Get a hotel bargain deal for a weekend away. Save time and money with accommodation bookings by using a price comparison website like www.hotelscombined.com. This site searches through multiple last minute hotel websites (eg. hotel.com, ratestogo.com, bookings.com) to find the cheapest prices, hence saving you the trouble of having to crawl through multiple booking sites. It also compares the cost for a particular hotel by different websites, including different booking fees.
Use the local library. The council rates households pay each year fund their local library, yet many people never utilise this service, forgetting that they have paid for it. Don’t rent DVDs from the local video store, borrow it. Don’t buy books only to read it once and gather dust on your bookshelf, borrow them. Don’t buy CDs, borrow them. Some libraries offer borrowing of toys, music sheet and music books, and computer games.
Download EBooks for free from the internet. There are abundant sites that offer thousands of free eBooks for downloading legally. Ebooks also save paper, space and support our environment.
Subscribe to online newsletters with book, music and other media companies. They send you regular coupons for books, DVDs and other items for up to 50% sometimes, for example Borders sends out weekly vouchers to its newsletter members.
Cancel Pay-tv or reduce the number of channels you subscribe to. These recurring monthly fees really add up in the long-term and you can always watch up to date movies for free on the internet.
Watch the latest movies for free on the internet. There are many sites which offer free online streaming to watch the latest movies or TV shows. Some movies are posted on YouTube. Other great sites to watch free movies are www.watch-movies-online.tv and www.megavideo.com . Some of these sites are legitimate as they require something in return, such as completing a survey or signup to newsletters, and some aren’t legal. This site does not encourage illegal activities so please use your own judgement. If you really must visit the cinemas, go on Tuesdays, or Mondays if you are a RACV or RAA member.
Download songs for free legally on the net. Don’t buy CDs, where there are only a couple of songs on the disc that you like anyway. Many sites offer free sharing, listening and downloading of mp3 music. Here are a couple of sample sites with extensive song listings, www.airmp3.net and www.beemp3.com.
Download games for free. The internet has a minefield of games for free – be careful of viruses though, and some games may not be legal. This site does not encourage illegal activities so please use your own judgement.
Buy the Entertainment Book in your city. Not only are you doing something for charity, you can save up to 20-25% on eating out, coffee shops, take-out and on entrance fees in your state. Many health insurers, gyms and road assistance companies offer their members discounts to attend attractions, restaurants, shop and other forms of entertainment.
Eat out at training restaurants. These are staffed by hospitality students and offer casual to fine dining experiences at very low prices. Examples of training restaurants include Box Hill Tafe’s Fountains Restaurant in Box Hill Victoria, Tafe South Australia’s Martinhas in Adelaide, Tafe NSW’s Embassador Restaurant in Ryde, William Angliss’ The Angliss Restaurant in Melbourne. Search the web and Tafe college sites for training restaurants in your locality.
Give yourself a theatre seat upgrade. When attending live theatre, musicals, opera and ballet, buy the cheapest grade seats for a quiet time slot like Monday or Tuesday night or Sunday matinee. Then just before the show starts, move to a better empty seat, or keep your eye on a vacant A Reserve seat and move into it during the next intermission. These seats are vacant anyway, so why waste a better viewing spot. Some companies like Australian Ballet and Australian Opera offer significant discounts to youths and seniors for selected performances, so do take advantage of these if you are eligible.
Last minute show tickets. Most live entertainment venues offer significant discounts if you purchase at the box office just before the show starts. There are also Halftix booths in most major cities in Australia which offer cut price tickets for performances on the same day of purchase. For some shows, by buying at the box office you save on agency ticketing commission fees.
Attend amateur entertainment shows. Drama schools, local town halls, local schools and universities frequently put on amateur plays, musicals and other performances, for free and some for a small fee. A number of university music departments have free lunchtime concerts and recitals weekly and regularly. The Australian Ballet School provides a graduation class performance at the end of each year, for a small fee.
Buy an annual pass. Museums, parks and zoos frequently have annual passes which costs only slightly more than a single entry ticket, yet allow unlimited entry for a year.
Make group bookings to entertainment shows. Most shows offer group discounts.
Buy from second hand stores. Buy books, DVDs, computer games from second-hand online and brick-and-mortar stores.
Swap and share with family and friends. Swap games, books, CDs, DVDs with family and friends. This helps to de-clutter your home as well as saving money.
Be flexible when eating out. Some places offer discounts on quieter days like Mondays and Tuesdays. Eat out for lunch instead of dinner, the menu is usually the same but costs less, and many places offer lunch specials too. Some places offer specials during off-peak times like late morning, late lunch or early-bird dinner meals. Eat out at places that offer eat-as-much-as-you-like salad bars, order an inexpensive meal and fill up on the buffet salad bar.
Skip dessert, entree and drinks when eating out. Restaurants overcharge on these items. Just have tap water and a main meal and buy takeout ice-cream or a cheesecake from supermarket on your way home instead. If you must have a drink, order without ice to get more for your money. There is also nothing wrong with asking for a doggy bag if you can’t finish your meal. Larger portion meals are usually better value so order a large pizza or pasta and take home the leftovers for your lunch tomorrow.
Take your own food and drinks on family day outs. Even if it is just to the local shopping centre, by making a habit to bring a small bottle of water will save you having to fork out on the cup of coffee or soft drink when you are feeling tired and thirsty. When you are out with children as well, these trivial items add up. Take your own food especially to the cinemas. If you really must have a soft drink while out, buy soft drinks from the vending machines located outside the supermarket. They usually cost around $1.5 per can as opposed to paying $3 + at the food court.
House swapping with someone who resides in your local country town or beach. This is a very low cost way to take the family out for the weekend. There are local web sites that allow you to find properties within the same state as you. Some sites charge a small registration fee, while others are free to register and contact others. Most allow you to view house listings for free. Many country dwellers also enjoy spending the occasional weekend close the cities.
Free family day out activities. There are many things to do for free. Organise a volunteer day out with your family as a bonding activity - work at local soup kitchen or school working bee. Go bushwalking at local national parks, or visit the beach. Take the kids fishing, camping, fruit picking, bird watching, or just a walk in local botanic gardens. Visit art and craft, Farmer’s and Rotary markets. Take the kids swimming at your friend’s backyard pool. Get together with friends and organise a combined garage sale. The traditional picnic at a national park or local playground is always enjoyable. Host a potluck dinner and invite friends and family over where everyone brings a dish to share. Bake a cake with the kids. Board games and cards are a nice traditional ways to connect with family.
Attend free community events. Local councils frequently offer free events for families such as a Christmas concert, and family BBQ days. Most local libraries and shopping centres offer free school holiday programs and entertainment.
Organise a weekend do-it-yourself project by yourself or with family. You can refurbish a wooden bathroom cabinet, paint the backyard fence, spring clean the house, build a cubby house, or landscape your garden. The internet has a plethora of information on do-it-yourself hobbies, home renovations and ideas with step-by-step instructions. Alternatively attend free do-it-yourself seminars at your local Bunnings or hardware store.
Cancel your Gym membership. They are expensive and most people lose motivation after a while and stop attending even though they have paid. Instead pool up with your friends or partner and go for regular jogs, tennis games at local centre, bike rides, join local football and basketball teams. Besides saving money, by committing to a sporting activity with other people it motivates you to persevere. Alternatively, invest in a home gym. A treadmill usually costs less than $1000 and can be used by the entire family, while a gym membership is only for single use.
Get free or low cost meals. Most churches have courses, seminars or events every so often. Some of these come with free or “make a donation” dinners. Why not rock up to these events to meet people in your community, have a free or low cost meal, and find out more about God.
Visit your local tourism office. Even locals benefit from visiting tourist information centres as these centres have a multitude of discount coupons, for various places like museums, zoo, aquarium and other attractions. They also provide a lot of information on what is coming up in terms for shows, festivals and exhibitions.
