Life is getting expensive and there’s certain things we just can’t live without. I mean you work hard and deserve to treat yourself every once and a while, but also need to be saving money. Here are just a couple ways that I’ve found to easily save some money here and there.
Groceries
I like to do my grocery shopping weekly, we are vegetarian and buy a lot of fresh produce. Make a list and only go down the aisles that you need to. The only exception to this rule is for your expensive items, those items that you usually have but are expensive at full price. For us this is peanut butter, pet food and a couple cheeky snacks in the freezer section. I have a look at these items every week just to see if they have a really good deal, if they do -stock up. That way when we do run out of PB we have a few stocked away rather than paying full price. If you are running low and need something just check the online prices at all your local supermarkets and get the best deal available.
Meal Planning
This is such a great way to save time and money. Every sunday i write up a dinner menu for the next 6 days (1 day will be a spontaneous/ eat out meal). We do our lunches in bulk -so we make a big batch of something and eat it every work day for that week. I add all the ingredients i need to the grocery list and then every night all u need to do is look at the list and decide what you want to eat. This is so much easier than staring into the cupboard or fridge trying to decide what you feel like and if you have the ingredients to make it. This doesn’t mean it has to be healthy -homemade pizza, pasta, stirfy, shepherds pie, options are endless. If you get a little stuck for inspiration check out hellofresh.com.au they have a list of simple easy to make recipes.
Budget
I do a monthly budget, its such a great way to see where you money goes each month so your more mindful of your spending and know how much u can possibly save. At the beginning of each month i download all bank transactions and load the info into our budget (just a very simple table in excel). You have to be realistic about your budget, look at the things you spend money on each month and allow yourself a set amount for it eg. coffee, groceries, mortgage/rent, utilities, petrol, eating out. Then make sure your budget is less than your income. The difference is your savings. Of course every month you may not be able to save as things come up but at least you’re aware of where your money went.
Buy in bulk
Don’t be afraid to buy in bulk (did you see my post about my 30kg banana purchase??) Look at the things you frequently buy or need and see if you are able to buy in bulk. I’m not talking about those american extreme couponers you see on TV who have a supermarket in their garage. I’m talking a sensible quantity that will see you through until its on sale again or is cheaper than standard store prices. Things like pet food, cleaning supplies, frozen food, toilet paper etc.
Local buy/sell/swap facebook groups
If you’re on facebook you need to join your local buy/sell/swap page, you can pick up a great bargain on anything! Furniture, clothes, books, homewares, plants you name it. Also a great way to make some money selling things you no longer need around the house. How to locate and join – On your computer (not sure if it works on your phone) on the left menu there should be a “favourites” heading, under that select “sale groups”. There will be a map and a list of sale groups near you, scroll through the list and select “join group”. Once you’re in (you may need to be approved) most pages will have rules about how to sell and buy so have a read a get started!
Pets
We have two dogs and two kittens so i know how expensive these furbabies can be. Our local pet shop is Petbarn, what you need to know is that Petbarn price matches any online australian website. You’re welcome! So every time i need to buy them food, shampoo, medicine (tick/flea/heart worm etc) I spend a bit of time googling each item to find the very best price available online. Once in store grab what you need, at the counter show them the cheaper price found online (i do a screen shot on my phone or keep the safari page open). The staff member will look at the web page, put the sale price and site name into the computer and wolla, you pay the lower price. You will be stunned how much you will save, it is TOTALLY worth the effort! Cat food i find either Coles or Woolworths will have 50% off every 2-3 months so i stock up. Buy your dogs bones from the butcher rather than the supermarket dog treats. Butchers will usually sell a bag of dog bones for a couple dollars; they are so much cheaper, great for their teeth and will keep them occupied for longer.
Loyalty cards
- Fly Buys – We shop at coles and i am a huge advocate for Fly buys! I receive coupons (triple points on weekly shops) in the mail, at the bottom of your coles docket and also emailed to me. Various places accept it – coles, kmart, shell petrol..just check the website fir a listing. I save our points and redeem them for Gold Class cinema tickets, we get at least 8 tickets a year (hello free date night!).
- AMEX – where possible i use our AMEX card (coles etc) this accumulates points which can be redeemed for many things including gift cards (we getting Bunnings or Westfield)
- Myer One – i find myer often has really good deals especially on big ticket items, so where possible i shop at Myer so my points turn into instore gift cards which get sent to you automatically.
Online shopping
Who doesn’t love online shopping, so many great bargains. You know when your finalising your order and there is always that section for you to enter/redeem a coupon. Well you should be utilizing this! All you need to do is google “(store name) coupon code”. There are multiple coupon sites that will tell you current coupon codes available. My favourite is retailmenot.com. Sometimes its trial and error as some may have expired, but just keep entering in those codes until one works. If you can’t find a valid code most online stores have a “sign up for newsletter” type deal where you may get 10% off first purchase etc. I also sign up to my favourite shops so i get notified of sales.
Birthdays & Christmas
My family always asks me what i want for my birthday/ Christmas and if i can’t think of something i ask for gift cards (westfields, coles myer, bunnings etc) and use them for later big purchases. So when we team these up with the gift cards received from Fly Buys and Amex we have gotten some great deals – like a new TV or Dyson vacuum.
You work hard to earn your money, make sure that you are getting the best deal possible. Don’t be afraid to ask for a great deal, ask if they will price match, do your research. At the end of the day you have to be comfortable with the amount of money you spend on something and try to save where ever possible. I hope this has been helpful 🙂
This Housewife Gig 