Here I am heating my apartment with my gas stovetop, purely because the gas isn't individually metered so is included in our rent. It got me thinking, I wonder what the tightest thing ozbargain users do on a regular basis.
What are your worst tight-arse habits?
Who says I'm a woman? :P
I walk around Coles, stare at the trolley and see if someone left a receipt in there with the fuel discount still intact…you'd be surprised how many people discard them. Hated Woolies when they started adding that to the Everyday Rewards card.
List of simple money tips
I will update with my quirky Tight ass tips
(sorry for my grammar , any grammar ploice - please feel free to edit my post and msg me , and I will update it)
The internet it your shopping friend
Buy in bulk
Not only bulk is normally cheaper …. but you are saving time and money wasting on the cost of transport to pick up the same item later. I try to shop monthly -freeze and store every thing. Fruit, veg, Milk, Meat and bread I will buy on the way home from work. but I will try to buy 4 peanut butter , so I don't need to pick up one next week
Always look at the $price per 100gm or KG or ml ….
so many time I see smaller item are cheaper then large item
eg , I have seen milk 1Lt for $1 or 2Lt for $2.40
be careful of the buy one get one free. most the time they are worst deal then last week normal price
Price match every one JB Hi-fi is one of my favorite . I always try to bluff the sale rep aswell
eg Buying a new car tell them the same car at toyota @ XYZ was $2,000 cheaper ….
this has work when I said "the same car was $2,000 cheaper in Sydney and I have the money now , will you take yours or I will catch the train down and drive it back" flash the cash
Buy every thing on card
I personally love the ING debit card with 5% back for every pay wave.
For strong will people -another Option is to buy on credit card and keep you money into a saving account / Offset your mortgage
the most important thing is that you have a record off every thing you have brought. Which you can use to create and tighten up your budget
Also buying every thing on card and not cash - you get a clear understand where you money is going
when you break a $50 note , and get $4.60 change that also seam to go missing either the odd coffee or junk food
Try not to break any notes, save and bank all you coin….
I have a steel money tin in my car so I need a tin opener to get into ( only open it when you about to deposit it back into the bank )
if I have $50 note , I am less likely to break it for a $2 coffee and have heaps of change
Use your reward card where every possible
yea it may take 10 years to get a toaster but that a free toaster every 10 year :) 2 sec to swipe your card
Shop where you get the most rewards
Eg I use telstra prepaid … I could very easy buy it at post office , Woolworth , petrol station , telstra shop , I can even buy it from my phone of the telstra website with Paypal …..
But I buy them at Bi-lo (coles) or coles petrol when I am shoping or filling up with feul
triple the fly buy point $30 = 90 points , 2,000 buy you a $10 gift card ($10 every 22 months)
…..Hell I am such a tight A ss - if i am waiting in line and the person in front doesn't have flyby I ask if I can have their points…..
Don't you ethanol fuel better still switch to gas or buy a old diesel car and run bio fuel
New cars with all their computer don't run bio fuel that well ….
(this subject is a bit subjective your welcome to add your view but don't hit back at me)
You get more Km with out ethanol - Ethanol burn faster and has less punch then normal fuel.. it is generally not worth the 4 cent saving, In small car it has been proven many time premium is the best. even the manufacture say you should only use 98
Many car specialist say Ethanol can damage the motor - Many say is doesn't - you chose what you think, but NO ONE say it help you motor. I am not an exert but I not going to risk $2 if it does blow up my motor I personal think from my research it does damage the motor
if i am waiting in line and the person in front doesn't have flyby I ask if I can have their points…..
I've often wondered about getting a job at a supermarket as a checkout dude and then asking the customers, if they don't have a flybuy card, if I could swipe mine.
imagine how many points you would get per day!!!
This would probably get the employee a warning letter from the boss.
imagine how many points you would get per day!!!
busy supermarket saturday. clearing through customers 1 per 8 minutes. each spending $200. 7 hour shift.
unless it was illegal, then getting away with it for a week for would net enough points for something of value.
"excuse me, I notice you don't have a fly buys card. would you like to join for free. no?, ok, would you mind if I collected your possible points on my card? thanks"
I don't really care about "a warning letter from the boss."
I'd be there not for the job but for the fly buy points. and the staff discount.
Staff discount is only 5% at woolworths
One of my colleagues in sales had a first warning letter put on her file because a customer complained that she was recommending/promoting her husband's mortgage broking business. It doesn't take much for customers to complain these days.
You'll never know who you're serving though. If it's someone from head office or management, they're definitely going to complain.
Beware the mystery shopper. I had a stint at that and I held back a comment from a retail assistant in a small one person franchise when she told me the item in 'her' shop was too expensive and go to this other shop. I reckon she would've lost her job and not got a reference otherwise.
And, it's not only retail that hires mystery shoppers, I did it for lots of different businesses.
I am such a tight ass my favorite tv show is extreme-couponing http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/extreme-couponing
Love that show too.
You should also watch extreme cheapskates
One of the worst thing i have done
Catching a train home from sydney CBD central station . Walked into hungry jacks (burger king)
Homeless man ask of he could have some money for food
i Polite said "sorry i only have credit card do you want my to buy you a burger"
His eye lit up like a Christmas tree ,
I don't ever give cash to homeless people as i dont want them to use it on drugs …..
order , "hamburger meal with a coke, and a cheese burger for my new homless friend"
Paid with my card
I got my cup and said " sorry i thought i said large "
now this is where i normally get a free upgrade but this sale rep was a tight ass and said
"sorry that a $2 upgrade"
so i fake looking in my wallet like i didn't have any money ….
got my card out ready to swipe - knowing very well that the sign say "min efpost is $5"
normally this guarantee me a free upgrade -
The little turd was still not going to give me a large coke
Lord behold , the nice homeless man cough up a $2
"God bless you mate you brought me a burger it the least i could do"
i walk away eating my burger and place my credit card in my wallet and notice on the efpost receipt
Small double baccon burger $7.99
1 small cheese burger $1.45
Thanks for the lolz!
Best story I've read in ages.
Lollll
I read this one comment 4 times over the past 2 days. still got my hand resting on my face laughing out loud. cheers!
Too bad we cannot vote anymore but this deserves a huge +1
The homeless in perth are upmarket, they now have there own eftpos machines.
With this buying in bulk, I'd like to see a price comparison in extra cupboards/fridge/freezer to shopping on a regular basis.
The specials are rotated quite a few times, and sometimes I've seen clearance items a lot cheaper than when I bought them in bulk.
I only usually buy my omo and dishwashing tablets in bulk, but as I said the 1/2 price specails are repeated.
It makes no sense to save $250 a year in bulk meat purchases if the freezer cost $300 to run.
The other points to consider is the cost of the freezer.
Yea i agree , i like my fruit and veg fresh , and meat too
there is a butcher walking distance to my house so i just buy 1 steak or what ever I fancy on my nighly exercise walk
Frozen meat should be consumed within 6 months.
Should it not?
As for storage space (if that's what you meant) we have an old single door pantry in the garage for bulk specials. None of it's wasted — just tonight I grabbed a can of corn, 3L fruit juice and bag of salt to replenish the kitchen.
You can always find somewhere to put more stuff. ;-p
But if people want shelves and that cost is a problem, just find some place that discards pallets. You can make shelves up high even in a small garage. e.g. I know the local mower shop receives their new mowers on pallets. They're glad when people take them away.
Chest freezers are dirt cheap to run. Uprights are less so, because the cold air "falls out" every time the door is opened and the compressor has to start to replace the lost coldness. That doesn't happen anywhere near as often with chest freezers. We've left the lid on our chest freezer up for several minutes without the compressor starting to recharge the cabinet.
The initial cost is quickly absorbed in several ways, not just by buying cheap meat in bulk. e.g. You buy bananas but the kids don't eat them and they go black and soft. Most people to$$ them. We put them in the freezer and make 2 or 3 cakes at once (also saving energy) and then back into the freezer again. The kids then take a thick slice to school - no need to pay for overpriced snacks (another saving).
You can now also freeze small amounts of gravy or sauce that would have just been washed down the sink. Add to them each time the same meal is made. You might get to say, meal #3, and won't need to make the sauce that time because you already have enough.
Make your own ice blocks for cents instead of the kids wanting $3+ each ones from the shop in summer. Buy a mold and some homebrand cordial. The kids mix it up and freeze it themselves. (They're more likely to want them over the shop variety if they get to make them.)
But the real saving imho is reducing petrol usage. Owning a freezer only goes part way towards that though.
There's more about this already in this thread - but if you make a list from your receipts, you are more aware of what you buy. Then when you see something cheap you can confidently buy say, 6 months worth knowing you'll use it. You get to the stage where you don't need to go to the supermarket because you're missing one bottle of spice that you need to make tonight's meal. Because you have plenty of the other things you eat, you have a choice. You can make something else and buy that missing ingredient at the next regular shop. This also reduces impulse shopping, because you can bet if you go for just 1 thing, you'll come home with 15.
There's also convenience. e.g. In summer, cook a stack of sausages, onion and mushrooms on the BBQ at night when it's cool. Freeze. When the wife doesn't feel like cooking and wants to buy takeaway because it's too hot, reheat them in a microwave. No sweating over a hot BBQ in the summer heat yourself, and she probably won't object to making some rabbit food because you've already "done the hot part of the cooking". ;-p
Yes RFM, buying in bulk particularly when something is heavily reduced (50% + off) is great. I don't understand those who say otherwise.
Dry goods, most packaged items, paper products and especially canned goods last ages. You'll always need them sometime down the track.
The only exception I can think of is if you cark it. But there's stuff in your kitchen anyway (and every other room) for family/executor/trustee to sort through.
Recently, the missus wanted to buy some basic pot stands to help drainage of our new fruit and berry trees. We were at Bunnings, and these things were one option at $5.45 each. They had terracotta ones but you need a minimum of three to support the pot, IIRC they were nearly $4 EACH!
So I walked 5 metres further on and said to her, hey why not just use bricks? Three new bricks are just $2.40. The other bonuses were better stability and choice of colours.
Twelve new bricks for $9.60 seemed okay in comparison!
I am such a tight ass I paid for my partner to get a IUD because i was sick of wasting money on condoms
Have cut my own hair for maybe 25 years and the other two people in my house for over 9 years. It's not very hard if you find out how. I often try different styles. Might have to get someone to neaten up the back on your own head.
Don't use shampoo (or conditioner), just water. Someone told me to try it so I did. I am allergic to most things with fragrances and it (all the different shampoos i tried) kept making my head itch anyway, even anything hypoallergenic. Have now not used shampoo for nearly 2 years and the result = Shampoo makes no difference. Hair products are a con. Head is way less itchy. Mightn't feel squeaky clean while in the shower but dries like you used the best shampoo and conditioner. Maybe not perfect for all hair types but mine is the oily type.
Don't use soap, just minimum sorbolene cream. A dermatologist once said to me about soap use - Seriously, how dirty do you think you get? Also correct.
Huge savings.
Are you male or female?
If you're a woman, you either need a medal or aren't of this world! How does your hair not accumulate the natural oils you excrete? Especially if it's of a longer length. Water itself isn't going to clean anything!
If you're a male, that's a little more understandable! Must have a shaved head or something?
It feels odd when you wash it like nothing is happening but after it dries, it feels as clean as if you used shampoo and conditioner. Hair is in better condition without the shampoo - shampoo strips it of natural oils that are good for it.
One followup to this…
I stopped washing my hair with any soaps/shampoo about 3 weeks ago. Because everything irritates my skin and I was interested what would happen. (I still run a hot shower through it every day.)
To begin with I had a lot of excess skin building up. I could feel it on my scalp and was "itching it off" every day in the same places as large chunks of dead skin. That now seems to have nearly all gone. Still have light dandruff.
Hair feels heavier when combing it wet. But it's easier now to comb, because it kind of sticks to other hair nearby. It doesn't look/feel dirty or greasy though. Just… different.
Once dry it needs a comb through it a few times to look normal. (If you don't comb it a few times, it looks like hair does when it dries after swimming.) It still feels a little heavier when dry.
To begin with all you want to do is use some shampoo. But that isn't a "need" or a struggle now. It will be interesting to see what happens the longer I go without.
Me too, i tried a hundred different things to stop my head itching and this was the only thing that worked. It's easy to rinse with water every day.
After it's dried, just use water on it and it will look better. In fact, if you wet it completely again, you can even get some styling out of it without product.
I use only baking soda instead of shampoo. I have quite long hair, and it always gets sweaty and dirty (I wear a hard-hat for work daily). Shampoo made my hair feel dirty I guess because of the build up…
3 people in house, save all our money in one offset account against the mortgage and use an excel document for the actual cash ownership (who has what) details. Have really enjoyed watching the interest payable become less and less every month. Gives you a purpose to save and not spend.
How does this work? Are you a family or tenants in common? How do people get their money back?
He said the money is in an offset account, which means it can be withdrawn at any time. So they probably each have a cashcard (and can trust each other). When someone withdraws cash it's subtracted from their part of the spreadsheet. Interest saved comes off the loan.
Like he said ^
We each have our own working bank accounts, that pay goes into, and then we save to the offset account to save interest on the loan. Loan interest is higher than any savings account and the process ultimately benefits all householders.
Would work well in a family situation with working adult children that still lived at home.
I am doing exactly the same with my daughter
She wasn't working or studying (19) and sitting around the house all day.
I talked my employer into taking her on when a vacancy came up (I'm an IT Contractor).
I invoice for our time, and we are paid into my offset account.
I gave her my spare credit card to use when she goes out with her friends etc, and each month I clear the card and deduct that amount from what she has earned. I have a phone app that I use if she pays for things that benefit the rest of the family (she knows how to put credit on the Eastlink toll card… I've never bothered to find out).
She's saving without having the cash in her hand tempting her.
Always get the softdrink in one glass and the ice in another. Makes at least 2 normal drinks.
Great idea, but wouldn't you need a third cup for the "transfer"?
I'm the only person I know that drinks softdrink, so no, I drink out of the glass with the ice, but I get where you're going. Just go back to the bar and ask for another glass.
We don't have AC at our place. Was considering it, but decided to try these first:
Buy some decent tint film (~ $200 for all windows) and do it myself.
Get curtains with reflective backings, or modify the old ones with something suitable.
Keep using a fan if it's still hot inside.
After which, if we still need AC I'll just have to bite the bullet (after more research).
Where did you purchase the tint film from? It's a great idea.
I haven't ordered yet, but was looking at a few eBay dealers.
Need to finish measuring, but I think 30 metres in total will be enough. I'll probably get two or three widths (50cm & 76cm) if I can't get a good bulk deal on a single roll.
Some sell by the metre, but the ones I'm interested in sell 6 metre rolls. They go for ~$20 or so depending on the visible light transfer you're after. One guy has 5% VLT (dark) 50cm x 6m mirror tint at $16.50 for a 6 metre roll.
So my ~$200 for materials would be approx $100 for the film (worst case) a ladder, decent squeegees and a few new blades.
you are in Tasmania.
ding-ding!
What's your point? We get very high UV in Tassie and mid to high 30s in the summer.
mid to high 30s
I think that is the point.
Perhaps you should drive around and see all the AC and heat pump units hanging off the walls.
People wear shorts and thongs in 15C weather here, so it's all relative. The mainland is welcome to temps in the 40s, but the POINT is heat and UV rejection.
I'm sure you know the effects of UV radiation? My PVC blinds are getting chalky and I don't fancy spending $500 on new ones anytime soon.
I'm running an Xmas quiz for our family, and guess what the 'prize hamper' is?
Nearly every freebie that comes onto Ozbargain ;)
Flea treatment for dogs. I have 3 small dogs <10kgs. I buy the larger sized dog flea treatments and divide it between them. Perfect.
Please note that after years of using these products, ONLY use Advantix or Advocate - Frontline does NOT work!
Comfortis seem to work better than Advantix or Advocate these days. From what I've heard, Bayer haven't quite changed their formula over the years so things are starting to be somewhat resistant to them when Comfortis is changing on a regular basis.
An ozbargainer goes to the doctor for a check up, and asks the doctor will he live to 80 years old.
The doctor asks him about his lifestyle.
The ozbargainer says
"I don't drink, I don't smoke, I walk or ride everywhere, I don't go to gyms or out to events/concerts.
I don't eat meat, I only eat vegetables that I grow etc"
The doctor says
"Why would you want to live to 80"
haha
My fav is my elderly neigbour who saves his car indicator lights by rarely using them.
Comment of the Month?
Aw shucks kiwipride. Thanks for the 'nomination'. Anna
Carry a Spork for lunch, yoghurt, salad etc from Woolies on the go.
Carry a food pack in the car. Ring pull tuna. Ring pull fruit. Crackers. Good if you are trying to diet/resist HJ, Maccas etc.
Carry plastic cups in car glovebox, buy large soft drinks and share rather than cans.
Someone said, "when the wife doesn't feel like cooking' we freeze stuff. I guess some people have not got around to 2014 coming up fast - a bloke can cook himself you know, it's a good basic survival skill after all.
That was me and I'm glad we don't live like people would expect for 2014. We live by 'old fashioned' values and often say our family wouldn't feel out of place in the 1950s. (In fact my wife just started up her 1950 Sunbeam Mixmaster a few minutes ago.)
I cook only rarely e.g. http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/117019 and BBQs. But that's because my wife actually prefers (gasp!) to do the cooking, chasing me out of the kitchen.
The feminist movement would furiously hyperventilate over this, but she is a real family lady (RealFamilyWoman!) who chose to make 'her place' in the home/kitchen/laundry/(+ another room I won't mention). She is a beacon of genuine femininity, cherished and appreciated by her husband and children.
Oh - and cooking isn't a survival skill. Domino's on Tuesdays is. ;-)
I know you're not bothered by it, but don't feel obliged to justify how your family is, chances are there is something about their family they don't want to be judged about either!
;-)
Domino's on Tuesdays is. ;-)
umadbro?
We make our own pizza [smug]
I always carry a plastic cutlery set and napkin, esp when O/S and food can be expensive and difficult to find.
Mention was made of a good Selleys adhesive for repairing shoes (I dunno, maybe page 2).
Anyway, for general construction adhesive duties, I tried something new (to me) a few years ago and haven't looked back.
Instead of Liquid Nails, I bought a few Parfix Maxi Nails. At the time it was $1.98/cartridge. It has successfully bonded bricks, metal to bricks (letter box), door veneer, wall plugs (into holes enlarged by a previous occupant, not me!) and several other things I've forgotten.
Another use: when assembling flat-pack furniture (go on, admit it — you're a tightarse) using this Maxi Nails has really made things much stronger at the vulnerable joints. I expect them to last longer as a result.
Yeah you'll need a caulking gun, but the same store has them from ~$3 and they should last a while.
mcmonte, do do reckon this might do to glue the seal back on the dishy?
Might do, but it dries hard so no flexibility. I'm not sure if it's watertight either, but a bead of silicone around it should do.
If you try it, give it two days to fully cure. Worst case, you'd need to carefully scrape it away and try something else.
Also good for metal-to-metal, plastic-metal or plastic-plastic is JB Weld. It's expensive but saved me $$$ on a new headlight and considerably fewer $ on a garden trowel. I'm also refurbishing a set of alloy wheels with it.
How do you save the cartridge in between uses?
I unscrew the applicator cone/nib just before I've applied it all. Then I grab a toothpick or skewer and salvage it from within that.
Plastic wrap over the cartridge opening held tightly with a broad rubber band (one of those dark red ones will do. We get them free in the junk mail).
this is an amazing thread, thanks
Buy marinated fresh chooks at Aldi ($1 less per kg than marinated). Stuff with lemon chopped, garlic and thyme, rub skin with oil and salt and pepper.
Cook 2 in the oven on one tray. Another tray for roast veg. One chook for dinner second for sandwiches.
Realfamilyman it might be time to stock up on tinned tomatoes as per this lifehacker post http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2014/02/why-imported-tinned-tom…
Thanks, but we rarely buy tinned tomatoes. We've had four tins in the cupboard for about six months and finally finished the last one yesterday.
On another note, I don't know why they would choose Carol Brady to promote tomatoes!? Kinda like getting Yogi Bear to promote… birth control. I didn't even recognise her real name. Maybe 20 years ago it would have meant something (to someone) - but now!?
I purchased some Ovaltine on sale a few days ago, because it was cheaper than buying chocolate powder. I haven't had it for years. But I thought it used to be similar to Milo!? Anyway, it wasn't - it was horrible. Far too much sugar (or not enough chocolate). So I returned the rest that I'd bought, and made my own chocolate drink powder instead. I've only done this once so far, and it came out a little sweet for me. So it should suit a lot of other people.
Put the following into a typical-sized mug:
Directions:
I also bought a 1L thermos from KMart which I think cost $9. I either follow the steps above to make 4 cups (so I'm not scorching the chocolate powder), and pour each one into the thermos… Or if I'm in a hurry, I just boil 1L of water, put a little in the thermos (so powder doesn't just stick to the bottom), add about 25 teaspoons of powder, then add hot water to just below the fill line (so liquid doesn't run down the sides when you screw the lid in). Screw lid on tight - shake - screw the lid on RIGHT this time - rinse spilled chocolate off - and wipe dry.
The 1L thermos only holds about 3.5 cups. So someone gets to drink the other half-cup. (If you drink from the small cup that comes with the thermos, 3.5 cups seems more.)
The thermos works well. I thought being from KMart it would have cooled too much after a few hours in the car. Particularly as I added cold water! But I scalded myself badly trying to (carefully) drink directly from it, not realising liquid comes out of the SIDE of the cap, not the hole in the top!
Sorry mistake - Coles increased their price. Woolworths is cheaper for cocoa powder now!
At the end of winter & summer I like going to department stores such as K-Mart, Big W, Target & Best & Less for their 'end of season' clothes sales as I refuse to pay the 'recommended' retail price. Usually the clothes are either dumped on tables or on racks in no order. This doesn't faze me in the least as I'm one of those people that will go through every item of clothing looking for a bargain. From these sales over the years I've got denim short at $5 (rrp $29), black suede-type jacket $14 (rrp $49), business shirts $5 (rrp $20), black woollen jacket $8 (rrp $29) etc. SportsDirect $1 clothing may of overrided this for now. :-)
I may have mentioned this earlier in this thread…anyway, gather 'round and I'll tell you my best bargain that wasn't a freebie.
Once, about six years ago at Target, we found a pair of jeans in my size on the clearance rack. They were marked down from $69 to $11.80. Bargain? Not yet!
On this day, they had a further $10 off jeans. So we went to a scanner and sure enough, they scanned at $1.80. Which is what I paid at the checkout!
They still fit and are worn on occasion.
I love those "double-bonus" bargains.
Oh they're great!
Another tightarse "bargain" recently backfired on me though.
Coles were clearing these Kodak DVD-RW five packs for $2 each. Missus bought two and said plenty were left.
Without even trying one, I went back and bought another six.
Looked like a good deal until I tried a burn. No burn errors, but even my most forgiving* consumer players skip and freeze about 20 minutes into it.
Haven't given up, might just need to burn at 2/1x.
Roll bike's wheel for cutting corns..
My Girlfriend. Huba Huba.