Tips on better budgeting

Save on your household bills.

Posted May 2018

Zelda and Stephen Van der Walt were our lucky winners of "$5,000 towards your bills" after taking out a personal loan with Unity. Now is the perfect time for you to think about how you could save money on your bills, so we have prepared some tips!

Fuel savings

Share the love
A little TLC goes a long way where your car is concerned. Regular servicing, maintaining the correct tyre pressure and wheel alignment can all contribute to your car using less fuel.

Take your time
Driving faster doesn't always mean you'll get there faster. You can cut around 13% off your fuel bill if you drive at 100km/h rather than 110km/h.

Take it easy
Take your corners calmly, you will use more fuel by driving hard into a corner and accelerating out. Slow down gently, negotiate and exit the corner on a light throttle.

Watch those windows
Using air conditioning is more fuel-efficient than having your windows down, which creates drag. However, use air conditioning wisely. 

Lighten your load
Take the prams and golf clubs out of the boot or remove the bike rack or roof rack when you're not using them, you’ll be surprised how much more economically your vehicle will run.

Don’t just sit there
If you are going to be stationary for more than 30 seconds turn your engine off. Leave 5 minutes earlier or later to avoid sitting in peak hour traffic.

Save on groceries

Set a budget

Make it realistic, something you can afford, that will still allow you a few luxuries.

Be strong
Stick to the shopping list.

Preparation is key
Plan out what you’re going to make for lunch and dinner for the week ahead.

2 out of 1
Think about multi-purpose meal buying. Can you buy a bulk mince and use it for bolognese on Monday, and burgers on Friday?

Step away
Don’t go shopping when you’re hungry, stressed, or after Friday night drinks at work!

Kid-free zone
Don’t take the kids if you can help it – they usually persuade you to add more items to the trolley. Just a few extras can easily add $20-$30 to your bill.

Coupon watch
Collecting your coupons each week can save many dollars on your grocery bill.

Buy in bulk
As a general rule, bulk purchases are cheaper than smaller ones. Go for the largest pot of peanut butter, a tray of eggs, or the biggest bag of rice.

Use less power

Dim the lights
Turn off the lights you are not using and use natural light from your windows when you can.

Make it a quickie
Hot water is expensive. If two people in your home cut their shower time by a minute each, you could save $30 over a year on your power bill.

Unplugged
Standby power can account for 10% of an average household's annual electricity use. Unplug unused electronics and save $50 a year.

Hang dry your laundry
If you do eight loads of laundry a week and use your clothesline for 50% of those clothes, you could save $47 a year.

Unplugged
Unplug that second fridge and save up to $90 a year. Freeze plastic jugs of water and use them in a cooler when you need them.

Keep it simple
That heat-dry setting is expensive. By not using that function on your dishwasher you could save up to $37 for the year based on one load of dishes per day.