Money saving tips for new arrivals

[Diane]

I thought as there's lot of newbies arriving in the next few months, it might be a good idea to have a thread of local money saving tips that people have discovered since being here. So I'll start off...

 

Cheap Tuesdays - most cinemas offer cheaper tickets on Tuesdays for some reason: usually adults at kids' prices. When we first arrived we went off blithely to the pics one night and nearly had to take out a second mortgage to do so....it wasn't on a Tuesday! Also many places offer Kids Eat Free deals on Tuesdays...what is it about Tuesdays??

 

Petrol dockets - shop at Coles or Woolworths, spend more than $30 and you get a tear off coupon at the bottom which saves you 4cents (or sometimes 8cents) a litre at their petrol stations.

 

On the subject of petrol - the price goes up and down on a daily basis. There used to be a specific day it was cheaper, but now that keeps moving around: keep an eye on the petrol station price boards and fill up when it comes down - often by up to 10cents a litre

 

Daily deal sites - if you like eating out, beauty treatments etc, sign up online for the daily deal emails (if you google "All the Daily Deals Adelaide" that will give you a summary of all the local ones). You pay up front for a voucher, but can often save at least 50%, often more. Keep an eye on voucher expiry dates though.

 

Haggle - when buying furniture, electrical goods etc, always ask if the salesman can do a better price. It's expected here. If they won't come down in price, see if they'll throw something extra in for free instead. Us reserved Brits sometimes have a problem with this, but I can assure you most locals don't!

 

Toy Sales and Layby - the big toy stores (Target, KMart etc) often hold toy sales with big reductions. You can choose what you want to buy, get it at the sale price, and then they'll store it for you till Christmas - you can pay in installments up to then if you wish.

 

Junk mail - keep an eye on the bundles of junk mail that gets delivered to your door. Often stores will do "loss leader" type sales on some items/foods so it's worth planning your shopping around that. They're not yet as good as the BOGOFF deals in the UK though, but every little helps (as Tesco would say!!)

 

Books/CDs/DVDs - join your local library: borrowing is free, fines are ridiculously miniscule, some libraries also loan toys. Books are very expensive here: use www.thebookdepository.co.uk to buy at UJK prices and free international postage (books arrive in about 7 days to Oz)

Toiletries - generally quite expensive in most supermarkets and chemists, but keep an eye on the "cheapo" shops (Cheap as Chips, Cunninghams, Browse in and Save etc) as you can often pick up stuff very cheaply from there, unless you're very precious about sticking to one particular brand!

 

That's all that I can think of at the moment - anyone got any more?

 

D

[Guest Guest5035]

buy a fur coat.

 

stevo

[Guest Ric & Paula]

Buy fruit and veg at the Sunday markets,Gepps Cross and North Arm for example,great atmosphere too

[likesshopping]

School Uniforms -

 

Most schools have a uniform 'seconds' shop...

[Guest Kat+Rocco]

Great thread thanks for the tips guys

[Guest Opportunities]

Diane,

 

Thanks for the tips... I am use to spending without calculating, but will definitely change my mindset when we arrive in December. On a different note...

Don't agree with your quote at the bottom... I'm sure you have just been nice to more than one person today! You are a softie after all! Have a great day!

 

Karen

x

[Diane]

Nah you just caught me on a good day Karen - I'm normally a total bi-a-tch (apparently!!)

 

Just thought of another one, but might need someone else to fill in the details...

 

Rainchecks: If an item is advertised at a particular price, and the store has run out when you get there, you can "take a raincheck" on the price so that when new stock comes in, you can have it at the old advertised price. Unless the ad says "no rainchecks" obviously!! I'm not quite sure how you go about this though....anyone know??

[Guest Adelaide_bound]

 

Rainchecks: If an item is advertised at a particular price, and the store has run out when you get there, you can "take a raincheck" on the price so that when new stock comes in, you can have it at the old advertised price. Unless the ad says "no rainchecks" obviously!! I'm not quite sure how you go about this though....anyone know??

In the UK you go to customer services and ask them for a docket, various places do it in various different ways etc, and then you can take that back when they do have stock for it at the same price, so I'm guessing the same way?

[Diane]

Thanks, I'd never come across it in England (thought it was an aussie concept!!)

[sea glimpse]

Adelaide Central market - go about 12 ish on Sat and they are selling off all the fruit & veg and meat for very reduced prices (often half price!) due to them being closed on sunday...top it off with a chicken laksa for $9 (near Gouger St entrance) massive bowl & deeeeeeelicious! Its also great for the kids - free face painting, balloons etc ours love going and its free!!

[Guest caoimhe]

Change the way you shop, in the UK I got ALL my groceries at the supermarket, here I get my fruit and veg from a small local fruit shop, bread from the bakery, meat at the butchers and cleaning stuff/biscuits/crisps/washing powder/fab conditioner from Cheap as Chips/Regect Shop/Sam's Warehouse. I only go to the supermarket for things I can't get elsewhere. Bit of traisping about but I save a lot and with 6 in my house its needed. I actually have a friend who goes to a farmer and gets me half a cow or a whole lamb....$7 a KG for beef and $8 a KG for lamb, we're saving a fortune and eating like kings:)

[Guest smit]

Dont fall for the pay cash crap at Good Guys...go from one to another and haggle big time. Harvey norman jb hifi good guys and myers are the ones i go around.Only ever bought from good guys once, cheaper elsewhere

[Karen_Jon]

A super thread I'm taking it all in Cheers Diane.

[Guest Jane & Tony]

Great Threads Poms. Keep 'em coming.

[sueoc]

Yep,barter big time when buying the more expensive stuff here.The salesperson in often robot like,concerned only with the sale,but would have you believe they are only looking out for you.Don't fall for it,the only person who will look out for you is yourself!If your not satisfied then walk away,there's plenty of other shops to get what you need at a price to suit you.

[Guest caoimhe]

Dont fall for the pay cash crap at Good Guys...go from one to another and haggle big time. Harvey norman jb hifi good guys and myers are the ones i go around.Only ever bought from good guys once, cheaper elsewhere

JB HI price match....we bought my son a laptop a few months ago for $1000 same night my O/H seen the same laptop on Dick Smiths website for $750...We took the receipt back to JB HI and once they checked the web they refunded us with $250

[Guest Jane & Tony]

What would you say is the best place for electricals and furniture? Can you barter at somewhere like Le Corneau?

[Guest caoimhe]

What would you say is the best place for electricals and furniture? Can you barter at somewhere like Le Corneau?

Never shopped at Le Corneau but in general shop around and play 1 off against the other

[Guest Ryan T. Lion]

My tip is to get a USB 3G dongle.

 

Our apartment block charges $15/2hr for WIRED internet connection (i.e. a old Ethernet cable!) or... $90/wk.

 

$50 gets you 4GB on a Virgin dongle........It'll last AGES and will make searching for rentals and suburbs 100x easier than trying to find a McD's with free wifi each time you wanna check something!

 

Does that count??

[Guest Ric & Paula]

Hard ground pick-up!!I was gobsmacked at all the stuff on the footpath ready for collection...2 shelves,1 telly and a bookcase later...love it!!Even had the in-laws doing it when they visited

[snifter]

Change the way you shop, in the UK I got ALL my groceries at the supermarket, here I get my fruit and veg from a small local fruit shop, bread from the bakery, meat at the butchers and cleaning stuff/biscuits/crisps/washing powder/fab conditioner from Cheap as Chips/Regect Shop/Sam's Warehouse. I only go to the supermarket for things I can't get elsewhere. Bit of traisping about but I save a lot and with 6 in my house its needed. I actually have a friend who goes to a farmer and gets me half a cow or a whole lamb....$7 a KG for beef and $8 a KG for lamb, we're saving a fortune and eating like kings:)

 

You know, I'll sound really old here but growing up in the UK this is how we used to shop. Grocers, butchers, bakers, hardware store and the like. The supermarket back then was for the other stuff you couldn't buy elsewhere. They were more corner shop like, run by a local person living above the shop or some such. And they were way smaller then also, not like the massive superstores you get these days. Its the last 20/30 years or so its all changed. You shopped daily for the bits and pieces you needed, not once a week in bulk. There was a local high street with all kinds of shops along it.

 

I still like to shop around here in the UK. I don't rely on the supermarkets for everything. I'm looking forward to being able to do the same in Adelaide once we are there. I love the Central market and can often be found in there shopping.

[Guest Jane & Tony]

You know, I'll sound really old here but growing up in the UK this is how we used to shop. Grocers, butchers, bakers, hardware store and the like. The supermarket back then was for the other stuff you couldn't buy elsewhere. They were more corner shop like, run by a local person living above the shop or some such. And they were way smaller then also, not like the massive superstores you get these days. Its the last 20/30 years or so its all changed. You shopped daily for the bits and pieces you needed, not once a week in bulk. There was a local high street with all kinds of shops along it.

 

I still like to shop around here in the UK. I don't rely on the supermarkets for everything. I'm looking forward to being able to do the same in Adelaide once we are there. I love the Central market and can often be found in there shopping.

 

Do you think it's because women work full time more now? My Mum only worked evenings, then mornings when I went to school and a lot of my mates Mums either didn't work or were p/t. Society was much better then I think. Never had a baby sitter, if Mum and Dad wre going out I went too.

[HEAPS GOOD !!!]

Don't buy bananas........

 

 

HG

[Guest Kat+Rocco]

Why what's up with bananas lol:huh:

[HEAPS GOOD !!!]

were not even going to go there... that's a whole new argument that could go on for ever....lol

 

 

HG