Minimalism doesn’t just apply to that amount of stuff you have in your home. You can also save money by minimising your expenses. Here is a list of 100 ways to reduce your expenses and save money to get you started:

SAVE MONEY BY REDUCING YOUR SPENDING

1. Buy less stuff.

2. Don’t be defined by your belongings. Be defined by your personality. Only superficial people will judge you on the things you own. Let your inner light shine and you will attract the right people.

3. Spend the time to do a budget. Calculate all your costs on a weekly, monthly and annual basis. Unless you have all of your expenditure on your budget for the entire year, it will never work.

4. Study the supermarket catalogues. Try and buy things when they are 40 – 50 % off. Learn the special cycles and bulk buy when you find a bargain. Know the prices and buy them at their lowest.

5. Make a shopping list before you go to the shops and stick to it.

6. If you have an Aldi near you, think about buying your staples from there.

7. Try each of the stores “home brand” items. Most are made by reputable brand named companies and chances are you will find a substitute for your favourite brand.

8. Buy staples like rice, spices, oils and vinegars in bulk.

9. Cook from scratch. You pay for convenience. It’s also better for you.

10. Shop on different days and times and you will notice when your supermarket reduces and marks down items. Often early in the morning or late at night are the best times. If all else fails ask a staff member and they may give you some inside information.

11. Find a great fruit and vegetable shop.

12. Shop seasonal produce. Try and avoid paying over $3kg for fresh fruit and vegetables.

13. Don’t be afraid of frozen vegetables. They don’t go rotten and most of the hard work/prep has been done for you.

14. Grow what you can at home. I have a small unit balcony and I grow 6 different types of herbs. If you have a backyard, you can have a veggie garden that yields significant produce. Plant higher-priced crops. Plant a lemon and lime tree.

15. Check with your local council and if you are allowed, get some chooks. Cheapest free range eggs you will get!

16. Don’t waste food. Organise your fridge. Freeze leftovers.

17. Don’t go shopping when you are hungry. You are much more likely to over-spend.

18. Make use of store rainchecks. Get to know their policies. If they are out of stock on an item in the catalogue ask for a raincheck.

19. Learn how to cook your favourite dishes so take out is not so tempting.

20. Embrace a couple of meat of free days a week. Have an egg or soup night!

21. Do a meal plan and use what you have in your fridge, freezer and pantry first. Don’t forget to rotate the stock in your pantry to prevent food from getting stuck at the back and going out of date.

22. Invest in a slow cooker and learn how to get the most out of cheaper cuts of meat.

23. Use, vegetables, legumes, rice or pasta to bulk out meals.

24. Always check your receipts. It’s amazing how many times we are overcharged for items. Most of the major supermarkets have a scanning policy and if the item scans at the wrong price you get the item for free.

25. Buy second hand where possible. Check the price of the item from the shops. Make sure you are getting a good deal.

26. Don’t buy sale items because they are cheap. If you didn’t need it before the sale, you don’t need it just because you have seen it for cheap. If you don’t need an item, getting it for 80% off still costs you money.

27. Use store layby instead of credit cards.

28. Find your style. Buy clothes that represent you. “It’ll do” should never enter your mind when buying clothes. If you don’t love it in the shop you won’t love it at home.

29. Buy pieces of clothing that are versatile and can be mixed and matched with other items in your wardrobe. Thinking strategically about your wardrobe can save you lots of money in the long run.

30. Buy better quality clothing. Clothes that are made from quality materials are worth every penny. They save money in the long run.

31. Don’t wear your “good clothes” around the home or while doing dirty work.

32. Don’t wash clothes unless they need it. Wear jeans and shorts more than once. Limit washing dark coloured clothes unless they are stale as they are prone to fading.

33. Do not dry clothes (especially dark clothes) in the direct sun. If it’s summer, dry your clothes at night or early in the morning and get them off the line as soon as they are dry.

34. Look after your clothes. Don’t mix colours when washing them. Hand wash them if necessary. Store them carefully. Don’t hang jumpers or items that will stretch.

35. Buy good quality shoes. One great quality, comfortable pair of shoes is better that 20 pairs of cheap stylish throw away ones.

36. Dress minimally. Consider getting your own uniform and wear the same thing as often as you can. If this is too restrictive, consider building a capsule wardrobe.

37. Instead of going out for dinner or paying for entertainment, enjoy time at home. Cook a special meal, invite friends over and ask them to bring a plate, play games, have your own dance party, make some popcorn and watch a movie. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a good time.

38. Get a cheap hobby! Having a full life doesn’t have to cost you a lot of money. Start reading, take up a sport, write poetry, take photos, volunteer at a local charity or offer to walk the neighbour’s dog. You do not need to pay money to stop yourself from being bored.

39. Avoid parking costs. Plan ahead. Walk the extra couple of blocks. Get to know the public transport options and prices in your area.

40. Walk or ride your bike instead of taking the car. Saves fuel and it’s great for your health.

41. Keep an eye out for free entertainment in your area. Go to the beach or the river. Go to the markets. Go to a community concert or festival. Go for a walk. Explore your own town.

42. Don’t be afraid to buy a second-hand mobile phone. Do your research, check it works well before paying the money, make sure it’s unlocked or factor that into the price.

43. Switch to a prepaid mobile phone plan. Depending on your usage you can get the same calls, text and data on a $18 a month prepaid plan as you do on a $80 a month contracted plan.

44. Get the home phone disconnected. These days you can get an unlimited mobile phone plan for half the price of the minimum monthly home phone plan/rental fee.

45. Weigh up the value of subscriptions. Are they worth it? Can you do without Foxtel or that magazine subscription? Is there a cheaper option like Netflix or free online magazines?

46. If everyone in your family swears except for you, create a “Swear Jar”! Watch the dollars roll in!

47. Look after what you have. Keep it clean and put it away.

48. Repair broken items instead of replacing them.

49. Before you buy something, think about how much it took to earn that amount. How many hours did you have to work? This can be a sobering exercise.

50. Take a water bottle with you everywhere you go.

51. Are you a coffee lover? Buy a coffee machine for your home or the office.

52. Get a flask and take some hot water and tea or coffee supplies with you.

53. Pack your lunch.

54. If you do get take-out make it count. Take advantage of cheap Tuesday. Use promo or discount vouchers. Cook your own rice, salad or chips at home to accompany your meal.

55. Get to know what rebates and concessions are available to you. Search for rebates in your state or in your local government area. Each state has different rebates available and it’s worth looking into them to see if you are eligible. You can find out more about Queensland Government rebates and concessions HERE.

56. Queensland currently had rebates for Electricity and Gas for pensioners and seniors (and Health Card Holders and Asylum Seekers from 1 April 2017). You can check out the details HERE.

57. If you own your own business know what grants and assistance are available to you. You can find out more about these HERE.

58. Shop around each year for your car and home insurance. Premiums will rise if you stay with the same provider. They count on your ringing around and if you stay with the same provider year after year the premiums will rise over time regardless of whether you have made a claim or not.

59. Make use of your insurance. Know what your excess is, what your policy covers and what impact making a claim will have on your premium. Do not be influenced by what they tell you. Get the facts and make an informed decision. Threats about the impact a claim will have on your no claim bonus are often just a threat and nothing more. Do the maths for yourself.

60. Offset your mortgage. Use your savings to offset the interest you pay on your home loan.

61. Consolidate your Superannuation. Move all of your Super into the one fund. If you think you may have lost track of where it is you can do a search for lost super HERE.

62. Don’t buy organising products until you have decluttered.

63. Buy fuel when it is at the bottom of the cycle if you can. Compare the prices of service stations near you. Use discount vouchers, use price lock apps to secure the lowest price.

64. Sign up for birthday rewards .Think Salsa Mex, Priceline, Mimco, Krispy Kreme, Subway, O-Sushi, Nando’s, San Churros and Baskin Robbins. Most provide a free or highly discounted offer that are valid for 7 – 30 days. Sign up the husband and the kids. What better way to celebrate your birthday week! This website has a comprehensive list on what’s on offer HERE.

65. Follow websites like http://freestuffrewards.com.au to find out about and receive free samples.

66. Sign up for supermarket rewards programs like Flybuys and Everyday Rewards cards. You can get hundreds of dollars back each year by taking advantage of offers, docket rewards and scanning your card. There are Facebook groups dedicated the both including “Flybuys Fanatics”  and “Wooloworths Rewards Enthusiasts”

67. Never pay for ATM fees. Plan ahead. Know where your banks ATM’s are or get money out at the supermarket.

68. Don’t pay bank fees. There are so many options for free bank accounts these days you should not be paying a monthly account keeping fee.

69. Any time you sign up for a service of any kind and there are sign-up fees, ask for them to be waived. There is a good chance they will waive them and it never hurts to ask .

70. Don’t buy books if you have access to a good library. Libraries are a great place to get free entertainment including CD’s, DVD’s, books, magazines, newspapers and sometimes they even have free classes.

71. Buy or rent a smaller home. Smaller homes cost less to heat and cool. They can cost less to rent or buy and often maintenance costs are also smaller.

72. Make sure your car tyres are pumped up. Read your car’s manual to see what the recommended tyre pressure is and check them regularly. If your tyres are plump you’ll save money at the pump!

73. Get your car serviced regularly. If will prevent extra costs that occur due to break down and your car will run more efficiently.

74. Don’t buy a new car if there is nothing wrong with your old one. Cars are used as a status symbol. They are actually just a vehicle. If it gets you from A to B who cares what the make or model is.

75. New cars are a luxury. As soon as you drive out of the dealership you have lost a considerable amount of the purchase value. Consider buying a good quality used car with low kilometres to save big bucks.

76. Don’t speed or park where you shouldn’t. Nobody has money for speeding or parking fines.

77. Shopping is not a hobby. It’s a chore. Avoid the shopping centres and fall in love with the outdoors.

78. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on gifts. Most people have too much stuff. Give a gift from the heart, buy them one small thing you know they want or give the gift of labour.

79. Do a price comparison on your utilities.

80. Find out how much your electricity provider’s charges are. How much is it per Kw? How much is the daily service charge? Do you have peak or off peak? Compare these prices with other electricity providers. Don’t be fooled by big % discounts. They do not always mean the lowest price.

81. Turn off your lights and fans when you are not in the room.

82. Turn off your appliances at the wall and unplug them. This can seriously save you some dollars each quarter. Be extra vigilant with appliances that have standby lights.

83. Quit smoking and reduce alcohol consumption.

84. If you are going to drink try doing as much as you can at home instead of at the pub or club. Refuse to pay $8 for a beer! No beer tastes that good!

85. Collect memories and not things.

86. Don’t be afraid to say no to an event you don’t really want to attend or events that will cost you a lot of money. Refuse to spend money because you feel obligated.

87. Consider whether private health insurance is worth it. This is a very personal matter and depends on your circumstances. It is not for everyone. Spend some time to weigh up the benefits versus the costs. Don’t overlook ambulance cover though. Everyone should have that in the case of emergency.

88. If you have credit card debt and want to pay it off quicker and avoid the interest, get a balance transfer card to reduce your interest payments. Then make the commitment to pay it off before the interest free period expires.

89. Consider consolidating any personal loans onto your mortgage. It will most likely save you money in the long run, as it will probably attract a lower interest rate. Keep paying the same amount that you were paying on the personal loan onto your mortgage though. You don’t want to extend the life of your mortgage.

90. Phone your bank and ask for a discount on your mortgage interest rate. Even a very small discount could save thousands over the life of your loan.

91. Think about adopting an economical hair style. Long hair doesn’t need cutting as often. Can you dye your own hair at home? Do you have a friend who can trim your hair for free.

92. Sell pre-loved items on eBay, gumtree or Facebook buy, swap and sell sites.

93. Wash your own car or get the kids to do it.

94. Develop a great filing system. When you make a purchase be sure to keep a photocopy of the receipt with the corresponding warranty. It is amazing how often items are faulty or break down before the warranty expires. Having a great system means you can return and get your money refunded with ease.

95. Always pay your bills on time. Late fees and penalties add up. Pay them when you get them or schedule a reminder so you don’t forget to pay them before the due date.

96. Cancel memberships you don’t use. Why pay for that gym membership if you never go? What about online memberships you don’t use? Are you a member of a sporting club due to habit? Cancel them if you no longer use them, you are just throwing money away.

97. If you are stressed about money, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Financial Counselling Australia ) has a list of financial counselling organisations around Australia.

98. Don’t pay an annual fee on your credit card unless the rewards you receive cover the costs.

99. Cut out the luxuries. You don’t need to spend money every time you want to celebrate, cheer yourself up or have fun on a Friday night. You can enjoy yourself on a budget. It’s all about changing your mindset.

100. Become a minimalist and embrace a simpler life with less!

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