Simple, practical ways to save more without changing your lifestyle
Insurance Hack
Avoid bill smoothing. Paying monthly instead of yearly usually ends up costing more. If you can’t afford the full annual payment upfront, one option is to use a credit card that offers 0% interest on purchases for 12 months and has little to no annual fee. You can pay the yearly premium on the card and then pay it off in monthly chunks. This way, you avoid the extra charges that come with monthly instalments—but only do this if you’re confident you can clear the balance within the interest-free period.
Mortgage Hack
Try to make your first repayment as soon as your property settles—it helps reduce interest right from the start. After that, switch to weekly or fortnightly repayments instead of monthly. You can work this out by dividing your monthly amount by 4 (for weekly) or 2 (for fortnightly), and even round it up a bit. These small changes can take years off your loan without a big impact on your day-to-day finances.
Grocery Hack
Check if your health fund, motor club, or telco offers discounted grocery e-gift cards. For example, HCF gives around 3% off Coles and Woolworths cards. It’s an easy saving you can lock in before you even walk into the store.
The New Money Strategy
The Modern Guide to Rational, Long-Term Investing, Australian Edition Paperback
Under $30.00
Streaming Hack
Platforms keep you subscribed longer by releasing episodes weekly. You can flip that,wait until the full season is out, binge it in a week or two, then cancel. Try rotating between services so you’re only paying for one at a time. It’s an easy way to watch what you like without paying month after month. Also, once you subscribe, cancel straight away, your access will still last for the month, but you won’t risk forgetting and getting charged again.
