With the cost of living increasing and more families struggling, it can feel as though there are no more ways to save.
Here are 7 ways I saved money recently.
Disclosure – this post may contain affiliate links for products and services I use and love.
1. Cashback For Purchases
Whenever I need to buy something, I always check the cashback options available.
More often than not, I can get between 1% and 15% back on whatever I am buying.
This adds up and I frequently get a few hundred a year.
You can either let it build up and cash out once e.g. at the end of the year or cash out whenever you get over $10. I prefer to let it build.
Get $75 for Free from ING
ING has their $75 Orange Everyday sign-up offer on. They share different rewards at different times and right now you can get $75.
If you are a new customer of ING you can get $75 for opening an everyday account with them. Here’s what you need to do:
- Open an everyday account, put the promo code CNW116 in the promo box (you must use the code to get the $75 bonus), and complete all the steps below in the first month.
- Deposit $1,000 into the account such as your income or Centrelink payments
- Make 5 settled transactions
- Open a Savings Maximiser (current interest rate is 5.5%)
- Make a deposit into the Savings Maximiser
Then you get your $75 the following month when the promotion is running. Promotion periods vary. The current promotion runs until 31 March 2024.
Cashback Apps/Sites
Here are the specific ones I use, in order of preference. I have them all on my laptop and phone. Be aware, you can only access one offer at a time so check them all then pick the best.
Score a bonus $10when you sign upto Cash Rewardsand buy something worth over $20 online where you normally shop.
Shopback offers the same too. Be sure to sign up to both because you will get cashback on ALL your shopping at stores they are connected with.
Banks
Lastly, many banks also do cashback. I activate them all even if I don’t think I will use them.
One of my kids needed a new backpack and chose one in Surf Dive’n’Ski.
They also happened to have an eski I wanted that was $20 with any purchase instead of $50.
I forgot about the cashback offer from my bank until I got a notification they had authorised it then paid it.
$18 cashback so I basically got the esky free and yes, we have already used the esky a lot. It is the perfect size for our needs.
2. Freebies
The number of freebies available is amazing. Check out a huge list of freebies and discounts here plus this list with Aussie birthday freebies.
Also, read 50 ways to live for free and how a family can live for free.
Recently, we got the following:
Food including Lindt Chocolate through a special offer, avocadoes and eggs, free HelloFresh box and some drinks.
Curtains from a friend for my sons’ area in the house.
Clothing, baby items, books etc. All those random things that add up when you need to buy them. Most of my clothing is free. Living in a wealthy area
Childcare. With the birth of my 4th child last week, we needed help with the other 3 kids and had so much support, it was amazing.
3. Reusables
With 3 ‘women’ (2 of my kids are teenagers), I invested in period underwear and for myself, a menstrual cup as well. This saves us so much money and waste.
Check my review on different brands of period underwear and tips to make the switch here.
After giving birth, as soon as I could, I went to my period underwear instead of maternity pads too.
Both for comfort and the environmental factor.
With a newborn and a 1-year-old, I am using modern cloth nappies.
I used these with my older two and love them so much.
When I showed their dad, he was amazed by them.
Being from Vanuatu and living in the Solomon Islands, they only had square cloths and plastic covers.
We loved them so much that when his ex-wife and her new husband had a baby, I asked her if I could send some to her in the Solomon Islands (she and I talk all the time, we’re friends and I get along with her extended family too).
They love them too and will be beneficial for others after they finish with them.
Also, the reduced waste from not using these products, I know my neighbours appreciate.
We are in a small townhouse complex and if we used disposables, we’d probably fill the bins at this point.
Find more sustainable products we use to save money here.
4. Comparing Prices
I buy most of our items in half-price sales and enough until they go on sale next time.
It doesn’t take long for me to compare online and plan our shop.
It’s not just groceries though (although do read 21 tips to reduce groceries in 2022 for more ideas).
Comparing electricity, insurance, phone plans, all of it has saved me hundreds. I am currently with Red Energy for electricity. They offer a $25 bonus when you join too.
I do an annual financial review and will post the most recent one next week.
5. Car Free
You read that right, I am car free right now. Due to complications with the birth of my daughter, I cannot drive for a while.
It’s being used down in Wollongong where he’s working otherwise he’d be paying for car hire.
Not paying for petrol, insurance, registration etc saves so much money.
I’ve lived without a car a few times in Sydney and Melbourne. It completely depends on where you live as to how doable it is.
Being based in Sunshine Beach, we are close to everything we need. School, shops, the beach, kids sports etc.
So I am fine without a car.
6. Buying in Sales
As mentioned above, I tend to only shop in sales.
Part of this is unintentional, I happen to come across amazing deals for what we need most of the time.
But I do actively look for sales on everything we need before buying.
Check out how to get discounts on everything for ways to do this.
7. Op Shopping/Second-Hand Shopping
We love the second-hand shops and Facebook Marketplace both for buying and selling.
Our local op shops have racks where clothing is $1, $2 and half-price.
There are half-price colours e.g. The Salvos have a colour ticket system and each week a different colour is on sale.
Another one has a 50-cent box for baby items and occasionally, fill a bag for $1.
This saves heaps as I got most of what we needed including baby sleeping bags etc for 50c each.
There are certain things we don’t buy second hand including car seats, mattresses, underwear etc.
Anything that has a safety or hygiene element that makes it unsafe or uncomfortable to use is a no go for second-hand.
How have you saved money recently?
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Get $75 for Free from ING
ING has their $75 Orange Everyday sign-up offer on. They share different rewards at different times and right now you can get $75.
If you are a new customer of ING you can get $75 for opening an everyday account with them. Here’s what you need to do:
- Open an everyday account, put the promo code CNW116 in the promo box (you must use the code to get the $75 bonus), and complete all the steps below in the first month.
- Deposit $1,000 into the account such as your income or Centrelink payments
- Make 5 settled transactions
- Open a Savings Maximiser (current interest rate is 5.5%)
- Make a deposit into the Savings Maximiser
Then you get your $75 the following month when the promotion is running. Promotion periods vary. The current promotion runs until 31 March 2024.
