We all want to improve our finances, whether it is making more, saving more, investing, achieving a big financial goal, clearing debt or similar, there are ways to make it easier.

Knowing how to be frugal, what side hustles to do and how to budget is only part of it.

There are also some key habits that can really help you propel your finances forward.

Here are 25 ways to improve your money in 2025.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.

1. Have a Clear Goal

What are you saving for/why do you want to improve your finances? 

Knowing what you want to achieve, having a way to track that and some visuals to keep you motivated will help you improve your finances faster. 

When you don’t know what you want and aren’t motivated to achieve it, it’s easy to waste time and money. 

Check out how to set and achieve goals for some ideas on how to do it. 

Also, how to get your family on board with saving money.

Whatever your goal is, be specific about it. Instead of saying “I want to reduce my debt”, pick a number you want to reduce it by. 

For example, if you have a $20,000 personal loan, paying it off in full this year might feel too difficult but reducing it by $10,000 might be more achievable. 

Especially if you use these tips to have an extra $10,000 in a year. 

Another one is saving for a car or a house deposit.

Be specific about what type of car or house, how much it will cost, when you want it by and find pictures of what you want plus a savings tracker to keep you motivated. 

2. Watch Your Energy and Time

Take note of how you feel at different times of the day, when you have more energy and how you spend your time. 

Being aware of your energy levels can help you plan your day and achieve more. 

It can also help you know when to avoid online shopping because your energy levels are depleted and you’re likely to spend more. 

Plan your days, side hustles, budget meetings and goals around your energy levels.

Also track how you spend your time and look for ways to improve it. 

Are you scrolling for hours because you’re exhausted? 

Research shows that will exhaust you further and there are many things you could do that will add value to your life instead. 

Recently, we heard the tip from Marie Forleo to “Create before you consume”.

Do something towards the life you want before scrolling on social media.

Maximise your mornings with a routine that works for you (you can find ours here).

For us, creating a healthy life is a priority so as soon as we wake, we drink water and do a workout.

This sets up our day perfectly and most of the time we get to meditate, workout as the sun is rising, journal and get the day sorted before everyone else is up.

Read Life Admin Hacks and Time Wise for tips on reducing mental load and maximising your time. 

18 time saving tips for busy mums will help you manage your time better too.

3. Maximise Income

There are only so many things you can do to reduce your expenses but there are many things you can do to make more money.

We put this after watching energy and time because you need to be aware of those two to see where you can maximise income. 

Increasing your income doesn’t need to mean having a bunch of side hustles and it doesn’t need to take more time away from your family or other hobbies. 

Look at these ways to double your income which include asking for a raise, upskilling for a higher-paying career, changing companies to get a raise etc. 

4. Consider a Side Hustle

Once you have increased your wage as much as possible or checked you are getting all the benefits you can if you are on Centrelink, look at extra income. 

What can you do that you would enjoy and bring in decent money? How much time and energy do you have to dedicate to a side hustle? 

Do not feel like you have to have a side hustle! We are not meant to work 24/7 or hustle hustle hustle. 

If you make enough to provide the lifestyle you want, you’re not struggling with debt and  you are able to plan for your retirement as well as emergencies, then you might not want to do a side hustle and that’s ok. 

If you are struggling financially and have some time and energy available, a side hustle could help you until you are back on your feet. 

Check out these side hustles for some ideas and easy ways to get started. Or look at the 5 easiest ways I’ve made money on the side or these 19 ways I’ve made money from home. 

Easy ones to get into are online surveys ($16hr with Octopus Group), mystery shopping (varies) and market research (usually $100hr). 

Reselling is an easy option where we make thousands a month. Check out our tips here. 

Freelance writing, virtual assistant, voiceover work, Airbnb or renting a room to a boarder, doing odd jobs on Airtasker etc. 

Starting your own business which you can do for under $100 is another option. 

Look at your skills, interests, experience and what you could do with those to make money. 

5. Create a Plan for Retirement and Maximise Everything

Retirement might feel forever away to you but the power of compound interest means the sooner you start maximising it, the more you will have. 

The Australian government has a co-contribution you might be eligible for which might not see like much but it does make a different long term.

Paying extra into your superannuation has tax benefits for most people as well. 

This is an area where professional advice can help you plan and get more. 

With your retirement plan, think about the lifestyle you want to maintain in retirement, things you might want to do, what your expenses are likely to be e.g. will you own a house or be renting? Medical and aged care expenses etc. 

It doesn’t matter if you don’t know the exact details such as where you will live but you do need a plan and to be putting aside money to make it happen. 

Read how to become a millionaire even as a single mum.

6. Learn how to Reduce Your Tax

Knowing what you can claim due to your occupation or business is a crucial step to reducing tax but it’s not the only one. 

There are numerous ways you can reduce your taxable income which also increase your net worth, set up your retirement and improve your lifestyle. 

Again, this is an area worth exploring with a professional to ensure you get the right advice for your situation. 

Check out how to make your tax return go further.

7. Start Investing or Increase Investing

Investing is about planning making your money work for you and increasing what you have so if you haven’t started, decide how you want to invest and start this year. 

If you already invest, how can you increase it this year?

Investing does have some risk so make sure you have done your research or gotten professional advice and aren’t investing blindly. 

Whether you choose to invest in business, real estate, shares or similar depends on your risk tolerance level and your future plans. 

Books we love for investing include The Simple Path to Wealth and Quit Like A Millionaire.

8. Create and Stick to a Budget and Automate What You Can

Budgeting doesn’t need to be difficult, it is essentially telling your money where to go before you get it and ensuring you live below your means. 

If you are spending more than you earn, you need to review your finances thoroughly and if it truly is that you don’t earn enough, look at ways to make more money.

Read how to create a budget and stick to it as well as how to live on a budget as a single parent/on a single income. 

Knowing what’s coming in, the expenses you have over the year and things you need to plan for in the future makes money much simpler.

Automating what you can makes it even easier. The article How to get rich being lazy with money explains this well.

Set up automatic payments for your bills, savings, debt and money into an account for investing as soon as your money comes in.

This way it’s gone before you even think about it and you are less likely to spend it unnecessarily.

9. Regular Budget Meetings to Review Your Finances and Goals

Every week do a review of your finances and goals to see if you are on track and if you need to make any changes. 

We call them abundance meetings because it feels wealthier and happier than budget meetings. 

If you don’t want to do them weekly, at least aim for a monthly check in.

It is much easier to make small adjustments as soon as you see you need to rather than have to make large adjustments because you didn’t pay attention. 

The regular budget meeting, sticking to our plan and keeping an emergency fund mean when these things happen, we are ready. 

10. Learn to Rest

Being constantly on the go leads to burn out, health issues, and relationship breakdown and isn’t how you want to live. 

Learn to take time to rest and make time for yourself to do the things you enjoy. 

This could mean you need to look at your sleep routine to improve it. 

It might be blocking an hour out each day or time on a Sunday to do what you want. 

Putting yourself last, not prioritising your health and not learning to rest and recover can be extremely expensive in the long run. 

Take care of yourself. 

11. Clear Debt

Do what you can to clear your debt so you have more money available to save, invest and live life your way. 

Read these tips to easily reduce debt, deal with debt collectors and improve your finances.

Debt is debilitating and is a way of robbing your future self. 

Often when we have debt, it can prevent us from jumping on other opportunities. 

Choose a method e.g the snowball or avalanche method and do what you can to reduce and eventually clear your debt. 

The feeling of freedom once it’s done is incredible. 

12. Plan Your Year in Quarters

Switching from annual planning to quarterly planning made a huge difference with all our goals but especially our finances. 

By splitting the year into quarters and having a specific focus for each, the timeframe was shorter and we worked harder to achieve it. 

This is explained well in the 12 Week Year and how the psychology of treating each quarter as it’s own year motivates you more. 

By having 12 weeks instead of 12 months to work towards something, you monitor it closer and are highly motivated. 

Most people achieve more in the final quarter of the year than the entire rest of the year. 

If you’re treating each quarter as it’s own year, you have less time to achieve it so tend to waste less time.

13. Negotiate for Better Deals

Either compare online or call your service providers directly and ask for a better deal. 

Most companies offer sign-up bonuses or incentives to switch.

You can save thousands a year by reviewing all your expenses and getting better rates. 

This goes for everything from your mortgage and loans to insurance, internet, phones, electricity, gas, all of it. 

There are government websites to help with this such as EnergyMadeEasy for gas and electricity and this site for private health insurance.

Don’t pay your renewals, get a fresh quote and compare as you might save hundreds. 

14. Learn How to Combine Discounts

Using loyalty programs, cashback programs, clearances and discount codes together can save you a small fortune. 

We shared the method for combining discounts for Australians and how you can save with it. 

Our favourite cashback programs are Shopback and Honey.

You can find a selection of VIP or loyalty programs here but also ask anywhere you shop if they have one. 

Most companies have an app now or you can register with your phone number, even the Salvos do this. 

Sign up for the cashback programs, check their upsized offers and shop accordingly. 

Join the relevant reward programs and ensure you are signed in when shopping. 

Shop in the sales, with cashback and reward programs for the best discounts. 

Read 13 ways to get coupons and discounts and how to get a discount on everything. 

15. Access Freebies

There are freebies for your birthday, sign-up bonuses and freebies, new customer discounts and loads of other ways to get freebies. 

We have a huge list of Aussie birthday freebies which we check regularly. 

Also, this list has freebies for everything from cash bonuses to free food and travel. 

Read 50 ways for families to live for free for ideas on accommodation, transport, entertainment and more. 

To get you started, you can get $15 free from Up Bank within minutes.

16. Create a Community

Life does not seem to be a closeknit anymore with families spread out and communities no longer connected.

Everyone needs help at times and it’s human nature to want connection. 

Take time to create a community for yourself whether it’s through people at school, work, your neighbours, a sport you join, mother’s group, anything. 

Try to find like minded people to connect with. 

How does this save money? When you have a good community and feel connected, we are less lonely, are less likely to have health issues, support can come in many ways and life is generally easier. 

17. Educate Yourself

Reading this article and the ones linked in it are a great start when it comes to educating yourself. 

Books, podcasts, YouTube, networking with professionals, watching documentaries and learning from others are all great ways to educate yourself. 

Some of our favourite finance books for beginners include The Barefoot Investor, Money With Jess, The Psychology of Money and The Richest Man in Babylon.

For anyone wanting to learn more about investing, The Simple Path to Wealth and Quit Like A Millionaire are great. 

If you want to know more about business read We Should All Be Millionaires, Profit First, The Diary of a CEO and Chill and Prosper. 

As for books on health, wealth and life in general, check out this list of 12 books I read in 2024 and this reading list from before. 

18. Improve by 1% Daily

Small improvements have a profound impact long term. 

It might feel as though nothing is changing but showing up every day, focusing on your goals and doing something towards them will see you achieve what you set out to achieve. 

Doing nothing then expecting to rush a lot at once to achieve a goal is not as effective. 

Read Atomic Habits to learn how effective this is as well as how to make those incremental changes to improve your life. 

For example, if you want to start saving money but currently save nothing and feel it’s too hard to save anything, if you start with 1%, that 1% will continue to grow. 

Save 1% from every bit of money you get, then once you get used to saving that, increase it to 2% then later 3%. 

Doing it this way helps you adjust gradually without noticing it. 

Taking 10% or 20% from the budget to save at this point can be too difficult for many families due to the rising cost of living. 

Starting with 1% and increasing it over time can make it easier to get to saving 10% without dipping into it. 

19. Focus on Your Health

When you lose your health or face an extreme medical issue you quickly realise the value of investing in your health. 

Medical expenses can add up quickly, even in Australia where a lot is covered through the public system. 

Missing work due to ill health, losing your job, not being able to do the activities you enjoy with your family, not having the energy to do the frugal things you used to etc. 

It all adds up and isn’t just about the cost of the doctors, specialists or medication. 

Read how to afford medical expenses even on a low income if you find yourself in that situation.

Prevention is better than cure, so book the dentist and get your teeth fixed. 

Do what you can to keep fit and healthy, even on a budget.

Have a check-up with your GP to make sure everything is ok and if there is anything that has been bothering you, get it checked.

Do a skin check, mammogram, papsmear, whatever else it is you need to do and probably put off. 

My GP is amazing, actually 3 of them are at the centre I go to. 

They listen, run the necessary tests, explain everything thoroughly and are on top of the health issues I’ve had as well as the most recent research. 

It is worth it to find a good doctor, get checked and know where you are at with your health.

Another thing people often neglect is their mental health. 

It is ok to get help if you need it. There are mental health plans to help with the cost or you could look at BetterHelp. 

BetterHelp has a membership services where you pay a fee that is less than a normal psychologist’s fee. 

You go through a series of questions to be matched with a therapist that specialises in your needs. If you feel they aren’t a match, you can easily change. 

20. Service Your Car

Learn to DIY some to save money if you want to e.g. read these 10 tips from my friend who is a female mechanic.

At the very least, keep up to date with servicing your car and do what needs to be done. 

Staying on top of servicing means you know when there are small issues and can easily get them fixed before they become big issues.

Your car will run smoother and use less fuel when you keep it serviced too. 

Along with servicing, look at FuelMap and similar apps to find the cheapest fuel to save you money. 

Read how to save on transport for more tips to reduce your expenses here. 

21. Fix What Needs to be Fixed Now

How often do we put off fixing something small because ‘I don’t have time’ only for it to become a big problem later?

Go through your house and car and see those small things you can fix now and do them.

Whether it’s sewing a button on so you can wear that shirt again or fixing the seam or something bigger such as cleaning out your gutter and inspecting the roof. 

If you find something that needs to be fixed but is outside the budget, make a plan to fix it as soon as possible to avoid expensive repairs later. 

22. DIY 

Learning how to do things yourself can save you money, knowing when to DIY vs when to use a professional is also a valuable skill. 

Short courses, YouTube and friends can all be great ways to learn new skills. 

Be honest with yourself about your skills, tools and limitations otherwise you might accidentally cost yourself more money by taking on a project too big for you. 

23. Be Aware of Opportunity Cost

Sometimes that frugal tip is not worth your time, sometimes doing it yourself is not worth your time and sometimes you can be so focused on saving money you miss other opportunities. 

Spending money on junk food is a missed opportunity to invest or do something you’d enjoy more. 

Spending too much time trying to do something yourself when a professional could have done it in an hour for less is not worth it. 

Look at how you spend your time and money, what are you missing out on as a result?

What could you pay someone to do who will do it faster and probably better to free up your time so you can earn more or do things you enjoy?

An example of this is a house cleaner. Many people say when they finally hire a cleaner it is life changing. 

We were quoted $30 to $40hr to have a cleaner do the floors, bathrooms etc. 

It takes about 2 to 3 hours to do what we want done and in that same time, we can earn more writing an article or working on the business. 

Not only does it free up my time and energy, it is so nice to have that sorted and one less thing to think about. 

How much is that really costing you explains the cost of things like this.

24. Be Frugal, Not Cheap

Being frugal is about getting value for money and takes into account that sometimes you need to spend more for better quality.

It also takes into account the value of your time, energy and lifestyle choices. 

Compared to being cheap which is getting the cheapest price on everything, doing everything to save money and being miserly instead of intelligent about your money. 

Learn to be frugal, decide what you value and how you want to spend your money. 

Research tips to help you reduce your expenses but maintain your values. 

Look for quality over quantity and realise the lowest price isn’t always the most frugal option. 

A good example of this is Sam Vimes’s ‘Boots’ Theory of Socio-economic Unfairness:

The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money.

Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles.

But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that’d still be keeping his feet dry in ten years’ time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.

~ Men at Arms

Be frugal by buying the best y ou can afford, doing your research to know what lasts then adding in cashback and loyalty programs to save more. 

25. Enjoy Life

We’ve been writing about finance for years and over that time we saw people living extremely frugal lives so they can retire early. 

Also known as the FIRE Movement (Financial Independence Retire Early) there were many doing this who sacrificed all joy to save $1.

Being financially independent is amazing, having the ability to retire early if you wish and live life your ways is amazing. 

However, you also need to enjoy life. 

Life is meant to be enjoyed so where possible, do things you enjoy and create memories.

Check out 10 hobbies that can make and save you money, 37 free and frugal activities for families and 25 free and cheap date ideas to get you started. 

What are you doing this year to improve your finances?

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