Simple steps to save $100 a month

Want to know how you can shave a cheeky $100 from your monthly household budget? You’re better off with this cash tucked away in a high-interest savings account, rather than paying unnecessary bills, so read on for some easy money-saving tips!

There are two ways you can do this: either throw all of your loose change in a jar at the end of the day, or throw every coin of one selected denomination in a jar. For instance, you might decide to deposit every $1 coin you end up with at the end of the day into a special tin. It’s a quick, pain-free way to grow your savings!

Use the cold water cycle when washing clothes, and where possible, use the ‘delicate’ cycle: it uses even less litres. You can also install a low-flow showerhead in your bathroom to limit the amount of water you wasting when showering.

 

Wait until you have a full load before running the washing machine, dryer or dishwasher. After all, it’s not only your wallet that suffers: according to www.greenerliving.gov.au, “a standard electric clothes dryer can add three kilograms of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere for each load of washing”.

 

Technology evolves as a lightening-fast pace, so it’s always worth keeping an eye out for better internet deals. For instance, Sydneysider Damien saw an advertisement for Telstra broadband internet last month that was half the price that he was paying – and the plan offered double the download limit! As a long-time Telstra customer, he phoned them up and was promptly moved to the new, cheaper plan, instantly saving him $50 per month.  

 

“Standby power is the electricity many appliances continue to draw when not switched off at the power outlet or wall,” advises www.livinggreener.gov.au. “It can account for more than 10 per cent of your household electricity use.” Therefore, if you switch off appliances like kettles, microwaves, toasters and washing machines when they’re not in use, you could save around $200 per year.

 

Using a cashpoint that is managed by a different bank to your own will cost you at least $2 per transaction. Do this a couple of times a week, and you’ll rack up a couple of hundreds of dollars worth of easily-avoidable fees each year.

 

Set up an automatic payment so that when you get paid, whether it’s weekly, fortnightly or monthly, a small set amount is transferred to your savings account. The amount is so small you’ll hardly notice it, but it’s big enough to snowball into a decent amount of savings in time! Just $20 a week will grow to over $1,000 in 12 months time, and you’ll earn interest on your savings to boot.

 

Chances are, you’ve been on the same health insurance or car insurance policy for quite some time. It pays to look for better deals, even if your policy isn’t due! Insurance premiums vary widely between providers, meaning it’s possible to drastically reduce your annual premiums – provided you’re willing to spend a few hours doing some research.