By Sarah Kempson
All over Australia there are bargains to be had, deals to be done and secrets of saving to be discovered – all in the pursuit of a great night out, a new outfit or putting the spare dollars away for a rainy day.
It’s no secret that some of us are doing it tough at the moment. The Global Financial Crisis affects everyone from the CEO at the top of their game, down to the homeless guy selling The Big Issue on the corner of Spencer and Collins Streets. We are all making cutbacks – the vanilla latte we are giving up every morning, or going out to dinner with friends only once a month instead of once a week – but there are lots of little ways to continue living the charmed life while still saving for the inevitable rainy day.
Making your own coffee and lunch are at the top of the financial magazines lists of sacrifices, but I for one am so addicted to my morning caffeine, it’s not something I am prepared to give up. Finding the balance between need (caffeine before 9am) and want (gourmet salad or sushi as opposed to a cheese and vegemite sandwich) is the first step in working out what works for you. I can tell you where the bargains are, where the best budget restaurants are located and the greatest ways to beg, borrow and steal, but let’s be realistic – we are never going to give up the things most important to us, and these things are different for everyone.
Personally, my weakness (besides caffeine) is shoes. There are some days I see a new pair and know I can’t really afford them, but have to buy them anyway. It might mean cancelling dinner plans or eating microwave Thai green curry for a week, but that is what I choose to spend my money on. And we all choose to spend our money in different ways.
I always ensure I put away a percentage of my salary every month for the ‘just in case’ scenarios of appendix operations and broken hot water services.
I realise in these economic times I am very lucky to be in a secure financial position, and that there are others not so blessed. I can only hope that some of the suggestions I make to you about places and ways to save a penny – whether it is restaurants, outings on a budget or shoe sales – are beneficial to you, your family and your friends.
This is the first in a series of articles about places to go, activities to do and things to buy on a budget. If you have any suggestions, please email me on sarah@onyamagazine.com and we will find the coins under the couch together.
Image thanks to Penguin Cakes on Flickr
