Following a horror year of floods and rain for produce growers, it’s no surprise that many of our favourite fruits and veggies are a lot more expensive than they used to be. However, there are some ways you can reduce your fruit and veg costs. The first is to buy produce that is currently season.

Websites like Sustainable Table can help you see what’s in season and plan your shop accordingly. You could also consider growing your own fruit and veg.

For pantry staples, bulk buys are also usually cheaper per unit than buying smaller packages. If you have the budget and space, buying pantry items in larger packages or in bulk when on sale could save you a lot of money in the long run.

Your National Seniors membership gives you access to a wide range of useful discounts on everyday items, gift cards, house and home products and services, travel and entertainment, food and beverage, health and wellness, and more. 

If you hold one or more government concession cards, you could potentially be entitled to concessions you aren’t aware of. 

Try the National Seniors Concessions Calculator to find out what you may be eligible.

While most of us can’t do much about fuel consumption, there are ways you can ensure you’re getting the best deal.

Where you can, try and time your refill to the bottom of the current fuel cycle. 

You can view where the fuel cycle is at in your state’s capital city via the ACCC website.

You can also get a real-time view of petrol prices in your area through state  government fuel price comparison websites or apps, or third-party apps like Petrol Spy, MotorMouth, Fuel Map Australia, and ServoTrack. 

The accuracy of the pricing on third-party apps can vary, so check reviews and trial it to see if it works for you.

If you like to take advantage of weekly grocery sales and deals, you don’t need to pore through catalogues to see who has the best deals. Apps like Half Price and Frugl make it easy to compare cost of essentials across different stores, so you can make the most of the sale prices and plan your supermarket trip accordingly.

Most of us will be familiar with rewards programs and if you’re not already using them, they could help you save money.

Many of these rewards programs will allow you to cash in your rewards points for money to spend in store, flights, or other benefits.

Among the biggest are Flybuys and Everyday Rewards. Both have regular bonus points deals you can take advantage of to boost your points balance, and don’t forget to take advantage of linking your card to its partner frequent flyer program.

If you like to shop online, programs like Cashrewards and Shopback can help you find discounts and rewards at stores and vouchers, buy online, and most importantly, get cashback for purchasing through them.

Cashback varies by retailer but you can expect an average of 3% to 4% cash back (sometimes even as high as 18%).

One pitfall of these programs is the temptation to ‘spend more to earn more’. It can also take a while for your cash back to get processed, so it could be weeks or even months before you see it in your account. So, just keep those in mind before you sign up.

You don’t have to sign up to a cash back program to access discounts either.

There are lots of useful discount apps out there that can help you secure a great deal.

For dining out, you can access deals and order online through apps like Eat Club or Bring Me Home. 

Other apps like Groupon can help you save across a broad range of categories including food, hotels, travel, shopping, event, technology, and more.

If you haven’t refinanced your mortgage in a while, you may be paying more interest than you need to be. Switching loan providers could mean a big difference in how much interest you pay over the long term.

Take into consideration any exit fees that may apply from your current bank, annual fees and charges for joining a new bank, and any incentives they may offer to switch.

It’s a good rule of thumb to review your electricity, internet, phone, and insurance at least once a year to make sure you’re getting the best deal possible. Many providers offer gift card or cashback incentives to get you to open an account with them. It’s also worth checking if your current provider is willing to match a competitor’s offer.

The federal government’s Energy Made Easy website can help you compare energy plans, while websites like Canstar can be a good starting point for comparing broadband, mobile, and insurance plans.

This article is featured in the Spring 2022 issue of National Seniors Australia’s quarterly member magazine, Our Generation. 

Become a member today and receive four free hard copy issues of Our Generation (valued at $39.80) a year as part of your membership, along with exclusive discounts, competitions, branch membership and more! 

Your membership directly funds our advocacy and research work that benefits older Australians including fixing pension poverty, tackling health care costs, and improving aged care.