....95% of the time...

Happy Thursday to you Dottie (thanks for your caring input with the new posters too)

Paulx

[Guest_322]

Hi,

Steph, thanks for the thoughtful tips. I appreciate the coffee loyalty card reminder as I often lose mine ha, ha.

I agree that in season fruit and veg is definitely cheaper!

Paul, happy Thursday to you too 😀 Wow, you've certainly done your research. Great tips!

Homebrand and frozen are life savers indeed! And yes, I'm with you on avoiding full price as much as possible!

Dottie x

[romantic_thi3f]

Ohh great tips!

Thanks for starting this thread 🙂

Here's mine -

1. If you like reading magazines and have a tablet or an iPad, try your local library. They link in with an app called Zinio. Long story short I read the latest magazines free every month.

2. Go to the library anyway - books and DVD's are all free and you can do interlibrary loans if your library doesn't stock it. (I like to read a lot).

3. Meal planning. I do this once I have the catalogue so I can plan my meals based on what's on special.

4. Shop online. I do this with Coles for my groceries and it helps because I can easily add/change things in my cart without hassle (or anxiety) and I can stick to my budget so I don't get to tempted by what's on sale that I don't need.

5. Budget. I do an automatic bank transfer into a savings account and don't touch it - so I get added interest into my account with no effort whatsoever.

I also make lots of shopping lists, price compare and think a lot about what I buy.

6. Switch off your appliances at the wall. It's amazing how much money this saves. You can also get giant buttons to press with your feet that do the same thing.

7. Definitely approve of Netflix but I also like Stan as they have a great selection of TV shows and are pretty cheap.

8. Take advantage of loyalty cards. I get points and rewards on my Amcal and Priceline cards pretty fast which help save money.

I also use Velocity when shopping as I get extra points just for shopping with the site - it's only two clicks but it means one day I'll be able to have a cheap flight!

9. Freeze and store. I do a lot of juices in the morning so food prep is important to me.

I also make my own lunch and find ways to use overripe food - overripe bananas make awesome banana icecream. Chicken can also be used in lots of different ways like pasta, sandwiches or salads.

10. Keep up with the specials and discounts from the shops you like - some places have free shipping or deals for people signed up to email lists.

11. Have a vegetarian meal. I'm not vegetarian but having even just one meat-free meal can save so much money in the grocery bill.

12. Have a look at your phone and internet plans. It takes time and effort but it can save you in the long run; even prepaid deals can be cheaper than phone plans.

[MsPurple]

Hey everyone. I just thought of some other ideas

-share netflix passwords and accounts. I know some people have multiple streaming networks so maybe go in with family and some friends

-buy larger sizes. Don't buy the small cokes, buy the two litre ones and if you want to take a smaller amount with you put it in a take away bottle

-Drink water at a restaurant or go to a byo restaurant

-Go to a restaurant on special days E.g burger Tuesday and Happy Hour

-share books with friends, or go buy second hand books.

[Music_Freak]

Great idea for a thread 🙂

I'll see if I can think of moreto add when I've had a proper read through

[blondguy]

Hey Dottie

Romantic_thi3f Said: "Have a look at your phone and internet plans. It takes time and
effort but it can save you in the long run; even prepaid deals can be
cheaper than phone plans"

Nice1 Romantic!

blondguy has a Sony Xperia Z5 with 4G Data and unlimited everything for $65-00/Month through Vodafone and their sales staff are based in Tasmania too!