THIS MONTH'S GIVEAWAYS ARE Picking up the Pieces and Mothering Heights. TO BE IN THE DRAW, POST A COMMENT. For submissions for author interviews to aussiewriters, email Wendy Sargeant at aussiewriters (at) gmail (dot) com (without the spaces), but before you do, be sure and post a comment.
Our guest blogger, Simone Trinder has compiled these money saving tips we all need. Look out for the forthcoming series How to Thrive in Hard Times of which Simone will be a contributor. Welcome Simone.
1. Make a meals list before shopping and you are less likely to buy fast food or food that may go off, such as food with a short use-by date that you later forget.
2. Put your usual list of foods on an excel database and use it to shop. You are less likely to forget and have to re-shop during the week. Avoid using credit cards where possible. It is easy to overspend when you don’t have to pay up front.
3. One survey found the average person can save $300 a year by using only what’s in the cupboard and freezer once a week. Use all that you have bought, (condiments are an exception), that way you are less likely to waste forgotten food or let it run past the use by date.
4. If you are with a bank that is ruthless with unfair bank fees, to get these fees back, go to www.financialredress.com.au and www.yourshare.com.au .
6. If you live in the Sydney or Melbourne area, to save money on car maintenance, rego, insurance and petrol, sign up with www.goget.com.au or flexicar.com.au
(These are car share companies).
7. Refuse ATMs with high fees, (if you can't, start a fight-back campaign for bank fees through Facebook, and also change your bank to one somewhat better fees). For example, ING.
8. If you have to use a credit card, use one with reward points, (the small rewards are much better than nothing).
9. Grow your own fruit and vegies. Build up the soil nutrients with Alroc from www.safe.com.au, and plant, (go with www.seed.com.au, www.thelostseed.com.au (for Tasmania residents). www.diggers.com.au).
10. You can reuse the seeds over and over, because they are not genetically modified, and you also can pass the seeds onto others. If you lack planting space, you can also use stackpots, www.stackapots.com.au these range from about $38 to $75. Or www.livingapartment.com.au for hanging pots to grow herbs, etc. These range from about $38.
Thanks Simone. We look forward to more tips in the future.
Wendy
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