With interest rates still steadily on the rise and the costs of groceries and fuel continuing to climb, families across Perth are naturally beginning to tighten their purse strings. Big changes are being made to household spending habits so that families can ‘weather the storm’.
But there are ways that Perth families can ‘survive’ Australia’s ongoing cost of living crisis without making too many drastic changes. In fact, with a bit of strategic planning and collective effort, your family should be able to enjoy all your existing But making amendments in order to ‘survive’ Australia’s ongoing cost of living crisis doesn’t mean that your family can’t find ways to thrive too.
Here are just a few ways that your family can stay spend-savvy without having to make too many sacrifices.
Reassess your household buying habits
There are ways to amend your household budget without having to give up on the things that you enjoy with your family. You can still enjoy things like brunch on the weekends or an ice cream cone after a footy match. You just have to change the way you handle these expenses as well as making small amendments to your finances as well.
Reassessing your household buying and spending habits can truthfully be as simple as opening up a new savings account, signing up for rewards cards with your favourite retailers, or even looking into credit cards with no annual fee. So long as you’re using the smart spending opportunities available to you, you should find it a lot easier to adhere to a strict monthly budget with your family without having to feel like you’re counting every penny.
Start meal prepping with the kids
Meal prepping is one of the top money-saving tips that other parents have to share when it comes to sticking to a monthly or weekly budget. This age-old money-saving tactic generally involves getting all your grocery shopping done at the beginning of the week and preparing all your meals on a Sunday evening.
Believe it or not, but the practice of meal prepping can actually be something that the whole family enjoys. You just have to introduce it as a fun weekend practice that you can do with the kids. Let the kids come grocery shopping with you on a Sunday afternoon and select some of their own grocery items or perhaps even plan their own meals for the week ahead. If they want spaghetti and meatballs, then let them grab some pasta and mince off the shelves at your local supermarket.
And if you do ever get a little sick and tired of your own home-cooked meals, then remember that there are still plenty of restaurants and cafes around Perth where kids can eat for free. So feel free to break up your week’s worth of meals at any of these local eateries.
Buy your non-perishables in bulk
Making bulk purchases for your household is another great way to keep your overall weekly or monthly expenses low without having to go without. So if something is available in bulk packs for your family to enjoy, we strongly recommend that you consider making those purchases – especially if the items or goods are used by your household fairly frequently anyway.
The only caution we’ll give for buying items in bulk is just making sure that you’re thinking critically about bulk-buying perishable goods, these being grocery items like breads, fresh produce, or other items that have a clear expiration date. If you don’t think your family can finish these food products before the expiration date swings round then it’s best to err on the side of caution and avoid buying these items in bulk.
On the other hand, grocery items like canned or powdered soups, canned fruits and vegetables, long-life milk, and other less perishable items can be purchased in bulk with ease and stored until they’re ready to be used by your family. You should also consider buying household items like toilet paper, soaps, and perhaps even toothpaste, and shampoos and conditioners in bulk.
Keep on top of your household energy consumption
With the cost of groceries and petrol on the rise, it’s only safe to assume that your utility rates are also on the incline, so it will certainly pay to keep a close eye on your household’s energy and water usage. Get your kids into the habit of turning off lights whenever they leave a room, and keeping doors and windows shut when the heating is on in the house, just to make sure that your home appliances aren’t running unnecessarily.
We also recommend shopping around for a better deal on your family’s utilities, including electricity, gas, and even your internet provider. Check the rates that are currently available through your household energy supplier and compare them to other providers. In doing so, you may be able to find some better deals that allow your family to run the heating a little longer without having to pay an arm and a leg come your household’s next quarterly bill.
Take advantage of off season travel deals
Finally, you and your family can still enjoy a good family getaway – even in the face of a cost of living crisis. You just need to find some good travel deals that allow you and your family to live it up on vacation without having to break the bank in the process.
One of the best ways of doing this is just taking full advantage of any off season or off peak travel deals that are available to you. These could be interstate travel packages, international packages, or even just local deals on family-friendly accommodation. So go hunting, and look for a few travel opportunities that excite you and the kids. Even if your family trips are scheduled to fall within the school term to avoid school holiday price hikes, I’m sure the little ones definitely won’t mind!
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As you can see, keeping your household thriving during a cost of living crisis does take a combined effort, but this effort doesn’t have to be strenuous. It can be fun and may even provide new opportunities for family bonding, both during the crisis as well as once it finally does come to an end. And most importantly, setting up these savvy spending habits now can help your kids maintain them as a standard practice over the rest of their lives. Instilling the value of money and the power of saving at this young age can only set them up for a lifetime of smart consumer habits.
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