Today I’m sharing 3 money saving tips that have really helped me hone in my spending and boost my savings!
Purchase Needs Not Wants
This is one of the classics but it’s definitely easier said than done! Before you purchase something, ask yourself if you really need it.
- Even though this dress might look gorgeous and you think you could wear it to a party one day, you probably have equally fashionable options already in your wardrobe!
- If you have all the ingredients to make lunch at home and take it to work, do that instead of eating out and spending $15 a day on an overpriced salad and drink.
Smart Shopping
Here are my tips on being a smart shopper:
- Wait until it goes on sale and stock up – Compile a list and be ready to hit the shops once the sale starts. I like to reserve the bulk of my Priceline purchases when they have their 40% off cosmetics or skincare sales. I stock up enough to last me until the next sale rolls around. I take an Up & Go to Uni everyday, so I stock up when it’s half price and grab a 2-3 month supply.
- Shop around – Even though you might usually shop at Coles, if some of your shopping items are half price at Woolies, head over there to purchase those items instead. A lot of shopping centres now house both the supermarkets so it wont be an extra trek to get the savings!
- Samples – Don’t be afraid to ask for a sample when beauty shopping (Mecca, Sephora, Myer and David Jones are usually very nice about this) so you can test out the product and see if it really is for you before purchasing the full sized item.
- Discount coupons and codes – Sign up to loyalty programs as they often send out discount coupons and codes you can use in your next shop. Programs like Flybuys is great because as you shop, you collect points which can then be turned into cash/credit for a future purchase.
- Ask stores to price match – This might sound daunting but a lot of stores actually price match if you ask. Some will only do it when the other store has stock while others dont really mind and will match it to get your business.
- Try online – Websites like Ebay can be a treasure trove for all kinds of items but you will need to do a bit of searching. However, there are so many brand new items for sale on the site at heavily discounted prices.
Only Spend With Cash
This tip has really helped me with saving my money and not spending in excess. Set out a weekly or monthly budget (which covers the essentials: incoming bills, weekly food shopping, petrol, etc. plus a small amount of ‘pocket money’) and withdraw that amount from your accounts. Use that cash to pay for your expenses and keep the pocket money on hand for any small purchases you may make throughout the week/month (e.g picking up a bottle of ice tea whilst walking home on a hot day). Once that cash is gone (and you dont have to use up all that pocket money!), that’s your spending finished for the week/month.
DO NOT WITHDRAW ANY MORE CASH OR USE YOUR CARD FOR ANY PURCHASES!
If you have pocket money left over from the previous period, you’ll have a little more $ to spend this time or you could save that up and treat yourself to something once a month/season.
What’s one of your top money saving tips?
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