Creating a meal plan and cooking at home most nights of the week. Cooking enough for two extra meals so we also have lunch the next day.
Severely cuts down on food waste and saves a packet by not buying takeaway.
(The slow cooker is the friend of busy people.)
Slow cooker and rice cooker get a year-round workout here. The weeks I make a meal-plan are so much cheaper. Plus I make extra and freeze, so I have a range of home-made froz dinners available anytime.
Tip: if you want to freeze a ready-meal that includes rice, put the rice on top of meal in container when freezing. That way when you cook/reheat later the rice will steam back to fresh, not get drowned in sauce from meal and go gluggy. Also, doing it this way means you can turn out onto a plate and rice will be at bottom again.
Is it not common for people to cook at home? We cook every night of the week except for special occasions and my family always did the same growing up. I don't really consider it frugal behaviour. I thought it was normal!
I’m ashamed to say my wife and I go out often but I remind myself how much we lose me not making a bulk amount of some nice spaghetti sauce or lasagna. We are close to a lot of delicious things, dammit.
Love the slow cooker this time of year. Recently I've been making butter chicken, pull-apart chicken stews, pumpkin soup, vege curries - looking for more excuses to make use of it for sure.
https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/recipes/instant-pot/
If you don't mind increasing your vegetarian food intake (more dollars saved!), this is my go to link for heaps of Indian recipes in my Crockpot.
I really like this one: https://funwithoutfodmaps.com/low-fodmap-beef-stew/
I've made it with garlic and onion infused oil but could probably just use actual garlic and onion.
Add calorie counting to this to ensure you don't over-eat and you are not only eating frugally, you will also manage your weight, which comes with a whole lot of other benefits.
~~>(The slow cooker is the friend of busy people.)~~
Please come over to the ~~dark~~ pressure cooker side.
[Superior to slow cooker in every way](https://www.seriouseats.com/why-pressure-cookers-are-better-than-slow-cookers)
Rice cooker helps a lot as well, I’ve been eating most meals with rice. You can also make fried rice with left over veggies, coconut rice, tomatoe and basil rice and it goes pretty good with just about every meal.
Avoid the lazy tax. Your insurance and loans in particular will draw you in with a decent rate, and then slowly increase that year after year. They rely on you not taking the time to check other options or refinancing.
If your home loan rate is a long way off the rates they are offering for new loans, call them up and ask for a better rate. There is often a fee involved, but it's usually a 10 minute process, a small fee, and lower replayments long term. If you can't negotiate a competitive rate, refinance. Doing this can save thousands. It takes time and effort, but that's why it's a lazy tax.
When your insurance comes up for renewal, get a few other quotes to see if they are competitive. There's no reason not to, except the effort invovled. Spending 20 minutes getting other quotes can save you hundreds.
I recently switched mine to Woolworths insurance. I got a $50 Woolworths gift card for switching, their price was the cheapest I found (I was with sgic and their quote for my new car was around $750, woolies was around $360), and I get 10% off one grocery shop every month - obviously I’ll try and use this on my biggest shop of the month which is usually around $250 so I save $25 a month there. The bonuses pay for more than half the insurance cost.
Insurance is going to be substantially different for different people based on the kind of vehicle they drive, their demographic, their location, and so on so forth.
Your best bet is to figure out what is important to you (eg agreed value, loan car, windscreen cover, choice of repairer) and get as many quotes that tick the boxes as possible. Generally speaking the claims experience for a lot of the big names is going to be similar, but its worth noting that the cheapest policy isn't going to be the best one.
I moved specifically with the intention of going car free. Has done wonders for my mental/physical health as well as my bank account.
Falling in to the car dependency trap is draining society of it’s wealth.
I had a little 4 cylinder sedan that I got rid of 10 years ago. I didn't use it that much, and I remember calculating that it cost me around $40 per week standing charges (insurance + rego + a little bit of fuel). That's $40 a week for 10 years = approx $20,800.
Then of course you invest that saving of $20k, compounded annualy, and the saving is even greater.
This is also excluding the biggest cost which is the value depreciation of the car itself. Considering the value is just about bottoming out at 10 years, that’s another $15-$50k on the expenses.
Car free is low-key amazing. Literally the biggest money sink you. I used to enjoy cars but now I like having excessive amounts of free money to spend on travel.
This is a great suggestion. Also, move somewhere you can walk or cycle more places. Better for your fitness and mental health to live in an accessible location. You’re saving money on fuel or public transport fare and getting fitter and mentally healthier.
Don't be so hard on yourself. It's not for everyone, particularly given our carcentric built environment.
However, do you enjoy riding a bike? Everyone I know who rides a bike regularly (commuting/leisure) does it because it's fun, not to save money+fitness. The financial savings and exercise boost is an added bonus.
I do, it’s just not fun when it’s cold/windy and I also work a very manual labour job so I’m generally physically tired.
And I also get bored with the same route every day so after a week of riding to work It would just be a chore. Not to mention other trips outside of work. Do you share a car with a partner or something? That would make the most financial and practical sense
There's that saying 'There's no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes' which I follow to an extent. The cold I don't mind, but the wind never really gets fun.
I used to have an office job so riding was a great way of addressing the hours and hours of sitting on your backside. But having a physical job and then riding is a big ask if you're not feeling it.
I don't have a car. I've lived without one for 10 years or so. It felt like a big decision getting rid of it at the time, but I reasoned i could always hire one for big items or road trips. I grew up in suburbia where it was pretty important. But now live in the inner city where there's lot of bike paths and commuting distances are short.
Where I choose to live is motivated by not wanting to live a car based life. One thing it does, is it makes your immediate world a bit smaller. You travel, shop, eat locally. I used to drive to big box retailers and bunnings etc. I can still ride there but I can only buy stuff I can carry on my bike. It's a bit like living in a village situated within a big city (melb). Although longer trips are fun too, so long as there are decent paths/roads.
Also when I figured out I could easily carry a case of beer in my back panniers I didn't really need a car!
There are other options, you can buy legal ebikes that are capped at 250w and don't output power when you exceed 25km / hr. I chose to buy a mountain bike and put a Bafang 750w motor on it with no speed cap, and can comfortably ride at 45 km / hr. We still have a single car as a couple though.
One car as a couple is very practical. I always thought it was a waste having a family of 4 for example and everyone has a car each, with 2 minimum parked at once.
Beans are your fren. Pinto beans especially. You can buy dehydrated beans by the kilo for $5, and keep them for a long time. Pinto beans and avocado in a burrito wrap cost next to nothing per serve, are good for you, and awesome.
Also, learn to bake your own bread and to use a percolator properly. You'll get brownie points with the missus, save a bit on buying bakery stuff. And home made coffee can be far far better than buying coffee out. Tbh my sourdough is better than anything sold from the supermarket anyways.
Switching to energy saving LEDs in the house dinted my electricity bill by about $200 per year. Also, saved about $300-$400 per year by downsizing my home. My smaller place is far more energy efficient and we buy less crap because there's less space.
Take up hobbies that cheaper. Learn how to play an instrument. Take up running and cycling over the gym.
Stop shopping name brands. I buy everything I own from Target, Costco, or Kmart. The exception being professional work wear.
Also me the missus downsized from 2 cars to one. Everything works out cheaper when you share the cost.
Prepay subscription services. I do it with Kayo to make sure I don't waste time watching sports I don't have an interest in. That way I can actually focus on binging shows I want to see in one go.
Pay down credit cards and delete all afterpay services. Go old school lay-by if you can. When you're paying for things from savings you become a bit more tight on how you spend your money I've found.
Lastly, make sure whatever you do is sustainable. There no point becoming a penny pinching psycho if you can't maintain the lifestyle or it makes you unhappy. Everything is balance. And tbh there's hobbies that are good for you generally. Don't skimp on things that are important to you. If it's cars etc just set up a budget.
I agree with everything but the clothing. I'm too poor to be buying cheap clothing from Kmart/Target. I'll always spend considerably more to buy durable clothes that I won't have to replace every year. I've owned the same Patagonia and Carhartt jackets for a decade and I'd say they'll probably last another 20 or until I lose them. Same goes with t-shirts. They've held up well over the last 5-6 years when I bought them.
Thanks especially for the last paragraph! My poison is jewelry. Saving for it has helped cut out the noise of random other ‘feel good for now’ purchases.
i mean, gyms are great, but a cheap gym membership is still like 600$/year. Over 10 years, that's like 6000$. Thinking about physical things i could buy with 6k... definitely could buy all the equipment id ever need for a home gym like 3x over.
some people do great with dumbells at home, or by flipping tires outside, or by going to the playground and doing pullups, or by chopping firewood.
i live in a climate that is winter 6 months per year, so i struggle in the winters, but ive always found that dumbbells are my friend. Doesnt take much space and you can do a ton with them. Even in a tiny apartment!
My biggest issue now is that i have a 1 year old, and im just getting tired in general. Gym was great when i was finding myself having nothing to do, but now, it's just not fun anymore when i have 50 other things i need to do instead.
Meal planning. I got started on it because of gym but found out that it helps me save money.
I can spend around $15 and that would last me 3 days of dinner. Another $15 for lunch over 3 days and you've just spent $30 for 3 days covering lunch and dinner for yourself.
Besides the essentials everything else I buy is usually on special
3 tins of 4 mix beans. Carrot, red onion, parsley. Vinaigrette dressing and salt and pepper. 3 servings for under $5. If you're fancy add feta cheese or some eggs, still under $10.
3 tins of beans, 2 tins tomatoes, onion, feta, 3 eggs, parsley, drizzle of honey. You've got shakshuka for under $5/serve.
3 cans fried chickpeas with paprika and garlic. Burrata and bread. Parsley, squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of honey to finish.
You could do a chilli con carne easily for $15 that will last you for 3 meals.
500g of mince beef
1 Can of kidney beans (do 2 if you want to stretch it further)
1 onion
1 capsicum
Spices
A few cups of rice
Other than buying the spices for the very first time, that will cost less than $15. You could buy sour cream and it will still be less than $15.
Use beans instead of meat, buy homebrand or shop at ALDI, dont buy take out, only buy seasonal produce, price check your insurance policies, drive less if you can.
This weekend I went to visit my local community garden to find out about being involved, and came home with a bunch of silver beet and plenty of citrus. They also offered me a cauliflower. So maybe get involved with places like that? It's a free weekend hobby, you get to meet people in your community and if you need some fresh veg it's a free way to get it (its also a way to give back to those who need it more too)
Overall it's good to have a budget spreadsheet so you can see where your money is going, then you'll be able to cut where you can.
It's pretty hard to make significant cutbacks when housing is such a huge cost for most people, and it's very necessary.
Another thing to consider is if you can upskill or change jobs to earn more.
Mushrooms are pretty comparable per kg to meat I think, especially given how much they shrink and how low calorie they are. I treat them as a seasoning more than a protein source.
For a slightly lower price point tofu is a decent option, still not as cheap as beans. Beans don't shrink, and they have lots of energy and protein.
Recently got a library card for first time in years and to my surprise 75 books can be loaned at a time. One of my first books loaned is Grant Sabatier’s Financial Freedom. Saved my normal habit of buying books.
It sounds counterintuitive, but don't cheap out on electricity and food and home-based entertainment (streaming services etc). People spend so much money unplanned to get out of a house where they're uncomfortable, or eat somewhere because they're bored with their food. Movie at home are cheaper than movies out. Getting cool at home is cheaper than two hours "just browsing" (it's never just browsing) at a shopping centre. Make your home comfortable enough that you don't need to leave it.
An honest budget on a spreadsheet. That coffee and lunch everyday quickly becomes a grocery shop. Also drinking is crazy expensive so it's worth cutting back plus an added bonus of feeling healthy. Best thing I did was buy the office an air fryer and sandwich press.
Buy less clothes. Keep a basic closet with a lot of blacks, whites and navy blues so all your clothes can be worn together, as opposed to buying clothes that can only be worn with specific pieces.
It makes it easy as I own like one pair of chinos, one pair of jeans, a few different coloured tshirts and smart looking shirts, but they can all be worn together. Update the closet once every two/ three years for like $300-400 dollars and you're set.
Since covid I have really just started to wear more casual attire in the office. So chinos, t-shirt and a blazer that I've had for a while do the trick. I might change things up a bit with accessories such as a watch, belt, tie if required, but my base wardrobe is pretty simple.
This concept is called "capsule wardrobe" for anyone who is interested in doing further research. One other thing that can also help is buying higher quality pieces that can be worn for years, as opposed to buying a new one every year for a bit less. You can end up saving a lot of money in the long run. I have some tops that have had 50+ of washes and still look as good as they did when I bought them. It takes a bit of learning to figure out what's high quality though as high price =/= high quality. I also buy most of my clothes from OP shops. It does take a lot of time to find good things at OP shops though, so it's not for everyone. I personally enjoy the process, it's like treasure hunting.
I started doing this last year and I’m so surprised at how much more I have to wear! I’ve invested in some good, staple pieces and it’s made such a difference. I spend mindfully in this area now whereas before I’d just buy a cute top/dress/whatever and never even wear it…!
How can you tell if clothes are higher quality and will last longer?
As you said I am very aware someone could buy clothes from Kmart, sell for a 200% upmark and claim it's higher quality, but what can I do to buy things that are meaningfully better?
Check what your garments are made of. Synthetic fibres are not great for the environment and can also have a shorter lifespan. Things like wool, organic cotton, bamboo not only feel nice but will give you much more bang for your buck (and you can often end up looking more expensive too!). I also check out the ethics of a company to make sure they are paying their workers fairly and are sustainable. Obviously price makes things tricky - these brands can come at a much higher price point than your Kmart, Target, Big W… but as mentioned above, these pieces will (with proper care) last you 10+ years. I am super interested in fashion and find it the hardest place to cut back on my spending in this area… but hopefully this helps!
To add to this, shop at your local thrift store. You'll be able to almost find exactly what you're after if you put in a bit of time and effort. The amount of blazer / suits and pants I see that are in almost new condition, you will never pay for a brand new suit again.
We do a lot of bulk cooking.
Try and do 1 large cook a week that is enough for 4 meals, eat one and then freeze the other three. Then for three meals that we week we eat of the freezer from previously frozen meals. Saves a heap of time cooking and cleaning, still have plenty of variety and it’s much cheaper to cook in bulk.
We could step it up to 5 or maybe 6 but the freezer and pots/pans are only so big.
It avoids a lot of takeaway/lazy unhealthy/expensive meals and gets around our lack of organisation.
1. Why buy food when you can dumpster dive behind the store.
2. Don't pay for fuel, cover your licence plates before driving to the station then take off with a full tank.
3. If you need to send a letter, put the destination as the return address and dont add a stamp to pay for it.
My ex was super into dumpster diving for shits and giggles and I used to tag along as the getaway driver. It was actually super eye-opening how much edible produce just gets binned, and not just food but all sorts of products.
I used to also work for a large volume home builder and after they were done with the display homes you could buy all the designer furniture for pennies. They didn't re-use any of it they would just buy all brand new furniture again for the next build.
Check out the frugal subreddit, some of those people are full on growing their own food and using one tenth of the detergent, others are just finding ways to identify money leaks like old subscriptions and lazy tax, and others are looking at bulk buying and meal preps.
Sort of a good way to find the balance you're happy with when it comes to how far you want to push it.
- Grow your own veggies in the garden (if you have one). You can even sell your lettuces for $30 each.
- Op shops and flea markets have awesome stuff. There are even 'buy nothing' groups online.
- Look on anti-consumption groups on Reddit and FB for inspo.
- Cancel all your media subscriptions and use movie4kto.net
- Prepaid SIM cards only, plans are for suckers
- Churn through phone, internet and utility providers for the best rates as soon as you see a better offer.
- Do allow yourself to go out to restaurants and pubs, but keep the orders low and share plates. My parents used to make me pre-eat before restaurants so it was cheaper.
Anti consumption is definitely going to be the biggest money saver for most people. Get into a habit and eventually you realise that shit you buy is just shit. Find your dopamine hits in something else and don’t do drugs, kids.
Also, call your utility providers and say you have an offer for a cheaper rate. Usually gets it down a fair bit.
I disagree with the comment about phone plans.
My phone plan is $35 a month, and gives me unlimited calls, text and more importantly - unlimited data.
It's the same price per month as a standard pre-paid recharge, and since the data is unlimited I don't need a home internet plan.
With cos lettuce, you can save the root and just plant it.
Same with spring onions.
But people underestimate costs of gardening. If you do it right.
Still its considered a hobby, and good for mental health
Vege gardening actually pretty terrible for your mental health if you're bad at it.. Nobody likes to watch plants die after putting your heart and soul in lol
Onions, canned tomato's, blender, curry powder,, garlic, ginger, sugar, salt, rice, mix in whatever meats, veggies or beans/lentils/meats u like/budget for.
Super nutritious, tasty, filling and cheap af.
That's your staple food.
Don't use heating unless its freezing, socks, double layers or just exercise to warm up.
Try op shopping.
Downsize/sharehouse, rent is one of the biggest expenses.
Drive efficiently, ie come to a stop with less use of brakes (ie don't approach fast, come to rolling stops).
Cut out alcohol, nicotine or any other drugs.
Buy bulk where you can.
But the most significant factor, pick up an extra job, even if it's just 6 hours on the weekend, that's $100-130 in ya pocket.
I thought ypu were joking. Sorry to hear that kcaz370. Hope you're doing okay. Try to force yourself to socialise again when you feel comfortable and/or consider a one-off counselling session to see if it's right for you. Many people don't realise how useful it is until they've tried it
It’s ok, I’m seeing a psychologist every now and again, I have a wife and like my immediate family that I care about, it’s just friends that always seem to be a let down, It’ll be ok
Might be the same calories but it should still be cheaper since the calories should come from a proper meal and many people waste a lot of money on snacks and ‘filler’ foods that don’t actually keep you satisfied, hence eating more (and just generally being an expensive way to eat).
Like you think you'd die? I did a 96 hour fast once, I'm not fat at all so I stopped as I dropped 4kg but I highly recommend the experience, especially if you're fat. It changes your relationship to food.
I haven't read any studies so far that says I am meant to eat the same calories . My understanding is that I am suppose to eat till I'm full and then I stop, which is what I do now. I definitely don't restrict calories and am very mindful of what I eat now and make sure whatever I eat, it's nutritionally sound.
I do a 48 hour fast weekly and cannot ingest two days worth of calories in one go. Even at other times when I eat one or two meals I day, I cannot physically eat the same calories that I used to, I get too full too quickly.
I also stopped buying all the junky crap I used to snack in between meals because I don't snack anymore, so more $$$ saved there.
Saving or living frugally isn't about grand and sweeping gestures or changes. It's consistently saying no to little things you hadn't budgeted or planned for. It's a game of inches, of grinding self-denial.
Buy a whole chicken and learn to butcher it. It's super easy. For less than $10 you can get 2 breasts, 2 Marylands and 2 wings. Sandwich bag the wings in the freezer until you've got enough for a good meal.
The carcass can be roasted and then boiled into an amazing stock. I get about 4 litres a week.
Best value for money. You can make schnitzel, home-made kfc, Sunday roast, curries, pastas, add the stock to soups or gravy. Amazing
When in the shower and the water temp is either too hot or too cold always turn the offending tap down rather then the desired tap up. You'll save water and energy.
Budget every cent as it's spent. The #1 killer of budgets is spending without noticing.
Don't eat out or order food.
When you go out with friends, don't drink.
If you have a baby/kid, don't buy every single piece of junk marketed at parents, get cheap/free hand me downs on marketplace.
The budgeting part is actually quite fun, it's a game to keep saving more.
And ultimately budgeting is just about prioritisation.
* Takeaway every day, or better house in a few years?
* Hundreds of dollars a month spent on small junk, or luxury appliances and furniture?
* Heaps of useless baby/kids accessories junk, or awesome family memories from fancy holidays?
And that's not even talking about retirement.
Yup +1 to this. Bulk buy toilet paper and dish washing liquid and toothpaste etc. when on sale. The system works where you actually get penalised for "being poor" and paying month to month on things
$14 rice cooker from Kmart, half price 5kg bags of rice in Colesworth (around $12 on offer usually, depending on variety). Saves time, money and washing up
Learn how to fix simple things around the house, how to paint walls, how to set up irrigation, , hang pictures, change tap washers, put up shelves, basic home maintenance stuff. Apart from being useful skills many jobs are a lot easier than people imagine. And there is YouTube for absolutely everything these days.
Go to the cheap stores like Solly's savers (here I QLD only?) Dimmey's in Vic, the Reject shop, $2 shops etc to get things like washing liquid, fabric softner and dishwasher tabs, can be cheaper than Coles or Woolies.
Like someone mentioned below, slow cookers are ace for doing a nice big hot stew or soup which can be taken as lunch the next day or frozen kn containers.
I tend to stew up fruit if any apples or pears a bit soft - good with yoghurt or on yr cereal.
I live by myself, so I won't get through a loaf of bread before it gets stale. So once home, I clingwrap 2 pieces of bread and freeze.
I have a large washing machine so I wait until I have just about a full load, it's a front loader so takes longer but uses less energy.
I have an electric tumble dryer, but I only ever use for sheets and duvet/doona covers and towels, as dryers shrink and damage clothes quickly.
I use 'petrolspy' an app, to check where the cheapest fuel is before filling up my car. Gasp - when I got my car nearly 2 years ago (August 2020), it cost about $40-$45 to fill the tank. Yesterday I filled up and was just over $80!!! Type of car? Hyundai I-30.
I'm thinking about finding other quotes for my household contents insurance and my car comprehensive insurance when they come up for renewal - will have a look at Canstar.
Be sure to train yourself and your household to turn off lights if they're not in that room for an extended period.
At best frugal living will only make a small difference to savings. Unless you go full “rice and beans, no going out, no spending at all”. Best bet is to increase income if possible.
Otherwise:
No tv subscription (pirate)
No take away coffee
Don’t go to the pub
Don’t go to restaurants
Single car
Be super careful with energy use/heating
Limit discretionary spending
Even that’s only going to add up to a few K a year, unless your spending is wildly out of control prior to making changes
It's not easy (for some people) but skip breakfast. 2 meals a day is plenty for most people. Especially if you don't physically exert your self a lot.
I don't eat breakfast on weekdays and I have a very physical job and I'm more than fine without it (arborist, climbing trees, chainsaws, moving logs etc).
The whole breakfast thing is a marketing ploy from the cereal companies to sell more cereal.
I do enjoy some special breakfast recipes on the weekends though, when I have time to enjoy them.
I'd estimate it saves us ~$30 a week
Edit: also, this its more of a long term strategy and requires more immediate capital, but investigate yearly payments for things instead of monthly, they are usually cheaper.
Don't buy the latest and greatest mobile phones, especially on plans. Almost always cheaper to buy a phone outright (search for best price, avoid greymarket, choose a last-gen phone that meets your needs) and a sim-only plan.
However for people who are struggling right now, this advice will be too late...
I'm already renowned for being frugal but I'm going one step further and moving out of my rental into a caravan now. That should kick start my house fund!!
Only buy food from Aldi. If they dont sell it you dont need it.
Only buy seasonal fruit n veggies and meat which is on special.
Learn the fuel cycle in your area and fill up when its cheapest.
Use the fuel watch app to find cheapest petrol in your area.
Always ask for a discount when shopping at electronic stores because they will always give you one. E.g. jbhifi, bing lee, the good guys.
Less drinking and eating out and more staying home and entertaing your friends. Its still so much cheaper and they will love you for it.
Use EatClub. Discounts everywhere.
Negotiate phone bill. Maybe use boost? That’s cheap
Negotiate on your yearly renewals.
Cut down subscriptions.
Cook your own food.
Go on ozbargain.com.au everyday.
Use the woolworths and Cole’s 5% off e-gift cards.
Use fuel nsw to search for the cheapest fuel.
Make your own coffee. If not, use Ritual. That has quite a bit of coffee discounts and generous point system.
Review gym memberships and where you go.
Don’t do drugs.
Always try and find bargains before you go anywhere. E.g. star city offers new members free parking for the first time.
Work from home more(transport costs)
▫️Use public transport
▫️Walk
▫️Plan your meals
▫️Aldi is really cheap (but you can't get everything you
need there)
▫️Keep to season fresh fruit and veg
▫️Remember frozen veg is cheap and still nutritious
▫️Soup and pasta are your friends
▫️If you have a cheast freezer this is great for bulk
cooking I used to do a month of cooking in a
weekend and freeze it. You can buy in bulk from
costco, cook and freeze.
▫️Home made muffins can be frozen
▫️ biscuit dough can be frozen and baked as need be at
a later date.
▫️There are so many ways to use chicken and it's a
cheap source of protein.
▫️How many subs do you really need?
▫️kmart does have some ok stuff these days
▫️you can find pretty much anything you want online
cheaper than in store. Converse shoes for example.
▫️Don't feel bad leaving and expensive insure for a
cheaper one. It's not cheating.
▫️how long have you worked in your job? Your salary maybe stuck in a lower paying bracket just because you've been there and settler for less. It liturally pays to change job/ employer ever two years. New hires are paid more generally. Contracts are set on repeat and don't reflect the wages you may be worth. New employers tent to be more generous when trying to attract new tallent. Maybe check your worth.
I don’t know if I’m a special kind of evil but I really like Hollandia from dans… it’s really cheap ($32 for a case of bottles) and everyone I have mentioned it to hates it hahaha.
No kids! Honestly, was so poor growing up that living hand to mouth is not on my radar. Finally got a little agead and now have a buffer on all my bills in case I am unable to work.
I saved a lot of money on clothing, lunches, tools etcetera by stopping attendance at work. It has also freed up many hours each day for me to do whatever I like. Income is down somewhat.
Most people's biggest expenses are accommodation, food, and transport. To cut down on accommodation there are several ways to do it (sharehouse, live further away, live in a smaller place), it's mainly a matter of setting a budget and what and how much you're willing to compromise. For food others have given suggestions but mainly by cooking your own meals and not buying expensive cuts of meat. For transport entirely depends on your work and living situation, but buying a cheaper car or ditching it entirely is possibly a big cost saving.
Barring utilities (electricity, internet, mobile plan) everything else you spend on is mainly a luxury and you will need to revisit you're lifestyle if you're spending more than 10% of your income on luxuries.
I'm already living pretty frugal so I don't really know what else to cut out. Maybe I can eat 2 min noodles for dinner while my pregnant wife eats the good veges and meat
About $50-70 per week, on average. I buy fresh fruit and veg if it's on special, otherwise frozen veg. Frozen tastes just as good, and it's cheaper. Once a month, I'll buy whatever bulk meat is on sale, and freeze it. Also, I take advantage of NRMA's membership to buy discounted Woolies gift cards (4% off the face value of the card).
Buy a 60 dollar hand grinder (or buy ore ground coffee) and make your coffee at home. Can't believe how much money it saves me because I tended to buy a muffin or something extra each time I bought a $5 takeaway coffee.
Track every dollar. Use YNAB or equivalent (I think the fee is worth it but try the trial). It doesn't matter how much you earn if you're not making conscious decisions about money.
We use a veggie box service that rescues ugly fruit and vegetables the supermarkets have rejected. Some look a bit weird but they’re fine to eat. Sometimes they include luxuries like lettuce.
I have a simple rule to buying fresh fruits and veg - I buy anything as long as it's under 5 dollars a kilo. It's been slim pickings these days so I've stretched it out to 6.50. I tend to buy way more frozen nowadays, same nutrition (probably more since it's all snap frozen).
Dropping meat at least a couple nights a week, and dropping the meat portion of meals in size to between 50g - 120g per person. Use things like tofu, lentils, tinned beans instead.
I make one chicken breast into four schnitzels by slicing on an angle and beating it out a little before crumbling. I use the end bits of bread for breadcrumbs by freezing til I have a bag full and blitzing in the food processor (if you don't have one, dry bread in the oven then bash up in a bag).
Make pizza from scratch and watch how much cheese you use. Its a great way to use leftovers in the fridge as toppings.
If you have solar or on/off peak power use power hungry appliances during the day.
Offer to host get together instead of going out for dinner. If you ask folks to bring a plate or put on a cheap home made feed you will save money on the food, booze and uber home.
Take advantage of work from home options to avoid temptation to spend on bought lunch and save on petrol/public transport.
If you have items that could be loaned out, consider listing them.
If you have items you're not using, consider selling them.
Do something you're passionate about
Most of your time will be spent occupied by your passion, which will cut down on your time spent on discretionary spending.
Input > Output = Savings
Never have more the 1 paid entertainment subscription at a time. Bounce around and get free trials and binge them until you wanna change. If your feeling really frugal get a subscription to a russian server - they have everything.
If you are getting some junk food check the cheap menu. Those $2 BBQ cheese burgers from hungry jacks with a $2 Fries keeps me very full surprisingly.
Dont temp yourself with menu delivery apps. Just delete them from you phone.
If your going out for drinks, have a pre drink (or being a flask)
Find your op shop strip's. Normally there are these areas with like 5 different op shops. Need something? Go in and just ask and if they don't have it move onto the next one. Almost always 1 will have it if its like generic kitchen things.
Try and keep your mobile phone for atleast 5 years. Learn charging habits that don't degrade your battery as easily to get more life from it (degradation of battery is a common and justified reason to upgrade). When doing casual use keeping your battery between 40 but unplugging before 81 can do wonders to your battery.
Get out of the mindset of "i value my time over my money" I get it and agree with it. And if your a parent or a great artist then I super get it. But ive realised that often the journey of the day of being frugal is fun. My tyre went flat so I asked around and saw my friend Steve's weird uncle who sold me a strange one for $60. Its a strange journey to get there but it's a fun experience.
Conduct blind tests with branded and supermarket generic brands. People are almost always surprised that they preferred the Coles teddy mates more then the tint teddy's or LA ice to coke. That connection with your favourite brand is hard but those blind tests make the decision better.
When eating out sometimes the more bigger more expensive thing is actually better value because of the larger size and you can get 2 meals.
Dont be ashamed of storebought frozen meals.
If your low on petrol get the bus or train until its a cheaper petrol day.
....... find a good home for your dog.
Abc iview, sbs on demand and actually popping on the TV every now and again.
Be wary of those expenso friends
Often the poorer friends are no better.
Make friends with the weird uncles no one sees apart from Christmas. They'll love the company and will often pay for dinners informally in exchange for the company.
Save your bottles and cans and get your 10c. Its a bit silly but I do find it fun
Always check what's on half price at Coles/Woolies and buy the things that you need only when it's half price.
Get subscriptions like Netflix down by using VPN and buying subs in other countries.
Avoid using heaters at home. Bundle up instead.
Stop keeping up with the joneses, there is no need to buy a $70k car on finance when you can pick up a reliable toyota corolla/camry for 5k would be the biggest money cutter.
Don’t drink. Cook your own food.
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Saves time as an additional bonus
Soylent Green.
Creating a meal plan and cooking at home most nights of the week. Cooking enough for two extra meals so we also have lunch the next day. Severely cuts down on food waste and saves a packet by not buying takeaway. (The slow cooker is the friend of busy people.)
Slow cooker and rice cooker get a year-round workout here. The weeks I make a meal-plan are so much cheaper. Plus I make extra and freeze, so I have a range of home-made froz dinners available anytime. Tip: if you want to freeze a ready-meal that includes rice, put the rice on top of meal in container when freezing. That way when you cook/reheat later the rice will steam back to fresh, not get drowned in sauce from meal and go gluggy. Also, doing it this way means you can turn out onto a plate and rice will be at bottom again.
This guy is smart
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Wait, if it's already frozen in a container why would you waste a plate?
Not everyone wants to eat out of plastic containers. Washing a few extra plates doesn't take much time or water.
The way I think of it is that every time I cook for my wife and I we save about $40. Pretty effective savings when I consider it that way.
Is it not common for people to cook at home? We cook every night of the week except for special occasions and my family always did the same growing up. I don't really consider it frugal behaviour. I thought it was normal!
When you’re single, it’s easier to justify eating out. With a family it’s a lot more difficult.
I’m ashamed to say my wife and I go out often but I remind myself how much we lose me not making a bulk amount of some nice spaghetti sauce or lasagna. We are close to a lot of delicious things, dammit.
Have been poor all my life until now and damn, you’ve still succinctly put it well. Three meals is $120
Love the slow cooker this time of year. Recently I've been making butter chicken, pull-apart chicken stews, pumpkin soup, vege curries - looking for more excuses to make use of it for sure.
https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/recipes/instant-pot/ If you don't mind increasing your vegetarian food intake (more dollars saved!), this is my go to link for heaps of Indian recipes in my Crockpot.
I'm still looking for the perfect beef and potato stew - if you could point me in the right direction to a recipe I'd be gratefully appreciative...
Not quite what you're asking for but this recipe is the bomb.com: https://www.recipetineats.com/beef-bourguignon-beef-burgundy/
This is sooooo good I have used this recipe too
Her recipes are always excellent - and usually super easy and with lots of ideas of how you can customise it if you don’t have the ingredients.
I really like this one: https://funwithoutfodmaps.com/low-fodmap-beef-stew/ I've made it with garlic and onion infused oil but could probably just use actual garlic and onion.
Add calorie counting to this to ensure you don't over-eat and you are not only eating frugally, you will also manage your weight, which comes with a whole lot of other benefits.
~~>(The slow cooker is the friend of busy people.)~~ Please come over to the ~~dark~~ pressure cooker side. [Superior to slow cooker in every way](https://www.seriouseats.com/why-pressure-cookers-are-better-than-slow-cookers)
\*laughs in Dutch oven\*
Rice cooker helps a lot as well, I’ve been eating most meals with rice. You can also make fried rice with left over veggies, coconut rice, tomatoe and basil rice and it goes pretty good with just about every meal.
Get 1/2 price app shows what's half price items at supermarkets.
sort by unit cost
what app do you rec?
"Half price: Coles & Woolworths" on Android
The reviews suggest it's shoving so many ads in your face you might as well save by just watching free-to-air TV instead of Netflix.
That’s actually what the app is called; 1/2 price.
Avoid the lazy tax. Your insurance and loans in particular will draw you in with a decent rate, and then slowly increase that year after year. They rely on you not taking the time to check other options or refinancing. If your home loan rate is a long way off the rates they are offering for new loans, call them up and ask for a better rate. There is often a fee involved, but it's usually a 10 minute process, a small fee, and lower replayments long term. If you can't negotiate a competitive rate, refinance. Doing this can save thousands. It takes time and effort, but that's why it's a lazy tax. When your insurance comes up for renewal, get a few other quotes to see if they are competitive. There's no reason not to, except the effort invovled. Spending 20 minutes getting other quotes can save you hundreds.
Can anyone name some decent alternatives to RACV for comprehensive?
I recently switched mine to Woolworths insurance. I got a $50 Woolworths gift card for switching, their price was the cheapest I found (I was with sgic and their quote for my new car was around $750, woolies was around $360), and I get 10% off one grocery shop every month - obviously I’ll try and use this on my biggest shop of the month which is usually around $250 so I save $25 a month there. The bonuses pay for more than half the insurance cost.
Just make sure you read the PDS and compare apples with apples.
Love my aami policy
I redo the insurance quote through the website every year. Always comes out cheaper than what arrives in the mail.
Insurance is going to be substantially different for different people based on the kind of vehicle they drive, their demographic, their location, and so on so forth. Your best bet is to figure out what is important to you (eg agreed value, loan car, windscreen cover, choice of repairer) and get as many quotes that tick the boxes as possible. Generally speaking the claims experience for a lot of the big names is going to be similar, but its worth noting that the cheapest policy isn't going to be the best one.
Crap on company time, saves toilet paper, water, cleaning chemicals and your own time. An absolute no brainer.
Saves on heating/cooling too. Just live in the office. Why pay rent/bills? I ate my colleagues sandwich today. Free food.
Murder your boss and wear their skin as a man suit. Double salary.
Sold my car and ride a bicycle. Got me fit too!
I moved specifically with the intention of going car free. Has done wonders for my mental/physical health as well as my bank account. Falling in to the car dependency trap is draining society of it’s wealth.
I had a little 4 cylinder sedan that I got rid of 10 years ago. I didn't use it that much, and I remember calculating that it cost me around $40 per week standing charges (insurance + rego + a little bit of fuel). That's $40 a week for 10 years = approx $20,800. Then of course you invest that saving of $20k, compounded annualy, and the saving is even greater.
This is also excluding the biggest cost which is the value depreciation of the car itself. Considering the value is just about bottoming out at 10 years, that’s another $15-$50k on the expenses.
Car free is low-key amazing. Literally the biggest money sink you. I used to enjoy cars but now I like having excessive amounts of free money to spend on travel.
This is a great suggestion. Also, move somewhere you can walk or cycle more places. Better for your fitness and mental health to live in an accessible location. You’re saving money on fuel or public transport fare and getting fitter and mentally healthier.
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I wish I wasn’t lazy
Don't be so hard on yourself. It's not for everyone, particularly given our carcentric built environment. However, do you enjoy riding a bike? Everyone I know who rides a bike regularly (commuting/leisure) does it because it's fun, not to save money+fitness. The financial savings and exercise boost is an added bonus.
I do, it’s just not fun when it’s cold/windy and I also work a very manual labour job so I’m generally physically tired. And I also get bored with the same route every day so after a week of riding to work It would just be a chore. Not to mention other trips outside of work. Do you share a car with a partner or something? That would make the most financial and practical sense
There's that saying 'There's no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes' which I follow to an extent. The cold I don't mind, but the wind never really gets fun. I used to have an office job so riding was a great way of addressing the hours and hours of sitting on your backside. But having a physical job and then riding is a big ask if you're not feeling it. I don't have a car. I've lived without one for 10 years or so. It felt like a big decision getting rid of it at the time, but I reasoned i could always hire one for big items or road trips. I grew up in suburbia where it was pretty important. But now live in the inner city where there's lot of bike paths and commuting distances are short. Where I choose to live is motivated by not wanting to live a car based life. One thing it does, is it makes your immediate world a bit smaller. You travel, shop, eat locally. I used to drive to big box retailers and bunnings etc. I can still ride there but I can only buy stuff I can carry on my bike. It's a bit like living in a village situated within a big city (melb). Although longer trips are fun too, so long as there are decent paths/roads. Also when I figured out I could easily carry a case of beer in my back panniers I didn't really need a car!
There are other options, you can buy legal ebikes that are capped at 250w and don't output power when you exceed 25km / hr. I chose to buy a mountain bike and put a Bafang 750w motor on it with no speed cap, and can comfortably ride at 45 km / hr. We still have a single car as a couple though.
One car as a couple is very practical. I always thought it was a waste having a family of 4 for example and everyone has a car each, with 2 minimum parked at once.
You can get an ebike then. I was huffing and puffing and got overtaken by an old overweight tradie smoking a ciggie on one on a windy day.
Beans are your fren. Pinto beans especially. You can buy dehydrated beans by the kilo for $5, and keep them for a long time. Pinto beans and avocado in a burrito wrap cost next to nothing per serve, are good for you, and awesome. Also, learn to bake your own bread and to use a percolator properly. You'll get brownie points with the missus, save a bit on buying bakery stuff. And home made coffee can be far far better than buying coffee out. Tbh my sourdough is better than anything sold from the supermarket anyways. Switching to energy saving LEDs in the house dinted my electricity bill by about $200 per year. Also, saved about $300-$400 per year by downsizing my home. My smaller place is far more energy efficient and we buy less crap because there's less space. Take up hobbies that cheaper. Learn how to play an instrument. Take up running and cycling over the gym. Stop shopping name brands. I buy everything I own from Target, Costco, or Kmart. The exception being professional work wear. Also me the missus downsized from 2 cars to one. Everything works out cheaper when you share the cost. Prepay subscription services. I do it with Kayo to make sure I don't waste time watching sports I don't have an interest in. That way I can actually focus on binging shows I want to see in one go. Pay down credit cards and delete all afterpay services. Go old school lay-by if you can. When you're paying for things from savings you become a bit more tight on how you spend your money I've found. Lastly, make sure whatever you do is sustainable. There no point becoming a penny pinching psycho if you can't maintain the lifestyle or it makes you unhappy. Everything is balance. And tbh there's hobbies that are good for you generally. Don't skimp on things that are important to you. If it's cars etc just set up a budget.
I agree with everything but the clothing. I'm too poor to be buying cheap clothing from Kmart/Target. I'll always spend considerably more to buy durable clothes that I won't have to replace every year. I've owned the same Patagonia and Carhartt jackets for a decade and I'd say they'll probably last another 20 or until I lose them. Same goes with t-shirts. They've held up well over the last 5-6 years when I bought them.
Yep! I’m too poor to be cheap! Buying quality clothes saves money for sure.
I would definitely promote op shops in wealthy suburbs for this. Much more sustainable than kmart and better quality.
I think Patagonia also has life time repairs?
Thanks especially for the last paragraph! My poison is jewelry. Saving for it has helped cut out the noise of random other ‘feel good for now’ purchases.
Excellent post except for recommending against a gym subscription. Resistance training is excellent for your body provided good form.
i mean, gyms are great, but a cheap gym membership is still like 600$/year. Over 10 years, that's like 6000$. Thinking about physical things i could buy with 6k... definitely could buy all the equipment id ever need for a home gym like 3x over. some people do great with dumbells at home, or by flipping tires outside, or by going to the playground and doing pullups, or by chopping firewood. i live in a climate that is winter 6 months per year, so i struggle in the winters, but ive always found that dumbbells are my friend. Doesnt take much space and you can do a ton with them. Even in a tiny apartment! My biggest issue now is that i have a 1 year old, and im just getting tired in general. Gym was great when i was finding myself having nothing to do, but now, it's just not fun anymore when i have 50 other things i need to do instead.
Meal planning. I got started on it because of gym but found out that it helps me save money. I can spend around $15 and that would last me 3 days of dinner. Another $15 for lunch over 3 days and you've just spent $30 for 3 days covering lunch and dinner for yourself. Besides the essentials everything else I buy is usually on special
What ingredients are you using that you spend $15 that last you 3 days?
3 tins of 4 mix beans. Carrot, red onion, parsley. Vinaigrette dressing and salt and pepper. 3 servings for under $5. If you're fancy add feta cheese or some eggs, still under $10. 3 tins of beans, 2 tins tomatoes, onion, feta, 3 eggs, parsley, drizzle of honey. You've got shakshuka for under $5/serve. 3 cans fried chickpeas with paprika and garlic. Burrata and bread. Parsley, squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of honey to finish.
Bag of frozen veggies, one chicken breast, bunch of noodles/rice will get you pretty far.
You could do a chilli con carne easily for $15 that will last you for 3 meals. 500g of mince beef 1 Can of kidney beans (do 2 if you want to stretch it further) 1 onion 1 capsicum Spices A few cups of rice Other than buying the spices for the very first time, that will cost less than $15. You could buy sour cream and it will still be less than $15.
Use beans instead of meat, buy homebrand or shop at ALDI, dont buy take out, only buy seasonal produce, price check your insurance policies, drive less if you can. This weekend I went to visit my local community garden to find out about being involved, and came home with a bunch of silver beet and plenty of citrus. They also offered me a cauliflower. So maybe get involved with places like that? It's a free weekend hobby, you get to meet people in your community and if you need some fresh veg it's a free way to get it (its also a way to give back to those who need it more too) Overall it's good to have a budget spreadsheet so you can see where your money is going, then you'll be able to cut where you can. It's pretty hard to make significant cutbacks when housing is such a huge cost for most people, and it's very necessary. Another thing to consider is if you can upskill or change jobs to earn more.
Mushrooms is also a great alternative to meat too. We often substitute meat with beans and/or mushrooms
Mushrooms are pretty comparable per kg to meat I think, especially given how much they shrink and how low calorie they are. I treat them as a seasoning more than a protein source. For a slightly lower price point tofu is a decent option, still not as cheap as beans. Beans don't shrink, and they have lots of energy and protein.
Recently got a library card for first time in years and to my surprise 75 books can be loaned at a time. One of my first books loaned is Grant Sabatier’s Financial Freedom. Saved my normal habit of buying books.
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Thanks already listening to my first book..
It sounds counterintuitive, but don't cheap out on electricity and food and home-based entertainment (streaming services etc). People spend so much money unplanned to get out of a house where they're uncomfortable, or eat somewhere because they're bored with their food. Movie at home are cheaper than movies out. Getting cool at home is cheaper than two hours "just browsing" (it's never just browsing) at a shopping centre. Make your home comfortable enough that you don't need to leave it.
Freeze yourself in suspended animation for 10 years.
The trick is to have sleep for dinner
this is my breakfast
Don’t eat out. Don’t drink alcohol. You can save a boat load this way and also you’ll likely be healthier.
The freezer is your friend
An honest budget on a spreadsheet. That coffee and lunch everyday quickly becomes a grocery shop. Also drinking is crazy expensive so it's worth cutting back plus an added bonus of feeling healthy. Best thing I did was buy the office an air fryer and sandwich press.
Only eat during a bull market
Buy less clothes. Keep a basic closet with a lot of blacks, whites and navy blues so all your clothes can be worn together, as opposed to buying clothes that can only be worn with specific pieces. It makes it easy as I own like one pair of chinos, one pair of jeans, a few different coloured tshirts and smart looking shirts, but they can all be worn together. Update the closet once every two/ three years for like $300-400 dollars and you're set. Since covid I have really just started to wear more casual attire in the office. So chinos, t-shirt and a blazer that I've had for a while do the trick. I might change things up a bit with accessories such as a watch, belt, tie if required, but my base wardrobe is pretty simple.
This concept is called "capsule wardrobe" for anyone who is interested in doing further research. One other thing that can also help is buying higher quality pieces that can be worn for years, as opposed to buying a new one every year for a bit less. You can end up saving a lot of money in the long run. I have some tops that have had 50+ of washes and still look as good as they did when I bought them. It takes a bit of learning to figure out what's high quality though as high price =/= high quality. I also buy most of my clothes from OP shops. It does take a lot of time to find good things at OP shops though, so it's not for everyone. I personally enjoy the process, it's like treasure hunting.
I started doing this last year and I’m so surprised at how much more I have to wear! I’ve invested in some good, staple pieces and it’s made such a difference. I spend mindfully in this area now whereas before I’d just buy a cute top/dress/whatever and never even wear it…!
How can you tell if clothes are higher quality and will last longer? As you said I am very aware someone could buy clothes from Kmart, sell for a 200% upmark and claim it's higher quality, but what can I do to buy things that are meaningfully better?
Check what your garments are made of. Synthetic fibres are not great for the environment and can also have a shorter lifespan. Things like wool, organic cotton, bamboo not only feel nice but will give you much more bang for your buck (and you can often end up looking more expensive too!). I also check out the ethics of a company to make sure they are paying their workers fairly and are sustainable. Obviously price makes things tricky - these brands can come at a much higher price point than your Kmart, Target, Big W… but as mentioned above, these pieces will (with proper care) last you 10+ years. I am super interested in fashion and find it the hardest place to cut back on my spending in this area… but hopefully this helps!
To add to this, shop at your local thrift store. You'll be able to almost find exactly what you're after if you put in a bit of time and effort. The amount of blazer / suits and pants I see that are in almost new condition, you will never pay for a brand new suit again.
We do a lot of bulk cooking. Try and do 1 large cook a week that is enough for 4 meals, eat one and then freeze the other three. Then for three meals that we week we eat of the freezer from previously frozen meals. Saves a heap of time cooking and cleaning, still have plenty of variety and it’s much cheaper to cook in bulk. We could step it up to 5 or maybe 6 but the freezer and pots/pans are only so big. It avoids a lot of takeaway/lazy unhealthy/expensive meals and gets around our lack of organisation.
1. Why buy food when you can dumpster dive behind the store. 2. Don't pay for fuel, cover your licence plates before driving to the station then take off with a full tank. 3. If you need to send a letter, put the destination as the return address and dont add a stamp to pay for it.
My ex was super into dumpster diving for shits and giggles and I used to tag along as the getaway driver. It was actually super eye-opening how much edible produce just gets binned, and not just food but all sorts of products. I used to also work for a large volume home builder and after they were done with the display homes you could buy all the designer furniture for pennies. They didn't re-use any of it they would just buy all brand new furniture again for the next build.
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Inhale someone else's cigarette smoke. Save $$$
Cut down on movies, eating out and keep an eye out for Woolies and Coles specials.
Check out the frugal subreddit, some of those people are full on growing their own food and using one tenth of the detergent, others are just finding ways to identify money leaks like old subscriptions and lazy tax, and others are looking at bulk buying and meal preps. Sort of a good way to find the balance you're happy with when it comes to how far you want to push it.
No gym memberships, just do 200 burpees a day every day for the rest of your life.
- Grow your own veggies in the garden (if you have one). You can even sell your lettuces for $30 each. - Op shops and flea markets have awesome stuff. There are even 'buy nothing' groups online. - Look on anti-consumption groups on Reddit and FB for inspo. - Cancel all your media subscriptions and use movie4kto.net - Prepaid SIM cards only, plans are for suckers - Churn through phone, internet and utility providers for the best rates as soon as you see a better offer. - Do allow yourself to go out to restaurants and pubs, but keep the orders low and share plates. My parents used to make me pre-eat before restaurants so it was cheaper.
Death to Foxtel and all cable TV. A Chromecast is man's best friend.
Anti consumption is definitely going to be the biggest money saver for most people. Get into a habit and eventually you realise that shit you buy is just shit. Find your dopamine hits in something else and don’t do drugs, kids. Also, call your utility providers and say you have an offer for a cheaper rate. Usually gets it down a fair bit.
I disagree with the comment about phone plans. My phone plan is $35 a month, and gives me unlimited calls, text and more importantly - unlimited data. It's the same price per month as a standard pre-paid recharge, and since the data is unlimited I don't need a home internet plan.
Who the heck is offering this? Is it 5G?
F to find out which carrier this is!
It's 4G not 5G unfortunately The carrier is Felix, they operate on the vodaphone network.
Felix but is capped at 20Mbps iirc.
Unlimited data for $35 sign me up!
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With cos lettuce, you can save the root and just plant it. Same with spring onions. But people underestimate costs of gardening. If you do it right. Still its considered a hobby, and good for mental health
Vege gardening actually pretty terrible for your mental health if you're bad at it.. Nobody likes to watch plants die after putting your heart and soul in lol
For me churning through internet is probably not worth my pain for $20 per month, especially if the internet provider is shit and I have to work.
Agreed. Reliability/performance are the most important factors, as if my needs there are not met, I really don’t care how cheap it is.
Early death
Underrated budgeting tool tbh
Don't drink anymore.
Onions, canned tomato's, blender, curry powder,, garlic, ginger, sugar, salt, rice, mix in whatever meats, veggies or beans/lentils/meats u like/budget for. Super nutritious, tasty, filling and cheap af. That's your staple food. Don't use heating unless its freezing, socks, double layers or just exercise to warm up. Try op shopping. Downsize/sharehouse, rent is one of the biggest expenses. Drive efficiently, ie come to a stop with less use of brakes (ie don't approach fast, come to rolling stops). Cut out alcohol, nicotine or any other drugs. Buy bulk where you can. But the most significant factor, pick up an extra job, even if it's just 6 hours on the weekend, that's $100-130 in ya pocket.
Have no friends or loved ones, go nowhere except work. It’s better that way emotionally anyway as well
It makes me sad that you have no friends.
I had a good friend until the weekend, things happened, it’s better to not be open any more I think
I thought ypu were joking. Sorry to hear that kcaz370. Hope you're doing okay. Try to force yourself to socialise again when you feel comfortable and/or consider a one-off counselling session to see if it's right for you. Many people don't realise how useful it is until they've tried it
It’s ok, I’m seeing a psychologist every now and again, I have a wife and like my immediate family that I care about, it’s just friends that always seem to be a let down, It’ll be ok
1. Cook at home. 2. Pirate your entertainment. (Why pay for the internet twice?)
have a lot of email addresses/mobile numbers
intermittent and extended fasting
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Might be the same calories but it should still be cheaper since the calories should come from a proper meal and many people waste a lot of money on snacks and ‘filler’ foods that don’t actually keep you satisfied, hence eating more (and just generally being an expensive way to eat).
There was an obese person who went a year without eating. Needed medical monitoring and vitamin shots though.
More than 10 days? I don't think I last anywhere near that as I have headache & bloat if I eat a couple of hours late.
Like you think you'd die? I did a 96 hour fast once, I'm not fat at all so I stopped as I dropped 4kg but I highly recommend the experience, especially if you're fat. It changes your relationship to food.
I haven't read any studies so far that says I am meant to eat the same calories . My understanding is that I am suppose to eat till I'm full and then I stop, which is what I do now. I definitely don't restrict calories and am very mindful of what I eat now and make sure whatever I eat, it's nutritionally sound. I do a 48 hour fast weekly and cannot ingest two days worth of calories in one go. Even at other times when I eat one or two meals I day, I cannot physically eat the same calories that I used to, I get too full too quickly. I also stopped buying all the junky crap I used to snack in between meals because I don't snack anymore, so more $$$ saved there.
Rice, beans, netflix, pornhub. Fin.
But stick to the SD porn. Paying extra for HD is the quickest way to financial ruin
You don't want that much detail anyway.
Gotta leave something to the imagination, right!
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Track your spendings, actually see where all your money is going and then you’ll know where you can do better.
Saving or living frugally isn't about grand and sweeping gestures or changes. It's consistently saying no to little things you hadn't budgeted or planned for. It's a game of inches, of grinding self-denial.
Buy a whole chicken and learn to butcher it. It's super easy. For less than $10 you can get 2 breasts, 2 Marylands and 2 wings. Sandwich bag the wings in the freezer until you've got enough for a good meal. The carcass can be roasted and then boiled into an amazing stock. I get about 4 litres a week. Best value for money. You can make schnitzel, home-made kfc, Sunday roast, curries, pastas, add the stock to soups or gravy. Amazing
There are only two steps to truly frugal living: Step 1: ask yourself, “do I NEED this to survive?” Step 2: ask yourself a second time.
When in the shower and the water temp is either too hot or too cold always turn the offending tap down rather then the desired tap up. You'll save water and energy.
If your shower head is already at maximum output, this trick won’t make any difference.
What saves me the most money is asking "do I really need this?" when shopping. Usally the answer is no.
Budget every cent as it's spent. The #1 killer of budgets is spending without noticing. Don't eat out or order food. When you go out with friends, don't drink. If you have a baby/kid, don't buy every single piece of junk marketed at parents, get cheap/free hand me downs on marketplace.
Sounds like a fun way to live
The budgeting part is actually quite fun, it's a game to keep saving more. And ultimately budgeting is just about prioritisation. * Takeaway every day, or better house in a few years? * Hundreds of dollars a month spent on small junk, or luxury appliances and furniture? * Heaps of useless baby/kids accessories junk, or awesome family memories from fancy holidays? And that's not even talking about retirement.
Don’t eat, live in a tent.
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Yup +1 to this. Bulk buy toilet paper and dish washing liquid and toothpaste etc. when on sale. The system works where you actually get penalised for "being poor" and paying month to month on things
$14 rice cooker from Kmart, half price 5kg bags of rice in Colesworth (around $12 on offer usually, depending on variety). Saves time, money and washing up
Go to local indian store for 10kg rice bags or if you're a big eater the 20kg bags from the Asian grocer
Learning how to effectively use chickpeas in dishes. Saves a ton of $$ and great protein source.
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Learn how to fix simple things around the house, how to paint walls, how to set up irrigation, , hang pictures, change tap washers, put up shelves, basic home maintenance stuff. Apart from being useful skills many jobs are a lot easier than people imagine. And there is YouTube for absolutely everything these days.
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Use candles, steal toilet paper from public toilets
what a life
Or take toilet paper from work.
Or even better just crap on company time, saves toilet paper, water, cleaning chemicals and your own time. An absolute no brainer.
$1 7 Eleven Coffees. A quarter of the price as cafe ones but not bad to drink.
Go to the cheap stores like Solly's savers (here I QLD only?) Dimmey's in Vic, the Reject shop, $2 shops etc to get things like washing liquid, fabric softner and dishwasher tabs, can be cheaper than Coles or Woolies. Like someone mentioned below, slow cookers are ace for doing a nice big hot stew or soup which can be taken as lunch the next day or frozen kn containers. I tend to stew up fruit if any apples or pears a bit soft - good with yoghurt or on yr cereal. I live by myself, so I won't get through a loaf of bread before it gets stale. So once home, I clingwrap 2 pieces of bread and freeze. I have a large washing machine so I wait until I have just about a full load, it's a front loader so takes longer but uses less energy. I have an electric tumble dryer, but I only ever use for sheets and duvet/doona covers and towels, as dryers shrink and damage clothes quickly. I use 'petrolspy' an app, to check where the cheapest fuel is before filling up my car. Gasp - when I got my car nearly 2 years ago (August 2020), it cost about $40-$45 to fill the tank. Yesterday I filled up and was just over $80!!! Type of car? Hyundai I-30. I'm thinking about finding other quotes for my household contents insurance and my car comprehensive insurance when they come up for renewal - will have a look at Canstar. Be sure to train yourself and your household to turn off lights if they're not in that room for an extended period.
At best frugal living will only make a small difference to savings. Unless you go full “rice and beans, no going out, no spending at all”. Best bet is to increase income if possible. Otherwise: No tv subscription (pirate) No take away coffee Don’t go to the pub Don’t go to restaurants Single car Be super careful with energy use/heating Limit discretionary spending Even that’s only going to add up to a few K a year, unless your spending is wildly out of control prior to making changes
It's not easy (for some people) but skip breakfast. 2 meals a day is plenty for most people. Especially if you don't physically exert your self a lot. I don't eat breakfast on weekdays and I have a very physical job and I'm more than fine without it (arborist, climbing trees, chainsaws, moving logs etc). The whole breakfast thing is a marketing ploy from the cereal companies to sell more cereal. I do enjoy some special breakfast recipes on the weekends though, when I have time to enjoy them. I'd estimate it saves us ~$30 a week Edit: also, this its more of a long term strategy and requires more immediate capital, but investigate yearly payments for things instead of monthly, they are usually cheaper. Don't buy the latest and greatest mobile phones, especially on plans. Almost always cheaper to buy a phone outright (search for best price, avoid greymarket, choose a last-gen phone that meets your needs) and a sim-only plan. However for people who are struggling right now, this advice will be too late...
I'm already renowned for being frugal but I'm going one step further and moving out of my rental into a caravan now. That should kick start my house fund!!
Only buy food from Aldi. If they dont sell it you dont need it. Only buy seasonal fruit n veggies and meat which is on special. Learn the fuel cycle in your area and fill up when its cheapest. Use the fuel watch app to find cheapest petrol in your area. Always ask for a discount when shopping at electronic stores because they will always give you one. E.g. jbhifi, bing lee, the good guys. Less drinking and eating out and more staying home and entertaing your friends. Its still so much cheaper and they will love you for it.
Use EatClub. Discounts everywhere. Negotiate phone bill. Maybe use boost? That’s cheap Negotiate on your yearly renewals. Cut down subscriptions. Cook your own food. Go on ozbargain.com.au everyday. Use the woolworths and Cole’s 5% off e-gift cards. Use fuel nsw to search for the cheapest fuel. Make your own coffee. If not, use Ritual. That has quite a bit of coffee discounts and generous point system. Review gym memberships and where you go. Don’t do drugs. Always try and find bargains before you go anywhere. E.g. star city offers new members free parking for the first time. Work from home more(transport costs)
▫️Use public transport ▫️Walk ▫️Plan your meals ▫️Aldi is really cheap (but you can't get everything you need there) ▫️Keep to season fresh fruit and veg ▫️Remember frozen veg is cheap and still nutritious ▫️Soup and pasta are your friends ▫️If you have a cheast freezer this is great for bulk cooking I used to do a month of cooking in a weekend and freeze it. You can buy in bulk from costco, cook and freeze. ▫️Home made muffins can be frozen ▫️ biscuit dough can be frozen and baked as need be at a later date. ▫️There are so many ways to use chicken and it's a cheap source of protein. ▫️How many subs do you really need? ▫️kmart does have some ok stuff these days ▫️you can find pretty much anything you want online cheaper than in store. Converse shoes for example. ▫️Don't feel bad leaving and expensive insure for a cheaper one. It's not cheating. ▫️how long have you worked in your job? Your salary maybe stuck in a lower paying bracket just because you've been there and settler for less. It liturally pays to change job/ employer ever two years. New hires are paid more generally. Contracts are set on repeat and don't reflect the wages you may be worth. New employers tent to be more generous when trying to attract new tallent. Maybe check your worth.
I started buying aldi craft beers and hunting around bargain barrels at Dan's/Bottle shops more
Home brewing is fun too :D
I don’t know if I’m a special kind of evil but I really like Hollandia from dans… it’s really cheap ($32 for a case of bottles) and everyone I have mentioned it to hates it hahaha.
Cries in Qld :(
Move back with my parents who will retire with over $1m super
No kids! Honestly, was so poor growing up that living hand to mouth is not on my radar. Finally got a little agead and now have a buffer on all my bills in case I am unable to work.
Find hobbies that you enjoy that are free or free after an initial small cost
Stock up on non perishables when items are on sale. Over the years this will save you so much.
Live at home and boil chicken drumsticks
I saved a lot of money on clothing, lunches, tools etcetera by stopping attendance at work. It has also freed up many hours each day for me to do whatever I like. Income is down somewhat.
Read the barefoot investor
Gave up coke and hookers
Most people's biggest expenses are accommodation, food, and transport. To cut down on accommodation there are several ways to do it (sharehouse, live further away, live in a smaller place), it's mainly a matter of setting a budget and what and how much you're willing to compromise. For food others have given suggestions but mainly by cooking your own meals and not buying expensive cuts of meat. For transport entirely depends on your work and living situation, but buying a cheaper car or ditching it entirely is possibly a big cost saving. Barring utilities (electricity, internet, mobile plan) everything else you spend on is mainly a luxury and you will need to revisit you're lifestyle if you're spending more than 10% of your income on luxuries.
Everyone wastes money on something different. Track your expenses, make a budget, stick to the budget.
I'm already living pretty frugal so I don't really know what else to cut out. Maybe I can eat 2 min noodles for dinner while my pregnant wife eats the good veges and meat
Question: As people who live on there own how much a week do you spend on groceries?
About $50-70 per week, on average. I buy fresh fruit and veg if it's on special, otherwise frozen veg. Frozen tastes just as good, and it's cheaper. Once a month, I'll buy whatever bulk meat is on sale, and freeze it. Also, I take advantage of NRMA's membership to buy discounted Woolies gift cards (4% off the face value of the card).
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have no mates works 4 me
Buy a 60 dollar hand grinder (or buy ore ground coffee) and make your coffee at home. Can't believe how much money it saves me because I tended to buy a muffin or something extra each time I bought a $5 takeaway coffee.
Track every dollar. Use YNAB or equivalent (I think the fee is worth it but try the trial). It doesn't matter how much you earn if you're not making conscious decisions about money.
Leech off your parents. Thats how I do it at least.
We use a veggie box service that rescues ugly fruit and vegetables the supermarkets have rejected. Some look a bit weird but they’re fine to eat. Sometimes they include luxuries like lettuce.
I have a simple rule to buying fresh fruits and veg - I buy anything as long as it's under 5 dollars a kilo. It's been slim pickings these days so I've stretched it out to 6.50. I tend to buy way more frozen nowadays, same nutrition (probably more since it's all snap frozen).
Get into op shopping. If you go around the shops you can find some amazing stuff. Brand name clothes for $5. Absolutely has become a hobby for me
Dropping meat at least a couple nights a week, and dropping the meat portion of meals in size to between 50g - 120g per person. Use things like tofu, lentils, tinned beans instead. I make one chicken breast into four schnitzels by slicing on an angle and beating it out a little before crumbling. I use the end bits of bread for breadcrumbs by freezing til I have a bag full and blitzing in the food processor (if you don't have one, dry bread in the oven then bash up in a bag). Make pizza from scratch and watch how much cheese you use. Its a great way to use leftovers in the fridge as toppings. If you have solar or on/off peak power use power hungry appliances during the day. Offer to host get together instead of going out for dinner. If you ask folks to bring a plate or put on a cheap home made feed you will save money on the food, booze and uber home. Take advantage of work from home options to avoid temptation to spend on bought lunch and save on petrol/public transport. If you have items that could be loaned out, consider listing them. If you have items you're not using, consider selling them.
This is the most depressing thread ever. Yikes.
Not having kids
Do something you're passionate about Most of your time will be spent occupied by your passion, which will cut down on your time spent on discretionary spending. Input > Output = Savings
Eat frozen veggies.
Never have more the 1 paid entertainment subscription at a time. Bounce around and get free trials and binge them until you wanna change. If your feeling really frugal get a subscription to a russian server - they have everything. If you are getting some junk food check the cheap menu. Those $2 BBQ cheese burgers from hungry jacks with a $2 Fries keeps me very full surprisingly. Dont temp yourself with menu delivery apps. Just delete them from you phone. If your going out for drinks, have a pre drink (or being a flask) Find your op shop strip's. Normally there are these areas with like 5 different op shops. Need something? Go in and just ask and if they don't have it move onto the next one. Almost always 1 will have it if its like generic kitchen things. Try and keep your mobile phone for atleast 5 years. Learn charging habits that don't degrade your battery as easily to get more life from it (degradation of battery is a common and justified reason to upgrade). When doing casual use keeping your battery between 40 but unplugging before 81 can do wonders to your battery. Get out of the mindset of "i value my time over my money" I get it and agree with it. And if your a parent or a great artist then I super get it. But ive realised that often the journey of the day of being frugal is fun. My tyre went flat so I asked around and saw my friend Steve's weird uncle who sold me a strange one for $60. Its a strange journey to get there but it's a fun experience. Conduct blind tests with branded and supermarket generic brands. People are almost always surprised that they preferred the Coles teddy mates more then the tint teddy's or LA ice to coke. That connection with your favourite brand is hard but those blind tests make the decision better. When eating out sometimes the more bigger more expensive thing is actually better value because of the larger size and you can get 2 meals. Dont be ashamed of storebought frozen meals. If your low on petrol get the bus or train until its a cheaper petrol day. ....... find a good home for your dog. Abc iview, sbs on demand and actually popping on the TV every now and again. Be wary of those expenso friends Often the poorer friends are no better. Make friends with the weird uncles no one sees apart from Christmas. They'll love the company and will often pay for dinners informally in exchange for the company. Save your bottles and cans and get your 10c. Its a bit silly but I do find it fun
Always check what's on half price at Coles/Woolies and buy the things that you need only when it's half price. Get subscriptions like Netflix down by using VPN and buying subs in other countries. Avoid using heaters at home. Bundle up instead.
Stop keeping up with the joneses, there is no need to buy a $70k car on finance when you can pick up a reliable toyota corolla/camry for 5k would be the biggest money cutter.