The majority of us are feeling the pinch right now, so we put it to you, our audience, to share with us how you save money living in an expensive city like Sydney. We asked you over on our Instagram, and here are your answers...
SHOPPING
“If I’m going to shop at Woolies, I do a little shop there in the morning so I can get the free coffee when you spend over $30.”
“I buy groceries in bulk. Whether that’s buying the bigger packets of things and paying less per unit at the normal supermarkets, or going to Costco. You can save a lot of money this way.”
“Instead of buying furniture, we use Street Bounty. There are Street Bounty groups on Facebook – we're on the Inner West group, but there are SB Facebook Groups for areas across Sydney, where people post things they want to get rid of. We got a beautiful outdoor table and a bike for free.”
“I don’t go to the supermarket in a rush – instead, I go when I have plenty of time, so I can hunt for reduced items. You can find some steals if you spend the time looking.”
“I shop at Aldi, not Woolworths or Coles.”
“I look for the ‘Quick Sale’ Woolworths yellow stickers on things like barbecue chickens. If the chicken was cooked several hours before, they’ll mark it down to as little as $2.50 for a whole chicken, which lasts me for a few days’ meals.”
“I take some time to compare prices of our regular purchases (e.g. SodaStream cylinders) instead of just buying them wherever I happen to see them.”
“I use the ShopBack app. It’s actually a no-brainer.”
COMMUTING
“I book UberPools instead of regular Ubers. After a while, the savings really add up, and your trip often doesn’t end up taking much longer.”
“I use the Fuel Check app to compare petrol station prices near me.”
“I catch the bus instead of the ferry. And when I’m taking short trips, I also choose the bus over trains.”
“I pre-book parking so I pay a fair bit less.”
“I walk or run around Sydney – it’s free.”
SPENDING HABITS
“I pay for everything on Amex so my rewards points really add up, which pays for all my flights.”
“I track my spending. If you have a good idea about where your money goes, you’re much more mindful of whether or not you should tap for this or that.”
“I pay cash instead of card to avoid the service charge.”
EATING
“I ban myself from ordering takeaway. I let myself have special dinners out, but otherwise I cook at home, or on those nights I can’t be bothered, I eat ‘fakeaway’ (e.g. frozen pizza).”
“I set a rule of only eating out twice a week – otherwise, I bring my lunch to work and cook dinner. That way I plan better where I want to go, and I don’t get to the end of the week and realise I’ve accidentally spent my whole budget on dining.”
“I bring my lunch to work. It's obvious, but it's surprising how much cash it saves when you add it all up.”
ACTIVITIES
“Instead of going out to expensive restaurants and bars on the weekends, we go out in the day time, packing our weekends with free activities like hikes and the beach.”
OTHER
“I moved to Dubbo.”
Fair enough.