Go back to cash and the office: 14 small ways to cut back costs

As one cost-saving measure, one Guardian reader has ‘gone back to the old French press’ to make his own coffee at home. Photograph: Cavan Images/Getty Images/Cavan Images RF

Life in Australia is very expensive at the moment, and only getting more so: especially for renters and mortgage holders. We asked readers to share the ways they are cutting back, big and small.

Today, readers share the savings techniques they’ve already incorporated into their everyday lives.

These aren’t silver-bullet solutions to solvency, nor are households to blame if the numbers in their budgets have stopped adding up. But sometimes making small changes can, if nothing else, restore some sense of agency when faced with forces beyond one’s control.

In the kitchen

Heating in a microwave is much cheaper than using the stove. Bircher muesli or overnight oats are cheap, nutritious and filling; and when grocery shopping, focus on frozen vegetables and whatever is on sale. Anonymous

I’ve given up on my $6.20 cup of coffee a day, and have gone back to the old French press to make my own coffee at home. Mark Baxter, northern NSW

We’ve been reusing teabags – we drink a lot of tea! We’ve also quit alcohol, and have dramatically reduced our meat consumption. Anonymous, Melbourne, Vic

Tea drinkers might find savings in reusing their teabags for a second brew. Photograph: Oleksiy Boyko/Alamy

I am even more careful than usual about food waste. I tend to only buy what I immediately need. I can do this because I am retired, however I could not have grocery shopped like this when working and feeding a family. Time was too precious. Anonymous

We are a two-person household and have started shopping at Aldi. I plan our meals and buy extra ingredients to make sure we have leftovers for dinner the following week. With meat and fresh food being so expensive, we buy frozen veggies and chicken. At the end of the week, I try and create meals from the leftover ingredients. The meals don’t make sense but they make the groceries last. Our budget every fortnight is $120, give or take. Cate, Newcastle, NSW

Around the home

I’ve been more handy around the home, and watching YouTube videos for easy solutions for things we normally would have called the handyman for, such as cleaning out the gutters, maintaining a garden, and mowing the lawn. Anonymous, Sydney, NSW

I’ve been focusing on home energy efficiency by turning off appliances at the power points, using energy-efficient bulbs, and sealing gaps under doors and windows to prevent draughts. Anonymous

The dryer: banned. Photograph: Blend Images/Alamy

Using the dryer has been banned! Claire, Blue Mountains, NSW

I’ve been looking for better energy deals, have cut my streaming services, and may change to a slower, cheaper NBN plan. Nichol, Melbourne, Vic

Out and about

I plan outings in my car. I don’t drive into the city just for one appointment – I try to combine several. I watch for cheap petrol. Anonymous

On pub nights out, when it’s your round, buy your friends their (likely alcoholic) drink of choice, but order yourself a tall, booze-free soda and lime. A $3 post-mix drink v a pint of beer is about a $10 saving every time it’s your round. You don’t have to face awkward “why are you not drinking” questions because you are drinking, just not every round.

In addition to roughly a $20 saving across the pub session, when it’s time to leave, you might be sober enough to legally drive home – saving whatever you would’ve had to spend on an Uber or taxi. This may not work if there’s no parking near your watering hole of choice or you’re having a huge night out. But a $40 total saving and no real loss of amenity or social connection is pretty good. Paul, Canberra, ACT

When it’s your round, order yourself a tall, booze-free soda and lime. Photograph: Henrik Sorensen/Getty Images

Outside the box

We have stopped using the debit card and now take out cash as a fortnightly allowance for things like groceries and travel. This stops us wasting money or over spending. Phil, Melbourne, Vic

With energy prices going up, my best money saving tip is to head back to the office. The office has free air conditioning, plus free electricity, wifi, tea, coffee, milk and toilet paper! Plus I stop at the supermarket and buy enough salad and cereal for the week to take to the office, so I’m not at home eating all the contents of my fridge and pantry. It’s also good for my mental health to close the laptop, leave the office and switch off from work. Kerryn, Brisbane, Qld

I spent about 500 hours on TikTok learning how to do my own dip nails – definitely saving me money. Perhaps a little superficial, but a good reminder that you can learn how to do almost any expensive beauty treatment with enough dedication and online tutorials. Lisa, Melbourne, Vic