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

Shop at an online chemist and SAVE. Online stores sell the same products for much less as they save on rent and other overheads and pass this on to their customers. Visit stores like www.epharmacy.com.au.

Buy your contact lens online. Online stores sell the same products for much less than in optometry stores. Almost all online stores registered in Australia also offer private health insurance claims on purchases, so shoppers are out-of-pocket a lot less.
Buy your prescription glasses at an independent optometry store. The smaller independent stores usually allow shoppers to claim more on their private health insurance and in some cases leave the shopper without any out-of-pocket expenses at all. This depends largely on your store, so please inquire and shop-around to see how much out-of-pocket you will be. Usually you claim less on your private insurance from one of the larger franchise stores.

Shop at Chemist Warehouse and My Chemist. They are very competitively price and with My Chemist they have membership reward programs which can be used by any of their stores.
Tax offset medical expenses. You may be eligible for a 20% tax offset if you spend more than $1,500 within a financial year on medical expenses. Types of medical expenses that are also claimable include, IVF procedures, Laser Eye Surgery, contact lens and prescription glasses, artificial limbs, payment to carers, maintaining a guide dog, dental and many others. Please refer to ATO site for more information www.ato.gov.au/individuals/content.asp?doc=/content/19181.htm.

Buy generic prescription medicine. Some pharmacies ask the shopper if they would prefer the generic brand, automatically, while others would provide the branded products as standard and leave it to the shopper to ask the pharmacist for alternatives. Generics contain same ingredients as branded medicine, but cost much less as they did not invest as much on research and development, and spend less on marketing.
Make use of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Safety Net scheme. This entitles people to free or cheaper medicine if they spend more than a certain amount on PBS (prescription) medicines in a calendar year. Once you are over the limit ($1,264.90 non-concession card holders and $318 for concession card holder as at 2009), try to bring forward any next year PBS prescription purchases into this year so that you can get it for free. As this scheme renews each year, you will have to start accumulating again the next calendar year. To be eligible for this you must ask your pharmacy to keep a record of your PBS medicine in that year. Please refer to Medicare website for more information.
Use preferred health suppliers from your respective Private Health Insurance. Most private health insurance companies have preferred hospitals, optometrists, dentists, physiotherapist etc where you can claim more per item than with a non-affiliated provider.
Use a price comparison site to choose your health insurer. Every couple of years shop around to see if you are getting the most value for your money insurance policy, for your need and requirements. Use site comparisons to save time and money as they select and compares from a few different health insurers all at once. Do check waiting periods, what services are included or excluded, total category claim per year, as well as claim per item, as cheapest is not always the best. If you intend to have a baby in near future, do take out a policy that includes this, as having a baby is very expensive. Also take into consideration non medical benefits like discounted gym membership, discounted sports equipment purchasing etc. Weigh up whether you will utilise these discounts when choosing your health insurer and the net benefit and costs to yourself.

Take up multiple insurance policies with the same provider. Many health insurers offer large discounts if you take up multiple insurance policies with them such as house and contents, travel, life, motor vehicle, pets etc. It may be worthwhile having all your insurance with the same company.
Attend free council provided immunisation programs. Most councils offer free immunisations and vaccinations and these information are usually available on your local council website.
Attend free health screenings and seminars offered in your community or by your health insurer. They are great way to meet people, monitor your health and build your knowledge for free. Prevention is always better than cure.
Attend doctors, medical clinics and optometrists that offer Bulk Billing. All Australian tax payers pay a Medicare levy which funds the Medicare system, which incorporates bulk billing system. As you have paid for it, you might as well use it instead of paying extra for non bulk billing doctors.