The cost-of-living crisis:
How you can save money.

Are you feeling the squeeze with the rising cost of living? Here are some tips on how you can save money and get through these tough times without breaking the bank!

Ensuring that you are controlling the things that you have control over is crucial. What might seem like everyday changes, like meal planning, can be an effective way to create positive change in your financial position. Eating out can eat away at your savings, so cutting back on spending will prove beneficial in the long run. Check out these tips on ways you can save.

Make 2023 the year you start writing shopping lists.

Before heading out for your weekly grocery shop, create a list of the items you need to purchase. Preparing a shopping list can help you avoid any unnecessary purchases and steer clear of temptation. Additionally, it can assist you in sticking to your monthly budget by researching any discounts, bargains, or promotions that supermarkets have available before making your purchases. Another effective technique to avoid impulsive buying is to utilise click-and-collect services. Don’t forget to take advantage of online-only specials and discounts as well. Check-out great half price specials for Woolworths here.

Try subscribing to a meal delivery service.

Image credit: EveryPlate

Meal delivery services make meal planning extremely easy and allow you to schedule your weekly dinners in advance. This saves you time, encourages you to cook more, and saves you money. You end up saving money because you’re not wasting food or ingredients. Because all of the meals are pre-portioned and prepped for you, you will never have too much of an ingredient. Meal delivery services are a budget-friendly alternative and can be excellent value for money. Making life easier, so you don’t have to think about what’s for dinner! Get up to $170 your first five boxes from Every Plate here.

Cut down on purchasing coffee.

For a lot of us, early mornings will often mean we crave that extra caffeine boost. However, deciding to cut back on these additional expenses can most definitely save you money. Try investing in a decent flask and making your coffee at home and bringing it with you on the bus or train and to work or when you’re meeting a friend for your usual coffee catch-up. Check out online discount coupons for free or half-price coffees in your local area here.

Wardrobe declutter.

It’s time for a fresh start. Why not spend a few hours on a Sunday afternoon pulling clothes out from the depths of your wardrobe or storage, and figure out whether or not you wish to keep them. Any clothes that you don’t wish to keep you can sell on Facebook marketplace. This is a great way to freshen up your look for the new year, making room for any new clothes and making some money on the ones you no longer want.

Take a fresh approach to budgeting.

Create and develop new habits. Creating and implementing a monthly budget is a fantastic way to ensure you know exactly where your money is going and when. Make sure to account for activities and nights out, by making sure these are accounted for you can feel less guilty about heading out and enjoying yourself with friends. There are many online resources and helpful apps to assist you in starting this positive habit. Check out the all-time #1 Australian bestseller book, The Barefoot Investor, and get your finances sorted over garlic bread and a glass of wine and manage your money in 10 minutes a week!

Plan your holidays.

Whether you are planning a big trip away, or just a short weekend away with friends, planning for your holiday can allow you to better budget and save for the trip. It will also allow you to take advantage of any sales or promotions on flights or accommodation. Save on travel and holidays with amazing discounts here.

Image Credit: hamiltonisland.com.au

How to save money on petrol & car servicing.

Ever wondered how you can save a few dollars when filling up at the petrol station? As petrol prices reach record highs in Australia, you may be often searching for deals or delaying filling up your tank in the hope of lower prices. Check out these genuine petrol discounts available for you to take advantage of today here.

Taking your car in for a service can be daunting. If you don’t have a regular mechanic you can depend on, you never know what to expect or how much it will cost. Save money on car repairs and services with trusted and reliable mechanics using discount coupons here.

Plan inexpensive days out or nights in.

By planning inexpensive nights in with friends, such as a home movie night or hosting a dinner party for your friends you can cut back on spending without skimping on quality time with friends. Pizza Hut has some delicious pizza deals from just $3 available here. Alternatively, plan a day trip and go exploring and visit some of the great walks and hikes Australia has to offer.

Useful Links:

While you’re not in control of changing global market dynamics, there are plenty of ways to save money and manage the rising cost of living. Here’s a list of guides to get you started.

Housing Guides:

First home buyer guide.

Track home loan interest rates.

Australia’s best home loans.

Banking Guides:

Australia’s best bank accounts.

Free yourself from debt.

Paying too much on your credit card?

Energy Guides:

Reduce your energy bills.

Compare energy plans.

Energy saving tips.

Want to start saving more now?

Become a member for free at: shopadocket.com.au or download the Free Shopadocket App to find and redeem discount offers. Play the Shopa docket game for your chance to win great gift card vouchers every day!

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?