Community-Tested Cost of Living Hacks

Order Kerni Whaltbury and a waddery woman. And before we get started on She's on the Money podcast, I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land of which this podcast is recorded on a wondery country, acknowledging the elders, the ancestors and the next generation coming through as this podcast is about connecting, empowering, knowledge sharing and the storytelling of you to make a difference for today and lasting impact for tomorrow.

your daily coffees. Unsubscribed from those extra streaming services and feel like your belt can't get any tighter. If you're feeling helpless, you're not alone, and today we are here to tell you it's not personal failure. Now, I couldn't talk about money really without bringing the Queen of budgeting herself, Victoria de Vine. Hello, It's not like I didn't interject myself into this conversation. Earlier. You mentioned yeroga pants and I was like, this episode got a jump for me.

It's absolutely for me. I'm here for it. And I feel like everything when it comes to talking about the Cause he Lives is really negative. At the moment. I feel like everything is doom and gloom, and we don't want it to be. I want to make sure that we are being positive at the same time as trying

to manage our finances. Like finances can be overwhelming and uninspiring, and they can make you feel like trash sometimes, Beck But I think that we need to do a bit of a reframe, and I hope that this episode is the episode for that. I think we're all kind of like in a similar situation right now. I think that you know, there's some people that it's not as hard on, but regardless of where you are financially, things are getting

more expensive. So obviously we hear about Cozi lives on the daily, but should we start with what it actually is. So basically, the cost of living crisis happens when prices go up faster than our paychecks do. Things like groceries and ren and fuel they all get more expensive, but our wages they just don't keep up. That gap makes it so tough for people to maintain their standard of living. And the big culprits here are inflation, supply chain and

the fact that demand for goods has absolutely skyrocketed. Beck, Oh my god, it's scary. Hey, what about the state of the world right now? Like, is that making things worse? Are you asking for an economic up date?

like the ongoing war in Ukraine. It's pushed up the cost of things like oil and food all around the world. Beck The World Bang says that because of the war, prices for basics like wheat and sunflower oil have absolutely gone through the roof, and we're feeling it here in Australia as well, especially when it comes to how much we're paying in the supermarket. Beck, when was the last time you bought olive oil? I went to buy olive oil a couple of weeks ago and it was so expensive.

Olive oil not part of my journey anymore. Oh, it's really not. And I was like, sunflole oil. That sounds healthy. I'm gonna go with that. SCLA, I'll take it. You know what, we're not even going to google those things. I totally get that, though, and I feel like everybody is feeling it. But I feel like oil for me was the one thing I saw it and I was like, this can't be right. Typo. This is a typo. And Beck, let's move away from oil. Let's talk about numbers for

a hot second. Recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that inflation hit six point one percent by June twenty twenty two, which is the highest we have seen in twenty years. What does that mean for us?

These interest rate hikes were a direct response to inflation, which peaked at around eight percent in late twenty twenty two. While the increases were intended to curb inflation, they've significantly raised the cost of borrowing for households, particularly those with mortgages. The impact on ossie households has been pretty brutal. Let's be honest. On average, families now have ten thousand, seven hundred dollars less each year to spend on discretionary items

like dining out and holidays. Mortgage holders have been the most affected, though, with their discretionary spending being reduced by twenty one thousand, three hundred dollars compared to twenty twenty. Renters have also experienced a considerable reduction of thirteen thousand, three hundred dollars in non essential spending, while homeowners without mortgages have seen a decrease of seven one thousand, two hundred dollars. Jeez, I'm not done yet either. Beck. Low

income households have been particularly affected. For those lowest twenty percent of earners, essential expenses such as groceries and utilities now exceed their income by an average of seventy five dollars a week. Oh man, they're going into debt. Bek. This has led to significant reductions in discretionary spending and

delayed essential purchases. The prolonged financial strain has resulted in substantial lifestyle adjustments, including cutting back on clothing and groceries and making really tough choices when it comes to managing finances. Are out It is scary, and I know it's the reality of the situation, right Like, yeah, it is what it is, and we're out here trying our best to

help you through it. But we just need to get on the same page, totally get where people are feeling the pinch, especially those who are like already on lower incomes. When your essentials cost more than you actually make each week, it's impossible to not feel the pressure. And it's stressful. It's ely stressful, absolutely, and it's so easy to start blaming yourself, thinking that like, I'm not good at money or have done something wrong. But let's be absolutely clear here,

it is not your fault. There's an immense amount of societal pressure to keep up with the rising cost of living, and when it becomes overwhelming, you know what we do back, We naturally turn inward. But the truth is we're living in a system where the cost of essential goods like groceries, rent, and fuel keeps climbing, and wages they're not catching up no matter how hard you try. There's only so much

control that you can have. We really need to shift the narrative away from individual responsibility and understand this is a broader economic issue. People are doing absolutely everything that they can to keep up. The problem is that the system we in currently isn't set up for that. So if you're feeling really guilty or you're stressed about your finances. I need you to remember that this is bigger than

your budgeting skills. It's not about failing. It's about surviving in an environment that has become more more and more challenging for everyone. I think that it's not going to surprise anyone, but you really need to look at exactly where your money's going. And I know right now that's really painful. I know that it's not what you want, and you want to bury your head in the sand.

But I want you to get a fine tooth comb and I want you to go through your finances, and I mean everything from those sneaky little app subscriptions to the quick trips to the shops where you pick up extras when you don't need to, when you were there just to get some milk. I want you to get clear on where all of those small amounts are dropping away, because they add up, and they add up so fast

they call them money leaks. And once you've spotted them, you can decide what's really necessary and what's just here draining your bank account. Pick absolutely, and there are like apps that you can use to like find those subscriptions that you've forgotten about and connect and how many podcasts have we done where we're like, okay, cool, this is how you call your subscriptions, this is how you do this, this is how you do that. And I think the one thing I want you to remember is that before

you dive in, it's not about restricting yourself. It's actually about getting an idea of what the big picture looks like. Let's have a look at the bigger picture and see if we're comfortable with it. Let's see if there's any shifting to do. Let's see what that looks like. Because if you get rid of it right now, beck doesn't mean it has to go forever. Maybe you just want to build up a bit of an emergency fund to feel a little bit more comfy and then revert back

to the way that you were spending. I totally get it, but I think that we just need to approach it a little bit differently. Big thing here is, do not feel guilty about anything. Don't feel guilty about wanting to indulge and maybe like you're in a really stressed out situation because you're financially not doing too well, Like, just don't feel guilty. This is not on us. This is just the state of the world, and we all have those small purchases that slip through the cracks one hundred percent.

And the good news, Beck, is that once you identify them, it's super easy to make adjustments that give you so much more control over your money. And that's empowering. Like today, I'm going to get all Marie Condo on you because if you've seen my draws, all my yoga leggings are like folded perfectly, and we're going to do that for your finances. If these things don't bring you joy, it's

time to toss them out. And do you know what I saw on TikTok the other day because I'm chronically online, Beck, So someone was saying that Marie Condo doesn't work for them. I get it because like they go through and they're like, oh, but like I'm a little bit of a hoarder and I just need that maybe i'll need it later. And someone did a stitch Beck and they said, all right, I'm going to teach you the dog poo method. Have you heard of the dog poo method?

straight out if I had dog poo on it. But like I would probably second guess about keeping in my house. And recently that has been working for me. So like, I don't know if that helps other people, but it helped me, so I thought i'd share it. So sorry,

what's the Mariecondo method? Some Mariecondo is if it doesn't spark joy in your life, it is time to remove it from your life of course, of course, right, So, things like those sneaky subscriptions that you don't even remember signing up for or don't live up to the hype. But let's go into our iPhone settings and into our Google Play account and just get rid of them. Press pause and do it right now, like literally press pause on this podcast. Go have a look. I'm a wait.

We'll wait by here by wait, We'll see you on the flip side. Okay, I'm going to do it too. What about the things that do make you happy or you do need? And these two things aren't mutually exclusive. We're not here to reign on your parade. Times are tough enough as it is, and we still need to enjoy life. So if they make you happy, I want you to ask yourself, is there a cheapest swap that

could work just as well? And we know in our She's on the Money community it's full of savvy individuals, so I actually asked them for you for a little bit of help on this episode. So after the break, let's get clever about our spending together. Yay, okay, everyone, we are back, and before the break, you promise us

some clever cost of living hacks. Va I did? I set myself up for success because I asked the Sheese on the Money community when I put up the post in our Facebook group, and if you're not in there, what are you doing? I will link it in the show notes for you. You need to join us. The post got so many people just putting the comment f in there to follow the post. So I know that this is one that all of you have been wanting and one of the biggest reoccurring themes. Beck no surprise,

it was food. I totally get it. We need it. Meat is definitely one of the more expensive items in our grocery cards, and it's no surprise when you consider that according to the University of Newcastle, Australians spend around fifteen percent of their weekly food budget BECK on meat alone. That can add up, and it can add up really fast. But our community have some super clever ways to make

it stretch without cutting it out completely. I know there are so many people that are going to be like meals, not a meal unless there's a big source of animal protein. So for example, you can bowlk up your meals by adding cheaper ingredients, like you could add some lentils or some mushrooms. They blend super easily into dishes. I've been doing it in spag bowl. I also do like a grated zucchini and a carrot. I feel like a zucchini and a carrot grated have the same volume as mince,

but cost me like a dollar. Yes, that's true, legit money win. They blend into dishes so easily, so you can still get the flavor of the meat, but at a fraction of the cost. And as a bonus, you're getting some sneaky veggies in you're making your meals healthier as well. Another spart tip, Beck is to buy larger cuts of meat, like a roast and slow cooker truo oh, I love coming home to like a slow cooker smell.

That way, you're going to get multiple meals from the one cut, think leftovers for sandwiches, tacos, or even meal prep for the week. And if you're looking for some extra savings, maybe consider a meat box, which often offer a variety of different cuts at a lower price. Plus you can get some freezer portions for later, making it easier to plan and budget. These small tweaks can really help make your grocery dollars go further without sacrificing your

favorite meals. I think too often, Beck, we're always looking for like a budget version of your favorite meals, and you're like, well, I don't really like lentil tacos, but like you could use lentils to beef up your tacos, meaning that you still get your favorite foods. But it's more cost effective, yes, exactly. And with the slow cooker thing, isn't it so nice? It's so wholesome to just chuck everything in a pot, honestly objectively, And I know this

is universal. The slow cooker is the hardest thing to clean ever in the entire gosh, I did you know you even buy slow cooker liners side? How do you do that? Oh? I mean they're probably not that cost effective. But if that's the biggest issue for you at this point anytime, it's just good to know that exists. That is so good to know. So v when it comes to saving on groceries in general, I love this, Hannah says. She looks at the lower and higher shelves for the

cheaper price per kilogram. She says, the eye height is usually the most expensive. Oh so true. Have you ever watched one of those documentaries on supermarket marketing? They're all over YouTube. That's a good activity for tonight. Look up

supermarket marketing documentaries. There are so many of them. And it's all about the layout, like how all of the fresh food and the milks at the back, and all of the stuff that you don't actually need is in the middle of the supermarket, but you have to walk through it. Oh my gosh, it is so clever, so clever. And of course the She's on the money community are loving the supermarket rewards programs at the moment and getting their monthly ten percent off shop and saving up their

points for Christmas time. Beck and we are all stocking up and buying in bulk when those big ticket items are half priced, which beck A love a half priced moment, love a bug. I love when you see that something's fifty percent off. You think this is a good money win. But then I don't know about you. It sets me up to expect it next time, and so next time that item is not on sale, I'm like, what is this?

Maybe that's a good thing to do. I'm a TikTok master. Yeah, there's a dude on TikTok who tracks when the sales are going to happen, and I think we need to drag some of that content over, obviously giving him credit, but like sharing when things are going to go on sale. That's really clever. I do notice. So some things are always half priced, you know, back rat knives, use wise house always clear it. I don't know how can they afford to always a sale. Is that their marketing strategy?

It must, because I feel like the half price is what they're actually worth, but you're buying it because it's like, oh my god. Anyway, that's why I just don't go shopping. I can't set for in Chadstone. It's a slippery slope for me.

she almost never wastes fresh food anymore. Beck, Oh man, that is so good. Oh this is like a subtle plug. Obviously not a paid sponsorship from Marley Spoon, but my food waste, Beck has gone down so significantly since getting Marley Spoon, Because I'm just ordering the meals that I'm cooking and like because they're also like pre bundled together. I can see them, like I know that they're there,

and I know I'm going to cook them. Like it's not forgetting that there's a zucchini in the bottom of the fridge and I can't remember what that was for. I don't know, Like it has just been a game changer for us. Obviously, I have a code for you. Use the code Victoria, and you'll get up to two hundred and thirty five dollars off your first five boxes. Beck. I did the maths, and obviously this is a bit of a money win. Like, if you're not into it,

don't do it. I order Marley Spoon every week. I do three meals for two adults and get enough for our baby as well to have, like, you know, a little bit of a sneaky snack on the side. Ye, And I worked out if you use the code of Victoria, it becomes thirty eight dollars and thirty four cents delivered next week for your three dinners of groceries. That is extraordinary.

That's actually a good deal. So I thought I just dropped this on the pod because we're obviously talking about saving money, and like even if you just try it, like it's not a subscription. You can just go, oh, I have one box and try it and see if I like it, and if you don't like it, don't stick to it, and that's your groceries. Yeah, one hundred percent. Beck, I have been using Miley Spoon since twenty seventeen, so like,

I'm committed. Anyway, let's get back to the show. Because it wasn't meant to be about Marley Spoon, but I just thought in that moment, I could save you some money. Yeah, if I got to deals for you.

package up. And you would get packages at the supermarket already, like if they're like capers or something, they're in a container, or if you're getting like herbs, like the herbs would get smashed if they're not in a container, if their own, but all of it, I just chuck you my recycling money we have and you can say those little containers. That's also if you hold the boxes, you can put them on Facebook marketplace and someone will come and get them for free when they're moving. He's what I did

last time, because like everyone loves a free box. I don't know about you anyway. Anyway, So back to the pod. Yes, okay, should we move on to some other smart ways to save? Yes? And I mean, let's move away from food and let's talk about the things we all just accept as kind of a given, things like your phone plan and your internet bills. We tend to think of them as non negotiable, right, But the truth is you can get real creative here. So take Lucy's tip from the group. She's ditched her

internet bill completely. Whoa how she got a phone plan with unlimited data and now just hotspots her laptop, no TV. Obviously, she lives in a good area and probably has good you know, five G, no more separate internet costs, and I think that's genius, right, She's already paying for data, so why not just use it to its full potential totally. With the average internet bill monthly being seventy five dollars back, she's saving under one thousand dollars a year for that.

Oh my god, that's a grand So how good. And then we've got Chloe who's really got her phone built down pat She and her partner were previously with Telstra, paying one hundred dollars each a month, and they so spano that's all too much. They have now switched to a family plan with Alimobile paying just fifty five dollars a month for both of them, for both of them, saving sevente hundred and fifty dollars a year just for

making a simple switch. I feel like so many people in our community always talking about phone plans, and I believe that Audimobile actually uses the telstrap. Yeah, so that's extra smart. Same thing exactly. And these are costs that we all think of as completely unavoidable, but as Lucy

and Chloe have showed us, you can totally reth. It's about asking yourself, Oh do I really need this big, expensive plan that I've been on for years, just because I can't be bothered looking for an alternative and then finding smarter, more affordable alternatives. And I mean, what a better time to do this than now coming into Christmas, Beck, we all want a little bit more wiggle room. Absolutely, are communities so smart, they are actually geniuses. This is

why I just community funded this episode. I was like, tips and tricks from me, No tips and tricks from the community by everyone exactly, and they're even finding smart alternatives to the gym. According to World Fitness Australia, the average gym membership here costs around seventy dollars a month, and that's excluding additional services like if you've got like a personal trainer yes unrelatable, or you're doing like extra classes. But get this, almost a quarter of people with memberships

don't utilize their memberships as anticipated. So even though people are paying almost a grand for something a year than not even using it, there very relatable. One of our community members, Fiona, told us she ditched her expensive membership and has switched to using the sam Woods app on her phone at home. Not only is she saving money, but she's actually working out more, which is a double win.

I love that, Beck because I've actually just started that because like, I had every intention of returning back to plates or gym classes, and I couldn't find the time, and then I didn't want to do it. I'm not gonna lie when your gym class is at five point thirty and you're telling me I could pick my kid up early from daycare. Yeah, I'm going to pick my kid up. Oh sorry, So I've been going home and

doing my workouts there. Anyway, back on track, Danielle has started doing free yoga and tai chi at her local library instead of paying for classes at a studio, saving twenty five bucks a class. What. I didn't even know that was a thing. Yeah, I didn't know that was the thing. That is so cool. It definitely is worth looking around your local community to see what alternatives there are to a traditional gym, because you know, there's also those like, you know, park gyms. I don't even know.

I know I've seen them, and I love that idea. Also YouTube yoga, yes, I love it. Anything really Okay, what else have we got? All Right, So a lot of our community members are praising the ideas of going back to cash for everyday spending. When you pay with cash, you experience something called payment pain. I think you'll be

able to relate to this, because I definitely can. It's that little sting you feel when you have to physically hand over a Christine note, which makes you more mindful of your spending, And studies of showing that people tend to spend less with cash because they can literally see their money disappearing. Yes, and Georgie has gone back to the basics, and she's started asking herself that simple but really powerful question, is this a want or is it

a need? Now? There's actually some science behind this. When we pause to question a purchase, it actually engages our prefrontal cortex, the part of our brain responsible for decision making and impulse control. By taking a really good moment to reflect, we can actually override those instant emotional decisions sometimes make when we're tempted by something shiny and new, which beg I'm really good at I'm basically abour bird.

It's shiny, I want it, I need it, which is why I'm always telling you guys to put twenty four hours between you and your spending, because that's basically me reminding myself to do that every single time I say that, Yes, great idea.

my head it's like forty dollars it's not. Yeah, that might seem reasonable to you, but if it takes you two hours of work to earn that money, you might start to wonder is that actually worth? It is like dinner worth two hours of my hard earned host tax cas Speck, like, do I want to do that?

There are definitely some smart ways to cut costs and still keep the things that bring you joy. Of course, we should be thinking about ways to generate more income. Let's be honest. We need to be asking for that pay rise or tackling our debt a little bit more aggressively. And we're going to deep dive into those strategies in the coming weeks. But for today, my friend, it is all about finding those small, clever hacks that can make

a really big difference. Whether it's switching your phone plans, or bulging up your meals with cheaper ingredients, or going back to cash to stay more mindful with your spending. It's all about finding ways to take control in a tough environment. Beautifully worded, that is exactly right. And what's great is these tips aren't about depriving yourself. No, we're not about that life. We're about enjoying the journey. But absolutely it can be kind of find like challenging yourself

a little bit. But they're about being smart with what you have and you can still enjoy your life even when things are tired. It's just a matter of making a few tweaks to stretch adults on one hundred percent. If you want the complete rundown of the cost of living hacks, head to our Facebook group and add your own. If you're hungry for more savvy saving episodes, don't forget to hit that subscribe button. I think it's a really good place to leave it. Oh, perfect place to leave it.

Have a really beautiful rest of the week, guys, and we will see you on Friday. Bye guys.

your needs. Victoria Divine and Sheese on the Money are authorized representatives of money sherper p t y lt D A b N three two one six four nine two seven seven zero eight afs L four five one two eight nine