Keeping the Cost of Living Manageable

There’s a lot going on right now. Even if you’re not glued to the news, you see it in everyday life. Fuel prices. Groceries. Everything is creeping up, and that's more or less on the back end of the increases we experienced after the last pandemic.

What I'm seeing happen with a lot of women I work with is that they start to feel like managing money is getting harder, more complex, time-consuming and more overwhelming.

Things are certainly more expensive. But the idea that managing your money has to become more complicated? That’s not necessarily true, or at least it doesn't have to be.

If anything, it needs to become simpler.

So I wanted to share some of the things I’m doing personally.  Some things I've been doing for years, and others I've recently started doing, in the hope that they might help you too. 

If you would like any of the recipes I mention, I've put them in one place so you can try them out for yourself - Ways to Save Money Resources.

Food

This is where I see spend-creep happening the most, and this was before the recent increases in interest rates, fuel and groceries.

I'm talking about take-out as well as groceries.  It's amazing how quickly the eating out adds up when we can so easily tap again and again...

What I’ve been doing over the last few years is get more intentional, not obsessive, just intentional.

• For the bulk of my groceries, I shop primarily at Aldi and Costco
• I still try and shop local as much as I can
• I plan ahead so I’m not doing reactive, expensive shops
• I stick to a list (this one matters particularly when shopping at Costco!)

It’s not the big decisions that blow your budget. It’s the constant small ones:

“I’ll just grab this.”
“That looks good.”
“We’ll try that.”

And suddenly you’ve spent $150 more than you planned.  A bit of meal planning goes a long way.

Cooking (this is where people resist)

A lot of people don’t want to cook.  I get it. It can feel like effort.  It's so easy these days to order takeout and get a delivery service to bring it by.

However, it adds up to become pretty expensive, and then it also becomes repetitive, and often not even that enjoyable.  You end up craving a "home cooked meal" anyway.

What I’ve found works is not “cooking more", it’s "cooking smarter":

• Batch cooking (just like you can batch create your social media content, you can batch cook and prepare your meals!)
• Simple recipes (I'm loving "The Simple Dinner Edit" cookbook - there's something for everyone in the family in there)
• Meals you can repeat without thinking (think of your Top 10 hits and put them on repeat).

I've been making my own spelt sourdough bread now for a few years (the cost for a loaf has gone up to $12 in some places, and my bread costs $5.50!).

Because the goal isn’t to become a chef. It’s to remove decision fatigue, and to be more financially (and nutritiously) wise.

Lifestyle

School holidays are a great example. There’s this pressure to constantly “do things.” Spend money. Keep everyone entertained.

Over the recent school holidays, some of the best things we’ve done have been free.

• Community events (such as the Eco Markets at Indigiscapes)
• Local council activities (like the free circus at City Hall or the free scooter clinics)
• Bike rides, parks, simple days out (having a picnic and enjoying a nice view).

Quite often spending isn’t about need, it becomes a habit.  The mental load that comes with managing all the areas of life limits your ability to think of creative ways to do things differently.

Fuel and Everyday Costs

This is about being aware.  I use an app to check petrol prices (Petrol Spy), so I can see where the cheapest fuel around me is.  It works in multiple locations.

I ride my bike where I can (it's good exercise too, and as the weather is cooling down a little, it's much more pleasant).

I think about whether a trip is actually necessary.  I carpool for the school run on days where it works.

As the cost of good skincare started to rise, I began looking for ways to make it myself.  Now I make my own face moisturiser, deodorant, shampoo and skin salve.  It's great, and a fraction of the price!

Nothing extreme. Just… conscious.

Interest rates

This is where I see the biggest missed opportunities. People don’t want to look at their loans.  Almost no one I ask knows what their home loan rate currently is.  Plus, they often don't even realise that they can potentially refinance for a lower rate!

They either don't know, or assume it’s too hard or confusing.

But small changes here can save you years. Literally years.

• Refinancing
• Changing repayment frequency
• Using an offset account properly

There are some awesome mortgage brokers out there.  Find them (ask me and I can recommend some to you) and you could save thousands of dollars, and potentially years off your home loan!

And on the flip side…If you have money sitting there doing nothing, interest rates can actually work for you.

But only if you engage with it.  Because, as the interest rates increase for loans, they also increase for savers...

The bigger point

None of this is complicated. Managing money isn’t about doing everything, it’s about doing a few things well.

Consistently.

Because the belief that it’s “too hard” or “too time-consuming” is the thing that’s actually costing you.