How to save money fast: Australian mums share supermarket saving secrets and cost of living hacks
Six Australian moms have shared how simple grocery, gym and lifestyle swaps save them thousands of extra dollars a year, despite the rapidly rising cost of living.
The smart women don’t make drastic sacrifices. Instead, they’re making simple changes like shopping online, walking instead of driving, cooking fake-away meals, and keeping a close eye on markdowns.
They also buy meat in bulk and at special gas prices, take note of food promotions, and work out at home instead of paying expensive gym memberships.
The women, who all share a passion for health and fitness through The Healthy Mummy community, have now revealed their secrets to helping others save money in the increasingly difficult financial climate.
Nicholas, 33
Mother-of-three Nicole, of Victoria, saved $1,800 in nine months by trading takeout nights for homemade “fakeaway” versions.
“We used to have takeout every Saturday night, usually pizza,” she said.
‘Now I like to make our own fakeaway and I usually go for homemade burgers and pizzas. I like to make two-ingredient pizza dough and when I’m short on time, I opt for pita pizzas.’
“If I calculated how much we saved in the last nine months, $50 a week x 36 weeks. We saved $1,800. That’s crazy when you think about it!’
She also always compares supermarket prices online, regularly shops at Aldi, and recommends shopping online rather than in person, because “you can see your groceries add up every time you add something to your cart, so you can see the total.” can keep an eye on’.
Mother-of-three Nicole, of Victoria, saved $1,800 in nine months by trading takeout nights for homemade ‘fakeaway’ versions
Amy has already saved an extra $1,000 this year by transferring all the money she saves at the grocery store to a savings account. She also replaces some meals with smoothies
Amy, 32
Amy has already saved an extra $1,000 this year by transferring all the money she saves at the grocery store to a savings account.
“I plan several meals with the same ingredient, like ground beef, which is always a good price for a bulk purchase,” she said.
“I make sure to budget and list because this ensures I only spend what I need and don’t end up buying extras unless it’s a pantry staple.”
“Anything left over goes into my savings account, which is then deposited into my account, where I’m saving for a house deposit.”
She also replaces some meals with smoothies that she always has on hand.
Helena, 55
Helen, a NSW SES Flood Rescue volunteer, only shops online or does Click and Collect so she knows what she’s buying and doesn’t buy spontaneously as she browses the aisles.
“I have $20 extra on my budget to buy $20 worth of great savings. For example, if my laundry detergent is on sale for $9.75, I’ll buy two (up to $20),’ she said.
“I also don’t buy all the junk snacks I used to because I bake at home.
“I also use three-pot recipes for bulk meals which save me a ton of money. I have a large frozen supply.’
Helen, a NSW SES Flood Rescue volunteer. only shops online or does Click and Collect so she knows what she’s buying and doesn’t buy spontaneously while browsing the aisles
“I also don’t buy all the junk snacks I used to because I bake at home,” she said
Fi, 34
Mum of two Fi, from Melbourne, swears by home workouts and using reusable clip-top bags for as many things as possible.
“One of our weirdest ways to save money is that we wash and reuse clip closure bags (we also use reusable bags). This saves us money and also the environment,” she said.
She also swears by fake family meals — something that saved her $2,000.
Mum of two Fi, from Melbourne, swears by home workouts and using reusable clip-top bags for as many things as possible. She also shops for specials and saves $2,000 by making pizza and burgers at home
Some of our favorite fakeaways are chicken wings, pizzas, burgers, and stir fries. Takeout meals can cost upwards of $50 or more per week. This is a huge savings for us,” she said.
She also works out with her phone and has therefore given up her expensive gym membership.
Not having a gym membership is a huge savings. We estimate that we save over $2,000 a year. This meant more family vacations, new outfits and sportswear,” she said.
Not having a gym membership is a huge savings. We estimate that we save over $2,000 a year. This meant more family vacations, new outfits and sportswear,” she said
Roxanne, 28
Mom of two Roxanne is an avid promo hunter and is always looking up discount codes for her grocery store – often with $20 off.
She also “loves Flybuys points” which she saves and uses for her groceries at Coles. She often saves $30 to $40 with this method alone.
“What I also do is see what meats are special and our meals for the week are based on that. I used to buy taco kits etc and now I just buy the condiments and save so much,” she said.
“I also use recipes with similar veggies in the ingredients and have a fuel tracking app on my phone so I can see which servo is cheapest.”
Mom of two Roxanne is an avid promo hunter and is always looking up discount codes for her grocery store – often with $20 off
Hayley, 29
Mother of three Hayley, from South Australia, swears by buying items on sale or special offer only.
“The way I go about saving money is I get everything with discounts! Sometimes markdowns are still not ‘cheap’ enough,” she said.
‘I also replace ingredients in certain meals with other ingredients that I can get cheaper. I’ll make sure it works.’
She also takes religious food with her when she goes out and always prepares packed lunches and snacks when she goes out with the family. On some days she even brings a small cooker for a hot lunch.
Mother of three Hayley, from South Australia, swears by buying items on sale or special offers only
“I make snacks for the kids for school and I freeze them and take them straight out of the freezer and I repeat meals that use the same ingredients and sometimes I even use leftovers to make another invention of a meal,” she said .
“If we eat out, it would be around $100+ and we wouldn’t generally enjoy the food, so we just don’t get takeout.”
She also rarely takes her car around town and takes her backpack to the shops.
‘I’m saving fuel and doing something good for myself and our planet. It also keeps my kids active! I’m doing my best to save in every area I can,” she said.
“Doing this also gives the guys and I more opportunities to get out for the day and get out into nature and get some good bonding time.”