www.easywaystosavemoney.com.au

Easy ways toSAVE MONEY

www.easywaystosavemoney.com.au

Do you have debt you need to pay off?

Do you want to get ahead and create a fi nancial buffer?

Would you love to pay off your home loan, save up for something special or take extended time off work?

Every tip that you implement from this book will help you reach your goals faster.

See just how easy it is to save money on everyday things like food and groceries, petrol, cleaning, phones, banking, credit cards, insurance, electricity, beauty, even holidays and entertainment, just to name a few.

Most of the tips in the book are also as beneficial to your health and the environment, as they are for your wallet.

Start saving today so that you can afford the special things in your life!

Easy ways to SAVE MONEY

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Published by Red Hen Pty Ltd trading as E and S Trustwww.easywaystosavemoney.com.au

First published 2009

© 2009 Esta Hammond

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright restricted above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

Designed by Simon Sherry for Palmer Higgs Pty Ltd Typeset by Palmer Higgs Pty Ltd www.palmerhiggs.com.au

978 0 646 52452 8 (pbk.) This book is printed on paper produced from 100% plantation fibre.

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v

Disclaimer vii

Introduction ix

Legend xiii

Dollarsand sense 1  1.  Budgets and Financial Goals  2

  2.  Managing and Tracking Your Money  4

  3.  Accommodation  9

  4.  Banks  14

  5.  Credit Cards  19

  6.  Home Loans  23

  7.  Insurances  27

  8.  Tax   30

  9.  55 Ways to Make a Few Extra Bucks  34

 10.  Concessions for Pensioners  42

Homesweet home  45  1.  Food and Groceries  46

  2.  Cleaning  61

  3.  Appliances  75

  4.  Home Maintenance and Repairs   83

  5.  Redecorating  86

  6.  Gardening  92

  7.  Pets  98

  8.  Insects and Pests  108

Familyand friends  117  1.  Babies and Children  118

  2.  Cheap Ways to Entertain the Kids   124

  3.  Presents   128

  4.  Special Occasions  138

  5.  Weddings  142

SAVE  Contents

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vi

Gettingaroundandstayingintouch  149  1.  Cars and Alternative Transport  150

  2.  Petrol   159

  3.  Home Phones   163

  4.  Mobile Phones  166

  5.  Computers and the Internet  170

Lifestyle  175  1.  Beauty  176

  2.  Exercise  183

  3.  Health  188

  4.  Clothes and Accessories   195

  5.  Affordable Entertainment  199

  6.  Retail Shopping  206

  7.  Holidays  210

Savingmoneywhilesavingtheplanet  217  1.  Electricity   218

  2.  Recycling and the Environment  227

  3.  Conserving Water  234

Epilogue:What goes around comes around 239

Budgetplanner 241

Savingit 246

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xiii

legenDThroughout this book you will fi nd various icons that will help you to identify special features of particular tips. Here  is a  list of  the  icons and what they mean.

Website iconThe ‘website’ icon indicates that websites are referred to within the tip. You can fi nd the full addresses and links on the book’s website at www.easywaystosavemoney.com.au.

Top Tip iconThe ‘top tip’ icon appears beside tips that are particularly good or a bit different.

Savings Tip iconThe ‘savings’ icon is for those tips that can save you a substantial amount of money.

Recycling iconThe ‘recycling’ icon highlights tips that use or contain recyclable items.

Warning iconThe ‘warning’ icon tells you about something you need to be careful of.

top tIP!

SAVE  Legend

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1. cars and alternative Transport

2. petrol

3. home phones

4. mobile phones

5. computers and the internet

SAVE  Gettingaroundand

stayingintouch

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159

SAVE  Gettingaroundand stayingintouch

2. peTrol There are many very simple things you can do to cut down on petrol expenses.  In addition, you’ll also  increase your safety on the  road  and  reduce  the  emissions  your  car  releases  into  the environment – and that alone has to make it worth the extra bit of effort and thought.

filling up

When you need to fill up, check with a fuel-watch website such as ‘MotorMouth’, ‘FuelWatch’ or your state’s Royal Automotive Club for the cheapest petrol in your area at that time.

Re-fuel  your  car  when  petrol  is  cheap,  not  when  the  fuel gauge is on empty.

top tIP!

$ Supermarket discount coupons are great, but do always check a fuel-watch site before you fill up as sometimes you’ll pay more than you should, even with the discount.

$ It’s good to keep in mind that when oil prices rise and fall it usually takes a few days for the market to react, so fill up straight away when oil prices rise.

$ The cheapest time to fill up is reported to be at the start of the working week.

When  buying  petrol,  go  early  in  the  morning  or  late  in  the evening when the petrol is at its ‘densest’ and you’ll get more volume for your money.

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160

$ Resist the temptation to ‘top up your tank’ after the nozzle first clicks because this extra fuel will either slosh out as you drive and/or evaporate.

$ Work out whether paying for premium unleaded petrol is worth the extra cost by trying out a tank of unleaded and then a tank of premium unleaded petrol. Calculate how many kilometres each tank gives you to see whether the cost of the premium fuel is justified. Of course, your driving habits need to be similar for both tanks.

$ Fill up to a round figure. If you fill up to 53 cents you’ll get charged 55 cents if you pay in cash once the figure is rounded up. Not much, I know, but it’s the principle. We haven’t used 1- and 2-cent coins for a decade and the money petrol stations make by ‘skimming’ would have to be astronomical.

reDucing your peTrol conSumpTion

Check the air pressure in your tyres every time you fill up to make sure  they’re  always  inflated.  If  your  tyres  are  under  inflated, more  resistance will be created while driving, meaning your car works harder and uses more fuel.

$ Change your oil and car filters at the recommended intervals. Dirty filters can lower your fuel economy dramatically.

If  you  have  two  cars,  choose  the  more  efficient  one  when doing your errands.

$ Work out all the necessary trips you need to make at the start of each week and then plan errands along the way to avoid any unnecessary trips.

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161

SAVE  Gettingaroundand stayingintouch

Do your errands online where you can.

top tIP!

$ Every time you get in your car, ask yourself ‘Is this trip really necessary?’

$ Have no-drive weekends where everything you want to do has to be done on foot or by bike.

$ Listen to radio traffic reports so you can steer clear of traffic jams and other problems to avoid sitting in traffic. Choose the best route to your destination before you leave, taking the time of day and traffic into consideration.

$ Use highways and freeways where possible.

$ If it’s an option, look at finding a job closer to home, or look for your next home closer to your workplace to avoid having to commute.

$ Buy a car that runs on duel fuel such as LPG.

$ Park on the city fringe and walk the rest of the way. It will save you petrol, parking fees and give you some exercise.

$ Walk or cycle to the train station and catch the train to work.

$ Use lighter-viscosity oils, which not only protect your engine but will give you better fuel economy. (First check whether light-viscosity oil is suitable for your vehicle.)

Remove  all  the  excess  items  from  your  car,  including  roof racks if you’re not using them. The lighter your car is, the less fuel it will need to use.

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162

Driving your peTrol furTher

$ Drive smoothly. Anticipate traffic flow to avoid heavy braking and sharp accelera tion.

$ Use cruise control when you can to regulate your speed.

$ If you’re likely to be at a standstill for longer than 2 minutes, switch off the engine.

$ Drive more slowly to save petrol and avoid speeding tickets.

$ Stop being so brake happy. Instead, keep a distance to the car in front of you to avoid having to stop suddenly, and take your foot off the accelerator to slow down when you’re approaching an amber traffic light, instead of speeding up to the red light and then slamming on your brakes.

If  you’re  doing  100  kilometres  or  more  on  a  highway,  wind your windows up and close the sunroof  to stop drag and to make  your  car  more  aerodynamic.  For  city  driving,  do  the opposite.

top tIP!

$ Avoid driving in peak hour. Sometimes leaving even 15 minutes earlier or later can see a dramatic difference in congestion. Play around with leaving at different times to find out when you get the best run.

$ Use your gears correctly. Don’t drive quickly in low gears, and don’t drive slowly in higher gears as this will use more petrol.

$ Press the trip meter in your car next time you fill up to find out how many kilometres you get to a tank and try to increase the mileage to each tank every time you fill up using the tips in this chapter. Some newer cars also have a consumption function that tells you how many kilometres you’re using per 100 litres based on the way you’re driving.

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