Cheap phones, games and movies from CeX

If you need to replace a mobile phone, make sure you check out CeX for great deals! They are Sydney based, but you can order online also. My old Samsung phone was dying, so I decided to get a replacement. I ordered a Huawei, and it was locked to Vodafone for just $80. I am using the Telco "Lebara" which is bought by Vodafone. The software is up to date too, better than the old Samsung! So if you know which provider you are connected to, e.g. Telstra, you can order a phone which is "locked" to them. Locked means, you can only use that provider's SIM card, no others. They have a lot of cheap games and movies available too! For more information, visit their website https://au.webuy.com/

Make your own nut butters for a fraction of shop prices

I save a fortune on buying nut butters by making my own. Almond butter, cashew butter and good quality peanut butter can be fairly expensive to buy so instead I buy roasted almonds for about $4 at a bulk supplier (Bin Inn if you're in NZ) and blend it in my Nutribullet with the addition of a smidgeon of olive oil. This gives me twice the quantity of a shop-bought jar which would cost at least $12! You can also add a little honey or chia seeds to add variety. I use the same method to make cashew butter. I simply buy 200g of cashews for $4.80 from an Indian grocer, roast them in the oven and blend them with the addition of a little olive oil to start the process. At around $15 a jar to buy at health food stores, this is a terrific saving!

Wasteful teenagers get a dose of reality!

I have two daughters who live at home with me who are both university students. They both work part-time and pay me $50 a week each for everything. (And I mean absolutely everything!) I had begun to get sick and tired of their wasteful habits! I would find half eaten muesli bars lying around, week-old uneaten fruit, discarded shampoo bottles and toothpaste tubes with enough in the base for three or four more uses, soap in the bin which still had plenty of use left in it and the list goes on! Quite frankly, I'd had enough! I told them to keep their $50 a week and instead they could buy everything for themselves (snacks, lunches, toiletries and so on). I would provide their one evening meal and that was it. I even made them buy their own toilet paper. Well after two weeks they have decided to mend their ways! They just did not realise the costs involved in running a household and admitted they had taken things for granted. I only wish I had done it much sooner, for their benefit and also mine! One daughter can only afford to give me $50 still and her older sister has increased her amount to $70. However, I think things around here are going to be very different from now on as my Sad Sallys strive to become more like Happy Hanna!

Create a 'roundtuit' fund

I have found a great way to stop impulse buying. I turn the money I would have spent into a 'roundtuit'. A roundtuit is one of those things you always put off and say you will get 'around to it'. Have you always wanted to learn to ride a horse or treat yourself to a massage? Or buy an art print but, because of the expense, have never got around to it? Well, I now put the money I would have spent on impulse buying straight into my roundtuit fund.

Instead of buying that glossy magazine, I look at the price and I put that amount into a special pocket in my wallet. I try and jot down what I nearly bought as well. When the time comes to buy the art print I have always wanted, I can see that it was worth two magazines, a fast food lunch, a shirt on special and a home delivered pizza. I don't feel guilty because the purchase has been funded by my roundtuit fund.

I no longer waste money on stuff I don't really need and I can also see where I am most likely to waste money, which will hopefully protect me from temptation. Most importantly, I'm able to achieve my dreams, almost without realising it. It's a great way to save for what you really want, so isn't it about time you got around to it?