Budget Advice

This simple tip has saved me thousands over the years.

When your hungry, you are often craving a particular taste. For me, its often expensive deli meats. When your shopping it is harder to resist the temptation to splurge on food you had been craving. This could add $10+ to your grocery bill.

This handy tip allows you to avoid take out and convenience food as well.

This little tip may seem like a no brainer but it took some time to make sense to me.

It has oft been documented that when you visit a shop, you purchase more than you intend to buy. This could be for a multitude of reasons although its especially worse if you don’t menu plan.

Many agree that shopping less frequently helps you save money because you are not exposed to the items that you didn’t intend to get.

You can either plan to shop less frequently, or plan your actual shopping trips so as to only purchase what you need.

When I first moved out, I was a brand snob. I equated price with a superior product and taste. It wasn’t until I started befriending those who worked at supermarkets, who told me that ‘no-name’ products are often branded products without the packaging.

I then tested the various ‘no-name’ brands available at Aldi, Coles and Safeway. I found that all three were competing for the budget dollar in many categories so I had a wide selection of food to choose from. In many food groups, I have settled for generic brands that are just as good as the old ones.

I then assessed toiletries and food items without a taste. I now don’t buy flour or sugar at inflated prices. I always test beauty items before regular use but have been pleasantly surprised with many of them.

I’ve dedicated an entire category to reviews of generic brands.

This little tip saves me hundreds of dollars each year.