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www.easywaystosavemoney.com.au
Easy ways toSAVE MONEY
www.easywaystosavemoney.com.au
Do you have debt you need to pay off?
Do you want to get ahead and create a fi nancial buffer?
Would you love to pay off your home loan, save up for something special or take extended time off work?
Every tip that you implement from this book will help you reach your goals faster.
See just how easy it is to save money on everyday things like food and groceries, petrol, cleaning, phones, banking, credit cards, insurance, electricity, beauty, even holidays and entertainment, just to name a few.
Most of the tips in the book are also as beneficial to your health and the environment, as they are for your wallet.
Start saving today so that you can afford the special things in your life!
Easy ways to SAVE MONEY
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Published by Red Hen Pty Ltd trading as E and S Trustwww.easywaystosavemoney.com.au
First published 2009
© 2009 Esta Hammond
The moral right of the author has been asserted.
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright restricted above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
Designed by Simon Sherry for Palmer Higgs Pty Ltd Typeset by Palmer Higgs Pty Ltd www.palmerhiggs.com.au
978 0 646 52452 8 (pbk.) This book is printed on paper produced from 100% plantation fibre.
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v
Disclaimer vii
Introduction ix
Legend xiii
Dollarsand sense 1 1. Budgets and Financial Goals 2
2. Managing and Tracking Your Money 4
3. Accommodation 9
4. Banks 14
5. Credit Cards 19
6. Home Loans 23
7. Insurances 27
8. Tax 30
9. 55 Ways to Make a Few Extra Bucks 34
10. Concessions for Pensioners 42
Homesweet home 45 1. Food and Groceries 46
2. Cleaning 61
3. Appliances 75
4. Home Maintenance and Repairs 83
5. Redecorating 86
6. Gardening 92
7. Pets 98
8. Insects and Pests 108
Familyand friends 117 1. Babies and Children 118
2. Cheap Ways to Entertain the Kids 124
3. Presents 128
4. Special Occasions 138
5. Weddings 142
SAVE Contents
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vi
Gettingaroundandstayingintouch 149 1. Cars and Alternative Transport 150
2. Petrol 159
3. Home Phones 163
4. Mobile Phones 166
5. Computers and the Internet 170
Lifestyle 175 1. Beauty 176
2. Exercise 183
3. Health 188
4. Clothes and Accessories 195
5. Affordable Entertainment 199
6. Retail Shopping 206
7. Holidays 210
Savingmoneywhilesavingtheplanet 217 1. Electricity 218
2. Recycling and the Environment 227
3. Conserving Water 234
Epilogue:What goes around comes around 239
Budgetplanner 241
Savingit 246
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xiii
legenDThroughout this book you will fi nd various icons that will help you to identify special features of particular tips. Here is a list of the icons and what they mean.
Website iconThe ‘website’ icon indicates that websites are referred to within the tip. You can fi nd the full addresses and links on the book’s website at www.easywaystosavemoney.com.au.
Top Tip iconThe ‘top tip’ icon appears beside tips that are particularly good or a bit different.
Savings Tip iconThe ‘savings’ icon is for those tips that can save you a substantial amount of money.
Recycling iconThe ‘recycling’ icon highlights tips that use or contain recyclable items.
Warning iconThe ‘warning’ icon tells you about something you need to be careful of.
top tIP!
SAVE Legend
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1. cars and alternative Transport
2. petrol
3. home phones
4. mobile phones
5. computers and the internet
SAVE Gettingaroundand
stayingintouch
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159
SAVE Gettingaroundand stayingintouch
2. peTrol There are many very simple things you can do to cut down on petrol expenses. In addition, you’ll also increase your safety on the road and reduce the emissions your car releases into the environment – and that alone has to make it worth the extra bit of effort and thought.
filling up
When you need to fill up, check with a fuel-watch website such as ‘MotorMouth’, ‘FuelWatch’ or your state’s Royal Automotive Club for the cheapest petrol in your area at that time.
Re-fuel your car when petrol is cheap, not when the fuel gauge is on empty.
top tIP!
$ Supermarket discount coupons are great, but do always check a fuel-watch site before you fill up as sometimes you’ll pay more than you should, even with the discount.
$ It’s good to keep in mind that when oil prices rise and fall it usually takes a few days for the market to react, so fill up straight away when oil prices rise.
$ The cheapest time to fill up is reported to be at the start of the working week.
When buying petrol, go early in the morning or late in the evening when the petrol is at its ‘densest’ and you’ll get more volume for your money.
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160
$ Resist the temptation to ‘top up your tank’ after the nozzle first clicks because this extra fuel will either slosh out as you drive and/or evaporate.
$ Work out whether paying for premium unleaded petrol is worth the extra cost by trying out a tank of unleaded and then a tank of premium unleaded petrol. Calculate how many kilometres each tank gives you to see whether the cost of the premium fuel is justified. Of course, your driving habits need to be similar for both tanks.
$ Fill up to a round figure. If you fill up to 53 cents you’ll get charged 55 cents if you pay in cash once the figure is rounded up. Not much, I know, but it’s the principle. We haven’t used 1- and 2-cent coins for a decade and the money petrol stations make by ‘skimming’ would have to be astronomical.
reDucing your peTrol conSumpTion
Check the air pressure in your tyres every time you fill up to make sure they’re always inflated. If your tyres are under inflated, more resistance will be created while driving, meaning your car works harder and uses more fuel.
$ Change your oil and car filters at the recommended intervals. Dirty filters can lower your fuel economy dramatically.
If you have two cars, choose the more efficient one when doing your errands.
$ Work out all the necessary trips you need to make at the start of each week and then plan errands along the way to avoid any unnecessary trips.
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161
SAVE Gettingaroundand stayingintouch
Do your errands online where you can.
top tIP!
$ Every time you get in your car, ask yourself ‘Is this trip really necessary?’
$ Have no-drive weekends where everything you want to do has to be done on foot or by bike.
$ Listen to radio traffic reports so you can steer clear of traffic jams and other problems to avoid sitting in traffic. Choose the best route to your destination before you leave, taking the time of day and traffic into consideration.
$ Use highways and freeways where possible.
$ If it’s an option, look at finding a job closer to home, or look for your next home closer to your workplace to avoid having to commute.
$ Buy a car that runs on duel fuel such as LPG.
$ Park on the city fringe and walk the rest of the way. It will save you petrol, parking fees and give you some exercise.
$ Walk or cycle to the train station and catch the train to work.
$ Use lighter-viscosity oils, which not only protect your engine but will give you better fuel economy. (First check whether light-viscosity oil is suitable for your vehicle.)
Remove all the excess items from your car, including roof racks if you’re not using them. The lighter your car is, the less fuel it will need to use.
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162
Driving your peTrol furTher
$ Drive smoothly. Anticipate traffic flow to avoid heavy braking and sharp accelera tion.
$ Use cruise control when you can to regulate your speed.
$ If you’re likely to be at a standstill for longer than 2 minutes, switch off the engine.
$ Drive more slowly to save petrol and avoid speeding tickets.
$ Stop being so brake happy. Instead, keep a distance to the car in front of you to avoid having to stop suddenly, and take your foot off the accelerator to slow down when you’re approaching an amber traffic light, instead of speeding up to the red light and then slamming on your brakes.
If you’re doing 100 kilometres or more on a highway, wind your windows up and close the sunroof to stop drag and to make your car more aerodynamic. For city driving, do the opposite.
top tIP!
$ Avoid driving in peak hour. Sometimes leaving even 15 minutes earlier or later can see a dramatic difference in congestion. Play around with leaving at different times to find out when you get the best run.
$ Use your gears correctly. Don’t drive quickly in low gears, and don’t drive slowly in higher gears as this will use more petrol.
$ Press the trip meter in your car next time you fill up to find out how many kilometres you get to a tank and try to increase the mileage to each tank every time you fill up using the tips in this chapter. Some newer cars also have a consumption function that tells you how many kilometres you’re using per 100 litres based on the way you’re driving.
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