Are you living week to week, paycheck to paycheck? Does finding a fiver in your jeans pocket elicit the kind of joy-levels typically reserved for weddings and puppy GIFs? We can relate, dear friend. And now that it’s summer with Christmas fast approaching, keeping dollars in your pocket is harder than taking curling seriously. For this reason we’ve got ten easy tips for saving money the thrifty way. Sure, they may seem obvious; but have you ever tried putting them into practice? They actually work. To track how these little savings can add up, make sure you use AustralianSuper‘s Budget Planner.
Cut back on coffee
Forgoing that smooth, creamy, angel-bringing morning cup o’ joe and instead hitting up your workplace/housemate’s complimentary instant coffee means you’ll be saving a whopping $840 a year (based on a standard no frills cup at $3.50, five times a week).
Make your lunch
Yes, it means you’ll have to get up 10 minutes earlier or be well organized the night before, but bringing your lunch to work and saving that $10 you’d usually spend means an extra $2400 to play with – minus all the fixin’s you have to buy to actually MAKE the lunch, meaning you’ll probably only save $1000 but hey, no one sneezes at a 1000 bucks.
Get a bidet
Sure, you may have to outlay a bit of money to get one, but just think of all the cashola you’ll save once you’ve paid your debt to the local porcelain salesman. Doing the math, the average person uses about 30 rolls of toilet paper a year, the average sharehouse / family has four people, meaning you go through 120 rolls a year. Investing in a bidet means you no longer have to fork out cash for paper squares AND you don’t have to argue with your housemates over whose turn it is to do the toilet paper walk of shame from the shops. Alternatively, make like a caveman and use leaves.
Be a cheap drunk
Rather than buying that $10 bottle of wine, go for the $3 bottle of wine. Sure, it may taste like fermented swamp water but if you’re the person that drinks two bottles a week, you’ll be saving $364 a year!
Only do things on a Tuesday and/or during happy hour
Tuesdays are for tight arses, the retailers of Australia have seen to that. Cheap pizza, cheap movies (both the cinema and the DVD kind), cheap drinks, 2-4-1 deals… Alternatively, go take full advantage of your closest watering hole during happy hour and get involved in your local’s trivia night. A cheap jug of Toohey’s New is the best kind.
Shave your head yourself
Shaving your own head means you save on the hefty price of haircuts PLUS you no longer have to waste your hard-earned cash on shampoo, conditioner, wax, mousse and other nice-smelling products that rose to popularity in the early ’90s. Just say ‘no’ to hair.
BYO water bottle
Don’t spend three or more dollars on a bottle of water when you’re thirsty, take a water bottle and fill it up as required. You’ll be saving plastic (read: the world) and A LOT of money in the process. What kind of bullshit genius decided to put a price on liquid life? Fight the power. #thriftyactivism
Become a ‘Freegan’
Growing your own veggies and diving in dumpsters for still useable / edible food could save you thousands of dollars. Just think about how much you actually spend at the grocery store versus how much you could get for free from things falling off the back of a truck.
Don’t do anything bad, ever
If you’re planning on becoming a ‘freegan’, don’t get caught doing dodgy things. Also, don’t get caught speeding, parking, taking too long to read a book… all these things equate to fines. You do not need to be paying fines when you’re trying to save up for that holiday. Alternatively, do something REALLY bad and…
Go to jail
Free holiday! Free accommodation, free food, free clothes, free education… all of the free things, except for freedom itself.
Do the super health check. You could end up heaps better off.
