NBR - What are your saving tips?

I am trying to save for an island cruise march next year but am finding it hard to save with only a part-time job and saving for a house deposit.  Can anyone give me their saving ideas please and thank you? :)

This might seem a bit frugal but when every so often I do a sweep of the house and anything that's not used or needed, be it clothes, shoes, appliances, unused gifts, I stick it on TradeMe and the money goes into a separate account for spare cash I might need. A good way of cleaning out my wardrobe actually.

Oh I love that idea!!  I have so much stuff and it's an awesome way to declutter my space.  Thank you :)

Definitely having a cash budget! ETFPOS and credit cards are lethal! Work out what you need for the week/fortnight, take that out in cash, and give your cards to someone you trust to look after them who won't give in when you beg!!!! Oh and good luck!!! Also,  being frugal is great - it's surprising how fast small amounts can add up and motivate you to kind of compete with yourself and do even better.

I have a cash budget. My partners a good saver. He makes weekly payments into our house savings. I only buy groceries on our card and for our bills. I will set money aside for the things I really want (BRBB) Once thats done I have whatever left for me and the kids to play with.

I'm groaning reading this, because I really could take some of my own advice!!!!! I was on a DPB for a few years and was awesome with money, but over time I've gotten worse and worse as I earn more money and have less responsibility for my kids :(

We have a clothing shop locally that sell good qulaity clotheing on your behalf. I have a wardrobe clean out now and then and drop them off. Last time I got over $180.00 in return. She pays as they sell. 

My best tip is to put even little scraps of money into an account you cannot touch. I have saved a five figure sum this way over the last five years or so - and I've been a full time student for most of that time.

I often round the money into my everyday account down and put the extra into my savings. Every little bit adds up!

I would suggest a cash budget if you are going to go out shopping. I am going to Wellington next weekend and will be withdrawing cash because eftpos can be lethal because you can't see your budget you wanna spend. I also have two savings account one for a holiday somewhere next year and also an everyday/house deposit one

Shop your stash, if there is anything you haven't used for a while, might stop the buying of some things.
I can also suggest a website called simplesavings.co.nz, they have alot of tips available on there as well as a paid section too which has further options. They are the creators of the $21 challenge book, so see if you could borrow it from your local library. The $21 challenge is where you work to use everything in you pantry, fridge freezer to empty it and the most you spend on groceries is $21 for the week/month.
I can suggest you do a budget and check if you can get better deals on phones, internet, insurance without compromising your cover, online quotes cost nothing but time and have a look at your excesses as well having a $500 excess will save some more dollars then a $300 excess, they should be able to tell you all the excesses available. Excess is only something that comes up at claim time. Low excess is great but you do pay more premium. Also call your current insurer and see if there can be savings on your current policies, any changes that you do could be as of today when the change is made. Check if there are cancellation fees as well, some don't mention them. I work for an insurance company at present and these are the easiest places to save money on a policy.

Talk to your bank, they can have tools that you can use to your advantage too - such as account types that give bonus interest if you don't withdraw and make regular deposits. ASB has the 'Save the Change' on eftpos if you don't go cash, where it just rounds up your purchases. Some banks can even put a lock on your savings account so you can see what is in there but you can't touch it. Westpac do a pay split where an amount you set is automatically moved to your savings accounts and doesn't even touch your daily banking account so as not to lead you into temptation. Cash budgets work well too - what is in your wallet is much easier to see than what is on your eftpos card.

My other suggestions include making sure you have a rainy day account so that you're not always dipping into the savings. This has to be seperate from your holiday & house savings and could cover car repairs, doctors visits etc - things that are pricey and out of the ordinary.

Also take a look at your outgoings. I shop my power account around every year. Just changed now to a company that is $200 a year cheaper, plus gave me $100 credit for joining. I also regularly check my phone accounts to make sure I'm getting the best deal. And also paying the full amount up front for things like insurance can save you $50-$100 a year, but that all adds up. The amount up front is scary, but across car, contents, home insurance, gym memberships etc, sometimes that can give you an extra couple of hundred dollars a year.

We also just got rid of Sky Multiroom, because I couldn't justify the $50 a month that was costing for the MySky & HD ticket in the family room. Now I have netflix instead for a fraction of the cost - so you might want to look at luxuries and ask yourself if you can/can't live without them. (If you don't go out heaps, but want to be entertained, then by all means... just throwing this idea out there!)

The selling things on Trademe is a good idea too. Back at new years, I read the Magic of Tidying Up - a Japanese book about living with less and how it makes you feel lighter. So definately go down that path if you so choose as well!

I'll recommend a book to you that we give to clients who have teenagers/university children or people who are just struggling - It's called The Perfect Balance and its author is a personal financial trainer. She writes columns for stuff, she is on the breakfast TV shows and lately I've seen her on Fair Go helping people get the money together to buy homes/get mortgage free faster. She knows her stuff. Spend the $33 plus delivery, but you'll save that back and then some.

Buy in bulk for food. Stick to a pre-planned budget. Look for a savings account with the best interest rate. Only buy things on special unless absolutely necessary. And don't buy things you don't need. That's the budget I'm trying to stick to as much as possible. 

Great thread! I can use a lot of those ideas too :)

Ditto, this is a great thread.  I also have a certain amount debited each pay and put into another account which I cannot see or touch (until I want to)  :-)

Wow thanks so much br babes!  That has given me some great ideas some of which I have already put in to action.  I am determined to do this.  I think the most effective for me personally is the selling stuff on trademe and also every single bit of money that I have left over goes in to an account I can't touch.  I knew asking here would help.  THAAAAANKS!!!

stop letting me enable you :-) 

Good luck! Report back on how you do. I think having your goal of an island cruise in mind will really help!

Just think... this time next year you could be sunning yourself on a beach somewhere.

Hahaha yessss it's all your fault Shannon, well a percentage of it is :P  Oh the thought of sunning on a beach sounds perfect during this cold snap!  I will definitely report back with my progress later on

pfffffffffftttttt it was your idea to do the lush order. I'll remind you about your cruise goals next time we collab on a parcel hahahahaha

haha now now no talking like that Phtannon! 

I am lmfao-ing, and I told fiance and he's also giggling and he goes 'eff she's funny' hahahaha 

Put half an hour aside (or two hours if it was mine!), sit down with a coffee and write out what you are spending your money on. How much are you spending on petrol, grocery shopping, extra food purchases, power etc. Is there anywhere you can cut back on? Do you really need to do that Wednesday after work trip to the supermarket or could you make use of what is already in the pantry? Also check out SugarMamaTV on Youtube she has some great tips. Goodluck! 

I love reading everyones tips! You will love the cruise ShanaBanana_84! I have been on a couple and they are great ways to travel. Unpack once and somehow you end up in lots of different places. Also the amount of food is unreal (and I love food).

Recently I have been in a savings mode myself. Not so much out of necessity but there becomes a time where you think where is all my money going when I have nothing left at the end of the fortnight.

I have read the book the art of tidying which is fantastic. So I have had a MASSIVE cleanout with stuff going to friends, being sold, or being donated. Once you have had a cleanout you end up loving it that way and don't want to buy to replace or clutter up your now clean space. I especially find this a good thing to do as it keeps me busy instead of spending time online shopping :)

ChelseaAdelaide's tip of figuring out where your money has gone is great. We recently realised how much we are spending on Sky, so we got a freeview box and signed up for netflix. I really don't feel like I'm missing out at all but we are saving $75 a month! Also I figured out I'm spending far too much money on lunches. So I went to the supermarket and stocked up on stuff to keep at work, that way I'm not as tempted to go out to a cafe and spend lots of money on food. Also with food I'm better at meal planning now so that I use up the stuff in the cupboard.

Oh and the account you can't see is great. The money adds up sooooo quickly.

Good Luck! (and sorry for the long post)

Planning would be my number 1 tip.
I plan a fortnight of meals & then do one major shop a fortnight, with a top up of mostly perishables (fruit, Veges & milk) the week in between. I plan out a budget. I have a sizeable payment due in October and I put money into bonus bonds, that way it stays there & it is much harder to get it out.
I have two other savings accounts connected to my online banking, one for "medical" I'm very healthy, and can't justify medical insurance, so every fortnight (that is how I get paid) I put $20 in it. This is in a bonus saver account as I don't expect to have to use it.
My other savings account is for my car, while I budget $50 for petrol a fortnight, because I am trying to walk to work, i put the $50 in that account, so it's a reward for my walking. Also it means I'll have money already there for WOF, Rego etc. I have a very tiny, newish car, so a tank of gas will actually last 6 weeks with the walking I do.
Grocery money and my personal spending money I get out in cash and leave my debit plus card at home, tucked away.
Opening extra online savings accounts is free so you might as well!

I know there have been threads similar to this, but i am so glad this thread started because i was going to start a thread aswell. I am going on a low spend till the end of the year, november-ish! Trying to save some money, so all these tips are going to help heaps

I have a budget that I stick to. When it comes to things I really want, I make sure I look at what I've already got first and whether it's actually necessary for me to have it and whether I'll want it and splurge only for it to be hardly used. Another thing I do is at the beginning of the month,  I write down which items that I plan to get that month. If something isn't on the list then I'll avoid buying it and just take a bit to cool down over the excitement of the sale.

Thanks for all these ideas and book recommendations ladies. I've been a terrible saver for my whole life and really need to grow up and pay off the debt. What a great thread! Thanks Shana_Banana84 for starting this :)

Great tips ladies! Good luck with your savings : )