If you have been meaning to tighten the purse strings more this year, you are definitely not in the minority. Recent studies show that Australian households now have to spend more just to keep up with daily living and in furthering education.
Do you happen to be a parent of a toddler? Did you know that child care expenditures of families with children below 5 years old actually occupy the top spot of most household expenses in Australia? In fact, the average household expense for child care in 2016 topped at $118 per week (1).
Of course, that’s just one of the big eaters of the budget pie, so to speak. Most of the time, single people are the only ones that enjoy the least expenses (almost half of what most families have to pay), as proven by the weekly spending table in this site (2).
This is why it is not at all a surprise that more and more Aussies are looking for ways to make the most of their money. That said, there are certain platforms online you should definitely not overlook if you have been meaning to do just that. If you really want to feel the impact of your budgeting efforts, then doing every way for you to save as much money as possible is nothing short of necessary.
Useful and Legit Ways for You to Save Your Hard-Earned Dollars Using the Internet
The internet is a treasure trove of a lot of things, and places to get a discount or two are definitely not an exception. Let us point you in the right direction with our recommendations below.
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Drop by Regularly in Catalog-Listing Websites
Old enough to remember the time when stores and shops only used to make printed copies of their catalogs, which are often just available in their physical branches? Ever wished you can there’s a way for you to easily grab one and look through the deals you shouldn’t miss out on?
Well, there is actually a way for you to do this by simply going through a website like Latest Catalogues. As you will see once you drop by the catalog site, it is dedicated to mostly local Australian brands only. And the catalogs that are available are only ever the latest ones.
In each listed catalog, there is a range of time indicating the duration of the validity of the deals offered in each one. And even better is the fact that they actually categorize them for easier navigation.
Most of the catalogs come directly from the companies that release them. And all the deals you can get from widely-recognized brands like Costco, Coles, BWS, IGA, and Foodland, among others, are all listed for your ready reference. No other platform can rival the scope and focus of the website on anything retail-related that is solely for Australians.
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Visit OzBargain
If you have, more or less, tried to search one in the past, you have probably already come across OzBargain. We won’t be surprised if someone suggested the site to you because it’s practically the be-all and end-all of anything discount-related in Australia.
This is why we’re gonna completely forego that platform on this list. It’s practically a given already. And going to it now it will immediately flood your screen with a lot of eye-catching deals from the get-go.
It’s a solid enough website with its own dedicated forum filled with the latest discounts, deals, and vouchers you may not be able to get elsewhere or even well-known international coupon sites. Other alternatives to try out are Groupon and All the Deals.
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Try Out Budget-Saving Apps
You should not readily dismiss budgeting apps because a few can really give financial coaches a run for their money. This is especially true if the app was designed with the average Aussie’s finances in mind. The trick to making budgeting apps work is to be disciplined enough to stick to using them. That is if the app does not actually have a way of forcing you to stick to your budgeting.
A couple of great ones are the apps that are actually sponsored by the government like the Australian Securities and Investment Commission’s (3) TrackMySpend or Pocketbook. The former lets you take full control of your budget by setting a limit and allowing you to input all your daily expenses, while the latter actually syncs with your bank account so you will be able to know and control in realtime your expenditures.
Giving you a solid and complete view of your finances is but one way that makes these apps a must-have by anyone who wants to save more in the long run.
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Take the time to subscribe to newsletters and memberships
If you like to be surprised with a Christmas gift or two every time the holiday season arrives, then signing up to newsletters might very well be worth it for you. One advantage of such subscriptions is that they also let you know immediately of the latest and limited deals and discounts which might run out very quickly. Most members-only discounts are exclusive for a reason, and the perks often
Bonus tips
- Follow and immerse yourself in awesome blogs. A few notable long-running blogs for budgeting that we heartily recommend are Frugal and Thriving and The Thrifty Issue. Both of these blogs have a huge following for a reason. One of the most compelling is that the blog’s writers share tips with regards to the current and normal financial issues most Australians face. They can tap into the heartbeat of the Aussies and really give invaluable, useful advice not found anywhere else.
- While saving money is, in itself, a very big step towards helping you manage your finances, you have to be open to looking for ways to develop other streams of income annually. For this, you have to be constantly on the lookout for the latest methods and strategies that work. What’s good is that the blogs we mentioned above are able to help you do just that.
Parting Words
Every tip mentioned here would surely be able to help you save money if you try them out. But if you’re not satisfied with just one, then, by all means, use everything in this list. Simply take the time to visit them all and avail of the deals and read the more in-depth guides and tips. Before long, we can guarantee that you’ll definitely be saving a lot of that dough for good.
Sources:
- Data on Australian spending trends: https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/0/97E70263E0B479CFCA257059007E19B6?OpenDocument
- Weekly spending table: https://www.moneysmart.gov.au/managing-your-money/budgeting/australian-spending-habits
- TrackMySpend by ASIC: https://asic.gov.au/
- Catalogue-listing website: https://www.latestcatalogues.com/
