15 top tips for saving money this winter, according to the older generation

Inspired by the wisdom of seniors, we have collected all the best tips for saving money this winter, as backed by generations of evidence. 

It’s no secret that cost of living has gone up. With so many factors impacting inflation – from the war in the Ukraine to COVID and floods – many are challenged by the rising price of groceries, petrol and services such as electricity.

But this way of living isn’t new to everyone. At Feros Care, many of our clients are used to living on a budget, having gone through many different stages of life and many different world events.

We wanted to ask Gran, not Google for the best advice. So we crowd sourced the very best tips for saving money, even throughout the colder months, and
have included them below.

Thank you to those that contributed their ideas!

Note: Got a budget tip to share with us? Email us at [email protected] and we’ll add it to the list.

Groceries and food

“Look in your pantry, fridge and freezer, and see if you can create meals from what’s already in there. Then work out a meal planner for the week, only buying what you really need.” – Sue

“Shopping for groceries online, using click and collect, is a lifesaver! It ensures you stick to your budget and stops you from impulse buying in the shops if you walk past something that’s discounted or that you want.” – Troy

“Bulk up the meals that you’re buying, then freeze half of it to stock up on food. For example, you can cook a corned beef, then add a ‘soup mix’ of green peas, yellow and red lentils – that instantly turns a meal for two
people into a meal for four people. Then you can just defrost and eat in future.” – Mel

“Buy what’s in season or plentiful to save money. If you’re not sure, don’t be embarrassed. Go to your local fruit and veg grocer and they will be more than happy to tell you.” – Jane

“It’s so simple, but my grandparents always share a tea bag. Why use up two if you can make two cups of tea with the same one? Little things like that go a long way.” – Simon

Staying warm

“Get your steps up and walk or bike to places rather than driving. Good for exercise and saves on fuel!” – Frank

“Do some physio exercises. Our allied health team can always help with that for clients.” – Kerry

“If you have the heater on in a room, make sure you are keeping the warmth in with a door snake or even putting an old towel against the cracks in the doors or the windows.” – Mel

“Before you turn up the dial on the thermostat, just take a minute to put on another jumper, some socks, some extra layers of clothing. It certainly does the trick in a lot of cases.” – Jack

Saving and finance tips

“My grandmother spent her whole life giving us the following advice: ‘You have to split your income into thirds. One part for expenses and running cost of living, one part savings, one part fun.”  – Russell

“I used to work with a financial planner, who said that saving is easy. Any time you are going to buy something, just ask yourself, ‘do I really need that?’” – Grace

 “Use an app to check on how you can save money in different places. There’s an app called Half-Price, for example, which lists which products are half-price in the supermarkets each week. Or the NSW Fuel Check app, or Petrol Spy, to
check on where fuel prices are cheapest. Or Shopback to get money back on anything you’re buying while online shopping.” – Natalie