18 Easy Money Saving Hacks

Everyone wants to save more money. Below are 18 easy money saving hacks that we hope inspire you to get creative and have fun achieving your savings goals.

Money Saving Hack 1: Look at Your Spending

We know this one is the most obvious and is a little boring, but it’s worthwhile looking at your spending. Often what you actually spend your money on is different to what you think you do, so take the time to comb through the last 30 or even 60 days of spending to see where your money truly goes.

If there are any obvious areas where you spend more than you think, create a monthly savings plan to reduce these expenses a little. It’s a lot more sustainable to make small changes for 30 days than try to cut every expense out immediately.

Money Saving Hack 2: Reduce Eating Out

Another suggestion that may not seem very fun, but is very worthwhile, is eating in. Eating out can quickly add up. And most of the time you spend all that money on only one meal, but if you spent that on the raw ingredients you could make multiple meals.

Instead, eat in, but make it fun! One idea is to theme your cuisine based on where your favourite sports team are playing. This can be a lot of fun when the Formula One are travelling to Austria or Bahrain, but if your favourite AFL team is playing in Melbourne, think of ways to make a Melbourne-inspired meal.

Not a sports fan? Then why not make it a MasterChef challenge around one ingredient. Get the whole family involved and have fun together.

Money Saving Hack 3: Swap Your Coffee Order

Buying a coffee each day quickly adds up, so one day a week why not opt to make it yourself and pocket the $4?

Or reduce the size of the coffee you order. It may not seem like much, but it all adds up!

Money Saving Hack 4: Find Free Activities

Local councils and communities go to a lot of effort to come up with fun events for people of all ages. Check out your local councils’ website to see what free local activities are going on.

From walking trails to festivals, to community groups you can join, these are frugal ways to have fun, connect with nature and make new friends.

Money Savings Hack 5: Go to the Library

Another simple, cheap hack to save you money is to go to your library. Local libraries are awesome and have more resources than you think. Do a quick google to see if your local library or city library has an app, and you can access and reserve audiobooks, magazines and e-books with ease.

Or go in and borrow the latest novels and storybooks for free. It’s a wonderful way to entertain the kids, and often libraries host events with interesting guest speakers.

Plus, there are more than just libraries for books, so do some research and see if there is a toy library near you. Toy libraries allow you to borrow big and fun toys that are often expensive. Your kids can try some new toys, and you can swap them when the kids inevitably get bored of them.

Money Saving Hack 6: Round Up Your Transactions

Here’s a quick money saving hack. Some banks allow you to round up your transactions to the nearest dollar, $5 increment, or $10 increment. They’ll automatically transfer this to your savings account, it’s such a simple way to pocket easy savings. Check your bank’s website to see if they offer this feature.

Money Saving Hack 7: Look to the Second-hand Economy

We all love sparkly designer dresses or want some new home gym equipment, or to find some different board games for the kids.

Look to the second-hand economy. Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree are great ways to scour your local area for new treasures. Hop onto Facebook and see if your suburb has a “Buy Nothing” group where second-hand items are shared for free.

And if you’re looking for designer discounts, sites like Vestiare collective, eBay or Poshmark are a fantastic way to shop designer at a discount.

Money Saving Hack 8: Sell the Things You Don’t Use

Most people have something they don’t use that has value. It could be a piece of furniture buried in the shed, that home gym equipment you no longer use, old hobbies or old clothes. Whatever it is, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.

List it on sites like Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace and see what you can get!

Money Saving Hack 9: Use up all of Those Bathroom Products

A lot of us have bathroom cupboards full of odd products, so use them up. This applies to makeup, hair products and general beauty products.

It may not feel fun to miss buying the latest body wash, eye shadow or perfume. But the satisfaction of using up what you have all the way to the end is huge, so have fun with using up what you have before buying anything new.

Money Saving Hack 10: Look at Your Food Waste

Do you ever buy veggies when you’re in a healthy mood and end up throwing them away at the end of the week when they go gross?

We’ve all been there. Instead, plan your grocery shop so you buy exactly what you need for the meals you’re preparing.

If anything is in the fridge that is due to expire, put it all in a tub labelled “eat me” so you know these items need to be used next.

And to avoid buying these ingredients to cook with, but not being bothered to cook when the time comes, prepare as much as you can in advance. As soon as those veggies come through the door, chop them up, and when you go to cook you can simply toss them in and skip the prep.

Money Saving Hack 11: Look for Cashback Apps

There are so many different cashback opportunities now which give you cashback for shopping where you usually shop.

Do a quick search to see which app suits you best, and check to see if your bank offers cashback for using the debit card you already have.

Money Saving Hack 12: Stay In

Have a movie night, board game night, or whatever theme you need to have fun at home. Staying in to watch a movie is infinitely cheaper than going to the movies and paying for tickets, snacks and parking.

Get creative with ways you can entertain the family from home and make the most of those streaming services you may already be subscribed to.

Money Saving Hack 13: Stay Organised

Sometimes this is easier said than done but stay organised before you go out. Bring your own snacks, umbrella, face mask, tissues or whatever you usually need.

Being caught out and having to buy these things when you know you have them at home adds up. So be as prepared as possible to make life cheaper and easier.

Money Saving Hack 14: Reduce Your Bills

Reducing your bills sounds obvious, but most people don’t take the time to call their utility provider to see if they can be offered a better deal.

Look at every provider you use from insurance to electricity and gas. Shop around and see if there’s a better deal elsewhere and switch.

Check your phone provider and see what their latest packages are. Switching from post-paid to prepaid could result in easy savings. Or swap your current package to something smaller if you’re paying for things you don’t even use.

Money Saving Hack 15: DIY Facials and Haircare

Why not opt for a DIY facial, manicure, pedicure or hair treatment? It’ll save you money and you don’t need to book an appointment to do it.

You can create these moments of relaxation in your own home for a fraction of the cost. Lots of hair treatments and facial masks come in single serves at the supermarket, so you can buy them on sale to try something new instead of booking an entire facial.

Money Saving Hack 16: Look at Your Subscriptions

Are you subscribed to anything you don’t want to be? If you don’t use all the streaming services you signed up to, or that gym membership you’re too afraid to cancel, take the time to cancel them.

Look at each subscription and make sure it truly adds value to your life and is worth the cost, otherwise it’s time to say goodbye and pocket the savings.

Money Saving Hack 17: Put a Jumper On

Before you go to crank up the heating, take a minute to check you have warm clothes on.

A lot of the time we turn up the heating when we aren’t dressed for the weather, or our homes aren’t sealed to hold that heating in.

Check to make sure your home is properly sealed to keep the warmth in. Blocking drafts is typically cheaper than paying for heating, and it’s an easy hack to save you money every winter.

Money Saving Hack 18: Find a Good Loan Provider

If you are looking for a personal loan, or you have one, make sure your loan provider will help you save in any way they can.

Hunt for a lender, like us, who doesn’t charge early payout fees. Paying off your loan earlier shouldn’t cost you any money.

Another thing to look for in a lender is Comprehensive Credit Reporting (CCR). Comprehensive credit reporting is when the loan provider you’re with sends your repayment history to the credit bureaus regularly so your credit score can be updated.

CCR is excellent for your credit score and report, as your information will be regularly updated, and you’ll see improvements quicker than before. Using a loan provider who can help boost your credit score is powerful.

We Hope These Easy Money Saving Hacks Help

Not all of these money saving hacks may apply to you, but we hope you’re able to take inspiration from them and get creative.

The key thing when trying to save money is not to cut off every expense, but to try your best. Going cold turkey and cutting everything out isn’t as sustainable as making small incremental changes.

And if you have been looking for a loan provider to consolidate some of your debt or get ahead of some of those household bills, apply now. We’re here to help.