What can't you do: in a day, a week, a month?

What can't you do?


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I was watching an outdate Oprah the other day and it was asked these questions, I know for sure I often don't spend money on days, I don't eat out anyways, but unfortunately as in denial as I am, I cannot go a week without using my credit card :(

What other ideas people have done to save their money or make their buck go the distance further?
 
can't go a week without using the credit card ... but i think that's okay because i use it to pay "everything" - supermarket, petrol station, bunnings, all utilities/rates/bills - but pay it off at the end of every month.

don't think that is a vice really.
 
I pre pay all my personal expenses on the Visa each month (pay day). I also pay all my IP expenses on the card, so I can't go a week without using it.
200,000 points plus make me want to use it even more, as long as I never go into the red (which I've not done).
 
I regularly go without spending for days at a time as I will buy food on the weekend and then have it all week and don't really need to spend it on anything else. The no credit card thing is easy too as I hardly use mine. On the other hand, the no dining out thing would break me!
 
1. I don't have a credit card & never will get one.
2. I make my lunch every day for work & eat home made dinners (Thanks to mum).
3. Put petrol in my car whenever it is cheaper. Usually on wednesdays for me.
4. Ive made sure all my accounts and home loans don't have any fees attached to them.
5. Pay for everything in cash and get it at an discount for doing so.
6. Never pay anyone to do work for you if you can do it yourself, all it takes is hard work - Ive been brought up to think like that.
7. May sound wacked out to some but meh buy your meat in bulk from the a butchers retail. I can't for the life of me understand why people pay so much at wollies/coles/ your local butcher etc. You can argue all you wan't that it's just convenient to your lifestyle and you don't have time to go but to me thats a load of BS! Make the time. Get up an hour earlier from bed if you have to! Same goes for fruit and veg!
8. Lots of other little things that i won't go into but to me all the above and much much more in the end all adds up and over x amount of years will save you thousands!
 
CC - no problems.
Shopping - often go out and buy nothing, spend nothing.

Take away or eating out - easily go a week or two without it, but a whole month might be a stretch. I possibly could do it, but why would I want to?
 
Nikolina - I get where you are coming from with regards to the time issue, but as someone with 3 little children I would disagree. We tried to do the grocery shopping today *haven't done one in over a month, due to lack of time*. Unfortunately, we only got the meat and vegies part done, we ran out of time to buy everything else - because the kids were tired, hungery and playing up. Not sure when we will be able to find the time to finish the shopping - we already get up at between 5-6am (when the kids wake up), only just managed to get the 2yr old and the baby asleep 15mins ago, and need to go to bed now myself because in 3hrs I will need to wake up and feed the baby. No time during the day because of work, kids and other commitments + we only have one car and I have yet to get my lisence. Probably have to wait for next weekend now - fingers crossed I will get my lisence on friday...
 
2yos don't sleep. Its not in their contract. To quote my 2yo "No! Do not want to go to bed! Nononononono!" but she's brilliant at the supermarket, she recognises what foods we usually buy and she loads the trolley for us and is uncannily accurate. I tried to get the 9yo to get the cordial for us in the supermarket the other day and she stood there for 5 minutes and couldn't work out which one we get, so she's no use. She couldn't even remember the colour or flavour and we've been getting the same brand/flavour for 4 years straight!

I can't go without using my CC because virtually every bill comes off it automagically whenever it feels like it. Its a debit visa. I don't have any qualms. My partner pays for the food and one mortgage, tenants pay the other mortgage, I pay for everything else.
 
My Credit Card is in constant use. It is a handy tool and I would be lost without it. Mind you, it is always paid in full, so I don't pay interest on it. I would also be lost without the occasional meal out. We probably have a nice meal out about once a week.
 
not exactly on topic but I've been a convert to coles online for shopping. this is a time saving more than a $, but it means there's always food in the house (less takeaway), gets delivered to my front door and I get at least another 1 1/2 hours of my life back a week. once you set up your shopping lists, you can browse ALL the specials (buy in bulk if you like as someone else brings it to your door) and make some savings there and just use a standard/seasonal or some other personalised shopping list for the rest. there's other companies that do it too.

another good one for finding discounts - www.ozbargain.com.au - they have a forum there if you're after something specific.
 
like many others I use the CC for everything, pay it in full and collect a few hundred in gift cards each year from the rewards program. Oprah's show is over-simplified and ignores this particular subset of credit card users.

Here's a good one - fuel vouchers. A bit obvious right? But I've seen people turn their noses up at them. Some think those petrol stations are watering down the fuel and will only go to a non-voucher station (BP). Others will happily go to participating stations but just don't want to be seen using a voucher!
 
Credit card companies just love people who don't pay off their card each month. Used properly it is major wealth tool.

1 Leave all bills until the day they are due.
2 Pay on the due date with a high interest card with a great frequent flyer program. (this could be a few weeks after the bill arrives)
3 Pay off the credit card in full on the due date (a few more weeks)
4 Make sure you have kept the money in your offset account (saving interest)
5 Every year have a free holiday on the FF points :)

This strategy takes discipline but really does work.

P.S. I hope my wife reads this!!
 
I dont use petrol vouchers

Here's a good one - fuel vouchers. A bit obvious right? But I've seen people turn their noses up at them. Some think those petrol stations are watering down the fuel and will only go to a non-voucher station (BP). Others will happily go to participating stations but just don't want to be seen using a voucher!

I'm one of those people who dont use fuel vouchers. Not because I turn my nose up at them though.

Where I live there are 2 petrol stations, both independantly owned and both very close to the prices at the discount station most times within 2 cents. To get to a petrol station that takes vouchers I have to drive about 20 mins.Admitantly I could use them by going slightly out of my way to/from work but I dont for the following reasons.

1. If I and others who live where I do dont use the local independants, what will happen when they go out of business - I'll have to drive 20 mins to get to the discount petrol station. The local is on my way, walking distance and they know me and my family by name.

2. The locals give great competetive service with other parts of their business eg: tyres " Its time to get your tyres rotated, just drop in and we'll do it for you (free)". They have told me that they dont make any money on their petrol. They make money on the drinks, chips and extra services etc.

3. My car takes 52 litres as do most average cars. Now if I absolutely run it dry I can only get a maximum of 4 cents x 52 off my petrol = $2.08....................... When I did use these discount stations, sometimes I would have to wait for 15 minutes or more to get to a bowser. So to see if it is worth my time, I multiply $2.08 x 4 (four lots of 15 minutes) to see what it actually costs me in my time and that is $8.32. I earn far far more than that an hour. Actually, if my local independant is only 2 cents a litre dearer, my saving would now only be $1.04 and my hourly "rate" $4.16.

Not worth it really when you are time poor.

I just wonder what will happen to the "discounted" price when these stations put all the independants out of business. Its an old business practice................put prices at cost or below for as long as it takes to put your competitors out of business.... then... charge what you like for your product. Maybe I'm too cynical but petrol companies have been known to colude with each other on pricing before............
:D

I live in the Newcastle area and we pay around 15 to 20 cents a litre more than Sydney. It would be far better if I could get a "pay Sydney fuel prices" voucher.:D
 
Don't use fuel vouchers. unfortunately, you cann't when you pay with a fuel card - which is part of our salary sacrifice. Oh well, at least the fuel is purchased with pre-tax $$ ;)
 
I just wonder what will happen to the "discounted" price when these stations put all the independants out of business. Its an old business practice................put prices at cost or below for as long as it takes to put your competitors out of business.... then... charge what you like for your product.

I agree ... Can anyone say B-b-b-b-b-b-bunnings?:D
 
I ticked all. I'm not a spender. In fact I realised that I forgot to buy any clothes last year. Meant to go in June for the sales but next thing I knew it was July and I missed them. I don't have time in Nov and Dec and I'm away in January so miss those sales too. Not including groceries I can go months without spending.

I put everything on the credit card but I don't need to and I pay it off each month so using a credit card for me is not a negative thing. I use the credit points to get fuel cards so I rarely pay for fuel (I don't drive far to work).

We don't eat out a lot and takeaway would be less than once a month anyway.
 
I can do points one and three EASILY.

I actually prefer to be home with my family for meals. Not to say we don't go out; we do, but I can take it or leave it.

Prefer to go around to a friends' house for a barbie and few sherbets.

Point 2 - we intentially use the card for as many purchases as we possibly can to accumulate points, but pay it off in full every month.
 
1. Yes

2. Yes on personal card (No for visa on business expenses -pd off every month)

3. No, but mostly because we get frequent invites to lunches and dinners, especially in summer. Takeaways are becoming rarer in this household and are usually limited to school holidays when there are a few kids over for sleepovers.
 
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