- When food shopping, never go hungry. You are tempted to buy more than you need.
Always do your food/grocery shopping with a list, and then be sure to stick to it. Marketing’s job is for you to buy what you do not need. Buy only what you came for.
Ask the staff when it is delivery day, it is more likely that there will be markdowns available on these days. - Grocery stores stock more items than ever these days. Work towards buying small gift items with your groceries this way the cost is absorbed without too much pain.
- Think about putting a limit on the amount on your family’s Gift Giving. Our extended family only gives gifts on birthdays and only for school age children.
Look further into budget gift ideas, or home made items. - Pay it off! Yes I know it may be a bit old school but Lay-By is still available. This is a cheap service with usually only a small in store cost involved. With regular payments and no interest accrued, this can be helpful for the purchase of larger costing items.
- Second hand shopping is now the new trend and often some good bargains can be found. Be patient as this may take time, make a list of what you are ultimately looking for and know you can use it.
A bargain is only a bargain if you can put it to use. - Put all your similar bills such as Phone/internet/mobile accounts together, and bargain your loyalty with your provider.
Join a local websites where a larger number of people are participating to gain a lower rate for utilities, such as electricity and phone services - COMPARE REGULARLY!! This can be very cost effective as charges for variety of services change on a regular basis. Review services such as Insurance, finance/banking and utility costs. Some companies offer rewards or discounts that may be more suited to you and reward you for your loyalty
- If repayments are overwhelming, look into consolidation. Approach your financial institution to see what they have to offer. Focus on reducing one account at a time.
- Check out the Internet for others who are selling goods they no longer want, not forgetting the buy swap and sell sites.
- Remember the Library! Yes it is old school too, but their services are free, as are most of the workshops they offer.
- Attending the gym is costly. Purchasing your own equipment can save you $$$. You could adapt walking around the block instead
- Eating out is more expensive than prepared food at home. Take your own lunch to work, or purchase all you need for work for the week ahead and store at work where it is handy.
This could easily save you $10 a day, $50 a week, that’s up to $2600 a year! - Plant a vegetable garden or grow herbs in some pots, this brings fresh produce to your table and can save you some costs.
- Make the freezer your close friend, it can store veges, left over meals and home baking for a later date. Reduce the ‘back items’ of your fridge that can be forgotten and un-used.
- Re-use what ever you can. Containers can be decorated for gift giving, clothing items recycled, old linen used as rags, food scraps for your compost (to feed your vegetable patch), or pre-loved items revamped.
I am thrilled to have your company and to meet you. Please let me know of your visit and the opportunity to get to know you by sharing your comment. Till we chat again.......
DEBriefing 
Leave a Reply