When people think about saving money to buy a home, they\u2019re usually focused solely on putting away a percentage of their pay packet.<\/strong><\/p>\n But there are easy ways to squirrel money away without even realising you\u2019re doing it.<\/p>\n And while they might seem like trivial amounts, add them all together over months and years and you\u2019re talking about thousands of dollars in savings, which you can then add to your house deposit or use to help pay off your home loan<\/a>.<\/p>\n This one could be called \u201cHow to spend money without even noticing it\u201d.<\/p>\n Ever checked your bank statement and noticed charges for subscriptions, apps or other recurring items that you\u2019d completely forgotten you were paying for?<\/p>\n Do you have recurring subscriptions you aren\u2019t aware of or have forgotten about? Picture: Getty<\/p>\n<\/div>\n A $5 weekly payment here and a $10 monthly payment there all adds up to hundreds of dollars each year that you could be saving if you took a couple of minutes to cancel them, according to RBK Advisory director Jason Robinson.<\/p>\n \u201cI actually found one recently where iTunes was charging me $10 a month for a Techwise subscription that I signed up for two years ago. It was effectively $240 I\u2019d paid and I\u2019d never even read one magazine of it,\u201d Robinson says.<\/p>\n Thinking about buying?: Calculate your borrowing power<\/strong><\/p>\n Some banks are now using new technology to help you put away small amounts of money as part of your everyday purchases.<\/p>\n If you buy something with your bank or debit card, some banks can now round up the price to the nearest dollar (or whatever parameter you set) and put that extra amount straight into your savings account.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you go and buy your $4.20 coffee, you can set it to round-up to the nearest dollar, and that extra 80 cents or however much it is goes straight across to your savings account,\u201d Robinson says.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s definitely a tech savvy, new age way of moving some money around without even noticing it.\u201d<\/p>\n Every time you turn on a light, switch on the heater or get in your car, you\u2019re paying for the privilege.<\/p>\n You only notice it when your bills arrive in the mail, of course, but what you might not realise is that you can almost certainly get a better deal than what you\u2019re currently paying.<\/p>\n Spending an hour or two reviewing your home loan interest rates, credit card interest rates and your utility rates and then demanding a better deal from your providers might not be the most inspiring way to spend an afternoon, but those providers will almost always come to the party, and you can then enjoy years of cheaper bills and savings without giving it a second thought.<\/p>\n We\u2019re all busy, and sometimes it\u2019s hard to think more than a day or two ahead, but buying ingredients and prepping your meals in one fell swoop each week is a surefire way to save you both time and plenty of money.<\/p>\n Preparing and cooking meals in bulk can become an enjoyable routine that could save your family hundreds each year. Picture: Getty<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cWe cook in bulk,\u201d Robinson says, \u201cand do a lot of meal prep on a Sunday so that for the whole week we\u2019ve got our meals planned and we\u2019re not buying takeaway meals during the week.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you\u2019re buying lunch every day, before you know it you\u2019re dropping $10 or $20 and spending more money than you realise by the end of the week.\u201d<\/p>\n No one likes lugging around spare change in their purse or wallet. So make a habit of emptying your coins and small notes into a jar or tin, and you\u2019ll be stunned at how quickly it adds up.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t spend coins or small amounts. Basically any time there are coins, they go into the coin tin, and whenever that fills up it gets taken to the bank and deposited into our rainy day savings account,\u201d Robinson says.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Realestate au <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Check your bank statements<\/h2>\n
![\"taking](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.realestate.com.au\/blog\/images\/2000x1500-fit%2Cprogressive\/2018\/05\/14145610\/taking-control-of-finances_2000x1500.jpg?resize=2000%2C1500&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\nUse tech to round up your purchases<\/h2>\n
Renegotiate your bills and insurance<\/h2>\n
Buy and cook in bulk<\/h2>\n
![\"bulk](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.realestate.com.au\/blog\/images\/1885x1414-fit%2Cprogressive\/2018\/05\/14145605\/bulk-cooking_2000x1500.jpg?resize=1885%2C1414&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\nChange your change habits<\/h2>\n