[tgavin71]

1.Use a menu when you eat at home. In our house we have an 8 day cycle.
Day 1 red meat, day 2 no meat, day 3 leftovers, day 4 white meat and then it repeats. I have an exercise book where I paste or write down recipes. For each recipe I make if the majority (3 out 4) like it then it stays in the book if not then it goes. It is a bit expensive to start off with but soon the costs come down a lot.

2. Write down everything you spend. I round up to the nearest dollar. For example if I buy a few items that come to 4.15 I write down that I spent 5.00. On payday I write down how much we got paid and then minus the spending from that. At any given time I can look at my book and know how much money I have.
At the end of the pay period if I have money left over half is brought fwd to the next pay day and half goes to our holiday fund. Makes it a bit easier to go without luxuries during the year when you are relaxing on the beach on an island in the south pacific on a fully paid for holiday.

3 Only spend cash not coins. Put the coins in a jar. I give my kids $2 a week to spend at the school canteen. We don't buy lollies or other crap so it saves me a lot of money

4 If possible install an instantaneous gas hot water service. It is off all the time except for when you turn on the hot water taps.

5. Electrictiy is nearly 3 times dearer than gas.

6. Move to the smallest house you can. Every household bill is cheaper in a smaller house.

7. Live in an area that is close to what you need and not what you want. School, public transport, shops etc.

8.Organise to have payment come automatically out of your bank account or ideally thru the pay office. Automatic payments we have are for holidays, managed fund, furniture replacement and debt payments including car payment and house payments. Remember to write them down in the spending log.

9.Use internet banking. Saves heaps of money on bank fees.