General:- Disconnect the power to any items on standby power (i.e. turned off PCs, TVs etc).
- Rent a small unit (one bedroom) with two people - the rent can't rise too much. Rent near places of work so fuel usage is minimised.
- Buy a pushbike for short trips to save on fuel.
- Get a new air filter for your car every year as they save fuel.
- Buy a front loader washing machine with a short cycle time or quickwash (1.5hrs) to save on power and get government water rebates in some areas. Also, if you buy a good brand your clothes will last longer, saving there also. Sell your old washing machine.
- Keep a record of all car repair and other warranties so you don't go over the warranty period when something might need a second repair. If you don't know when something expires, you can't take advantage of the warranty if there are any initial signs of product or service failure, as you don't know when it ends.
- Download free electronic copies of books instead of buying the hard copy. Same with movies, TV series, software on filesharing sites.
- Hire DVDs on "$2 Tuesday" (or the equivalent, where you live)
- Always stay on old broadband, mobile or phone plans if the monthly access fee is low. Big companies will not kick you off a plan you've had for years — but they want to, because they often release cheap deals when a new service is offered that is no longer profitable after a few years.
thesource (378)
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Buy a compost bin and use the compost you scoop out from the bottom of it as fertiliser for your own vegetable garden. Saves on vegetable and fertiliser costs at the same time, and you get free exercise when you dig. Also, you don't have to empty the garbage so often as you accrue vegetable waste in a seperate container so your bin doesn't fill up as fast. In that way you also save on bin-liners, which you should buy in bulk rolls of 100. These are often cheaper at large hardware/homeware places, and of top quality.
myxlfidian (150)
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Always rent a unit with the newest kitchen you can afford. Money saved on cooking at home will be money saved off your rent. Old kitchens are often uncomfortable to cook in, increasing the likelihood of eating out. Kitchens don't have to be that large, but must be relatively modern with sufficient cupboard space and a relatively new stove, fridge, sink. Microwaves also encourage eating at home.
Never rent a unit with an electric stove. Gas is much cheaper. Over three months, I regularly paid about $2 for cooking gas (30 times more for hot water heating). There is no way electricity would be that cheap.
myxlfidian (150)
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Keep a running list on your PC of things that pay for themselves. There are many items that return a profit over time. For example, a stick-on fridge thermometer to monitor the internal temperature will save on overcooling.
Some of the best skills that will save you money are computer technician skills, car repairs (mechanical/electrical/body(rust)), electrical (power points) and phone skills (wiring new sockets). Also, knowing how to pipe away split system airconditioning water into a drain is useful. Woodglue is a useful product to own around the house so you can save wooden things from falling into greater states of disrepair when left neglected for too long.
myxlfidian (150)
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Compost in-ground: Dig a deep hole in the ground and leave the dirt in a mound next to the hole. Add the composting material daily (immediately is better, but if you leave it in your house longer than a day, you will attract bugs) and put a light layer of soil over each layer of composting material. This saves a significant amount of work.
If you are free of disease, you may also consider erecting a privacy screen around your compost hole, place a seatless chair over the hole (can be obtained from medical supply stores or used medical equipment) in order to participate in humanure composting. You will want to put a larger layer over the human biological waste in order to eliminate the smell. Wood shavings sprinkled over the humanure is also helpful.
ElizabethI (6)
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Save money by buying versatile cheap products:
- liquid soap: cleans hands, body and hair, dishes, clothes, and windows (add some vinegar). Put it in a pump bottle for better hygiene.
- mouthwash = disinfectant = antiseptic
- antibacterial pre-soak laundry powder = toilet-bowl, basin, and bath cleaner
kellyjones00 (593)
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Dental: Save huge money by availing yourself of free dental work at public dental hospitals. In Australia, you qualify when you are unemployed OR a low income earner. I even got a gold crown with a metal core fitted that saved me over $1800 (the quote I got from my private dentist). By that I mean a full gold crown made in a lab (took a few weeks) molded to my tooth from a prior impression taken of them, and a drill out of my tooth's filling material to replace it with amalgam metal (that was due to a soft material being used to fill the body of the tooth after a root canal 11 years earlier).
The point is that even if the work you need is complicated, if you say you are in pain, they have to technically take on the job, regardless of how extensive it may be. The funny thing about my case is that teeth that have had a root canal have no nerve so cannot cause any pain sensation - all the drilling was done without anaesthetic. However, they can cause pain with gums and nearby teeth.
It pays to get a full diagnosis BEFORE you go to the public dentist from a private dentist you can trust, because what he tells you is what you must tell the free dentist, so he doesn't miss anything important. Furthermore, if you commence your treatment while you are unemployed, but later get work, they are obliged to complete the treatment regardless because they cannot leave it unfinished.
myxlfidian (150)
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Internet Sharing: If you are in a block of units, ask neighbouring tenants if they want to share the internet with you. Charge them by the month only and buy an ADSL 4-port router and some long blue network cables (CAT5). Make sure you get the cash by the end of the first week of each calendar month. Cables are more reliable than a wireless connection, and cannot be tapped as easily. You can get cable skirting to run them around the walls or run them through the roof via ports on the walls.
myxlfidian (150)
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Shaving: Electric shavers save you money on buying disposables, and you get a better shave. Buy the replacement foil and cutter every 18 months from the US, where prices are usually half that in Australia. Do not throw out your old foil because they can break easily at which time they are useless, so keep a worn spare. Shavers that have a cleaning station take the hassle out of that and can cost as little as $11 per three months to stock with cleaning agent. Given the amount of time you will lose cleaning stubble out of the shaver, it's worth that small amount as the shaver won't work as well when not clean. ShaverGuard spray helps preserve the metal components and makes shaving smoother.
myxlfidian (150)
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Hobbies: Develop hobbies that require little or no cash, such as jigsaw puzzles, computer games, bush or beachwalking, mountainbiking, car repairing, language translation, many home and garden improvements.
Hobbies like scuba diving, interstate or overseas travel, collecting DVD movies, restaurant eating, country drives, constantly upgrading your PC and going to concerts may be more glamorous but really dig into your pocket.
myxlfidian (150)
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Dental Prevention: Brush and floss daily. Purchase a dental tartar scraper, and use that weekly or more often. Before brushing, rinse with hydrogen peroxide, then rinse with hydrogen peroxide again before flossing. Brush and floss with the bubbles still going - so not rinse with water first.
ElizabethI (6)
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Housing: If you want to own your own house and land, you should look in places that are too far away from cities for commuters to travel to work. Try and find a large block with good soil, so you can grow your own food.
Kevin Solway (173)
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Grow your own food as much as possible. As the cost of fuel rises, the price of food in shops will only increase.
Kevin Solway (173)
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Cheap land: In most cities you can find landlocked parcels of land. They have owners on all sides and no ingress. You can buy those parcels of land for very little money. You wouldn't be able to get a vehicle to the property but you could get there by foot. You could move a trailer onto it and plant evergreens around it to block the view. If you do it discreetly no one would ever care.
Kevin Solway (173)
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Avoid credit cards: by using a cash or debit card rather than a credit card you won't be able to spend more money than you have. If you tend to get carried away when shopping you should seriously consider this option.
thesource (378)
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