I’m always looking for ways to save money to spend on things I know I will love. I’ve said it before, and I will say it again, I thank my mother for teaching me the skills I have today regarding money.

There are a few things I have been doing for years that have easily saved me up to $10,000 each year. It doesn’t sound like much, but over five years I could have saved up to $50,000!

Below are ten steps to minimise your expenses and save more money:

1. Use your Birthday as an excuse to get free things

Take note of places that offer birthday deals; I’ve signed up to various offerings including free meals and experiences. Typically I enjoy 1-3 meals per week for free during my birthday month. This allows me to celebrate my birthday for an entire month and not only for a day.

2. Sell unwanted items on Gumtree and eBay

I’ve been selling online for over ten years. Everything I’ve had to get rid of has been sold on Gumtree or eBay, very rarely do I throw things out. When I buy items of value (especially high-end designer items), I keep their receipts and any other collateral that will help me sell the item later on. This allows me to continually refresh my wardrobe and personal items each season without having to finance it entirely from my pocket.

3. List your services on Gumtree

Everyone has a skill they can sell, find out what yours is and list it on Gumtree as a service. I always have several listings on Gumtree for my Digital Marketing services. For every five people that contact me via Gumtree, I manage to secure a project.

4. Learn how to negotiate prices

From my experiences prices are negotiable 85-90% of the time. You never know what you can get if you don’t ask. Even full priced items in retail stores can be negotiated, especially if you show them the same item for less somewhere else. I’m not saying you need to be rude about this but use your common sense, and if you feel you can negotiate the price, give it a try, you have nothing to lose, and the retail shop will be happy because they sold an additional item. Warning: This strategy can be addictive, and you will soon find yourself rarely having to pay full price for anything again.

5. When possible buy on Amex or from Myer

For every $2200 I spend on Amex I receive about $40 back to spend. If I take into consideration that most of my living expenses are paid via Amex, I easily accumulate the $2200 in no time, which I always pay back on time each month; it’s an easy way to get a little back from the everyday expenses you’re going to pay for anyway. I already have to pay for my food, petrol, living expenses, etc. so why not pay them and get rewarded.

I loved Myer points and used what I accumulated last year to pay for a few Christmas presents. If you need to buy a product, and it’s available in Myer for a similar price – buy it from there to get your Myer points.

6. Get a money guy

If you are going to take advice from anyone about your money, you better be sure they have money themselves. I have a money guy who owns his company, and he looks at my finances every six months to see how I can better structure things to get more out of life.

If you go to the dentist and the doctor for checkups, why wouldn’t you go to someone for a finance and money check up?

7. Review your health insurance, electricity, the internet, phone, mortgage rates, etc. every 6-12 months

Besides having my money guy look over these things, I also do some of the legwork and review my fixed monthly and annual expenses. There is no harm in calling your service providers every 6-12 months to ask them what new offers they may have available. This step alone has saved me $1000’s of dollars, especially with my mortgages when I call demanding a better interest rate.

8. Never buy electronics full-price, buy second hand and under warranty

If I can, I avoid buying my electronics brand new. If I can’t find what I want second hand, under warranty, with its original boxes and paperwork, I buy it brand new. But my point is, try to get into the habit of looking for what you want online. You will be surprised at the savings you can make.

9. Buy items from retailers with incredible warranty policies

Some retailers offer an amazing warranty policy on their products. Take Lululemon and Bras and Things, for example; they replace items even without a receipt. Hence why I always buy my stuff from them. So always try buying from stores that offer a fantastic warranty – simple returns and exchanges not only make life easier but also save you money.

10. And finally, if you can, try not to buy on impulse or when emotional. You will always pay top dollar, and retailers love to market on your emotion.

If you have a personal tip, I would love to know. Leave it in the comment box below.

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