What Is The Best Skill That You Have Learnt to Save Money?

L[Deactivated] on 06/05/2017 - 13:31

G'day,

What Is The Best Skill That You Have Learnt to Save Money?

My friend Jono taught me how to service my car, which saves a lot of money and time.

If browsing OzBargain counts as a skill then that also saves me a lot of money. However, it also takes a lot of money to buy stuff.

I'm interested to know of other skills that fellow OzBargainers have that save them money. It could be anything from cooking your meals instead of eating out, to cutting your hair, or anything else.

Thanks for all the deals and I look forward to reading what you think.

Have a good one,
Jeric

Education & Work

Comments

  • roundnumbersonly on 08/05/2017 - 14:55

    For me, it's reducing accommodation costs as much as possible. I'm getting my mum to move in downstairs - she ends up paying less than half the rent in her current unit and my mortgage ends up being cut in half.

    • PJC on 08/05/2017 - 16:16
      +3

      That is what I call a good move.

  • bah humbug on 08/05/2017 - 15:00
    +2

    Invest in a decent coffee machine/grinder set up with fresh roasted coffee. No more cafe coffee unless meeting friends etc.

    Home cooking.

    Shop around. Know the true value of items & only buy when on special. Bulk buy non perishables when on sale.

    Fill up fuel tank at lower end of the cycle.

    I have truly realized that material things although nice, will never make you happy.

    Don't try to keep up with the Jones', they are never happy & in debt. Besides, when you die, it's not coming with you.

  • kangaroo on 08/05/2017 - 15:49

    Hair cut

  • Meliodas on 08/05/2017 - 16:14

    Budget your outcome

  • Djtommyca on 08/05/2017 - 17:47
    +6

    Thanks God we have a internet I save big money in last 15 years I got for free music movies games softwares books all from internet I calculate probably 5M$

  • andyholloway on 08/05/2017 - 18:15
    +3

    Probably doing Home Electrical Work

  • Momoni on 08/05/2017 - 19:47

    FWIW I always consider before making any purchases for myself but don't seem to as much when it comes to the kids. Probably the same for many others when it comes to their kids or favourite nieces and nephews.

  • Aceboy884 on 08/05/2017 - 20:04

    better learn how to make more money, than save money

    the later doesnt take brains, just determination.

  • polarbear penguin on 08/05/2017 - 21:46

    Value your time.

  • cameldownunder on 08/05/2017 - 22:17

    Buy in bulk. I got 4 pairs of boatshoes from rivers when they were 1/2 price
    Got 11 shirt when there was the $13 per shirt offer
    Now waiting for contact lenses and 501 Levis.
    Oh bought the 12 bottles from other ozbargain offer.
    And when you are about to hit the pay button, check for discount codes for that shop.

  • koplik8 on 08/05/2017 - 23:03

    Oz bargain for sales and promo codes. Lasso.com.au for all the current catalogues that are out. Plus cash rewards thanks to the people on here to get money back on online shopping

  • jimjames on 09/05/2017 - 07:14
    +1

    Learn to home brew beer!

    Works out much cheaper than store bought and you get the satisfaction of drinking something you made yourself.

  • gunnny on 09/05/2017 - 07:48
    +2

    Best skill is to earn more.
    Don't try to save 10 bucks over 30 mins over a ozbargain deal while earning $20/hr. Try earning $200 per hour, then you can save more even if you pay full price :)

    • Mr Haj on 09/05/2017 - 15:46
      +2

      200/hr??? help me.

  • myusername on 09/05/2017 - 09:23
    +1

    fasting

    • dylanando on 25/05/2017 - 21:33
      +1

      free diet plan at the same time

  • HomemadeIcing on 09/05/2017 - 10:01
    +3

    Negotiating skills.

    Whether it's negotiating for higher pay or a better bargain, definitely helps in the long run. Negotiated for an used car recently, saved me a couple of hundred dollars.

  • ragdollbaby on 09/05/2017 - 10:08
    +1

    If I'm at a market or Expo & I feel embarrassed about bargaining, I'll grab out some cash (close to the price) and say "that's all I have left". And most of the time they'll except it.

  • thirdwill on 09/05/2017 - 10:27
    +3

    "You can't improve what you can't measure."

    I learnt from my dad to write down where money goes (he's old fashioned and uses a little booklet. I use an app for this now). Knowing where your money goes helps solve the mystery why your wallet is empty and goes a long way in helping you improve your spending.

    • Dpkmax on 12/05/2017 - 04:45

      @thirdwill which app do you use

      • thirdwill on 12/05/2017 - 20:54

        Toshl

        • Dpkmax on 13/05/2017 - 01:27

          @thirdwill Thanks mate

  • BanannaMan on 09/05/2017 - 10:59

    Easy - Learn to budget
    Focus on the biggest costs, review your hefty items every year. Insurance, Health Insurance, Electricity, water / Gas

    Our biggest cost came from food so we gave us a budget of below $100 a week. Now were down to $65-75 including lunch the next day
    Just work on it

  • escrew7 on 09/05/2017 - 12:27
    +1

    bicycle riding.

  • dhleoz on 09/05/2017 - 13:35

    Cooking skill. Eating out is hell more expensive compared to the same money you buy foods and cook a very simple meal. And limit your time spending on OzBarrgain or "resist-bargain" skill. I have practised that skill quite well recently lol.

  • hammmer on 09/05/2017 - 14:58
    +3

    Don't pay $5 for coffee everyday from your favourite barista who makes the best coffee. That's $1250 a year.

  • fozzie on 09/05/2017 - 18:06

    Shopping online. Sawing, cooking, cleaning, changed tap washer, painting, riding bike, driving. Fixing my own tablets/phones, internet calling (especially when it just came out) list goes on.

  • baldur on 09/05/2017 - 21:01
    +1

    • buy long lasting foods in bulk, stock up constantly used cleaner stuff, like toilet paper, dishwashing liquid when they are on clearance sale or special.

    • use freecycle sites, facebook groups to find furniture, bikes, home appliances, etc. every time i post on these sites, i received multiple answers that willing to give me what i want for free. ziilch, freecycle.org and trashnothing are most popular ones.

    • ride to work if you can and it makes sense to you. in my case, including walks, waits and actual travel time, it takes me 40 minutes to go to my workplace. when i ride it takes 35 minutes. so i dont have to pay for PT and im not losing any time. not to mention you can enjoy riding.

    • check clearance items for footwear and apparel. feel free to try on shoes in store prior to online purchasing if you are not sure which size would fit you.

  • momov3 on 09/05/2017 - 21:08
    +1

    Don't read OzBargain updates on eBay promo codes. It has caused me to buy stuff I don't even need.

  • Munki on 09/05/2017 - 21:53
    -2

    I think it's called late term abortions. Kids cost money. Lose the kids, more money for you.

  • soyea on 09/05/2017 - 22:34

    Make your own Coffee, Have a couple of drinks at home before hitting out for the weekend, Stay away from the pokies and lotto's, make your own lunch, can the 2 nights eating out. Switch to electronic cigarettes if you smoke, the list is endless but this would be a good start.

  • overtaker on 09/05/2017 - 23:27

    Learn to survive on instant noodles?

  • cashless on 09/05/2017 - 23:29
    +1

    Compounding Interest

  • Save Medicare on 10/05/2017 - 00:06
    +3

    If you specifically ask your doctor to bulk bill you they will be too embarrassed to say no

  • Lucky13 on 10/05/2017 - 04:35

    After a really bad extremely expensive haircut I tried this ponytail haircut method at home, seems to work. Looks better than most of my hairdresser haircuts. Is for long hair in a graded/layered style https://youtu.be/f-GAilMmCqQ

    • sparkles on 11/05/2017 - 10:07
      +1

      Looks easy, but the resulting layers seem a little short for me. Will definitely dive into the YouTube labyrinth of DIY haircutting at some stage after seeing how many videos there are and how "easy" it looks. Perhaps thinking of trying this one:
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7gbIKcAOEM

      • Lucky13 on 11/05/2017 - 18:10

        I actually had a hairdresser do this pony tail cutting method many many years ago, so its definitely a thing. It does come out well cos all the layers are even and its balanced either side etc, which isnt always the case at the hairdresser where you come out and sometimes one side is longer than the other. Im happy with it actually, but it wouldnt suit everyone.

  • magikz on 10/05/2017 - 09:02
    +3

    Learning to program! So many good resources online if you commit to it. Landed a job and have freelanced.

    • fortunecookie on 10/05/2017 - 20:49

      This is interesting. I am not from a IT background but have recently started learning JavaScript through SoloLearn… Sometimes I have absolutely no idea what I am doing haha

      Do you have any tips as to where to start? More importantly, pleaasssee recommend some good resources!

      • manshrew on 11/05/2017 - 14:12
        +2

        W3schools has a pretty good basic tutorial to start you in the right direction.

        https://www.w3schools.com/js/default.asp

      • magikz on 13/05/2017 - 13:39
        +1

        Hey there! Sorry for the late reply. I do and love Javascript too!

        I did Coursera and paid about $100 per course in a series for the full stack web specialisation. To be honest looking back it wasn't that good, however it did come with some nice certificates and had university affiliation.

        I terms of best bang for your buck, I recommend Udemy. Despite all the posts about free courses and people never completing them, it's a very good source for high quality and cheap content.

        I highly recommend this Node course by Andrew Mead.
        https://www.udemy.com/the-complete-nodejs-developer-course-2

        Javascript evolves really quickly. I had to learn my own path too in a way. I say learn Javascript, HTML, CSS, Gulp, React, Node, Postgresql. This will give you a leg up when applying for things. Good luck

        • fortunecookie on 20/05/2017 - 11:25
          +1

          Thanks magikz! Much appreciated.

          Sounds like you have done a number of different programming courses. Good on you for being so dedicated to self-education!

          I am curious to know what motivated you to start learning programming? Do you enjoy what you are doing now? I'd love to hear more about your experience:)

        • magikz on 20/05/2017 - 14:27

          @fortunecookies:

          Personally I started learning because I have this idea for an educational/game based app I really want to create. I know some people go the route of hiring cheap devs from overseas but I really wanted to make it myself.

          I love what I do because I feel empowered to create things. The community is also very active with meetups for tech happening multiple times a month. I also love the idea that I can be playing with all the latest tech absolutely free, because most of the time its just open source - all you need is the time to dig into it. No specialised equipment, no pay walls (most of the time) and so on.

          Let me know if you have any other questions and I'd be happy to answer them.

  • MessyG on 10/05/2017 - 10:40
    +6

    I'll probably get downvoted for this but on the clothing front, I would actually spend more and buy less. People notice what you wear and make judgments about your level of self-care, so if you're well dressed, they assume you hold yourself in high esteem and that they should do. Important when it comes to careers. I watched this recently and it made me rethink my own wardrobe in a good way. If you buy high quality clothes and look after them, you will save money in the long run in not constantly buying crap that wears out.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3CLRL32Mcw

    • Kiwiboy86 on 10/05/2017 - 15:52

      I could not agree more with this!

  • Shiny Mew on 10/05/2017 - 11:20
    +2

    Lifting weights at home. The added benefit is no dudebros.

  • Shiny Mew on 10/05/2017 - 11:25

    Cold navy showers - no heating costs, reduced water costs and better health.

  • Ctn on 10/05/2017 - 15:26

    Basically it comes down to a few things:

    • spend less, adopt a $50 rule, if over, don't buy unless life or death, or you can't survive without it, i.e. you'll die.
    • learn how to do anything you need to pay someone for
  • danb on 10/05/2017 - 16:41
    +1

    Learn to sleep on it. If its an impulse buy, chances are you wont feel the same need to have it the next day

    • 1mmy1mmy on 28/05/2017 - 08:18

      Sleep on it for a few months or a year… Then you know you really want it!

  • nobarginsarehere on 10/05/2017 - 19:49
    +3

    Not having kids

  • lordezekiel on 10/05/2017 - 20:24
    +1

    Service your own car, upgrade/service your own computers/tech.

  • xabiso on 10/05/2017 - 22:22
    +3

    Top-up your opal using woolies e-wish card bought at a discounted rate (5%+) through eg.cashreward/agl rewards etc.

  • siresteelhell on 10/05/2017 - 23:16

    Don't spend money, you don't have..Most debit bankcards have mastercard or visa on them.. throw the creditcards…or put them away somewhere so you won't "impulse" spend..

  • CI on 11/05/2017 - 00:16
    +2

    Maths. Unit pricing. Micro financing. Have managed to save alot in past 5 years. Since I finished uni and started working.

  • Cluster on 11/05/2017 - 11:27

    Learn to resist temptation to spend money on things you really don't need.

    Right now around the world there are thousands of marketers and psychologists trying to find new ways to trick you into spending money you don't have on things you don't need so you can impress people you don't like. Learn to resist it. Essential life skill.

  • -.- on 11/05/2017 - 13:11
    +1

    Learning how to invest and create more wealth is as important (if not more important) than saving money. Saving $10 off a weekly shop at Woolies pales in comparison to the hundreds or thousands of dollars movements in a share portfolio, for instance. That's not to say saving isn't important (I am an Ozbargainer after all), but if you're Bill Gates, I don't think you'd need to worry about a carton of juice being half-price or not at a supermarket. Someone who combines the best of both worlds is Warren Buffet: look at what the second richest person on earth eats every morning - $3 McDonald's. Been living in the same house since '58 as well (which he paid $31,500 for).

    • baldur on 11/05/2017 - 15:07

      then why is buffet worried about a ten dollar menu, instead he gets a 3 dollar meal?

  • hoey888 on 11/05/2017 - 13:23
    +2

    Something to consider…

    Personally I have regular transfers that coincide with my payslips. Money goes in, and leaves again. Money I don't see is money I don't spend. Ideally it should go somewhere/something that makes it 'harder' or longer to take out if you need the cash. Previously I used online savings accounts where I didn't have any linked bank accounts. Because inter-bank transfers takes couple of days; usually don't end up spending it. Anything on top of my minimum cash reserve goes into investments. Shares, ETFs, managed funds and alike.

    For those with mortgages, why not bank with a different bank? At least you wont see your 'account balance' and be tempted with the ozbargain or ebay deals when you login online….

  • nadan on 11/05/2017 - 14:02

    Less time on Ozbargain :)

  • OzTightArse on 11/05/2017 - 14:51

    1) Cut my own hair. I do it once every fortnight that's $3,900 for the past 10yrs

    2) Replace car oil. The last time I went to the tip I threw out 30 container (5L) over the past 8-10 years. Yes I'm lazy and just kept them in the back yard. But that's like 30x $200 = $6,000 saved and not counting the time saved

    3) Skipping lunch except for social/fridays, which equals to $1.5k/yr. That's $15k per decade, 700Cal less per day, and as a bonus I've lost over 10kg.

  • T-man on 11/05/2017 - 23:18

    Use cash instead of credit card because cash can make a real pain when you pay.

  • xoom on 12/05/2017 - 06:32

    spend less than what you earn. you see no matter how much you earn you cannot save if you spend more than this. wether you make 50k or 200k. its all the same.

  • totalgadget on 12/05/2017 - 14:04

    For me Resist to spend on deals. Buy only if required and from places where is it cheaper but with quality.

    For e.g i bought laptop, clothes, shoes from US and using for quite some time and resisting to purchase new only if I need it.

    $ can buy stuff so i prefer to keep the $ rather than stuff with depreciating in value. This gives me capital even though less but some substantial amount from patience.

    Saving dollars is invested in different portfolios.

  • ggkfc on 12/05/2017 - 14:48
    +1

    Prostitutes are good bang for the buck

  • Brucet on 12/05/2017 - 22:30

    Don't walk out your room door…lol.

    • xoom on 13/05/2017 - 17:28

      getting the bikkies to rough you up a little to stop this behaviour. 😎

        • PJC on 13/05/2017 - 18:16

          Biscuits won't hurt much anyway.

        • xoom on 13/05/2017 - 18:21
          +1

          @PJC: i could throw the ones fresh out the oven at you if seem to think so.

        • PJC on 13/05/2017 - 18:22

          @xoom: Just fill my bag, would you?

        • xoom on 13/05/2017 - 18:25
          +1

          @PJC: hash cookies ok?

        • PJC on 13/05/2017 - 18:30

          @xoom: A generous offer, but white chocolate & macadamias would be adequate, thank you.

  • conan2000 on 20/05/2017 - 12:32

    Cutting my own hair - I just shave it, $55 for a good set of clippers.
    Roasting my own coffee beans - $10-13/kg for green beans
    Making my own bread - $10 for a massive bag of flour, bread is as good as stuff that is $6-7 per loaf
    Cooking my own food in general - far cheaper than eating out
    DIY skills - Anything you can do yourself will save a lot over a handyman/tradie (obviously within the bounds of what you are allowed to do).

  • Architectonic on 08/07/2017 - 18:54

    By having self awareness of my needs and thus not buying things I will barely/never use.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join