Best Salon Deals in Australia

Glam it up

Now that the lockdown has started lifting in all parts of the world, there’s a lot of excitement everywhere as it’s the beginning of a new year. People will be looking forward to making up for lost time, reconnecting with loved ones. This means there are more reasons to get glammed up and more gift-exchanging occasions to account for.

Good salon deals

There’s nothing better than availing the opportunity to pamper yourself and feel good to set the new year’s tempo. A good salon will cost you money, but it should be comfortably within your budget. Who does not like bargain deals and discounts? Almost everyone!!! Shopa brings salon offers and full beauty coupons with a plethora of discounts to make the experience of the users even better.

Skin care is an art and a science

Good skin is everything and skin care is an art and a science. The trick to caring for your skin knows your skin, because understanding means you can find the right products that work for you. But the search for the products, able to create said perfect skin, takes a while. 

Premium salon services with no compromise

We understand that you need to go to salons monthly and it can get expensive to avail services at premium salons. Looking out for deals and discounts will help you save money and get high quality services. Our salon deals ensure that you can get premium quality of services at the best possible prices with no compromises. One thing’s for sure, we help you sort the good stuff from the fluff.

Clean beauty hauls for less

Be it a simple haircut or the best salon treatment, Shopa will always be there to find you the best place to visit with the best beauty coupons. We help you hunt for the best bargains and discounts so that you can get your clean beauty haul for less. After all, salon services aim at making the lifestyle of people from all generations easier and more convenient by giving them better choices to express themselves. 

Beauty miracles with full beauty coupons

Makeup is creative, fun and an expressive form of art. From young women to men in drags, makeup can transform you into anything you desire. Finding the best cosmetic brands at affordable rates may seem like trying to find the Holy Grail. However, it doesn’t have to be this way anymore! We have beauty coupons and salon offers from brands to thank for the beauty miracle.

Enjoy the quality me-time with big savings

Beauty coupons and salon deals are the perfect gift to enjoy that quality me-time in the most luxurious and satisfying way. Whether you want killer party hair or the perfect night-out makeup—or both. The Australian coupons will fit it all in your pocket budget.

If you are set out on a mission to make non-toxic the norm, and seek out clean food, beauty, consumer goods and more, we cover everything from budget-friendly beauty picks, great bargain sales to DIY tips and big savings deals. This New Year, simply indulge in the ceremonial process of spas and salons – the beauty magazines, the robes, head wraps, relaxation room and much more.

It’s Christmas Raining OFFERS

For those who missed some wonderful food deals at Thanksgiving, there’s no need to be disheartened. It’s pouring brilliant offers at Shopa Docket and we’re thrilled to be telling you about them.

1. Any day and at Any time

We’ve raved about the lip-smacking food before and today we’re raving about the same delectable food being served with irresistible family meal deals! Head over to your favourite restaurants and avail food coupons on your meal any time, any day. Let food be the love language to create connection, uplift your mood and satiate your palate.

2. Try the best restaurants in your city

Whether it’s a lunch date, an outing with friends, or your desire to indulge yourself in great grandma’s century old recipe, enjoy your feast at some of the best and hottest places to eat in your city. Since the business of selling sustenance is so lucrative, there exists a competitive market which is constantly lowering prices and expanding variety. With such a huge market to choose from, we always help you find new opportunities to save and try something new. Shopa Docket got it all covered for you! You never have to eat a boring meal again!

3. Good food on a Christmas

With Christmas knocking at the door, there is festivity in the air. It’s time to count down the final days of 2021 and roll into 2022. Irrespective of the fact how your previous year was, it is possible to end the year on a high note. It will take more than a few exciting meals alone to do that, but good food can’t hurt.

4. Fast Food Deals

Good eats don’t require a special occasion; sometimes it can simply be a reward for surviving through the week or even a long day at work. Delve into mouth-watering food and pamper yourself. Be it your birthday, anniversary or simply a craving to enjoy great food, we are here to spoil you with our fast-food deals and offers. Filter your search by season, holiday, special diet, meal type, popularity, or ingredient. From kid-friendly meals to budget-conscious family outings, avail our exclusive food deals and food coupons. Enjoy exploring dining at various food destinations. Eat it all from street food to haute cuisine and everything in between.

Christmas Food offers

5. We help you save money on your food bills

If you have a big appetite for dining out, Shopa Docket can make a world of difference to your wallet. You’ve found us as your perfect inspiration, one-stop shop for – family meal deals, food coupons, and fast food deals and all other offers and discounts. We pull together the best food deals from restaurants across the country. Filled with all the goodness, our food deals are inspired from those who have genuine love for food.

6. Craving for home made delicacies

In a perfect world of the curious and the hungry, there’s room for everybody. ‘Home cooks’ who cook and sell out of their home kitchens are adding a new variety to this super diverse dining scene, which only makes our existing diversity more exciting. Their focus on the foods which are inherent to local culture give you a window straight to the heart of many countries and allows you to immerse in the history of the place. 

7. Try local dishes

If you spend your holidays thinking about what you’re going to eat next, you are in the right place. We help you plan your perfect dining experience in the best culinary restaurants in your city. Whether it is a street stall or Michelin star excellence that is almost too pretty to eat, we do the roundups of the best restaurants with the best family meal deals in your neighbourhood. All you have to do is whet your appetite with plenty of local dishes. 

8. Plan your Holidays in the right place

If you spend your holidays thinking about what you’re going to eat next, you are in the right place. We help you plan your perfect dining experience in the best culinary restaurants in your city. Whether it is a street stall or Michelin star excellence that is almost too pretty to eat, we do the roundups of the best restaurants with the best family meal deals in your neighbourhood. All you have to do is whet your appetite with plenty of local dishes. 

For coupons, savings, competitions and exclusive offers become a member for free at: shopadocket.com.au or download the Free ShopaDocket App. Play the App Game to win vouchers.

Teaching Kids About Money and Savings

One of the best things we can instil in our children is a healthy relationship with money. Kids learn about money spending habits by what they see their parents doing (good and bad!).

Here are some Shopa tips to teach your kids about money and savings:

1. Start Young.

If your child is showing an interest in money encourage them. When you’re out at the shops together – let them hand over the cash or card when you are paying at the checkout. Explain how Tap and Pay works. Going through the supermarket can turn into a lesson about money – you can point out which items are expensive, which ones are cheaper options and how much food costs each week for the family. Show them the receipt at the end – did you get any discounts? Talk about how you can be a smart shopper by looking for savings, deals and lower priced items that do the same job as the more expensive ones. These are all life lessons that your children will remember and for busy parents you’re multi-tasking (again!) Go you!

2. Set Up A Savings Account.

It’s never too early to set up a savings account for your child. Money boxes are great for young kids and encourage savings from day one. Get your child to put in any birthday and pocket money and take it into the bank together. The coin collection machines at the bank are great fun for kids! Show your child their bank statement – they’ll feel proud and enjoy watching the balance increase!

3. Talk About Budgeting.

Explain in simple terms how you earn the money and that you need to spend it on important things first, such as food, clothes, electricity, rates or bigger bills like paying rent or a mortgage and if there’s money left you may decide to save a bit and spend treat yourself to something! You can even do a basic budget together like how much a birthday party costs.

4. Good Spending Habits.

Your spending habits influence your children – are you a spender or saver? Show your child what you are spending money on and why. Is it because you got a great discount to bulk buy? Essentials for the house? Or paid a bill early to get a prompt payment discount? The more your child understands the better.

5. Let Kids Make their Own Money Mistakes.

No-one is perfect, and let’s be honest we’ve all spent money on things we didn’t really need. Explain about needs vs wants and encourage your child to think about this before they buy something. It’s good for children to understand if they spend all their money on something they don’t really need it will take longer to achieve another savings goal.

6. Pocket Money.

Show kids the value of money by setting chores for them to do in return for pocket money each week. This shows children that they have to work to earn. Maybe pay them on the same day each week – like a ‘payday’. Things like:

  • helping with the family laundry
  • meal preparation
  • mowing the lawn
  • car washing
  • walking the dog

Teen Money Tips:

1. Apply for a Credit Card.

Now that they’ve had a savings account for some years it’s time to test their skills with a credit card – they’ll be surprised at first that it’s not just free money! Paying this off will not only help instil good money habits but it contributes to their credit rating when it comes to taking out future loans. They can hunt around online for a low limit card so they can’t get into too much trouble and research the best interest rates on cards. Make sure you stay on top of their spending by linking the account to yours and teach the importance of not spending more than they can afford.

2. Part-Time Employment.

Teen years are a great time to get a part-time job. Start by helping them put together their CV. Their first job will give them confidence, some cash and valuable life skills like learning about payslips, super and tax. It also means they can start working out how to budget for bigger ticket items such as an overseas trip, car or to move out of home.

3. Get Teens to Contribute.

Once teens reach a certain age some parents ask them to contribute in the form of ‘board’ or ‘rent’. If this isn’t your style you can ask your child to chip in for educational expenses such as excursions, laptops or maybe lifestyle purchases like clothing, mobile phones and entertainment.

Want to stretch your dollar further?

10 Affordable and Fun Date Ideas for Couples

It’s fun to getting dressed up and head out on a date night but this can get expensive or maybe you and your partner are in a “dating rut” and doing the same things each time you go out together. Well, romance doesn’t have to be boring or cost the earth so here’s some date ideas to get you started:

1. Take a Day Trip Together.

Turn your mobiles off and go for a drive to an area you’ve been keen to explore. Maybe it’s a winery, art gallery or a food festival you’ve always wanted to check out? Or a hike in a national park? It’s also a great opportunity to support the local regions!

2. Try a New Restaurant.

There’s plenty of great deals around on quieter nights and some have great lunch deals too. You might find a new cuisine you love! Short on time? Make a date for a ‘coffee and cake deal’ before you do the weekend grocery shopping together.

3. Enjoy A Picnic Together.

Whether it’s stargazing in the backyard at night after the kids are in bed or going to the beach or local park. Grab a picnic blanket, some great food and a nice priced wine.

4. Couples Fitness.

There’s lots of introductory exercise and sport classes that are well priced and you might find a new interest together! Zen out with Yoga or Tai Chi or maybe sweat it out in a Spin class at your local gym. Are you a daring couple? Try Skydiving! Romantic? Maybe hot air ballooning. Fun couple? Paintball or Laser Tag anyone?

5. Cook At Home.

Wait! We don’t mean the everyday cook at home (yawn) routine. Have your own Masterchef experience! Since lockdown there’s plenty of chefs doing online cooking classes. Pick a cuisine you’ve never tried, grab the ingredients and your favourite tipple go gourmet at home. The best bit? No babysitter needed!

6. Check Out You Local Pubs.

Most pubs have mid-week meal deal nights. Find out if they have some fun activities like trivia, bingo or if you’re game you can try karaoke!

7. Learn a Language Together.

Maybe you’re both dreaming of planning an overseas trip in the future and would love to know a few basics? There’s lots of conversational language classes around and some offer ‘a taste of’ classes to trial for free.

8. Do an Ice Creamery Challenge.

Google local ice cream stores and try a new flavour together. Two scoops anyone?

9. Explore Your Creative Side.

There’s plenty of pottery classes, painting and life drawing classes around (some do the first one for free!) or buy a few cheap materials and do an online tutorial at home!

10. When In Doubt.

Last but not least, pizza and a movie never fails.

Want to save on your next date?

4 steps to start your family budget

Get your home team on board with saving! Starting a family budget is a great way to introduce everyone in your household to savvy shopping and saving. Try these four simple steps to kickstart your family planning budget planning: plan, check, act and track.

PLAN: Know what you want

The first step of planning your budget is knowing your why. Are you creating a budget to try and reach a savings goal like a holiday? To pay off high-interest debt? Or to make sure there’s enough of everything to go around for the family?

Get the whole family involved in setting money goals and sticking to a new budget might go down a little easier if there’s a common savings goal.

CHECK: Know what’s coming in and going out

The first step to starting any budget is getting a clear idea of what’s going on now – what is coming in from your job or other income, and what you need to survive.

It’s a good time to take stock of what you spend your money on. There’s some simple online tools and apps that can help you categorise your spending into sections like household bills, medical costs and school expenses. You can see at a glance where your unplanned luxuries – like those weekend takeaways – are eating away at your budget.

Shopa Tip: Have a complete picture of where your money is going:

  • Start by going through your bank statements, debts, bills and regular expenses
  • Check your account statements for monthly subscriptions or memberships you don’t use (like home entertainment subscriptions or apps)
  • Categorise what you spend and plug any obvious money leaks. Check your phone and internet provider, home and car insurance, gas, water and electricity bills as part of your audit.
  • Work out your Fixed expenses: (eg. rent, mortgage, rates, car etc), Debt expenses: (eg. personal loan, credit card and mortgage) and Unexpected expenses (car repairs, medical bills, extra school expenses)

Shopa Tip: Use comparison sites to see the best deals

When you know what’s coming in and out it’s time for some decisions. Let’s put your budget plan into action!

ACT: Cancel, cut back and set up direct debits

Start by cancelling any direct debits for services you don’t use – including checking on pre-approved payments and subscription renewals in tools like PayPal.

You can’t spend money you don’t see. Setting up automatic debits – on payday – for recurring bills and debts takes away the temptation to spend what you don’t have.

Shopa Tip: Add your direct debit dates to your calendar as a reminder to check your balance.

TRACK: Spending with a budget template

If you don’t track your spending, you won’t know where your money is going or whether you’ve stuck to a budget. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you’re trying to change your money ways. Declare an amnesty and put everything on the table from debts to direct debits. .

Shopa Tip: Download an online budget planner to use to help you see where you’re spending your money.

Looking to save money?

Making your grocery budget go further

Happy couple doing grocery shopping with woman sitting in shopping trolley at a supermarket

It’s amazing how you can stretch your grocery budget when you shop smart. Getting more in your trolley for spending the same amount (or less) is a fun challenge and it can easily be done! All it takes is a little planning to do some savvy shopping. Here’s our top ten Shopa tips for getting more for less.

Tip 1 – Do a weekly meal plan and shopping list (and stick to it!)

Clever marketers spend millions of dollars each year on tactics to try and get you to spend more. Supermarket managers also carefully place their product displays to try and get you to buy more. (Think lollies at children’s eye level!)

Have you ever wondered why the ‘staple’ grocery items are usually near the back of a supermarket and the ‘impulse’ items are near the checkout? We’ve all done it – Walked through the aisles to the back of the store where the milk is and grabbing unnecessary extras on the way through and then picking up chocolate and a magazine at the checkout.

But if you plan your meals for the week and do a shopping list (app lists are handy!) and stick to it, you’ll be in front. You’ll keep more money in your pocket and won’t buy anything that you don’t really need. Except maybe the chocolate.

Tip 2 – Do a checklist before you shop

You’ll often be surprised at what’s in your pantry, fridge or freezer that you’d forgotten about and can include in a meal. Check the perishable items for freshness and expiry dates so you’re not buying things you don’t need. Grab your reusable shopping bags and off you go!

Tip 3 – Look for specials

Keeping an eye out for specials is a sure-fire way to make your grocery dollars go further. Every supermarket has weekly specials and clearances that can help you save money. More expensive items like meat are often marked down the day before…..It’s a great idea to check the discounted products out online before you shop and plan your meals (and your shopping list) around them.

Tip 4 – Shop alone (if you can)

If you can avoid taking your kids with you when you shop, make sure you do. Kids can use ‘pester power’ and you’ll be out of cash and patience!

Tip 5 – Use supermarket rewards programs

Many supermarkets offer loyalty programs. The more you spend with them, the more points you earn. Once you reach are certain number of points, you’re entitled to a discount off your grocery bill. Some even offer other freebies. It’s also worth checking out if there’s a credit card that has a points loyalty program partnered with your supermarket. Every bit helps.

Tip 6 – Buy non-perishable items in bulk and store them

Buying non-perishable groceries in bulk and storing them can save you plenty of money (and time re-purchasing) in the long run. Things like toothpaste, kitchen towels, toilet paper (if you didn’t over buy during lockdown!), shampoo, washing detergent, handwash and soap, tinned food, rice, pasta, tea, coffee and soft drinks bought in bulk can often save you heaps! Keep an eye out for the best deals on your regular buys.

Tip 7 – Making meals from scratch

Home-made meals using natural ingredients will not only save you money, they’re usually better for you too. Fruit and vegetables that are ‘in season’ will usually be cheaper too! There’s plenty of recipes online based around seasonal buys.

Tip 8 – Cook to create leftovers

Cooking more than you and your family need for your nightly meal is a great way to get a cheap second meal the next day out of the leftovers. This is a really handy tip if you need work lunches – you could easily save $50 a week by bringing your own food to work.

Tip 9 – Try different (cheaper) brands

It’s good to try other brands – you might find a better option and a new ‘favourite’. Supermarket brands are also cheaper than ‘name’ brands and they’re worth checking out.

Tip 10 – Don’t shop when you’re hungry

This is a rookie error….If you do, you’ll end up buying more!

Looking to save money?