There are 112 days until the end of the year (11 Sept to 31 Dec, including today and the 31st.) How different would your life be if you had an extra $5,000 by then?
$5,000 cleared from your debt or put into savings to start the new year with is not a small amount.
Broken down, it is roughly $45 per day ($44.64 to be more exact).
Similar to the $27.40 per day for 1 year = $10,000 challenge, if you can find a way to make or save an extra $45 a day, you could have $5,000 extra by the end of the year.
How can you do it?
Here are 25 ways you can get money. At the end, we show how we are doing it and the combination of frugal living with side hustles that is working for us.
1. Separate Account
Set up a separate account for it or commit to putting it on your debt as soon as it comes in. 3 options for accounts are ING who offer $100 to new customers, Up who offer $21 instantly and Ubank who have $30 on offer with a few steps.
You can join all 3 and get $151 to kickstart things.
2. Check Your Entitlements
This is not about Centrelink, it is rebates, bonuses, state specific schemes etc you might be entitles to and not all of them require you to be on Centrelink.
Check you have claimed everything you are entitled to e.g. WA has a $100 fuel voucher, treebate, school vouchers. Other states have other offers. We have them or how to find them here.
I did this and accessed $450 worth.
3. Use a Budgeting App to Track.
Consider a budgeting app to help you keep track of your finances. WeMoney is one readers love and they offer a $5 bonus.
This has helped me stay focused to pay down my debt.
4. Discounted Food
There are numerous discounts and offers to help you save money on food. Check out 13 ways to save money on meat.
Get $50 off Delidoor which can help you save time as well since you do not have to meal plan and depending on the meals you choose, they might be fully cooked and all you have to do is heat them. Using this discount, plus saving hours of not having to cook and clean up, we made more money than the box cost.
The meals come frozen with Delidoor so you can put them away for when you need/want them. They are a great way to reduce the takeaway temptation too. If you prefer, they have options you cook yourself.
Marley Spoon offers up to $230 off. Also, recently I had some significant issues with my order, they gave me a free box.
Dinnerly offers up to $140 off, HelloFresh has up to $200, Everyplate has up to 40% off and QuiteLike has up to $210.
Forage for food in your area, look for reduced to clear items, shop away from the supermarket and follow other tips here for how to save on your groceries.
The meal kit discounts are over $1,000.
5. Pick a Side Hustle
Choose some side hustles e.g. Online surveys, any of the 80+ ones we have here, rent out your garage/carport or driveway, or check out the new side hustle series. We are interviewing people who have their own side hustles, have advice etc.
The car space can be $200 to $400 a month or up to $1,400 by the end of the year.
6. Start A Business
If you want the money to go for longer than the next few months, consider starting a business. It can cost less than $100 to get up and running, depending on what you do but can be extremely beneficial long term if done well.
7. Use Cash Back Programs
Activate cash back for all your online shopping. This time of year we can spend a lot with gifts, travel etc. Cash back programs can get you cash back in your pocket.
You could get back $100+ on your regular shopping easily.
8. Loyalty Programs
Join every loyalty program for anywhere you shop and maximise it but ONLY for purchases you were already going to make. Everyday Rewards and Flybuys are compared here.
9. Delete The Apps
If you have no planned purchases, delete the apps/unsubscribe or send the emails to a separate folder so you are not tempted in sales.
Remember, you are NOT saving money when something is on sale if you were not going to buy it originally.
10. No Spend Challenge
Do a No Spend Challenge for a set period of time. The rules are your choice but doing something like this can help you recognise patterns and change how you spend.
11. Frugal Celebrations
Plan the end of the year e.g. teacher’s gifts, holiday celebrations (such as how to do Christmas with no money or how to handle all those expensive invitations this time of year etc). Find all the Christmas articles here,
12. Review Frugal Tips
Go through this list of 24 ways to easily save money and these frugal habits to save thousands.
Read through all the things you can do to save money this summer including reducing your electricity bills, finding entertainment, ways to keep cool on a budget etc.
13. Birthday Freebies
If you have a birthday, be sure to sign up for birthday freebies at least a month before. Some of the freebies and discounts are valid on the day only, others are for a week or month.
14. Get Free Clothes
Source free clothes instead of buying them. If you need a wardrobe update, there are ways to do it that won’t blow your budget.
15. Learn How To Get Discounts
Get discounts on everything, plan your purchases and do not buy anything you don’t need, even if it is on sale. Read how to combine coupons and discounts to save even more.
16. Cheaper Alcohol
If you drink alcohol, try to cut back. Click here to try Naked Wines and get up to $100 off plus free delivery or try Get Wines Direct – possibly one of the cheapest ways to get wine.
This one can save $100+ quickly.
17. Cancel Subscriptions
Go through your bank account, PayPal etc and cancel all unnecessary subscriptions. Netflix, Prime, Disney, Hulu, Spotify, AppleMusic, Audible, YouTube Premium, they all add up.
With even 3 of those as family subscriptions that is around $100 a month or $300 by the end of the year.
18. Compare Bills
Compare all your bills to make sure you are getting the best rate. E.g save $25 a month on NBN plans with Tangerine and $10 a month on their sim only plans.
Some save hundreds doing this.
19. Do a Money Hunt
Go on a money hunt, looking everywhere for cash, lost or forgotten gift cards, vouchers and offers.
I did this yesterday and came up with $950 in cash, vouchers, a refund etc.
20. Pay Down Debt
If you put this money on debt, you will also save on the interest you are paying.
How much extra you save because of that depends on the size of your debt, your interest rate and how much you pay off.
21. Sell Things
Sell something you no longer need, look for things you can resell or create things to sell.
Check eBay and Facebook Marketplace to see what is selling well that you are experienced or knowledgeable in.
22. Airbnb
Rent out a room or provide a service or experience on Airbnb. Walking tours, cooking classes and other experiences are popular.
You can make $200+ per night renting out a room or a caravan. Experiences vary.
23. Random Tasks and Delivery
Do tasks on Airtasker, try DoorDash, Ubereats or other delivery options.
You can do this with a bike or car, how much you make will depend on what you do.
24. Enter Competitions
Enter competitions, you never know what you might win. We have a $100 giveaway if you do a short survey here.
Find tips to win competitions and ideas on where to enter here.
Tips To Make It Work
Getting the extra money does require some effort but if you are committed, have the capacity and find the things that work best for you, you might surprise yourself.
If finding the time is difficult, check out these 18 time saving tips for busy mums.
Streamlining your life to free up time and reduce your mental load can help.
Decide on one or two things at a time. Trying to tackle everything at once is too hard.
Test what you want, keep notes so you can compare then stick to the things that are making the biggest difference.
