There are quite a lot of useful tips!

Some great tips here 🙂 I hope they help.

I think seeing where your money goes makes a big difference. Go through your statements and chart food/groceries, bills and others. It will give you clues as to where you can cut back and save money. I shop a lot smarter for my groceries now by separating baby costs and having a sense of how much I need for that, fruit/veggies and others. I have a list which I stick to and this has helped to keep that in check. Clothes shopping should also be kept in check especially if you are trying to save with a goal in mind.

Meal planning really helps to reduce your grocery bill. It stops you buying too much and unnecessary things.

these are useful tips 🙂

I do surveys for vouchers. I used to spend a lot of time doing them and was rewarded handsomely for my participation (well, the time I spent doing them was not worth it but I was at home and still able to do them) but I have just had baby #3 and I have barely been on.

for Christmas I used to buy boxes of chocolate for a lot of relatives, now we make edible gifts. last year we made rocky road (amazingly delicious) and this year we are making shortbread (nice and cheap) I also got some paint your own mug kits for $5 from kmart and the kids made them for family members Christmas presents.

in general I buy in bulk (Costco is awesome for this) and cook in bulk from scratch.

the best way I have found to save money though is simply by meal planning. by having meals sorted I tend to stick to my shopping list better rather than buying random things I am inspired to make (and can never be bothered to actually make) and there is less waste too.

Buy food in bulk and cook from scratch. It is cheaper and better for you than buying premade sauces/meals etc. Cook double the amount and freeze portions so they are ready to go for the nights you can’t be bothered and would get take away. You can save that money for a nice restaurant meal another time.
I try to make gifts – especially at Christmas if you have a lot of people to buy for. It can get quite ridiculous if you’re not careful. I love to bake, a homemade batch of biscuits/cakes that are beautifully wrapped is a lot more thoughtful that a store bought gift, and often cheaper and tastier 🙂
It is easier said than done. You can start with good intentions, but it is hard to stick to budgets all the time. Little changes here and there make a massive difference.

I have a hidden jar (of course) that I throw coins into. It’s amazing the coins you find in the washing machine and what is left over in my purse after shopping. It soon adds up, you’ll be surprised.

Some really useful tips below.

Write up a budget so you can see exactly where your money goes. Cut down on unnecessary expenses like little luxuries you really don’t need. Buy things in bulk, and write a meal plan so you’re only buying food you’re going to use. Save power to cut down your electricity bills. As someone else suggested, entering competitions is great, especially if you’re good a creative writing. I’ve saved a fair bit of money by winning things we need instead of buying them. Even small prizes that can be given as gifts save you money when birthdays and Christmas roll around. Remember, $5 here and there may not seem like you’re saving much but it all adds up!

There are a lot of good answers there.

make up a budget & stick to it 🙂

I got into cooking – making food from scratch that was healthier, cheaper and more rewarding. Using any leftovers – either freezing or re-using the next day helps too. And with regard to food – buy on special, buy cheap. My Grandma who had a catering business says the best ingredients to cook with are the no name brands.

i only buy second hand furniture and i revamp it myself, i have saved a small fortune doing this! Also sticking to a strict grocery budget, going to as many free or cheap community activities for my child as possible as well as utilising the library.

Make a rule for yourself, if it isn’t on sale don’t buy it and plan out grocery shopping so you don’t buy something you don’t need.

Reducing takeaways and saving the money for outings or restaurants really helps. We used to get takeway weekly and since we stopped, we have the occasional restaurant meal or family outing that we really enjoy instead of just takeway meals.

buy everything in bulk like meat, toilet paper, washing powder etc. i put a few dollars away every week and by the end of the year the kids get to choose on the activity with the money, makes a great family day out.

Enter heaps of comps because the more you enter the more chance you have of winning something. I enter big and small ones and lucky enough to win a CD or book here and there. Great for presents. Also survey sites are good I cash mine in at Christmas which gives me a couple of $20 vouchers towards Christmas shopping. Also sign up to Lasso and get all the sale catalogues through the year to buy all the bargains. Keep an eye on gumtree for a bargain and visit the local garage sales. There is also a good site called freecycle which you can post things you don’t want (to give away) and other people do the same. I have got a couple of really good couches from this. Gave away my kids swing set and an old gazbo which saved a trip to the tip too. If you go out for a meal have an entrée for main and save. Drink the free water instead of wine and have desert when you get home. Buy in bulk, and just think before you spend.

I buy thought the year for presents, plus buy clothing on special and layby them a size or two bigger so when out of layby they fit

Keep an eye on the sales. Excellent to by the Winter stock at the end of Winter so you are stocked up for the following year at a discount rate and often you are only paying $2 per item.