HOW TO…
Get Cheap Flights
Sign up for email updates from Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin Blue and Tiger so you know when they’re running sales – which is surprisingly often as competition is intense – and good deals. It’s always cheaper to fly midweek than on a weekend and cheaper to fly out after major holidays than before. Frequent flyer and other rewards programmes cost nothing to join and could save you money in the medium-term too. For international flights, some airlines also offer “air passes” which let you pay in bulk fortravel around Australia. Flight Centre told us it’s always best to book early. Also, flights to New Zealand are dirt cheap at the moment.
HOW TO…
Get Cheap Beds
First and foremost, if you haven’t already done so, sign up to the various loyalty schemes. Hostels – especially the smaller ones – will often give you a discounted or free stay if you offer to do some work, such as cleaning.
HOW TO…
Get Cheap City Transport
You’ll find a free shuttle of some kind in most major cities. Sydney has the Route 555 bus between Central Station and Circular Quay, Melbourne runs a free City Circle tram, and Perth and Brisbane have similar operations. If all else fails, just walk – you’ll see things you never would from a window! (Whether this is a good thing or not is debatable…).
HOW TO…
Get Cheap Interstate Transport
Think relocation, relocation, relocation. What’s that? When campervans are dropped off miles from where they started, companies are desperate to get them back – so desperate they’ll charge you just $1 a day to drive them. This can make for a very cheap roadtrip (petrol aside of course) – the only catch is you may only have a few days to make it happen. Also, Wicked Campers has a deal on their website whereby you can get the first day free if you’re hiring for more than 13 days – IF you turn up naked!
HOW TO…
Get Cheap Internet
If you’re in Sydney, head to the newish Apple Store (George St) for free web access. Most libraries offer free internet (with a time limit, unfortunately), once you’ve become a member, which usually only requires some ID (and sometimes proof of address). And if you’re lucky enough to have a laptop, there’s complimentary WiFi in all sorts of places.
Get Cheap Food
Seek out pubs that have a budget menu – many are as cheap as $5 meals, even in Sydney. Often local pubs do cheaper dinners during the week. Also, drop by bakeries (try Bakers Delight and Donut King) around closing time and they’ll often bung you bread and pastries they were going to chuck out.
HOW TO…
Go Cheap Clubbing
Get to most clubs early as some places only charge after about 10pm. It can also be cheaper to go out on weeknights, as some venues hike up their costs for the bigger Saturday crowds.
HOW TO…
Go Cheap Pubbing
It is hard to find a pub in Australia without some sort of happy hour/cheap drink deal, so ask about. More and more pubs are also offering complimentary board games, such as the Courthouse in Sydney’s Newtown, which is bringing new meaning to the term drinking games. It’s also not hard to find a pub that has a weekly trivia night – winners might even see themselves going home with a meat tray. Wahey!
HOW TO…
Get Cheap Exercise
Joining a gym can be expensive, so why not just gym-hop! A lot of gyms offer free trials (try Fernwood Women’s Health Club and Fitness First). Many fitness clubs and yoga centres also organise free park sessions on the weekends – see free.yogaindailylife.org.au for national listings. For those looking for something a little less physically intensive you could try Barefoot Bowling (as in lawn bowling), which is usually held on Sundays at RSL clubs across the country. Various parks have exercise bars too.
HOW TO…
Get Cheap Pampering
Many beauty salons advertise mid-week specials with cheap waxing and manicures, so keep your eyes peeled (owch, bad pun, sorry). You can also have the stress kneaded away with a massage for next to nothing – NSW School of Massage located in the Sydney CBD offer an hour session for $20, as do numerous other massage schools around the country.
HOW TO…
Get Cheap Clothes
Scored yourself an interview for an office job but don’t have the appropriate outfit? Check out the options at Factory Outlets, such as DFO in Sydney’s Homebush, which have designer pieces with prices significantly slashed. If you don’t mind the treasure trawling of a garage sale scroll through the national listings on www.gumtree.com.
HOW TO…
Get Cheap Gear
Camping, hiking and other travel equipment that needs replacing or you forgot to bring can be pricey. Wait for the sales, which usually happen at the end of each season (four times a year). Kathmandu especially, often has lots of good stuff as cheap as 50 per cent off. Army disposal stores too are worth a peak too, for things like boots, tents and sleeping bags.
HOW TO…
Get Cheap Photos
Just returned from a multi-day group tour and want some good momentos of the group? Instead of all of you paying to burn your pics to a CD, chip in for one person to do it, then share them on Facebook, or via email.
HOW TO…
Watch Cheap Films
Most major cinema chains sell cheaper tickets on “tight-ass Tuesdays” (some bowling alleys and other venues do similar). Also, have a look at www.enterthebargain.com.au for one-off movie deals – or, if you know of a bargain to enter, you could win two free cinema tickets from the website.
HOW TO…
Save Up
Trying to save for that roadtrip? Take only enough dosh to the pub for three drinks and borrow some good books/DVDs that keep you in of an evening. Arrange a direct debit from your bank account on pay day into a savings account (and transfer slightly more than you think you can afford) – you don’t even realise you’re missing the money after a while. Put all your loose change in a piggy bank. Before you know it you’ll have a couple of hundred bucks in change.
