What habits have helped you save money?

vor 8 Jahren

Saving money is one of the hardest habits to get into.

You may have tried bringing meals to work, buying clothes only during a sale or buying in bulk, but the challenge is keeping the habit going for more than a week.

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So we want to know – what tricks do you use to save money in your household and while shopping?

Hervorgehobene Antwort

georgi02

vor 8 Jahren

We've learnt so many ways since buying our home.

Pay off as much of the mortgage as possible - if you don't you can end up paying almost twice as much for your property as the original purchase price.
I use bi-carb, vinegar, rubbing alcohol, salt, essential oils (orange, eucalyptus, tea tree and lavender) and borax for cleaning with cheap microfiber cloths that can be washed. I haven't purchased specialist cleaning products in over 8 years.
Use your credit card and it's loyalty program to your advantage - only buy what you can pay off in pull each month and then use your loyalty points for store vouchers as they're the best bang for buck - we bought a lot of our whitegoods this way.
Give yourself some "mad money" each pay for tiny splurges then you don't feel like you're deprived.
If we cant pay for it in full this month, then we cannot have it this month - we don't buy on credit unless we can do this.
Buy quality goods even if you have to save a little longer for them - things like cheap cookware, furniture, whitegoods aren't worth it.
We have a "worm farm" to create compost from our garden and kitchen scraps - it saves us from buying compost.
Have an emergency fund that you don't break into unless it's an emergency - if you do this in conjunction with an offset mortgage then you know that you're never going to pay the full potential interest costs each month.
Go through all your service providers (insurance, gas, electricity) periodically to make sure that your getting the best deal and read the fine print. Oh, and before you change, go to your provider and tell them that you'll stay with them if they'll do a better deal.
Because I use a lot of herbs when cooking, I grow all the herbs we use regularly - a punnet of herbs at $5 gets you an unlimited number of meals versus $2-5 per bunch of herbs for one meal. I'm also a big fan of cooking multiple meals at a time and freezing them (I usually try to have about 10 meals in the freezer which means if we're ultra busy we've got meals for two for a week) which means if you're super busy you've not got the temptation of takeaways just because it's too late to cook. Pop the frozen meal in the microwave and by the time you've changed it's ready.

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Kommentare (25)

bigredkate
vor 8 Jahren
Create a budget. Add a line for all your regular expenses. Go back over last years bills, add an inflation factor and put them into the budget as projected amounts. Add known income to the budget.

Then the best bit - replace the projected amounts with actual amounts. It allows you to see where you can trim, to see where you are going to be stretched. It's eye opening and a great way of discovering where your money is REALLY going.
clikmania
vor 8 Jahren
Here's a few ways.... Improving home efficiency ready for new winter (double glazing, blocking drafts etc.); Walking rather than driving; packed lunch instead of buying lunch; $5 dominos pizza for occasional takeaway (!!); cooking for two evenings in one go; shopping at Aldi rather than Coles; only buy clothes if really really like, want or need them & buy in the sales - very rarely buy full price; negotiate with tradies when doing work on house; sell used items on gumtree .....
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Sleep quality is essential because it accounts for around a third of our lives. Our health and happiness depend on the quality of our sleep; thus, we must invest in a comfortable matratzen. There are so many mattresses to choose from that it might be overwhelming. This article will walk you through the steps to select the best mattress for a good night's sleep. Mattress Type Choosing a mattress type is the first thing to do while looking for a good one. The most common types include innerspring, memory foam, latex, and hybrid. The firmness of an innerspring mattress is well-known, while the softness of memory foam is unparalleled. Hybrid mattresses offer the best of both worlds, combining the resilience and hypoallergenicity of latex with the cost-effectiveness of other materials. Knowing how firm or soft you like your mattress to be is essential. Firmness Level There is a wide range of mattress firmness available, from very soft to quite firm. Each person has their preferred sleeping posture and level of firmness. Most people who sleep on their backs like medium to hard mattresses, while those who sleep on their sides typically go for softer options. A firmer mattress may be necessary for stomach sleepers to avoid spinal misalignment. To select the most comfortable mattress, try various firmness options. Size The size of your mattress matters, and it depends on your sleeping habits, body size, and the space available in your bedroom. Standard sizes range from twin to California king. Think about what size will give you a good night's sleep without feeling cramped. Support and Durability The quality of support a mattress provides is critical to getting a good night's rest. Try to get a mattress with high-density foam, pocketed coils, or latex for superior support and durability. A long-lasting mattress will help you save money because it won't need to be updated as often. Motion Isolation A mattress with sound motion isolation is ideal for couples who share a bed. This means your partner's nighttime movements won't wake you up. Couples often choose memory foam mattresses due to their high level of motion isolation. Temperature Regulation If you tend to get hot at night, it can be uncomfortable and affect your sleep. You should check out mattresses with cooling features, such as gel-infused memory foam or airflow. Try to get a mattress that can control your sleep temperature for a more comfortable night's rest. Budget Consider your financial limitations when you make your choices. Mattresses can be found at various price points, so it's essential to shop around and choose one that works within your budget. A more expensive mattress may be more durable and have more amenities, but many options won't break the bank while ensuring a good night's sleep. Final Thoughts In addition to these seven factors, don't forget to read reviews and gather recommendations from friends and family. The knowledge they have gained by sleeping on various mattresses is invaluable. Take advantage of the trial periods and guarantees offered by mattress makers. This way, you can find the mattress that best suits your body and sleeping habits. Finding the right mattress is a process that calls for thought and research. Mattresses vary significantly in kind, firmness level, size, support, motion isolation, temperature regulation, and cost. If you take the time to consider them, you can improve your chances of getting a restful night's sleep. Sweet dreams!
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PRO
Hal Braswell Consulting
vor 8 Jahren
Never use coins to make purchases. At the end of each day, empty your pockets of loose change and put in a jar. Can save several hundred dollars a year.
PRO
LOVEDECORATELETTERS
vor 8 Jahren
Great advice so far - can't wait to read more excellent ideas! #inspired
Neryl Hollingsworth
vor 8 Jahren
Zuletzt geändert: vor 8 Jahren
I put all the kids pocket money in jars on hooks so they could see the money accumulating! Drove them mental (because it was just out of reach)! But a great way to get them to save.
jmm1837
vor 8 Jahren
Back in the day when I needed to save money, it was 10% of the pay cheque into a savings account, the rest into a chequing account, and everything paid for in cash or by cheque. If I used a credit card, it was only for something that I had enough cash to cover. Things got a bit tight towards the end of the month, sometimes, so I just cut back on expenditure until the next pay cheque. Brown bagged it for lunch, walked to work, skipped the fancy shops and restaurants, etc. Never touched the savings account until I took it all out and put a whacking great deposit on my first home.

And then I kept to the same principle, 10% to the savings account, live off what's left. If the money is out of sight, so to speak, it's out of mind, and you live on what you have left.

Nowadays, I don't need to save (house and cars paid off, all bills paid monthly, comfortable cushion in the bank) but I make sure every bill is paid at the end of every month so I'm not sliding slowly into debt or paying interest.
PRO
anewhouse.com.au
vor 8 Jahren
I used to get paid monthly so every month I would divide the pay by 4.5 to get my weekly budget.

This meant that every 6 months I had saved one weeks budget.
User
vor 8 Jahren
Don't have credit cards, only a problem occasionally. Do laybys instead. Stick to themes in my homewares purchasing, cuts the collecting impulse. Don't turn up my nose at second hand. Know how to repair alot of things. Know how to make and grow things. Use common sense. Shop around, ask for multi buy discounts. Don't care what the Joneses think, be patient, save up.
Angela Prestwood
vor 8 Jahren
Purchase needs not wants!!! Except on special occasions as a treat.
cfmzhouse
vor 8 Jahren
The ideas above are all excellent. The things that have saved me the most money, particularly at times when I've been very cash poor (eg when studying or home with small children) are: set up your banking to work for you - use a mortgage offset account, put all expenses on credit card but pay the entire balance each month. Cook at home and eat out for special occasions only. Unsubscribe to retailer's catalogues to reduce the temptation to buy stuff. Don't visit shopping malls. Buy good quality only, even if its second-hand. Discover free activities and entertainment happening in your town. Walk, cycle or use public transport where possible - keeps you fitter, better for the environment and saves a ton of money in car expenses!
Kerrie Langloy7
vor 8 Jahren
You know when you buy products in a tube? When you think there is none left get some scissors & cut it in half. You'll be shocked how much product is still left in there. On the top piece you cut off, cut 2 small Vs on each side. Now you have a "lid" & can scop out the remaining product & put the lid over the top to stop it drying out.
Luke Buckle
Ursprünglicher Verfasser
vor 8 Jahren
Kerrie, that's extraordinary.
georgi02
vor 8 Jahren
Oh, I forgot one important thing. YOUTUBE! I saved the cost of a plumber ($100+ call out fee plus $80/hr - 1hr minimum) when our bathroom drain got blocked - after watching Youtube, I went down to the hardware store, purchasred a $25 drainsnake and fixed it myself. I've also planned out our drip irrigation set up for our planter boxes as well as learnt all sorts of gardening hacks that have saved us money and learnt how to do Christmas decorating without spending a fortune.
Marli Doig
vor 8 Jahren
Here's how I've saved in the last year: narrowed down to a capsule wardrobe for both work and weekends so now I don't buy so many clothes, am a lot more conscious of what I really need each season; sold the coffee machine on gumtree and back to making plunger coffees, got a lesson on how to make them really well and I think they're better than Nespresso anyway; started taking plant cuttings from friends gardens for our garden - haven't bought any new plants for a year now and the garden looks better than ever and picked up all the pots we needed from verge waste collections in neighbouring suburbs; subscribed to two different wine clubs, we get two boxes of wine delivered per month at about a third of the cost buying it from the bottle shop and we have more than enough wine for our own dinner parties, for BYO when dining out, and always take a couple of bottles as a gift when invited to other parties; cancelled expensive monthly ADSL internet account as we were never even coming close to using our data allowance, now pay a tiny bit extra for additional data packs on both mobile phones and hotspot to the desktop and iPads as needed.
kooky_karen
vor 8 Jahren
I agree with many of the suggestions from georgi02 and have used Kerrie Langloy 7's idea. Here are a few more ideas that we live by:

1. Get rid of the credit card. We have a debit card - cannot spend what you don't have.

2. If you can't pay cash for it, then you don't really need it (except for a house and car).

3. Work out a menu for the week and then write up a weekly shopping list. This way you have less waste.

4. Never go shopping when you are hungry.

5. If you don't get the supermarket pamphlets in your letterbox - go on line for the specials.

5. Growing your own herbs is great but they are not all available all year round so you can buy tubes of herbs that you can keep in the fridge or freezer.

6. Yes, you should have an emergency fund. But don't leave it in the bank - hide it away at home. Why? If the power goes down, ATMs don't work or are empty and/or banks closed - you are in trouble.

7. The old adage about looking after the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves is still true today. All that loose coin in your pocket at the end of the day adds up to a healthy amount if you put it in jars, money banks, etc.
Luke Buckle hat kooky_karen gedankt
User
vor 8 Jahren
Karen, do you know a car hire company that doesn't require credit cards? We don't use cc s either.
jmm1837
vor 8 Jahren
Chookchook - I dont think there's a car rental company around that won't require a credit card of some sort but I think most will accept a Visa or Mastercard debit card provided it has enough money preloaded.
figgie helpmate
vor 8 Jahren
If you tend to splurge when supermarket shopping, its actually better to have home delivery rather than go into the store. By doing this although there is a delivery cost, you never get tempted to buy more than you'd planned to, and therefore stick to your budget.

Meeting friends for a meal and a chat, choose breakfast rather than lunch as breakfasts tend to be cheaper and you still have a great time out.
voegelsnest
vor 8 Jahren
Thank you, guys, for sharing practical and helpful ideas. I've been on a tight budget for several years and get in a twist when there's an emergency (vet bills, car repair) and just have to lie low. I don't use a credit card but a debit card in the safe knowledge that what I've bought I've already paid for. I've found a good quality op shop where the local community disposes of its clothes after wearing them only a few times! I also recycle clothes I can't wear any more (boo!) and recreate for the new me. I've promised myself this year to avoid supermarkets at all costs and buy local and organic only when I need food and not a "saving time" mission which does not save money. Organic is not cheap so I'm going to try to grow my as but for health reasons I need to keep away from chemicals of all sorts so I'm prepared to buy less and less often and eat quality food. I go to pottery classes and make what I need at home instead of paying out at diy stores. I hope to sell some of my pottery this year to pay for the pottery classes!
Luke Buckle hat voegelsnest gedankt
bigreader
vor 8 Jahren
I'm going to try these ideas. I'm aiming for one new money saver a month. January is reduce food waste. February will be make my own lunch, something I struggle with. March will be review utility suppliers and so on ........
Luke Buckle hat bigreader gedankt
jmm1837
vor 8 Jahren
Growing your own herbs is a good one. When we moved into our new house in July, I planted two small rosemary plants in the garden and basil, thyme, dill, chives and parsley in pots scattered around the deck. Total cost, about $30 for the plants. Haven't had to buy any supermarket herbs in months. And rosemary is an attractive plant as well.
Luke Buckle hat jmm1837 gedankt
Natasha
vor 8 Jahren
I like to cook to the amount of serves I need to avoid waste & over eating. If there are left overs, cool, label & freeze. A cheap & healthy alternative to take away food!
woodjay
vor 8 Jahren
If I have random ingredients in the fridge that need to be used, I enter them in google and find a recipe.
acharyaanisha
vor 8 Jahren
Great suggestions.. Some of these I need to implement ASAP.. First I'm going to unsubscribe to the kids clothing shop..

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What habits have helped you save money?

georgi02

Kommentare (25)

bigredkate

clikmania

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Hal Braswell Consulting

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georgi02

Marli Doig

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jmm1837

figgie helpmate

voegelsnest

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What habits have helped you save money?

Kommentare (25)

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Luke BuckleUrsprünglicher Verfasser

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Luke Buckle
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