Life hacks for Aussie households

Small switches.
Real dollars.

Move the washing to midnight. Warm the bed, not the room. Turn the weekly shop into flights. Each hack below shows what it's worth in your pocket.

Work out my savingsJoin the chat ›
12am6am12pm6pm11pm
Off-peakCheap solar hoursShoulder / peak

Hack 01 · Off-peak power

Let the house work the night shift.

On a time-of-use or EV plan, power after midnight can cost less than half the evening rate. Set the delay timer and wake up to clean clothes and a full car.

EV plans often sit around 6–10c overnight.
Set to 0 if you don't drive electric.
You'd save about$0a year, just by changing when things run.
Petrol car, same km$0a week at 7L/100km, $1.95/L
EV charged after midnight$0a week
How to: use the "delay start" on your washer and dishwasher, or a $15 smart plug, and set it for 12:05am. Most EVs and chargers have a schedule setting in the app.

Hack 02 + 03 · Winter warmth

Warm the person, not the room.

A 2,000W heater drinks power all evening. An electric under-blanket uses about 60–100W, and a fleece pyjama set costs nothing to run. You feel warm the moment you put them on.

Most people find they barely need it.
Melbourne and Canberra: 120+. Brisbane: closer to 50.
You'd save about$0every winter, after the one-off cost of PJs and a blanket.
Heater, the old way$0per winter
Blanket + PJs + a little heater$0per winter
Pro move: switch the blanket on 30–60 minutes before bed, then off when you hop in. Add bed socks and a hot water bottle and you may not need the heater at all.

Hack 04 · Points stacking

Turn the weekly shop into a weekend away.

Scan your rewards card at the checkout, link it to Qantas Frequent Flyer, and pay with a card that earns points (paid off in full every month). The groceries cost the same, and the points pile up.

Everyday Rewards: 1 point per $1. 2,000 points convert to 1,000 Qantas Points.
Points per $1. Only worth it if rewards beat the annual fee.
Classic Reward flights usually land between 1c and 2c a point.
Qantas Points a year0worth about $0 in flights, with no change to what you buy.
Stack it: 1. scan the rewards card, 2. tap the points card, 3. watch for bonus-point weeks on things you'd buy anyway, 4. book Classic Rewards early for the best seats. Flybuys and Velocity work the same way at Coles.

More hacks

Pick the ones you'll actually do.

Tap a card to add it to your yearly total. Figures are rough estimates for a typical household.

Start now

Even a little grows.

Put a small amount aside each week into a high-interest savings account and let it compound.

In 10 years you'd have$0$0 put in, $0 earned in interest.

Spend well

Where money works hardest.

Saving is half the game. The other half is spending on things you use every day, for years. Divide the price by the number of uses and the "expensive" thing is often the bargain.

Gifts, the Aussie way

Big on fun. Small on spend.

Christmas lands in summer, so lean into it. These cost under $30 and get remembered longer than a gift card.

Grace, the author of Savey, smiling in sunglasses
Accountant Mum of a 2-year-old Chief saver

Meet the author

G'day, I'm Grace.

I'm an accountant, so yes, I really do love numbers. At home I'm a wife and mum to a busy two-year-old, and with a young family every dollar has a job.

These are the hacks that actually work in our house: the midnight washing, the electric blanket, the fleece PJs and the points that turn into holidays. I hope they make your life a little easier too.

At the end of the day, saving a small amount isn't about going without. It's about having more to enjoy the good stuff, with the people you love.

Numbers by dayToddler wrangler by nightFan of a good bargain
Have fun! Grace

The Arvo Yarn

Share your best hack.

Pick a critter, say g'day, and tell everyone what's saving you money. Give a good one a "Good on ya".

Loading the chat…
Your yearly win$0