Saving Money Without Reducing Quality: Food, Clothes, Shoes, Housing, And Other Necessities

NOTE: I Am Giving My Personal Opinion.
Nothing, I Write, Is To Be Taken As Financial Advice.
Or, As A Substitute For Financial Advice.

Saving money does not mean being a cheapskate and always buying the cheapest.

Think of the quality and the overall lifetime cost of the product.
Better quality clothes and shoes, you pay twice as much for, can last 4 times as long; and, you are wearing better clothes and shoes.

With both rising interest rates, and rising inflation, more and more people are feeling financial stress.
It certainly did not help, when people were told in 2022, that interest rates would not rise until 2024, and any inflation would only be temporary.

More debt = higher interest rates.
I do not think that Governments can borrow 1 trillion dollars, in an economy the size of Australia’s, and not cause a rise in interest rates.
Fortunately, the more astute, used that money to invest or to pay off their personal debt.

More money, fewer goods = inflation.
I do not think that Governments can use a lot of that money, to pay a lot of productive people to stay home and not produce anything, and not cause inflation.

So, now, the politicians have caused your problems, what can you do?

Increase Income Or Reduce Expenditure?

Income is taxed.
Money saved is tax-free.
$100 saved could be equivalent to a $200 increase in income.

What Are Your Necessities?

Food

Good food is very important for your health.
And.
Keeping healthy is a very important part of saving money; and, so lowering your cost of living.
So.
Do not skimp on food.

For a healthy diet, I include:

1: fresh raw fruit;
2: fresh, raw or lightly cooked in water, vegetables, including some green vegetables;
3: fresh, raw nuts or peanuts;
4: some animal-products, such as low-fat Cow’s milk.

I buy quality, at a reasonable price.

Asian Grocery Shops, can be much cheaper.
For fruit, vegetables, nuts, peanuts, other seeds, seaweed, herbs and spices.

Indian Grocery Shops, can be much cheaper.
For Cow’s milk yoghurt in 5 kg containers, nuts, peanuts, other seeds, wholemeal flour in 5kg and 10 kg bags, herbs and spices.

Markets, can be much cheaper.
Especially, during the last hour before closing time.
For fruit, vegetables, nuts, peanuts, other seeds, herbs, spices.
Even cheaper in 10 kg and 20 kg boxes and bags.

Supermarkets.
Look for Specials and Home Brands.

Instead Of Takeaway Food

Quicker and healthier to have some raw fruit or vegetables; with some nuts, peanuts, Cow’s milk or yoghurt.

Clothes

Buy quality clothes that are comfortable; durable; you will enjoy wearing; and, will not go out of fashion.

I like natural fibres.
Such as Sheep’s wool, cotton, bamboo.
As well as, viscose, rayon, and some others, that are made from the cellulose in wood-chips.

Any time, on entering a shop.
First, look at the discount section.

Also, buy Winter clothes at Summer Sales.
Summer clothes at Winter Sales.

End of season sales.
End of financial year sales.

Shoes

Similar to clothes.
Buy quality shoes that are comfortable; durable; you will enjoy wearing; and, will not go out of fashion.

Shoes, you pay twice as much for, can last 4 times as long.
And, you are wearing better quality shoes.

I like black shoes with black soles as they do not show the dirt.

On entering a shop.
First, look at the discount section.

Presents

Anything you bought, and find you do not want, can be kept in new condition, in the original packaging, and used as presents.

Books

You can Download my Free Ebooks from:
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/LactoVegan

Transport

Exercise.
Walking, running.

Public Transport.
Live near safe, reliable, fast, frequent, public transport, like a train station.

Internet and Telephone

I use prepaid.
More expensive but no bill-shock.

Computer Software

I use FOSS, [Free Open Source Software], for everything.
Including Word Processing, writing ebooks and PDFs, doing spreadsheets, editing photos, internet ...

I use the Ubuntu Operating System, which is free from: https://ubuntu.com

Ubuntu comes with all the free software, you might ever need, already installed.
Such as Free Security, LibreOffice, Firefox Web Browser, ...

I just add GIMP Graphics and Foliate Ebook Reader.

All you need to do is, click on Software Updater, every time you connect to the internet.
And, Software Updater will update everything, including your security. operating system, and programs.

Instead Of Gambling

Casinos and Betting Agencies set the odds so they win and you lose.

Sometimes, you can win at gambling.
But, overall, you will lose more than you win.

If you are addicted.
Install a computer program and lose your money to yourself.
FOSS, free open source, of course.

Cards.
Play 500 or Bridge, for the skill.
Instead of Poker, for the gambling.

Instead Of Smoking, Alcohol, Other Drugs

Do you really need them?
Best not to start.

If you are addicted.
Change your world-view from that of an addict to that of a non-addict.
There are other ways to get high, happy, or to distract yourself.

Instead Of Gym

Make some weights to use at home.

Do some balance exercises, such as standing on one foot, while putting on and taking off, your shoes and socks.
And, some flexibility exercises.

A Place To Live

Go home to your parents.
Share a house or apartment.

Become a housekeeper, but do not let anyone exploit you.
Value your time versus what you are getting.

Make a deal.
Like sharing a house.
But, for example, you keep the house clean and tidy, the garden neat and tidy, in return for a free room.

But, be very careful, who you get.

A Note For People With Credit Cards

Every dollar, you spend on interest; is 1 less dollar, you can spend on what you want.

I Do Not Have Any Credit Cards

I have Debit Cards.
For security on the internet, I have a separate Debit Card, to pay for things, such as URLs, on the internet. I only keep a few hundred dollars, on this Debit Card, in case it gets hacked.

A Note For Homeowners With Extreme Mortgage Stress

This is my personal opinion.
My personal opinion is not to be taken as financial advice.
Or, as a substitute for financial advice.

You could go home to your parents; share a house; or, move to a State Forest.
And, get a tenant for your house.

This way, you could get extra income from the rent.
And, your interest on your home-loan, as well as maintenance and repairs, could become tax-deductible.

You will probably need to officially change your residential address, on your driver’s license, for the Tax Office to give you a tax-deduction.

And, tell your money-lender, who might now classify your home-loan as an investment-loan.

As well as, tell your insurance company.

More Information

You can download my Vegetarian Information Center PDFs from:
https://VegetarianInformation.com

Including, “Humane, Sustainable, Healthy Commercial Cow’s Milk, Sheep’s Wool, And Hen’s Eggs; From Free-Range, Cattle, Sheep, And Poultry, Treated As Pets”.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pQRjqK7Df5f9NGRQA81M_W5w_hQXJvDP/view