Money Saving Tips

[Guest May]

From the forum I think we can detect a sombre mood when it comes to the economy and the job market so I am interest in how one can save money e.g. Brisbane is hard hit by the fuel increases so one has to shop around, that said bear in mind it costs money to drive around looking for bargains and that the prices differ mid week to weekend.

In Brisbane second child travels on bus for free

These at things that you learn by coincidence or by word of mouth

In Brisbane you can see movies in the Park for free, you have to keep an eye out

You can get lots of good reads and movies from the Library, free workshops at the library for all members of the family.

Tuesday movies are cheaper

I think somewhere you can get an all day pass for Brisbane and travel on any form of transport sightseeing?

Free gas braais in the park

Save money on fabric softener and the wear and tear on your washing machine and use vinegar and bicarb. also more environment friendly. Australians are gaga about these 2 products, google their household uses and they dirt cheap. Google or YouTube Shannon Lush.

You remember how much you managed to save when you put all the loose change from your pockets into a jar?

(BTW I am a treasury cum accountant looking for work LOL)

What can you get free or cheaper in the different States if only you knew? What thrifty tips do you have for us?

[Jordy]

My big tip for saving money is never buy anything at ticket price. If the salesman wont drop the price and give you a better deal, walk out, and go do your homework. Somewhere else is always cheaper and shops match and better prices. So it is quite the norm to compare JbHifi, HN, Good Guys, DSE online prior to going shopping.

My wife was quite angry the other day when she came home having tried her first "Is that the best price you can do?" line. The salesman didnt even say a word but dropped the price without question. She was angry because she always just paid the ticket price before.

[Kurkprop]

Buy second hand things.

Once a week I have a look at a St Vinnies ( this is an 'op shop'- short for 'opportunity shop' for those who are not familiar with the term). I take my 3 yr old and 1 yr old with me and for them this place is paradise. They love looking at the toys and dress ups section. So far the 'treasures' we've bought there are a twirly skirt for $4, fairy wings $2, an etch a sketch $4, Thomas the tank engine train $1, push along airplane $2 and my 1 yr old chose a hand knitted beanie that he loves and wears constantly that cost a grand total if $4. All these things are in perfect condition and the kids don't know the difference between new and second hand so they love going there. I noticed that Target and Big W and co have their mid year toy sales at the moment but I'm not the least bit tempted to have a look because I can find awesome toys for a fraction of the price at op shops. And this afternoon I'm going to have a look at a second hand tricycle that was advertised on gumtree which also seems almost as good as new for a quarter of the price of a new one.

Once you get into it, it can get quite addictive because you never know what you are going to find. Sometimes nothing, and sometimes absolute bargains

[Lyn]

Lucky I don't go op shopping with you K - I am a complete addict. Cant go one week without Vinnies. My home, garden, and wardrobe are full of preloved items. A good wash and they good to go.

Some stores dockets have specials printed on the back, like buy one coffee get the second free, or something similar.

And always ask if that is the best price, especially on appliances. Also don't have the wool pulled over your eyes in Canberra with second hand furniture stores, I have seen many stocking up at Salvos, then adding ridiculous mark-ups for unsuspecting newbies.

Also I buy a lot of "reduced to clear" items, like meat - I notice many people take a wide berth from this section of the fridge - I head straight to it and am very disappointed if the staff haven't checked the expiry dates for the day.

[patrice]

I noted in Woolies that they mark their fresh 'prepared' foods down to half price after about 18h00 - like cooked roast chicken, etc... as I understand they are not allowed to keep this type of prepared food over to the next day.

edit = spelling

Edited June 27, 2013 by patrice

[Guest May]

Just been to Vinnies and got a big stock pot for soup for $6 (goes new $69 on sale nogal) and then a baking pyrex dish for $3. I loved a table and chairs there (that was $350). Lifeline, RSPCA and Tipshop also places to visit. I believe that they may no longer be doing pavement collections in one day in Brisbane but you might have to call them to collect personally. Maybe they found people were upgrading their furniture on those days or that someone was collecting and turning a pretty penny on gumtree.

[AndreaL]

Now is a really good time to buy things with end of financial year sales (EOFYS) so there are bargains in all of the shops, and if you want to spread the price of Xmas out, get down to Big W, Target or Kmart for the July toy sale on now, you can put the toys on lay bye and pay a few dollars a week until the week before Xmas....if your kids are under 10 this is great (older kids seem to change their minds too much) we would buy book sets, lego sets, transformers and so on and it would really help so that there wasn't too big an outlay at Xmas.

Get onto Facebook and join the local Buy Swap Sell in your area or freecycle, I've gotten some beautiful things from Buy Swap Sell as people move a lot here in Moranbah and because removals (especially interstate) are so expensive, many people sell up an entire household. My friend picked up an $8000 bedroom suite for $1000 and a set of baccarat pots for $20 last week

[rozellem]

http://babykidsmarket.com.au/

This is my top tip for parents of young kids in Aus. Priceless.