I thought we could all share our top money saving tips!

1. Use cloth baby wipes, it will save heaps
2. Buy Petrol on a Tuesday, its usually so much cheaper.
3. Use a slow cooker, you can use cheap cuts of meat!

Next

ok...

1. Buy summer clothes at the end of summer & winter clothes at the end of winter
2. Buy a $5-$10 giftcard at the end of every grocery shop to use at Christmas
3. Never buy DVDs/Videos (except for kids) - always rent & rent on the two for one day!

1. Get your car converted to gas. Saves us heaps
2. Shop around and check the Hot Specials section! I have saved heaps of money this way.
3. Use cloth nappies.

BUMP!

Transfer savings, the day pay goes in. Can't see it, can't spend it.

Meal Plan using what's already in your cupboard first.

Give things away. Through blessing others we have been blessed in return.

1. Leave the keycards at home.. take only the cash you need.
2. Overbudget
3. Pay weekly not monthly.

Thanks so much guys, keep em coming!

1. Same as Mirage and Toppy. Save 10% of your pay before you spend anything (also known as "pay yourself first").

2. Set up a present box. Buy different kinds of girls' toys, boys' toys & useful presents for adults, when you find a great special/markdown. Also keep giftwrap, cards and tape in the box. You will always have something on hand for that birthday party you forgot about!! I have saved heaps by doing this, cause I always used to leave it to the last minute (sometimes on the way to the party) and would end up spending too much money cause I was in such a rush!!

3. Eat at home. Takeaways are waaaaaaay expensive and a waste of money (IMO). Learn how to make simple but tasty food using the ingredients you have on hand. I often start dinner in the morning or at lunchtime to avoid that last minute "I don't want to cook dinner now at the end of a long day" feeling.

Love Chocks.

1. Don't pay full price for Christmas presents. I always shop from catalogues otherwise if you buy something you can guarantee it will be on special next week.
2. Don't do the grocery shopping when you are hungry.
3. Have a clothes party. You often get free clothes for yourself or the kids.

1. Op-shop clothes are great, especially for kids where the item is often only worn once or twice before it is outgrown. You will be surprised by the number of name labels you can find (eg. Fred Bare, Pumpkin Patch, Jacqui E, Country Road etc).
2. Borrow new release DVDs and CDs from your local library. Reservations are free in our library system, and you can "book ahead" as they place the DVD titles in the system prior to release. I also burn CDs (which is bad, but you did ask about "saving money"!)
3. Like some PPs, I use cloth wipes (bought 30 from Woolworths when DS was born @ 90c each) and think I have saved heaps of money over the past 3 years.

1. If paying off a mortgage, set up a 100% offset account with redraw facility.

2. Make only one trip to grocery store per week.

3. Buy items when they are on special (this applies to grocery shopping and kids clothing - ie. K-Mart 30% off childrenswear sales).

I just wanted to add, keep all your receipts so if anything is faulty you can exchange it instead of buying another one. Kmart offers the kid durable guarantee, so if your child outwears it before it he/she outgrows it you can get a refund.

It's Ok Mirage, Kochie 'stole' it from the richest man in Babylon as has Noel Whittaker and Paul Clithero. Check their references and reccomended reading lists.

1. Hardly ever pay full price for anything (clothes, shoes, underwear etc. I also travel overseas and usually buy heaps and heaps, always cheaper, but it depends on where you go)

2. Use vinegar and bi carb soda for all cleaning needs.

3. I refuse to buy magazines- as they are only full of advertisements etc.

1. Make snacks yourself - children and DH morning teas are always taken care of as I do a big bake weekly and freeze. Not only does it mean that I have the snacks there but if somebody pops in I always have something on hand to serve with coffee, fruit scones, pumpkin scones, sultana cakes, date loaves or slices, etc I also make my own hommus and salmon/tuna dips for use on sandwiches and store them in the fridge that way if somebody pops around I also have a dip on hand to serve with rice crackers. My pantry is not full of bought snacks instead it is full of flour, dried fruits, chick peas, anyway you get the idea
2. Bake your own bread. I buy bulk bread mixes and make my own bread. I make all different types, the children love fruit toast so I make a fruit loaf every couple of days, I make a fresh white or wholemeal loaf daily and a rye loaf once a week, today I made a buttermilk loaf.
3. I make my DH's lunch every day. He is now saving around $80.00 per week as he is not buying coffee/morning tea/lunch/ soft drinks. When I make dinner I put aside a container for his lunch or he has fresh bread with cold meats and salad - pretty much anything we have on hand. If I do not get to make his lunch there are containers of potato and leek soup that I made and he can just grab one of them. He has a bottle of water that he drinks now instead of soft drinks - so he is getting healthier as well as saving money.

1.
Convert to cloth nappies.Initially expensive, but in the long run it's cheaper


2.
Pay extras off your loans, even $10 a week can make a huge difference, it also means if times get tough you will be ahead in your payments.

3.
Shop around for everything. Internet, phones, insurance, loans, you will be suprised at how much you can save! I changed mine and DP's phone options, changed the home phone option and shopped around for cheaper insurance and save us $120 a MONTH.

4.
When you DO start saving money, ensure you put it off a loan or into your savings account the minute you get paid! You wouldn't have had it anyway, so put it to good use!

Here are my ideas:

1. Pay extra on the mortgage even if only $5 a week. We have a redraw available so if desperate we would get it back.

2. As for eating out - look for special deals - our local tavern has 2 meals for the price of 1 on Tuesday nights.

3. Sell your unwanted stuff on ebay - I have some stuff in the cupboard that has never been used. Even if you only sell something for $5 plus postage - it's $5 you didn't have.

4. Look for bargains on ebay.

Pauline

1. When you or hubby get a pay rise - put the exact amount of the increase off your mortgage or into savings. You never had this money before - so you won't really miss it if you put it away.

2. When buying larger items such as furniture or white goods, always shop around for the best price, then ask the sales rep if that is the lowest they can go on that particular item. Often they have a large profit margin to play with, so they can generally knock off another 5-15% off the price. It is a bit embarrasing to start with as you feel so stingy... but it will grow on you when you see the money you can save.

3. Always keep up with your vehicle services. A major breakdown can be so costly, and a good mechanic can see problems coming before they occur, and take prevenative (and often cheaper) measures.

4. Just wanted to add.. swap clothes with a friend or sister or SIL that are of similar size. It feels like you have a whole new wardrobe to choose from, and it costs you nothing. Also, borrow dresses for that formal occasion ie weddings, balls), as formal dresses are often very pricey, and you won't feel guilty if you don't get much use out of it.

1. I use cloth pad's, saves buying them each month.
2. I buy clothes/shoes when they come on special. i.e when k-mart have their buy 1 pair of shoes get 60% off the 2nd pair, crossroads often have big sales aswell as other stores i go to. I've never bought clothes at full price for either of us.
3. I avoid going to the corner store for things, and buy them from the supermarket, or k-mart.
4. We save all our silver coins in a coin box that you need a can opener to open it with (what money we save in there will go towards his 6th birthday next year in August).
5. I also pay my phone and power each week. With my power, i use to pay $20 a week, but got in credit just over $700 at the start of last year which they gave back, and now pay $10 a week which works out better.

Love this thread.
1. Join a toy library - we pay $40 for the year and new toys every week, DS loves it and we then know what to buy him for Christmas and Birthdays.

2. I buy brand name Kids clothes on sale, and I mean sale. After he has grown out of them I then sell them on Ebay in lots. Sometimes for more than what I bought them for !(DS have cheaper clothes for play and the Brand name for weekends when we go out).

3. We also have a present box, where I buy things on sale and put away as gifts.

1. Have a 2litre bottle of cordial made up in the fridge. Nice lime of lemon cordial is great, and way cheaper than fruit juice.

2. Buy whatever meat is on special, and then think of something to cook with it for that night.

3. Add a tin of lentils or chickpeas or some carrots or potatoes to your recipes to make the food go much further.

BUMP :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin:

This is great girls, thanks, I like the idea of a present box! I have a stash of cards and wrapping paper but will definitely start getting gifts, I have a birthday book so I can check ahead and see who's birthdays are coming up so this might help to check whenever sales are on.

Also think I might open another bank account for savings and put 10% away!

fantastic ideas

keep them coming.

sorry i can;t really add anything to the list.

1. Present box - something else to stick in there along with cards etc is a book of stamps! I buy a book of 20 at a time, and that way always have them on hand when I need to send a card.

2. Old fashioned snail mail! - Its so easy to pick up a phone and ring someone who doesnt have the internet, but if they live long distance, it can be cheaper to write a letter. Besides, I always get a thrill when I receive mail that isnt a bill!

3. Electricity - this is an obvious one but one that I'm hopeless at - turn off lights/appliances when not using them! This includes computer monitors and speakers. I'm trying really hard on this one!

I want to add one more..

If you hubby loves a few beers... get him a homebrew kit! The initial start-up kit will cost around $100, but he can experiment with different brands and types of beer.

The savings = $1.30 per stubby retial take away prices(based on 24 stubbies for approx $32) compared to between .45c and .75c per stubby for homebrew(depending on which mix you buy to make).

The homebrew kits really have improved over the years - they are not the hit & miss experiment they once were.

My hubby has made quite a few different brews over the years, and has found a couple of brands that he absolutely loves. He actually now prefers his own homebrew than real beer!

Hi there....great suggestions above...

1. I too use modern cloth nappies, yes initially they were $$ but after a year we've worked out we're now saving around $30 per fortnight (we only use cloth part-time) and we'll be saving even more when bub #2 comes along and they're both in cloth full-time (while I'm mat leave) unless we go out....My 15 month old DS has never had nappy rash.

2. I try to use cloth wipes most of the time.

3. Easyo! My DS and I love it, happy to eat it on its own, with breakfast or fruit...cost $30 for the sytem, and from memory under $3 per sachet which makes a litre...yogurt made fresh has millions more live cultures (good bacteria) and is higher in calcium.

4. Enjo products...again, the initial outlay is expensive :ohmy: since purchasing most of the products (6 months ago) I haven't had to buy window/floor/bathroom cleaners etc....so will eventually start saving money, won't be using chemicals in the house and helping the environment

5. I try to buy Summer clothes on special when Winter approaches and vice versa...particularly pumpkin patch etc.

Did you know you can make yoghurt in the Easi-Yo with just milk powder and a couple of tablespoons of plain yoghurt? Even cheaper than buying the sachets!!

I just use 1 and 1/3 cups of milk powder and two heaped tablespoons of yoghurt (saved from the last batch). Then it works out to about 50c per kilo.

Love Chocks.

Heres a few that I do

1. Use breadbags instead of buying nappy bags.

2. Buy blocked cheese and grate it. Store in the fridge. You
use less and it lasts longer.

3. Use white vinegar instead of fabric conditioner in your wash.

4. Keep the crusts of the bread and make breadcrumbs. Great for meatballs etc. I freeze mine for later use.

5. I have a present box too which is sooo useful. I have alot of overseas birthdays so always look for light things to send. If they are on sale I buy in bulk.
I also use my sons old paintings as wrapping paper for his mates. I usually get him to make a card for them too. I also try to make cards instead of buy them.

6. Always buy 2 of an item if they are on special and they will keep ie: tins and jars and frozen stuff.

7. I buy my sons shorts long for the first year and then he wears them shorter the next. I get 2 years out of them at the mo and then his brother has them. Of course this might not work for everyone.

Thats all i can think of at the mo

Great thread

Sally

Great tip. I actually like my boys shorts longer.

1. Buy the cheap birthday etc cards from the $2 store - you know the ones, that are only $1 and $2 each? I can't justify paying $5 for a piece of cardboard which is only going to get thrown away!!!

2. Present box - I also have a stash of stuff that I have bought on special. I have relied on it so often when I've been invited to someone's birthday BBQ or something and I haven't had time to buy a special present.

3. Take a water bottle everywhere - there is much less incentive then to buy ridiculously priced juice etc just cause you're thirsty.

4. Buy an Entertainment Book - worth its weight in gold.

Not so much a money saver as a forced savings plan I guess but we lived off the smaller of our two salaries (when we had two) and put the greater one directly into the mortgage. It did get redrawn occassionally but only for major home related expenses like rates.

When I became a SAHM we were far enough ahead to drop our payments down and used the FTB to make them.

It is very difficult to start with but over time you get used to one wage and don't budget on the remaining money.

Unfortunately, with mortgages the way they are at the moment, some people are probably paying more than one wage into them so this won't work. :sad:

I love this thread by the way.

I LOVE THIS THREAD Keep 'em coming gals

OK just for you flylady (and because I love this thread too)

1. Plan plan plan. The more you plan stuff the more you save - eg meals, presents, snack when you go out, putting $$$ aside for bills.

2. a great motivator for me is the thought that I am my childrens role model when it comes to finances and if they see me acting responsibly then they are more likely to do the same - much more useful than sticking cash in the bank for them. So think about how you talk about $$ in front of your kids , start saying "we chose not to buy that" rather than " we can't afford that", and teach them that the best things in life are free by doing lots of things together as a family that are free

3. buy one less outfit per child per season

4. make a rule that you will never pay full price for certain items - mine are manchester, underwear, clothes (except for special event clothes)


Helen

1. This one is for Helen
If you can't plan, be prepared to be disorganised. :wink: Have a freezer full of frozen snacks and meals and a box in the pantry of long life snacks and drinks. Grab your old Juice pop bottles, etc and fill them up with water (or juice for a treat) and refrigerate/freeze.

Now, when you go out or go for a long drive, grab whatever you think you/DH/Kids might like to have on the way and stuff it into a cooler bag.

DD likes are virtually anything in snap lock bags (I know it is stingy but I tend to recycle these when suitable) and anything in a pop-top bottle. Also lunchboxes with little compartments (her big Tupperware is her fave as the lid is attached and she can open and close it easily). A bit more expensive but not too unhealthy are flavoured Rice Wheels in their own packets - a good alternative to chips.

2. Carry a cane basket in the car. Use it when shopping for a few items - it gets heavy and you can't buy much. On big trips, use it for your fruit and veg - especially the delicate stuff as it is less likely to get damaged in a stiff sided container.

3. Shop without the kids and DH. If they're not whining, you can shop better. Go late night or Sunday and you might pick up some mark downs while you are there. (Learn when they mark down but only buy them if you can use them.)Take snacks/drinks/diversions for the kids if you have to take them shoppping.

4. Never look down on secondhand clothes. If you act the snob on this one you won't get any more. Be grateful for the offer and if you can't use them, pass them on. I always tell my clothes donors I will do this when I'm finished with them too. My mother's group loves my disposal days as I get heaps of stuff. They are a lot pickier than me so never get offered as much. As my brother says - " Share the love". :biggrin:

5. Make air popped popcorn in the microwave - without buying expensive bagged stuff. Throw a handful of popping corn into a brown paper lunch bag, fold down the top of the bag a few times to seal, zap and eat. You will need to experiment but in mine a handful takes about a minute. Sadly some older microwaves don't seem to work - perhaps they are not powerful enough - mine is only 800w but reasonably new.

1. Buy Powdered Skim milk powder from Coles.

We used to buy Long life Skim milk packs at around $1 to $1.30 per litre.
Coles sells 1kg bags of skim milk powder for $4.87, this makes 10 litres, so around $0.49c per litre.
For skim milk there is no difference in the taste. See how you go with the Full cream milk powder..

I don't think I have any to add - all mine (and many more) have been covered.

1- Shop monthly then just do quick weekly at F&V place with minimal impulse buy stuff
2-Use cloth nappies
3-Join both a toy and book library
4-Buy homebrand as much as possible
5-Don't buy little baby foods/yoghurts etc. Buy big jars or tubs and just separate and mash/puree

wow I've learnt so much!

1. I always take water with me but for dh we always have a couple of cans of diet coke in the fridge (dh is a big fan) so whenever we go shopping or somewhere in the car we pop one in the car and he saves $$$$ everytime.

2. always buy the next size up or 2 for your kids whenever clothes are on sale. Before keira was born I did this and she now has the rep for being the best dressed in mothers group as she wears baby gap, benetton, esprit and lots of target and I never paid full price, bought it all overseas or sales. I would buy boy and girls clothes and whatever we haven't used has been presents.

3. When it comes to books, patterns or the odd bowl/mug or something get down to vinnies/salvos for a bargain and retro is in. I don't have issues being seen down there and we got a lovely old rocking chair and had it reupholstered and it beat the feeding chairs you can buy in baby stores.

4. get your old stuff on ebay! I'm a size 10 and never gonna be a size 6 again so its all on ebay and made a couple of hundred dollars within 2 weeks and heaps more to go online. plus don't rip off the tags till you wear it - selling it with tags in gives you more money oh and raid your family's wardrobes and sell it! they probably can't be bothered to take photos and list it (worked for me with my mum)


Corrie:)

Library! Library Library!

Make your own baby food. Buy a BIG batch of 3 to 4 different types of whatever vegies are in season and peel and boil them, add some chopped up meat (I normally use steak or chicken fillets - whatever is on a good special) and then blend or mash (depending on bubs age) and freeze in small containers. Do the same with fruits for desserts. I found this saves $$$ as well as time.

Clothes Plan - at the beginning of the season do a stocktake of the family's wardrobes and decide what can be kept, what can be sold and what needs to be donated. Make a list of what needs to be bought and look for these items only, like a grocery shopping list. I like to have 'outfits' especially for the kids so may buy for example a pink patterned T shirt if DD has a pair of pink shorts with no suitable top. I do the same with their socks and shoes so they always have nice outfits to wear with everything matching but I don't tend to impulse buy. You can clothes plan for the next season (or year) if you are super organised and save even more $$ by shopping at end of season sales.

Have a 'needs/wants' list before birthdays and christmas - for example if there are particular toys for a developmental age/stage or you are wanting to get more outdoor toys make a list with brands, apprximate prices etc and use this when relatives and friends ask what the kids would like for ytheir birthday or Christmas. It will help save you money on things you want to buy anyway and an added bonus is you will get more presents you actually want/need rather than loads of junk or unsuitable toys. I don't like 'asking' outright for gifts but see no problem in offering suggestions if I am asked and having an idea or list really helps.

There are some really good ideas in here but I have a question.

Selling on ebay is great but the thing that bugs me is that you get charged a listing fee even if the thing doesn't sell. It might be easy to sell brand named kids clothes but there are lots of other things that don't sell as well. If the item is cheap and doesn't sell you could have cost yourself money rather than saved it. So how do you get round this? What sells well? Most of the time I end up giving my stuff to the salvo's just because I don't want to pay ebay fees for an unsuccessful sale.

Lynn

Hey Lynn,
You know you can sell here on EB dont you?
sally

Use Freecycle:
http://www.freecycle.org/display.php?region=Australia

Get rid of any unwanted goods, but pick up plenty of things you could use for FREE!

1. Use cloth nappies
2. Clothes and toys for DS handed down from family members
3. Buy from op-shops and ebay
4. DH uses an electric razor instead of the $20+ cartridge ones
5. DH has a pair of clippers and does his own haircuts
6. Buy icecreams in the supermarket in a 4 or 6 pack instead of singly

Thanks for the tips ladies!!

Here are a few from me -

1- With the kids, they get half each, or nothing. Not much I can implement with at the moment, except banana's for the kids afternoon tea, but at $1 per banana, it's still a saving. Or if we are out and decide to get a treat, I share with Lachlan and myself, rather than something each.

2- Keep your past meal plans in a folder, that way one week if you're short on time, you can just grab one of your past weeks.

3- Give up soft drink. We're saving about $5 a week at least, and are so much healthier for it! We've also stopped drinking cordial and stopped adding "extras" to our meals (like sauce, cheese etc).

4- Don't buy anything until it is on special - supermarkets almost always run in "cycles" so I buy enough when it is on special to last until the next time (namely shampoo, deoderant and other more expensive products).

5- Wash your hair every 3rd day instead of every 2nd.

6 - Drag your haircut out another few days or a week. Same with the kids and hubby.

www.motormouth.com.au this shows you where the cheap fuel is round Aus.

I too am a member of http://www.freecycle.org/display.php?region=Australia Just great.

I also use the library for DVD's we go there every couple of days and swap them. Along with books and music cd's. Just great.

When Buying birthday cakes don't go to the fancy bakery, when Woolworths make alot of cakes in the shop bakery. They have a heap of different designs for the top. They show you a folder and you choose. Depends on the store you go to, we have one woolie better than the other. But they only charge $10 for a square or rounde cake,and they decorate it great, with sprinkles and names.

When ever I buy Shallots, we only use a few and the rest can go off. Pop them into the ground and they continue to grow, and you have shallots whenever you need them.

I have a herb garden also which saves me alot, I bought the seeds for $1 a pack and they just grow in the vacant spots in my back garden.

I make dissposable nappy wipes.

1 roll of VIVA paper towels ( have to be this brand they are strong)
2 cups warm water
squirt of baby oil
2 tbs baby lotion or sorbelene cream
2 tbs baby bath

I pull apart the paper towel and fold into a large lunch box, then mix up the other lotions and pour over the top. The paper towel absorbs all the mixture and you are set with nappy wipes.

The initial cost for the products if you dont already have them cost a few dollars but they last for a while. Just keep some paper towel handy in the house for more wipes. Lunch boxes are on sale now to being back to school also. They are very strong and last for ages and don't go smelly.

If you child gets nappy rashes, instead of using the creams in the above mix, soak a few chamomile tea bags in a little bit of hot water, then add that to the rest of the water and pour over paper towel.

You can use lavender oil in them also.


I wash at night when the electricty is on off peak, I noticed a difference in my power bill too.

Instead of going to the flower shops for plants, get cuttings from friends or neighbours, most plants grow by just cutting and sticking into the ground. They start off small and then grow and fill the gap in your garden.


That's all I can think of right now

My DH started brewing me Apple Cider or Ginger Beer - both alcoholic.




Why not make you own baby food (not yoghurt) - I make all Jack's fruit and vegies.

Jack eats almost everything we do but chucked in the processor.

Another tip -

If you don't mind secondhand clothes - shop on EBAY, EB or OZTION - I have found heaps of bargains on there - even some with tags really cheap.


hugs

Liz

This is a great idea! Loads to learn!

1. Use an offset account for your mortgage (Basically all the money in a offset account helps to reduce the total amount owing when the banks calculate the interest each month for your home loan. Very good option for a long-term debt)

2. Buy in bulk, particularly meats. Only works if you have a large enough freezer. Means you can buy good quality meats at economical prices. Simply take your bulk meat purchases home, divide up into freezer bags/plastic-wrapped portions and write the date and amount of meat (eg. 01-Jan-2007, 300g mince) and then freeze! Too easy! Initial outlay seems terrble, but you find you don't shop for meat as often, so it's not so bad. Works even better if you freeze portions according to your recipes (that way you cook up only what you need).

3. Dried fruit can be very expensive and we tend to eat a fair bit of it (good when you are doing sports, all day activities, etc). We got a food dehydrator and now dry quite a few fruits, either in fruit slices (eg. banana, mango, apple, pear, pineapple) or in a fruit leather. Great when you just want something to nibble on. Buy the fruit in bulk (eg. tray of mangos, 5kg of apples) and then dehydrate. Enjoy fruit over the next 6-12 months at a fraction of the cost.

4. work out price to weight/size ratios and see what is more cost effective. Example, soap/shower gels are really nice, but way more expensive in the long run compared to a traditional soap bar (go through the gels way more quickly - well, we seem to!). So, we only buy the occassional shower gel and stick with regular soap. Similar with pump-spray things versus aerosol cans (not to mention that pump-sprays are more environmentally sensitive).