Tips & Ideas for Saving Your Money, Time and Resources – Top Money Saving Ideas for Australians

Purchase gifts from charity stores located in affluent suburbs. Besides second hand clothes in great condition, there are many brand new items like ties, shirts, dresses, and household items still with original tags attached and contained in original packaging, to be found in charity stores, especially ones located in the affluent suburbs. Many households “spring clean” their homes in time for Christmas, and discover items that they don’t need and give them away to charity shops. They either purchased these goods on impulse, or were unwanted gifts. Contrary to popular belief, there are many excellent brand new goods at these stores, selling at second hand prices.
Visit the local Waste and Recycling Centre for gifts. Some centres will charge a very small fee for the public to collect furniture, white goods and other hard waste items, to help cover the cost of their staff sorting the reusable items from real waste, while others are free. These centres collect thousands of unwanted household properties each year. Some discarded items are brand new, and others still in great condition. You could also restore a tired looking piece of furniture or glass vase and gift it away. Contact your local council or a wealthy suburb municipal council to find out where their recycling tip is located. Sites such as www.freecycle.org also provide free goods for recycling.
Buy presents only for the kids. With adults, instead of gifting to everyone, do something like Kris Kringle or draw out names to receive a single present. With drawing out names, you could also make it a competition for example one year it could be whoever can get the best gift for under $10, another year it could be on a particular theme like something “red”, “vintage”, “handmade” or something “comical”. Or have a Christmas trivia, poker or bingo game, where everyone contributes $10 to a large single gift and whoever wins the game wins the gift.

Look around the house for unwanted items. Search around the house for any unwanted new items that can be gifted away. Perhaps the new vase your in-laws gave you last Christmas.
Look for low cost thoughtful gifts options. Take photos of the family at the Christmas lunch or dinner with your digital camera. Quickly burn the images onto blank CDs or DVDs purchased in bulk at the supermarket, with your laptop – your gift to family members are the CDs with images of this year’s Christmas memories. Alternatively make calendars from photograph shops, out of last year’s Family Christmas party photos and give these as economical thoughtful gifts.
Receive a free reply mail from Santa. Ask your children to send a letter to Santa, addressed to Santa, North Pole 9999. Remember to fill in your own return address at the back of the envelope and Australia Post will provide a free reply from Santa. Please refer to Australia Post website for more details www.auspost.com.au/EDP/0,1398,CH3484~MO19,00.html#ancSantaMail
Have a budget for presents, food, decorations and stick to it. With all the sales hype, pre-Xmas sales, Christmas atmosphere and excitement, it is easy to overspend and end up with a burgeoning credit card debt for the next few months. Plan ahead by preparing a budget and discipline yourself to stick to it.

Buy after Christmas. Where possible buy cards, wrapping paper, ribbons, decorations at the post-Christmas sales for the following year.
Purchase prior year cards and in large packs. Newsagencies and stores bring out prior year left over stock in late November and early December, and these are heavily discounted.
Decorate by wrapping up empty boxes. If the bottom of your tree is looking a bit empty, wrap up empty shoe and cereal boxes for extra decoration.
Hang cards around the house. Cards make great Xmas decorations, especially hanging across the ceiling.
Send greeting cards in “card only” envelopes. “Card only” endorsed envelopes can be sent with cheaper stamps that have Christmas images on them. These stamps costs 50 cents anywhere within Australia and $1.25 to any country overseas [as at 2009]. The 5 cents discount adds up when you send a lot of cards. If sending parcels overseas, sea mail is most economical, but takes a lot longer so start early.

Buy Christmas decorations at the $2 shop. Christmas cards, decorations, Santa and reindeer hats and wrappings are sold at very economical prices.
Purchase preservable food in advance. Prices of food, especially fresh food, become inflated as we approach Christmas. Buy earlier to prevent having to pay more, especially with foods that can be frozen, like meat.
Shop online for presents. There are many bargains online, and you avoid the stress from having to find parking, queuing at checkout counters, and being toppled over by bustling shoppers during the busy festive season.
Resell and return unwanted gifts. Carefully unwrap your presents so that the packaging is not damaged. If the item is stocked at one of the large up-market department stores return it to them and ask for a credit note. Most up-market department stores will provide a credit note for returned goods, even if no receipt is presented, and you can use the credit note like a gift voucher card to purchase something you will use at a later stage. Otherwise resell the item online on ebay.

Book travel well in advance. Christmas time is high season for travel. Not only are you competing with family school holiday travellers, but also professional workers returning home for the festive season. To avoid paying a premium for air tickets during this time, make sure you plan ahead a few months prior. If driving home, fill up on fuel a few days before as petrol prices always increase during public holidays. Alternatively book a bus, train trip or car pool.
Delay purchasing presents for absent people. For people that you won’t see until after Christmas, but need to purchase a present for, wait until the stocktake sales.
Substitute traditional Christmas fare. Save money by substituting traditional Christmas food such as whole-cooked turkey with less expensive alternatives, like frozen packed turkey breast, smoked turkey or roast chicken. There are more relevant money saving ideas in the grocery category on this website.
Buy frozen vegetables instead of fresh. Fresh fruit and vegetables prices always increase exponentially just before Christmas, so choose the frozen alternatives. A lot of research claim frozen vegetables and fruit retain their nutritional value anyway as they are frozen shortly after they are picked.

Serve food and drinks using non-disposables. Save money and help reduce waste, by avoiding plastic disposable plates, cups and cutlery.
Buy soft drinks in large 2 litre packaging instead of cans. This saves money and reduces waste.
Buy alcohol in bulk. Most supermarkets and large liquor stores offer discounts for purchasing 6 or more bottles of wine in a single transaction. Perhaps save money by refilling your branded wine bottles with quality cleanskin wines.
Borrow decorations. If you are throwing a Christmas party and require more decorations, instead of buying new ones borrow them.
Entertain yourselves for free. Sing carols around the piano, or along with a CD. Singing makes everyone happy as it releases endorphins. Alternatively ask your children to sing carols or act out the traditional nativity scene, if you happen to have a few children around. Another popular Christmas entertainment is to view Christmas lights around neighbourhood houses, or at one of those streets that are renowned for Christmas light displays. Many churches and municipal councils also provide free Christmas entertainment.

Make your own gifts. Grandparents love handmade gifts from their grandchildren. Bake your own cookies and cakes for neighbours and friends. Buy Christmas patterned material from haberdashery stores and sew your own Christmas tea towels, table cloths and aprons to gift to family and friends.
Use card and supermarket reward points to redeem presents. Redeem gifts for people using your reward points.
Make your own hamper. Instead of buying a hamper, buy an empty basket or gift box from $2 Shop, fill the bottom with shredded paper or scrunched up cellophane, and fill it up with goodies. Wrap it up with clear or Christmas themed cellophane and tie with large ribbons from $2 Shop. The contents should differ depending on the recipient. If an adult, try coffee, tea, chocolate, biscuits, home-made cakes, cookies. If a woman, maybe bath products like bath salts, body and hand lotion, soap, bath gel, bath sponges and candles. For a female child, stuffed Christmas bear, chocolate, and hair accessories.