Australian Mse / os websites?

Kylie

I would be very interested in something like MSE to be set up in Australia...

MindaJ

This Aussie has searched high and low for a free money saving site, and has come up with nothing. Hence my lurking here. There are a few parenting sites that have money saving aspects; I haven't been able to get too much use out of them as I'm not a parent but I'd imagine they'd be great for families.

Some general advice, though. A LOT of shops here have loyalty systems, usually free to join. Most of the ones I'm with have a system of sending you a voucher every quarter or yearly or whatever worth a percentage of what you've spent. Others give you rewards when you reach certain "targets". This is all shops, like supermarkets, clothing shops, cafes, book shops, kitchen shops, everything. And a lot of these shops also have great sales and specials. So ask everywhere!

There'll be noticeboards at shopping centres that will advertise second hand things, garage sales etc. Also newspapers have this kind of info, and you can read them at libraries, online if you don't want to by. Some councils have their own free papers as well. Ask around and you'll find out if, where and when the markets are.

Get junk mail! That's where the catalogues are, and in my area it's where we get the coupon booklet as well. Check online for almost any shop you're planning on going to and you'll find some kind of catalogue there.

Most phone places have deals like the one mentioned above - I pay $29 a month and get $150 worth of credit. You can also package your home phone, mobile phone, internet, or any combination of for a discount with a lot of places. Do your research before you sign anything. There are some shops that cater to all companies, so instead of, say, going into vodafone and having them push you to go with them, then going to Telstra and having you go with them, these shops will compare across them all so it's less bewildering.

Most dvd rental places have a certain day of the week where everything is reduced. Same for cinemas in some areas. You can also buy dvds exrental at these outlets for much cheaper than shops. Restaurants are often cheaper at lunch. If you shop at a supermarket, save the receipt. There's often vouchers printed on the back.

It's not a whole website, but it'll help you find your feet hopefully!

AussieLass

There is a new website started up recently that might be of benefit to you. I haven't joined but it could help you.

If you go to SMS Pup you can have free txts from your computer. You get emails and you get points if you click on them. I've been using the site for years and it's fab.

HTH

thisuseridistakenagain

I havent found anything, but find that there are a lot less bargains over here than when i was in the UK! I'm going to start a campaign for a homebargains oz.

Make sure you find a good two dollar store!

Kiwisaver_2

Distinct lack if anything like that over this side of the world and with way less choice, so there's very little competition or indeed internet shopping it doesn't give the bargain hunter many opportunities. Most of our shops are Aussie chains, so I don't think it's hugely different there. I still buy things via the UK, especially books as they are so much more expensive here and even with paying the postage it works out cheaper.

I think you will find people naturally live more OS lives without having to try and its just par for the course. It's deeply entrenched, people cook and bake with local and seasonal produce and certainly here in NZ you will often hear it said that we're like the UK of 30 years ago. It's not quite 'that' bad!

There just aren't the convenience products and cheap and rubbishy food options here. Nothing at all in the way of chilled type ready meals, a few McCains frozen 'snacks' like Macaroni cheese that are mostly vile. But if you walked into a shop and asked for prepared mashed potato it would be deemed absolutely absurd. Things are creeping in slowly though, with things like ready made fresh soups, hot cooked chickens and bagged salads now on sale that certainly weren't around when we cane here 4 years back.

Good luck with your move!!

mhagster

just wondering if OP had any luck in finding any MSE -like sites in Oz.
have just moved here and I'm missing my bargainous shopping in UK!

rosieben

my dd moved to oz 3 years ago and she still misses her bargains too;

one thing she likes - I cant remember the name - is the day each month or so when they can put unwanted items of furniture etc out on the pavement and others can help themselves to anything they would like - that's how they acquired a desk and basketball hoop for dgd

Rhonda Jean at Down to Earth is also a guest writer at Simple, Green, Frugal Co-op

eta, there's a very good forum at Down to Earth too

shebrett

Go out on a Tuesday in most australian cities when a lot of places do discounts, half price meals, movies etc .....also known locally as "tight a$$ tuesday"!

pixie1

Hi,

No i havent found anything anywhere near as good as mse since been in Oz, I do go on down to earth from time to time but i always end up back here

Pix