Money saving ideas?

Old Sep 4th 2012, 4:51 am
  #31  
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Default Re: Money saving ideas?

Find somewhere cheap to service your car- I've just paid $824 to have a 4 year service, wheel balancing and alignment, throttle clean out (carbon deposits) and paint/upholstery proofing renewed. They have also found a leaky power steering, but that will be done under warranty once it has been approved- or it would be an extra 2grand!!!
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Old Sep 4th 2012, 10:17 am
  #32  
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Default Re: Money saving ideas?

Don't buy any snack foods. Tell them to make themselves some toast or a sandwich if hungry.
Don't buy any fizzy drinks other than homebrand soda water. Add flavours or fruit juice.
Check the unit pricing on everything you buy in the supermarket, the biggest size isn't always the cheapest way to buy.
Wash clothes at 30 deg. They come out just the same as 40 deg.
Only buy clothes, bedlinen, electricals, etc during the sales or go to DFS or Harbour Town outlet shopping centres. Always ask for discount and/or price match. Even David Jones will happily price match ads off the internet.

Edit - give up lunch

Last edited by lesleys; Sep 4th 2012 at 10:22 am.
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Old Sep 4th 2012, 10:34 am
  #33  
 
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Default Re: Money saving ideas?

Never go food shopping with an empty stomach
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Old Sep 4th 2012, 11:07 am
  #34  
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Default Re: Money saving ideas?

Register with mulchnet for free mulch and free fire wood.We did this recently and we now have enough wood for two years.Normally spend $50 a week on wood in Winter.
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Old Sep 4th 2012, 11:10 am
  #35  
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Default Re: Money saving ideas?

Originally Posted by lesleys
Don't buy any snack foods. Tell them to make themselves some toast or a sandwich if hungry.
Don't buy any fizzy drinks other than homebrand soda water. Add flavours or fruit juice.
Check the unit pricing on everything you buy in the supermarket, the biggest size isn't always the cheapest way to buy.
Wash clothes at 30 deg. They come out just the same as 40 deg.
Only buy clothes, bedlinen, electricals, etc during the sales or go to DFS or Harbour Town outlet shopping centres. Always ask for discount and/or price match. Even David Jones will happily price match ads off the internet.

Edit - give up lunch
concur with washing at 30...also skipping fizzy drinks - havent bought them in literally years.
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Old Sep 4th 2012, 1:16 pm
  #36  
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Default Re: Money saving ideas?

Download viber on to your iphone to get free calls and messeges to other viber users.
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Old Sep 4th 2012, 2:45 pm
  #37  
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Default Re: Money saving ideas?

Originally Posted by irishbloo
Download viber on to your iphone to get free calls and messeges to other viber users.
Seriously good invention that one, saves me an absolute fortune!
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Old Sep 4th 2012, 2:47 pm
  #38  
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Default Re: Money saving ideas?

Originally Posted by Pollyana
Seriously good invention that one, saves me an absolute fortune!
So easy to use and photos can be sent too.
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Old Sep 4th 2012, 10:12 pm
  #39  
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Default Re: Money saving ideas?

Originally Posted by BadgeIsBack
These lists remind me of the 'Top Tips' from Viz magazine.
true

When travelling in the outback don't waste money on expensive maps, just take a piece of sandpaper with you

Seriously though, some great tips here.
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Old Sep 5th 2012, 1:42 am
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Default Re: Money saving ideas?

I like to clip coupons. If you are actively aware of deals, you can find alot of stuff with major discounts. Look around, I'm sure there is lots of stuff that you never use or don't need. Sell those things on sites like Amazon or Craigslist. Plan ahead, and do all your errands on the same day. Make shopping lists and strictly stick to them. Cancel your cable plan. Read! I suggest you something on personal budgeting. I jsut finished Money Saving Tips: A Poor Man's Guide to Prosperity. It's on Amazon for $3. I Make your own coffee at home. Drink water at restaurants. Well just stop going to restaurants ha. Take your own lunch to work/school. Pay with cash and ditch your credit cards. Cash doesn't have late fee or interest rate. Shop at thrift stores. These are just a few. Enjoy!
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Old Sep 5th 2012, 2:00 am
  #41  
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Default Re: Money saving ideas?

Originally Posted by Wol
>>Make sure the freezer is full(it uses less electricity)....I bulk mine out with reduced bread when it's a bit empty.<<

I'm not sure about that one: it would be interesting to carry out a controlled test.

Yes, there would be a greater thermal mass, but that in itself requires being cooled down when first put in. The outside of the fridge would be at the same temperature, courtesy of the 'stat, so I would think the radiated and convective heat loss would be the same.

I would wager a small bet that any difference would be the other way around and it would cost a fraction more, but if any physicist can explain .............
My guess is the loading means the compressor runs on a longer duty cycle as a result - with longer 'on' times, and longer gaps. Since I'd guess the compressor will have higher efficiencies for longer runs, that might account for savings.
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Old Sep 5th 2012, 3:11 am
  #42  
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Default Re: Money saving ideas?

Serious tip - change your lightbulbs....

50W Halogen downlights and transformers just EAT electricity and generate lots of heat (that you end up flicking AC on to remove).

Rip them all out and replace with 10W LED lights and the savings are phenomenal. Lighting accounts for between 30% and 50% of most domestic electricity usage and this kind of change can slash it by huge margins. With rising electricty prices this ought to be on everyones to do list. Hint - if you have 12V lighting replace with GU10 240v lighting. Its an easy fix and provided you're ok with ignoring the law theres no need for an electrician. (blah blah blah - standard disclaimers about reading advice from idiots on the internet)

If you have ducted aircon - look at the outdoor unit. It probably has a big switch on the side. Turn it off for the 9-10 months of the year you dont use AC and you'll save. These things have a small oil heater inside to keep them on standby - ours draws around 100W - thats 760KwHs used for nothing over the 10 months that AC isnt used.

Those with pools look at your pump. If you dont have a new (<12 month old) energy efficient pump then once again you are burning up electricity for nothing.

I slashed our usage from 28kWH per day to 18kWh per day with these few measures. No big lifestyle changes - just a few bucks worth of lightbulbs (and GU10 adaptors) from eBay and a $600 pool pump from an online store.
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Old Sep 5th 2012, 3:17 am
  #43  
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Default Re: Money saving ideas?

Originally Posted by harvey oakwood
.. Pay with cash and ditch your credit cards...
ALWAYS pay with credit card - no matter what.

Cash has no benefits whatsoever. Using a credit card gives you a few days where that money sits longer in the account reducing your interest burden and every penny run through the card earns you those precious points. Only weak minded fools pay credit card interest.

Sure Qantas may not be everyones favourite airline, getting QFF seats on long haul flights is a real PIA and it does still cost you money - but a $600 + 128,000 point return to London is always gonna be cheaper than any other way of getting there.

If you want a holiday back home every few years then you may as well collect the points. It wont do you any harm.
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Old Sep 5th 2012, 3:32 am
  #44  
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Default Re: Money saving ideas?

Originally Posted by DadAgain
Serious tip - change your lightbulbs....

50W Halogen downlights and transformers just EAT electricity and generate lots of heat (that you end up flicking AC on to remove).

Rip them all out and replace with 10W LED lights and the savings are phenomenal. Lighting accounts for between 30% and 50% of most domestic electricity usage and this kind of change can slash it by huge margins. With rising electricty prices this ought to be on everyones to do list. Hint - if you have 12V lighting replace with GU10 240v lighting. Its an easy fix and provided you're ok with ignoring the law theres no need for an electrician. (blah blah blah - standard disclaimers about reading advice from idiots on the internet)

If you have ducted aircon - look at the outdoor unit. It probably has a big switch on the side. Turn it off for the 9-10 months of the year you dont use AC and you'll save. These things have a small oil heater inside to keep them on standby - ours draws around 100W - thats 760KwHs used for nothing over the 10 months that AC isnt used.

Those with pools look at your pump. If you dont have a new (<12 month old) energy efficient pump then once again you are burning up electricity for nothing.

I slashed our usage from 28kWH per day to 18kWh per day with these few measures. No big lifestyle changes - just a few bucks worth of lightbulbs (and GU10 adaptors) from eBay and a $600 pool pump from an online store.

I'm using 6W LEDs and they have a light output equivalent to 90-95% of 50W halogen. I'm just about to order some 4W LEDs from the US ($5 each), rated equivalent to 35W. I'll let you know how I get on with them.
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Old Sep 5th 2012, 3:35 am
  #45  
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Default Re: Money saving ideas?

Originally Posted by DadAgain
Serious tip - change your lightbulbs....
......

I slashed our usage from 28kWH per day to 18kWh per day with these few measures. No big lifestyle changes - just a few bucks worth of lightbulbs (and GU10 adaptors) from eBay and a $600 pool pump from an online store.
Great tips there, I'll definitely look into all of those excellent suggestions DadAgain.
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