How many of you can relate to those little moments of uncertainty from when you’ve just migrated here? Personally, one of my main worries then was financial instability. This was especially because we arrived here without an employment or a reliable source of income waiting for us. Though we did have money saved up to get us through in the initial stages which really helped.
As you probably know, the cost of living here is one of the highest around the world so spending less wherever you can helps. About a year ago, I wrote some very useful tips on how to live cheaply in Australia. This is sort of like a part 2 of that because since then, I have learned some more money saving tips that would help lessen your daily living expenses.
House Essentials
When you first arrive here, one of the first things that you would need are your furniture, appliances, and kitchenware. If you’re not too fussy and don’t mind using second hand stuff, you can buy all of these really cheaply at stores like Vinnies and Salvation Army. There are also people giving away these things for free on Facebook (groups/ marketplace) even if there’s nothing wrong with the items. For appliances though, you can buy cheap brand new ones from Kmart or BigW.
Buying a car
Though you could always rely on public transport, having a car makes getting to places so much easier specially if you don’t live in the main cities where mass transit are ample. Cars can become quite a big expense but there are always cheaper ones out in the market. Basically, if you want an affordable car, buy second hand. Of course, the price is still dependent on the type and the condition of the car that you will buy. Though based on experience, the inexpensive second hand cars that we’ve bought before have been very reliable. The only ‘issue’ I would say is that they usually don’t look pretty if they’re very cheap. But I don’t really care if the car looks like a golf ball (lol) like my current one since it’s just a mode of transport anyway.
If you’re looking for a car, you can try asking your friends, maybe they’re selling their old one or they know someone who is. There are also plenty being advertised on Facebook marketplace. My husband once found a perfectly running sedan on there for only $500. That’s the same car which I used to pass my driving test with. We had it for awhile before selling it for more than twice the price we bought it for. Another option you can consider are online car auctions like Manheim and Pickles.
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Mobile service provider
From what I’ve noticed, the two most popular mobile service providers in Australia are Telstra and Optus. But there are a lot more than just these two for you to choose from. There are other ‘less prominent’ providers who offer basically the same stuff but for cheaper. The first provider I was with here was Boost but since their prices have increased, I’ve switched to Woolworth’s mobile. You can try checking out this list to pick one that’d work best for you.
Meals and coffee
Eating out every now and then may not seem like much but it does add up. I guess my main advice is to avoid eating out all the time but don’t deprive yourself of enjoying it either. Aside from that, there are little things you could do to lessen your eating out expenses. For example, some shops in the food court are offering food on a bargain a couple of hours before they close. Also, maybe for your work lunches, it’d probably be best if you bring something from home like sandwiches or microwaveable meals. And for those of you who are coffee lovers, try the $1 coffee at your local servo. They’re actually quite good.
Cinema
I love going to the cinema but at the moment movie tickets cost around $20 each and that doesn’t even include your popcorn and drinks. But you’ll find that if you go on certain weekdays the ticket prices are cheaper. Where I live, these are usually on Tuesdays. Also, being a member of a cinema rewards club or some insurances (ex. RACQ) can give you access to discounts and vouchers. Some cinemas would also offer exclusive discounts for kids, students or seniors.
Wardrobe
As I have mentioned before, there are a lot of places where you could buy inexpensive clothes from. These are places like Kmart, BigW, Best&Less, Vinnies, Salvation Army etc. But if you’re after really good quality clothes from stores like Myer, you can save the most when you shop out-of-season or during big sales like black friday (late November), boxing day (around Christmas time), and of course the EOFY sales that are on now.
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Disclaimer All content and information in this post is for purposes of sharing my experiences only, does not constitute professional advice and does not establish any kind of professional-client relationship.
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Can you afford to live in Australia? — Cost of Living Australia - My Aussie Story · October 26, 2022 at 9:13 am
[…] brand new. Second hand cars should be cheaper. If you remember, I have mentioned in one of my blog posts before that we have once owned a car that only set us back $500. But that is a rare find so I would […]