6 useful tips to cut your bills in half and save money
These days bill shock is a pretty common occurrence, and those bills seem to have a way of popping up with increasing frequency. The prices of everything, including groceries, power, fuel, rent, mortgage repayments and even a haircut seem to be skyrocketing - and with no end in sight.
But don’t worry - with the higher cost of living these days, we’ve prepared some useful tips to cut your bills in half and save you money.
1. Reduce your food bills
While it may be hard to reduce your food bills, it's definitely doable, without limiting your food intake. There are plenty of things you can do to cut your food bills in half and save money, including these:
- Buy local produce - they are usually cheaper, and also much fresher than produce that’s been imported or sitting in a supermarket chiller for months on end
- Research low cost recipes that use basic, low cost ingredients. To get you started, check out these top 50 budget meals from Taste
- Take advantage of the season’s best vegetables
- Buy meat and dry goods in bulk
- Grow fruit and vegetables in your backyard
- Don’t throw away leftovers. Reuse them
2. Save power to lower your electricity bill
All energy prices are increasing, including your electricity bill, and the unit price you pay isn’t something you can control. But the way you use electricity within the household is definitely within your control. So, if you want to lower your electricity bill, it’s time to start saving power. Find out how here.
3. Use cash or a debit card
If you want to lower your credit card bills, the best way to do that is to use cash or a debit card. It would even be better if you can stop using your credit card/s completely. It may not be an easy thing to do, but keep in mind that credit card interest rates are always high, and if you’re not paying off the full balance of your credit card each month, it’s easy to get into financial strife.
We know how tempting it is to buy now and pay later, but remember that’s borrowed money you’re using and it could lead you into debt if not paid on time. In short, live within your means. Buy only the things you can with the money you already have.
4. Renegotiate your utility bills
Much of our monthly costs come from utility bills like the internet, phone, gas, water, and power. And the providers of many of those services are pretty quick when it comes to increasing their charges. Talk to them and try to renegotiate a better deal or discount. It also pays to shop around to find the best deals and switch providers. In most cases, you may even get incentives for becoming a new customer.
5. Cancel memberships
We all need some form of relaxation after a hard day’s work. Many of us find this by watching our favourite TV shows or movies from popular streaming services, like Disney+, Netflix, Stan, Amazon Prime video, and more. While they may be pretty affordable, mostly at around $10 a month - if you have more than one, your bills could soon pile up. So, if you want to reduce your bills and save money, choose the one that best fits your needs and cancel the rest of them. Should you decide to delete all of them, you can still enjoy watching shows by using the free streaming services most of the main free-to-air channels offer. And how about that gym membership you never used? You may want to cancel that, too!
6. Switch to refills
Did you know Australia is the number one global offender of single-use plastic waste? We use around 60 kilograms per capita of single-use plastic each year – even the USA uses less than us! If that sparked your interest, look around your house and see how much plastic you’re using that you will soon throw out when emptied – bottles of shampoo, lotion, hand wash, fabric softener, liquid detergent – the list is endless. So, cut your household bills in half and help save the planet at the same time. Keep those plastic bottles and refill them. Most supermarkets have refillable products these days, and they cost a lot less.
Call for help
We may not be able to stop the cost of living from escalating, but we can do something within our own households to cut our bills in half or even more. All it takes is a bit of awareness and diligence to make it happen. But if the situation gets out of hand, don’t hesitate to call for help, because that’s what we’re here for. Just take a look at our cash loans up to $5,000 to find out how quick and easy it is to get your hands on some extra funds. Once a loan is approved, the cash is usually in your bank account within a few hours – so you can quickly get your bills back under control.