The savings hacks SOTM-ers swear by
Yes we cringe at the word hack too.
But what we don’t cringe at, is discovering creative ways of saving a couple of coppers here and there which, in the long term, can help propel our journey toward financial freedom.
To help us out, we picked the brains of the wondrous She’s on the Money community - a pack of genuine legends who know a thing or two about living frugally.
So grab an oat latte or a green tea, cosy up and enjoy some saving tips from the absolute best.
SHOPPING.
Create a wish list! If you see something you love, pop it on the wish list, then check back in a few days or a few weeks - do you still want the item you coveted? If you answer yes, it aligns to your goals and it won’t sabotage your savings, then make the purchase. This process really takes the emotion out of impulse spending and you’ll see the change reflected in your bank account
Always search for discount codes before you buy
Scan your rewards/flybuys cards to accumulate points when possible
Shop around or wait until there are sales and have a list ready for when they pop up - Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Boxing Day - pencil them in your diary so you don’t forget
Catch.com always have great sales, and you can save 30-40% on the recommended retail price
Shop at outlet stores and op shops
Create a savings account on Up for your regular beauty purchases like shampoo and conditioner, foundation, moisturiser, body cream and serums. Creating a dedicated space for those things you would regularly buy that can creep up on you and your bank account is a smart way of keeping on top of things.
Buy washing liquid, fabric softener, tea light candles, ziplocks and other bits and pieces from the Reject Shop where you can score amazing deals
If you have little ones, consider using end of season sales to buy clothing items in the next size up for the following year, rather than buying them full price in a panic when you need them
Uni students! Get onto UNiDAYS, they have incredible discounts on so many brands including HelloFresh, ASOS and Sephora
Research which shops do price beats or guarantees - don’t be afraid to ask the store assistant if they can match a price you saw cheaper somewhere else too!
Be smarter and more ethical with your fashion - adopt a capsule wardrobe, only buy a few pieces of new clothing each season and embrace clothing swaps and vintage stores
food.
Shop fortnightly instead of once a week - the fewer trips you make to the supermarket the less you will spend
Become vegetarian or try and implement more meat-free days into your diet
Make the most of supermarket catalogues and buy what is on sale and in season. This is also a great way to compare pricing between major supermarkets and see which is the better choice for you that week
Know the delivery days of your local grocery store, then visit the night before to find all of the specials they are clearing to make way for the new stock
Buy veggies from the market. It’s usually cheaper anyway, and it’s generally more fresh. If you are in the south east of Melbourne the $30 fruit and veggie box (delivered) from Pino’s Fine Produce is tipped to be a winner
Make the most of shopper docket deals
Meal prep so you always have healthy meals in the fridge/freezer and won't be tempted to overspend on takeaway or convenience foods
Load up on staples that have a long shelf life when they're half price or significantly discounted - deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, laundry liquid and toilet paper are all items that frequently go on sale and are always essential
Save vegetable odds and ends to make stock
Look at the bottom and top shelves while at the supermarket. Everything is stacked a certain way and the cheaper, items are usually at the bottom or right up the top! (**HOT GOSS: brands pay a premium price for the eye line height so you’re more likely to buy their product)
Use your work coffee machine to its full advantage
Grocery shopping online via click and collect (it’s free), means that you won't aimlessly walk the aisles buying items you don’t need. Like more oat milk
Use Frugal Feeds when you order UberEats, have takeaway or visit selected restaurants for some amazing discounts
GENERAL.
If they work for you, buy generic medication to save some coin, OR ask pharmacies to price match if you’ve gotten the medication cheaper elsewhere. If you can show a receipt, they’ll almost always help you out
Save your $5 and $10 notes and transfer them into shares monthly
Unsubscribe to marketing emails & unfollow brands you always buy from on social media to halt temptation. Culling some influencers who are paid to subtly sell you products is also a good idea!
Shop at Aldi (for one of our listeners, doing this saves her about $5000 a year)
Share logins with friends and family for subscriptions like Netflix, Stan, Disney etc.
Take advantage of loyalty cards
Use washing powder instead of washing liquid
Invest in a coffee machine to avoid takeaway coffees, or on a smaller scale, use a keep cup and pre-purchased coffee cards to save money when buying coffee
Borrow books from the library. You can also borrow online versions of magazines, audio books and DVDs for the nostalgic among us
Invest in your child’s future by opening a bank account from the day they are born and invest a small amount each week by auto direct debit. One listener invested $20 a week for both of her children and at ages 9 and 11 they collectively have $25k!
If you’re a younger reader, pay attention to your parent’s health insurance (if they have it) and make the most of those services before you’re out on your own
Buy pet food in bulk from Pet Circle. They also have auto delivery to make it even cheaper if you’re a loyal customer. Cans of dog food work out to be about $2 cheaper per can than in supermarkets
Grow your own herbs! The price is around $3 for a bag of seeds, as compared to the $4 bunch you may buy at the supermarket
Make your own cleaning products and dishwashing liquid (make sure you use a ridgy-didge recipe!)
For the iced latte queens, make your iced lattes at home! Pop a few spoons of instant coffee, a little sugar and a splash of hot water in a cup, give it a mix and then pop in the freezer for about 20 mins, pop some ice in and top up with milk. BUENO!
APPS.
Receipt Jar - you receive points for scanning your receipts in for any shopping you do (or emailing your digital receipts). You can convert it to gift cards or get it deposited into your account
Make the most of Shopback, the team who give you cashback when you shop through them
Use the 7/11 app for fuel! Lock in the cheapest fuel on ‘cheap fuel day’ and you’ll have that price locked for 7 days, so there’s no rush in buying fuel when it's cheap!
Honey finds discount codes for you while you shop online
Use Fuelmap to find the cheapest fuel
EASY MONEY SPINNERS.
Declutter and sell your stuff on marketplace/gumtree. Not all of it (duh), but the things you don’t want anymore or could do without. Depop is another great place you can do this.
Online surveys
Recycle bottles & cans for cash if applicable in your state!
Jump on Airtasker and offer your services be they copywriting, hanging TVs, or walking dogs! There is huge variety on there!
If you made it to the end, WELL DONE YOU! We hope you take some of these glorious ideas away with you and if one of your hacks made it to our list, then THANK YOU so much for sharing it with us. You are a gem and we think you’re rather dandy.