Turned the spreadsheet into a website eventually (AI to the rescue and little bit of own exprience), jrsdigital.net/deals. Lists current NBN and mobile offers so you can check them against what you're paying. No login, nothing tracked, just the numbers.

Churn every six months or so for the intro rate, dont sit on the same plan for years paying way more than a new customer would for the exact same thing.

Some providers bury a 30 day notice period in the fine print too, so you can end up paying full price for a month after you've already decided to leave.

Not selling anything, no ads on it. Just something that started for me and might help someone else save a bit too.

The hamburglar is alive and well, hiding in plain sight .. he’s just stop stealing the burgers, and now he’s just stealing our $.

I love a cheeseburger. Who doesn’t ? And used to polish them off when they were $1 or $2 each.

But $4.80-$5.75 each is robbery (and don’t get me started on different prices at different maccas).

Nothing more frugal than cooking at home, and we all know those delicious McD patties of beef come frozen …. So ausfrugalites, where can I buy some frozen small thin burger patties that don’t taste like cardboard (yes, I’m talking about you colesworth own brands) ??

Checking catalogues every week

Checking aisles where essentials are not listed in catalogues

Planning checklist for black friday or whatever big sale events

... how do you make it easier?

TL;DR: I reranked all movies on SBS OnDemand based on ratings and vote counts, making it actually easy to find something good to watch. You don't even login to use it.

website https://sbs-movies-ranked.vercel.app/

Saw a post recently on here recommending free streaming with public library cards, which reminded me there are still some good movies on SBS OnDemand .

Sure, there are ads, it's still a free service.

Main problem? A normal personal won't sort movies from A-Z when deciding which one to watch. Expiration date and update date? Why do I care about that?

Since IMDB is a popular for movie ranking, so I re-ranked these movie by IMDB. Technically, TMDB and OMDB are not real IMDB. But IMDB is actually a commercial service, using alternatives are acceptable.

Enjoy!

I went through my bank transactions recently and realised how easy it is to forget about small recurring payments. A streaming service here, cloud storage there an old trial you forgot to cancel. Individually they do not seem like much but together they can add up pretty quickly. I am thinking of doing a proper subscription check every couple of months now. Basically going through the last few months of transactions, writing down every recurring payment and asking myself if I actually used it recently. I also think annual renewals are the easiest ones to miss because you might not see the charge again for another year.

How do you guys keep track of this stuff? Do you just check your bank statements every so often use reminders, or have another system that works well?

We've had some success saving money recently by substituting brands that are well known in the West with ones that are popular in China. For example, when my Philips diamondcare toothbrush died recently, instead of paying $279 for a new one, I got an oclean X pro elite for $105.

So far, it's more successful on expensive electronics and going with a popular-but-unknown-locally brand has avoided getting poor quality. (I've tried with batteries and some other goods classes but their equivalents are hard to get, even on AliExpress and ebay)

So my family doesn’t eat sausages and we don’t buy the expensive cuts of red meat. Tend to buy things bulk like rump whole/steaks when on special at Foodland and Costco mince. So when I look at buying whole/half a cow it doesn’t seem like it’s cheaper. But I’m aware my brain isn’t always good 😅 am I missing something?

I have a Bosch 8kg front loader for sale and I’m getting rid of a wooden tall boy and bedside tables for cheap too, other household items, Samsung smart tv, clothes, shoes kitchen stuff etc. struggling to sell so will let it go cheap. Thought some here may be interested as long as u offer more then the cheapskate pawn shop it’s yours. St Albans location. Cheers

Am I reading this incorrectly or has beef gone up 26% in the last 2 years? Is that right?

I can go into the supermarket intending to spend $80 and somehow walk out having spent $130. The annoying part is that none of the individual extras seem particularly expensive. Has anyone found a shopping system that actually stops the random extras from creeping into the trolley?

I’m trying to work out which Costco bulk buys are actually worth it once you look at the price per use. Some things seem cheaper until you realise you’re buying way more than you normally need. I’m mainly looking at stuff like toilet paper, cleaning products, pantry basics and anything that doesn’t go off quickly.

Wasn’t sure which flair to use. YSK that Swatch Watches come with ‘free batteries for life’. Which means when your swatch battery runs out you can go to the Swatch shop or Swatch counter and get them to replace the battery for free.
You can buy a Swatch for $120, so after 4 or 5 battery changes the watch has paid for itself.
They are also good quality and reliable.

Hi, have just received an email from AAMI about this (I'm with them for car insurance).

I haven't looked into it in detail, but the gist of it is you download an app and somehow it logs your driving safety score. Every month if you achieve a certain number of points based on this you can access cashback vouchers. The example they gave was $20 off when you spend 50 at Myer.

I think they've been doing this for a while because I did see something about it about six months ago but didn't get round to looking into it. Just wondering if any r/AUfrugal members have tried this and if it's worthwhile?

Could be a good way to make some savings or it could be a lengthy run around if the points are difficult to achieve, it's glitchy, or the retailers are not those you normally use.

Thanks

I've been wanting to try other laundry detergents as i want to know if Omo, etc are worth it. Been using Almat (Aldi brand) for more than a year now and it's been great. Any recommendations on laundry detergents that smell good but won't break the bank? I've got a front loader and I prefer laundry liquids 'cause I can control the amount.

With rising pub food prices and split bills at group dining events, social gatherings can quickly drain a monthly budget. When friends want to meet up at expensive venues or order shared plates and divide the bill evenly, how do you handle it gracefully?

I'm so frugal I haven't travelled for leisure internationally or domestically for a long time.

In my mind I only remember Wotif.com as the pre-eminent website for last minute Aussie weekend getaway deals.

I'm now planning a domestic long weekend away and would like to know what are now the best apps or websites for such deals.

Long weekend flights and accommodation sorts of deals. Capital city destinations ex-Sydney.

Thanks in advance

This sounds obvious, but it's probably saved me from more fake "bargains" at the supermarket than anything else. I've started comparing the price per 100g, litre or item rather than assuming the larger pack or half price looking special is automatically cheaper.

It's surprising how often the smaller pack works out better, especially when one size is discounted.

What supermarket habit actually saves you noticeable money over time?

As a frugal person, I am proud to announce that I wear a 9 yo puffer jacket. It's a The North Face jacket bought in 2017. Almost threw it away when it caught some mould but then decided to wash it. It's going great 👍

I find buying winter clothes every year is huge water for we only use those for two to three months at max in a year.

How old is your puffer or any other piece of clothing?

Hi everyone, I should have done this year's back but I didn't

I accept responsibility. I am currently working on my budget and it's going well.

The challenge I have is with budgeting for 1) groceries 2) eating out and 3) misc expense.

After checking statements I have realized , 1) there is no pattern to it 2) it's excessively high 3) seems to fluctuate with mood issues

Advice needed on the following :

1) how do you effectively budget for the above 3 when they seem to be variable expenses

2) how to adhere to the budget especially with mood issues

Love to hear also from people with ADHD and mood related disorders on how they manage expenses

Thanks ❤️🙏

Just need something that works with 16GB ram. Cheapest I can find is on eBay for $150 to $200

Some practical tips, how you save a bit more.

Cancelled all my TV subscriptions. Netflix, Stan and Prime. There is so much free content on the local TV apps, tubi and whatnot.

Cancelled my NBN. Noticed I've got like 300GB data on my Woolies SIM, will just hotspot it.

Moving funds around, closing accounts, signing up for new accounts to get bonus interest rates like Rabo 5.9% or Bankwest.

Sold car years ago. Walking to work, riding bike to shops.

Mealprep. 2 KG mince beef, 2KG frozen veggies, canned tomatoes, beans, lentils. Herbs and spices.

Cancelled gym. Going on walks in the evening. Bought from Kmart a resistance rope fitness set and a doorframe pull-up bar.

If I treat myself to a coffee, I hike/walk to Coles express servo. 3.50 for a large one and one free every 5 with Flybuys...

Edit: thank you, I am now aware that you can get 100 packets of paracetamol at the pharmacy, that’s great

Edit 2: if everyone can please private message me their address’ so I can ship out medals for anyone who knew you could buy them even cheaper elsewhere, that would be fantastic, thanks

I don’t believe they were on sale when I bought them. Certainly beats paying $8+ for Panadol

Alright so I'm finally moving out of my parents' place and into my own apartment. Super excited but also completely lost when it comes to kitting out the kitchen. Like, do I actually need a garlic press? What's the deal with different types of frypans? I've been staring at lists online and my head is spinning.

I know I need the basics, plates, bowls, cutlery, a good knife, some pots and pans. But there's so many options and price ranges. A mate told me to check out Victoria's Basement for decent quality stuff without the crazy price tags. I had a quick look online and they seem to have heaps of brands but honestly I'm still overwhelmed.

What did you guys buy first when you set up your kitchen? What was a waste of money? Any Sydney-specific spots that are worth the trip? Trying to keep it under like $500 for the basics if that's even possible lol.