Your Hints and Tips

Saving Money and Making Money

You will find a growing collection of information on this page on ways of saving a little money or making some extra money.

Just fill in the box below with the details of your great hints, tips and suggestion on ways to save money or how to make a little extra.

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FROM LOUISE

We all love a cuppa, but when I boil the kettle, after filling my cup, I then pour the rest of the boiling water into a thermos, thereby having several cuppas throughout the day without always boiling the kettle.
A TIP FROM CHRIS

Most of the time I'm lucky to put some coins away.
When I get home from somewhere, if I have coins in my pockets, I put it in a container.
After about 6 months I count it out. Sometimes I have collected $30.00 to $100.00 in change. It depends on what I buy or don't buy.

I wear overalls most of the time so I don't spend a lot of money on clothing.
I have a few good outfits to wear for certain occasions.
I wait for RIVERS Distributors to have their sales on before buying shoes, this way I can get them for at least half price so I can buy 2 pairs instead. $65.00 down to $29.00. T/Shirts the other day were $7.95. I waited for their sale and got them for $4.95.
There's always a way to save a few coins.
A TIP FROM AMANDA

Over 24,000 seniors collectively in Sydney and NSW are saving money on power bills and helping save the environment with Fridge Buyback.

The Fridge Buyback operates under the NSW Government's Energy Savings Scheme and has already saved NSW residents over $12 million on their power bills per year.

Fridge Buyback collects old energy-guzzling upright freezers, as well as the big old fridges in people's garages.

Old fridges and freezers are some of the biggest energy users in the home, costing residents an average of $300 a year to operate.

Getting rid of the old beer fridge in the garage is one of the easiest steps you can take to cut their power bills.

Second fridges or upright freezers must be in regular use, built before 1996 and 200 litres or greater in size.

A $35 rebate is paid for collection from homes with six steps or less.
www.fridgebuyback.com.au or call 1800 708 401
Lots of tips on SAVING MONEY from CHRIS

Garage Sales - Give up Smoking - Give up Drinking
Save every dollar you can and don't touch it until the time is right.
Don't buy what you don't need. Sell off what you don't need.
Don't buy your lunch, make your lunch.
Turn all lights off not being used.
Make sure your watering hoses aren't leaking.
Block off gaps in and around the house.
Put in Solar if you can afford it. Change companies for better deals.
Second Hand shops come in handy.
There's always one day during the week to shop for food that's cheaper than the rest.
Leave the car at home some days and conserve fuel.
Bargain Hunt when you can.
Haggle, don't except the first price.
A TIP from.......JOAN

Do the supermarket shop one day later each week. You will save a week's shopping every 7 weeks. Believe it or not, you won't spend more money by just delaying your trip by 1 day.

Thanks Joan for the tip
We have included this information as while it is not strictly either Saving or Making money someone might just have a need for this information.
If you have a dispute over a financial product or service then contact The Financial Ombusdman Service as they may be able to help you. For more information visit www.fos.org.au
Scam Watch an interesting website brought to you by the Australian Competition and Consumers Commission (ACCC) with lots of information on a wide range of current scams and you can also report a scam. Visit www.scamwatch.gov.au for more information.
If you are wanting to find more information about Australian product recalls www.recalls.gov.au has all the details. It is a government website with lots of information, you can subscribe to email alerts or report an unsafe product.
FIDO www.fido.gov.au is the Australian Securites and Investments Commission website which has financial tips and safety checks.
You can look for unclaimed money, browse through the Money Tips where you will find a budget planner or go to the Tools and Resources/Use our financial calculators. Try out the credit card calculator to see by just paying a little more each month your credit card can be paid of that much sooner.
You will be surprised at all the information available.
GARAGE SALE TIPS Garage sales can be a way of getting rid of some clutter and also earning a few extra dollars.
It is a good idea to put an ad in the local paper as most people who go to garage sales seem to buy the Saturday paper to find them.
Clearly state the starting time but be prepared that someone will come a little earlier than you suggest to get the best goods.
Make sure you have get some change ready(small notes and coins) for the day.
Be prepared for those people who want to haggle and just have fun on the day.
SIMPLE SAVINGS website is well worth a visit. You may have seen it's creator on TV from time to time with tips on saving money in the supermarket. You can sign up for the free newsletter which is full of very handy tips or become a member for a small fee and get access to even more information on saving.
Just click on the link on this page or our Saving Money page to learn more.
COFFEE LOYALTY CARDS When I find a good cafe to buy a cup of coffee I always look on the counter to see if they have a loyalty card. The cards usually offer a free coffee after 5 or 10 coffees. It may take a while but it is always good to get a free cup every now and then. The only downfall is that it is another card in your wallet!
If you enjoy gardening and have a little bit of space a vegetable garden can be a great way to save a little bit of money. It may be hard to find the time to look after while you are still working but the results can be worth it and very yummy. You may be able to skip the veggie section at the supermarket sometimes saving a few dollars.