Hello!

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Wow, what I would give to live in a world where money was a ‘non-issue’.

The world has become such an expensive place!

Post Christmas we really struggled to catch back up. We didn’t go away anywhere (and haven’t been anywhere since) in an effort to save some money… But it just seems to be an uphill battle. Everyone I speak to is in the same boat… It seems everything is getting more expensive. You think you are going to have a good month and your power bill comes and puts you in your chair!
So all we can do is keep plugging along. Here are my biggest tips for attempting to get on track

  1. Make a budget (and stick to it!) Think before you spend (do you REALLY need it?)
  2. Minimise power and gas use (short showers, power points off at night, rug up in the cold, lights off)
  3. Embrace the great outdoors (my kids love playing outside and will choose it everyday over watching TV! And it’s free!)
  4. Embrace the ‘Chinese laundry’ (my husband read that the dryer costs around $10 per load! Wowzah)
  5. Beef mince is your friend… A staple in my kitchen which costs barely anything and creates big hearty meals
  6. Shop around…. By changing from woollies to Coles I have saved a bomb!
  7. Don’t be a brand snob. Food, clothes etc… There are some great budget options out there that are just as great as the expensive brands!
  8. Use local buy swap and sells to your advantage… Find some bargains and offload the things you don’t need anymore!
  9. Don’t stress…. You’ll get through this! If you are smart about this, you can be happy and tackle your money issues. This is something I tell myself every day!

We will be ok!


Posted by haldem337, 23rd April 2014


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  • So true! I have not used my dryer for 6 years now. In the process of selling it!

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  • Great advice, especially no. 9

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  • Great read, good tips. I hate the idea of money. Sad that he makes the world go round at times…

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  • great ideas, thanks for sharing

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  • The biggest thing is sticking to it, great ideas

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  • Good tips here thanks. I was speaking to a friend of mine recently and who her child said “Mummy” I am just going to climb up this tree and get you some money! The mother had to explain that money didn’t really grow on trees but wished it could… I certainly would love to have money on trees!!

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  • Thanks for this, really need it, we are feeling the pinch now that we are trying to plan a family!

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  • Great ideas i need to follow with

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  • Love everything you’ve said here…so much truth in “do I really need it”!

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  • A great reminder I use a lot of these but sometimes it helps to be reminded especially Don’t stress you will get through… Thanks for sharing 🙂

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  • some great tips thanks

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  • great ideas and thanks for the tip

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  • My friend organises clothing swap parties where we also bring other things apart from clothes such as toys to swap. It’s great for saving money on our own clothes as well as kids clothes and toys. Everyone brings what they no longer want or fit into and everyone generally goes home excited with something they love in return. No cost is involved. We normally do this twice a year, once for summer things and once for winter things.

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  • Really great tips. Really right making budget and shopping groceries at Coles more cheap.

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  • Yes, I know how it feels, especially when there’s only one income coming in. The more I inform my children about our expenses the better. At least they know what’s really happening, and they can help minimise everything.

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  • Beef Mince is not as cheap as it used to be. In the last couple of years the price of it has risen to the effect that there is less weight in the packs. Quality mince has a fair amount of fat in it.
    If you buy normally cheap mince you will find it has a lot of fat in it even though it may not be that obviously visible. Boil it / use it for a stew and you will soon find out. Let it sit for a few minutes and you may be able to skim some of the fat off the top (we have done it on more than one occasion a few years ago.
    The only good mince you will get is either quality beef mince or chicken mince. Why risk your future health ? If you have the time, sometimes chicken thighs are on special and you can dice them and combimed with whatever vegetables you have in the fridge or freezer can make a reasonable meal. If there is any leftovers you can eat it the next day or freeze it to use later. You can package and freeze pieces of meat for later use.
    You may even have a wholesale butcher near you. They also have specials. We recently got marinated chicken thighs for $7.99 Kg. I personally am lot a great lover of marinades as I find them a bit spicy and problems with reflux, but they were really tasty and I had no problems.

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  • I agree and take advantage of store sales and offers and stock up. We find a few times a year our preferred washing powder is more than 50% off so we buy a few months worth. The same with in wash stain remover and some other more expensive household products.

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  • For us we used clearance meet and things, put it stright in the freezer and it is great saves us a packet in meat and means we eat something other than mince

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  • I’ve come back to this post a few times because the tips are so helpful.

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  • Very good tips and some i will be implementing myself. The budget is the hard part for me we don’t have one full stop and not even sure where to start but definitely something i have to do sooner than later.

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