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Budget Busters from Budget Bitch Click here for more hints,tips & news Every Monday morning at 7:25am you can hear Budget Bitch’s Budget Busters on radio station 2AY. Click here to listen to a live feed.
Excerpts from previous segments
8 March 2010
Picture Frames This week I’ve been out looking a picture frames. My dear old mum does a lot of tapestry work, and then she needs to get the finished picture framed. To help her out, I did a ring around and found that there’s quite a difference in prices. It’s not possible to get an accurate quote over the phone because it all depends on the style of frame and the mat that surrounds the picture. However, with a standard size I was able to determine that average price is – around $178. Using the same specifications for each call, I found that the cheapest price was at Lasting Images – in Kiewa Street Albury - $144 (and they’ll even do stretching & lacing for that price)
Fashion Accessories I came across a fascinating little shop, in Swift Street Albury, called ‘Dare to be different’. Here they sell all sorts of fashion accessories which are quite unique. I don’t think the ‘different’ tag means that they’re ‘out there’ – but more that they have accessories that don’t seem to be mass produced. There is some gorgeous stuff in there. Now, not only do they have some snazzy handbags for sale at $20 they’re also having a 30% off their jewellery sale. Definitely worth a look!
Market Day On the supermarket shopping scene – this week IGA are having their ‘market day’ specials on Thursday and have 550g bags of frozen peas for 99c, and tins of Roma tomatoes for 69c. They’re a supermarket that people sometimes tend to overlook, but when they have specials they’re sensationally good. The new IGA at Springdale Heights is being officially opened this week (Friday).
Spray Tans This week I went on the hunt for the price of spray tanning my body. Now regardless of the fact that my body might be a little bigger than some that they see and therefore might need more spray – the price is the same. I rang around a few places, and found that prices generally range from $30 to $40 and then I found that Fashion Fingers (in Smollett Street) are having a special price starting today and for the month of March. That price is $25. They tell me that it’s this price so that all the ladies will have plenty of time to get their tans done for the Albury Gold Cup. (which is on March 26th)
Classifieds I came across a great little publication this week for household classifieds. You know, when you want to sell some of the clutter in your cupboards and sheds and you don’t want to have a garage sale – well this little local booklet charges nothing to advertise. Actually, the front cover says – Free to advertise ya stuff. It’s called the “Mini Trader” and you can find it in more than a couple of dozen places – all the IGA supermarkets, most newsagents, corner stores, Caltex servos, There’s no catch – it’s free to advertise, and if you’re on the other end of the transaction, looking to buy something, the booklet costs only $2. Great idea to get some bargains – keep your eyes open for this.
Mini Trader website - http://www.minitrader.info
Supermarket bargains This week in the supermarket wars – Coles are doing a number of items in a ‘dollar dazzler’ promotion, so if you’d like some crumpet you can get a packet of 6 for just a dollar at Coles.
22 February 2010
Back-packs This week I went out looking for a good priced, good value back-pack. In other words – I went looking for a bargain! There’s a myriad of back packs out there and most mums and dads would know all about that, because it seems that most of the school-kids use them these days. I’ve bought some el-cheapo ones in the past, only to find that they don’t last very long. The price shouldn’t reflect the quality. Anyway – I did find a bargain and for only $8 you can buy what seems to be a good one, from Rivers. They normally retail for around $25 so that’s a bargain. The special price only lasts till Wednesday 24th.
Place Mats I also decided to have a look for the best value place mats. We don’t seem to use table cloths any more these days; the table linen has been replaced by the placemat. Again, there are all sorts out there in the marketplace, but I was also looking for good quality as well as a good price. And I found that – at Centro Lavington, there’s a shop called Murray Now. It’s only been there a few months – but they sell all sorts of interesting things (gifts and everyday stuff,) that are eco-friendly. Anyway – they have really good bamboo placemats for a price of only $2.95 each. Now that’s a bargain.
And while I was there, I asked about hemp school shoes – and they told me to go to Nimbin.
Mince Beef A bargain in the supermarket this week – is mince beef at $4.99 per kilo – which can be found at Foodworks. (Urana rd Lavington).
Storage Sheds This week I’ve been looking at the cost of storage sheds. Not the sort that you have in your back yard, but the ones where you can store lots of things – out of sight, out of mind, I guess. If you’re moving house or need somewhere to store your household furniture for a while these are the places. Interestingly enough, lots of the places that I rang are full and have no sheds empty. Almost seems like there’s a shortage. The average price is around $30 per week for a 3m x 3m shed – but the best value is to take a slightly smaller area – 3m x 2m and you’ll pay only $25 per week. That’s at Grices’ storage sheds.
Boarding Kennels For those people who are going away and need to look for a place for their dog to stay, I did a hunt around for the best priced Kennel stay. I wasn’t able to speak with every establishment – some of them didn’t answer their phone, but I did find that the average price is around $18 per day. There’s a couple a little more expensive, but they do a pick up and drop service as well. The best priced kennel can be found at Canine Country Kennel (in Lavington) where the price for my little dog is only $15.50 per day. I used Max, my little white slipper dog as the example.
Coffee This week’s supermarket bargain can be found at Safeway. If you need to buy Instant coffee, then starting today they have 500g tins for $13.99 – that’s only $2.80 for 100gms and is possibly the cheapest deal I’ve seen for a long time.
Valentines Day It’s Valentines Day at the end of this week. Now I think it’s a rather commercialized event but I do know of instances where a reminder for some romance doesn’t go astray – so what I did was to go out and see what I could find with a budget of only $20, because romance doesn’t have to cost a lot.
If you’re thinking that chocolates will show an appropriate declaration of undying love - then get down to Darrell Lea where they have a gift box of traditional creams for $19.99 and they’ll gift wrap it for you.
If a ‘softer’ approach is needed and you’d like to buy a ‘soft toy’ then Cardeaux (in Centro Albury) have a good range of these - packaged for Valentines Day and just $19.95.
If you’re thinking about flowers, then you’d better organize these before the weekend, because I couldn’t find a florist that’s open on Sundays – or if you forget you’ll have to look at the supermarket bunches.
But if you’re really wanting to avert WW3 and cover all bases – then you can get a smaller gift box of chocs at Darell Lea for $12, and head to Cardeaux for a picture frame @ $5 and a single artificial rose for $3. Supermarkets So here we are – the beginning of a new year and you’d have to be as excited I am with the news late last week about the potential price wars between the supermarkets. Did you realise that between Albury and Wodonga there are 16 supermarkets? A new Safeway opening soon at Thurgoona, makes a total of 17, (so with approx 100,000 people - that’s one supermarket for every 5882 people) shared between Safeway/Woolworths, Coles, Aldi, IGA and Foodworks. So, when one supermarket comes out and says that they’re going to reduce the shelf price of over 3,000 items – as well as having their weekly specials – I get a little excited! Let me tell you – I’ll be watching the food prices like a hawk!! School Shoes It’s back to school time and most schools will be back in full swing this week. However it’s not too late to pick up some bargains and sometimes it’s actually better to wait till school returns to get the best prices. On Friday I went on the hunt to find the cheapest pair of leather school shoes. They’re not a fashion item, that’s for sure. So – after hunting around I found that I could have bought a pair of Grosby school shoes, suitable for a primary school kiddy, for $9.84. They’d started at a much higher price, and the last reduction was by $20. Now, they weren’t in one of the big aisles at the front of the store (where there were racks of other school shoes there) but down the back, in the shoe department. Goes to show – if you look hard enough you’ll find the best price! Where was this? – Big W USB Drives And while we’re on Back to School stuff – I did a quick scout around for a good price on 4GB USB drives – you know the little memory sticks used with computers for saving stuff – and the best price I found was $12.99 at Australia Post shops – a little surprising to find it there, but don’t discount them when looking for office supplies. 14 December 2009 Batteries Mums and Dads will know all about having plenty of batteries on hand at Christmas time. How many times has Santa brought a battery powered gift, and forgotten to include the batteries? So – the most cost effective way for batteries is to have re-chargeable ones. The best price this week for a AA Battery charger and 4 batteries is at WOW (on Earrings I went hunting this week to find the best price for 9ct earrings. Not an easy task, when there are so many places to purchase them from. However, if you’re thinking of purchasing some as a Christmas present, for the lady in your life, then Prouds the Jewellers have some for just under $30 ($29.50) which is half the normal price. Prouds can be found at the Myer centre and also at Centro Lavington. Ham In the Christmas food department – this week I was able to purchase a Bertocchi Ham at Kennedys and the price was only $5.99 per kilo. That’s a bargain! 7 December 2009 Eskys With summer officially here - This week I’ve been looking at Eskys, sometimes known as coolers or camping fridges. There’s a huge variety to choose from not only in price but also in size. These are a great Christmas present and if you look carefully, you’ll find some great bargains. Camping World had some good ones but the best priced one that I could find was at Kmart where they had a 25 litre one for under $30. However, if you miss that price, keep your eyes open as there are always special prices on these items before Christmas. Paddling Pools Another great idea for the littlies to keep cool is paddling pools. Now the type I looked for was the ‘clam-shell’ types – which are not deep enough to require fencing, but also have a second shell for either a sand pit or more paddling. Target has a good price for these at the moment at around $35 and as they’re hardy and long wearing – that’s a good bargain. Christmas isn’t far away, and part of the expense is the food. 30 November 2009 Cake Tins As you know the new Aldi supermarket opened last Thursday in Albury – and although I had no intention of visiting on opening day, I did end up going because they had a sensationally good price on cakes tins. I’d been looking for some new muffin tins for a while and with prices starting at $12 I was prepared to wait for a better price. Aldi has them for $1.99 and that’s definitely a bargain. (but you can only get them at the new store) Shoe-racks Now if you’re looking for some shoe-racks to keep your shoes tidy in your cupboard, then I found that not only is there a variety to choose from but they also range in price and size. I had a hunt around for one that would hold 12 pairs of shoes and found the particular coated wire frame I was looking at was available in a few places. However, while some places are advertising them for $20 – the best priced one can be found at the Reject Shop for $12. Games Are a great Christmas present for people of all ages, particular card games and trivia type games, but they’ve become quite expensive nowadays. In having a look around for good quality games, I found that there are some excellent prices for old favourites at the Mindgames shop in Supermarket The supermarket bargain this week would have to be $0.69 for an iceberg lettuce – and you can get them at Aldi.
Ceiling Fans It was quite hot last week, I think you’d agree and I believe the air-conditioning chaps are being run off their feet. So, I decided to look at another alternative and find the best priced ceiling fans. These have quite a large range in price. You can buy the ‘designer’ type that will blend with the décor of your rooms for prices around $200 - $350. But if you’re just looking for a serviceable ceiling fan, with perhaps a light attached (underneath) then the best price I can find this week is at Big W for $52.88 and that’s their everyday price. Perfume Christmas is coming and if you’re looking for a perfume gift for somebody then it pays to keep an eye on the prices in all the discount chemist shops. Now, this week, I found that the perfume I like (Giorgio) is selling for $39 (for a 90ml bottle) and that’s a saving of $75 off the regular price. Anybody that wants to buy me this for Christmas can get it at this price at the Discount Drug Store in Centro Albury. Online deals Normally I would give you a supermarket special but this week, because Christmas is only 31 days away and food is perhaps the last thing on your mind, I want you to write down this website – www.catchoftheday.com.au These people have one item every day that is very heavily discounted. If you know your prices, you can pick up some fabulous bargains. Last week, a friend of mine was looking for a big TV, and I was able to steer him to this site because they were selling 42inch LCD ones for $899. This is the 3rd year that I’ve done a lot of Christmas shopping here – the goods are genuine, the prices are fantastic and they deliver to your door. 16 November 2009 Dog grooming Last week Andy asked me to check out the price of a haircut for Harriet – his golden retriever. Now last time we looked at these prices, which was in March, I used my little dog as the yard stick. This week, we’ve got a much larger dog and the prices seem to range from high $70’s up to $110. The best value, from the places that I was able to speak with, seems to be at L.A. Clips (over in Wodonga) at $80 and they also offer a pick up and deliver service. Helium balloons If you have seen us out and about at different expos and displays, you’ll know that we use a lot of helium balloons. Not only are they a part of our display, but we often give them away for free to the kids who come to see us. I decided to look around at places to get helium because the cylinders are starting to get a bit pricey. Now I did find that you can get the cylinders at BOC at a reasonable price, but if you just want some individual balloons to brighten up things for Christmas – then don’t forget that Spiders on Gas Refills BBQ’s galore are selling gas refills at half price – but only till the gas runs out. When I spoke to them on Saturday morning, they thought it would all be gone by the end of the weekend –but it may be worth checking. Cordial With the warm weather, you need to keep well hydrated and I see that Coles are selling Cottees cordial at $2.14 per 2 litre bottle which is half the normal price. If you like cordial, that’s a bargain!
Fingernails – if you like to have great looking fingernails and you can’t grow them yourself – then Funky Cutz in Wodonga can give you a full set of French Acrylic for $35 and that seems to be quite a good price and equates to $3.50 per finger / digit. Credit Cards Ok, well I did the homework Blocky asked for, and I’m assuming he was keen to find out where the best credit card deal might be… possibly because there’s been some heavy advertising recently for consumers to switch credit cards. There have been some interesting deals offered where a couple of the banks are offering zero interest rate if you transfer your balance to them. Sounds wonderful, but generally you’ll find that the deal is only for 6 months before they switch back to their usual interest rate. This then leads me to suggest that if you don’t have a plan to pay off your credit card, then regardless of which bank you have that card with – you’re always going to struggle to clear the balance. Credit cards are wonderful things but you have to pay them out at the end of the month, because, after all, it’s just borrowed money and generally it’s one of the more expensive loans available today. Finding the best credit card deal is almost as confusing as finding a good mobile phone deal – there are too many variables to cover in a 3 minute segment. Supermarket special This weeks’ supermarket special can be found at Coles where I see they’ve got a 6 pack of Mighty Soft Hot Dog or Hamburger rolls at a special price of $2 per pack. Anybody that buys these will know that’s a bargain! And that’s all I have for this week
Hairdressing I’ve found what seems to be a bargain price for ladies hairdressing. Hair Perfection – in Wodonga ( Bulk Meat For people who have a freezer and like to purchase their meat in bulk I’ve found an incredible bargain. Rockgilla is a cattle property located at Bonegilla and they have been supplying meat to local butchers. Now, they’re expanding and making it possible for individuals to purchase meat at some good discount prices. For example – they have Sides of Beef 80 – 110 kilos at carcass weight – for only $8 per kilo Whole Pork 50 – 60 kilos at carcass weight – from only $10 per kilo Whole Lamb 18 – 24 kilos at carcass weight -for only $10 per kilo The easiest way to find out more is via their website – www.rockgilla.com.au White goods I see that the Harvey Norman store is having a white goods sale this week - so if you’re looking for some of those items, it’s not a bad place to begin your research. I did notice that they have a 148 litre chest freezer for only $298 and that’s a pretty good price. 26 October 2009 Books I was out hunting for a couple of birthday gifts this week and I found a great deal at Angus & Robertson’s. While I was there I purchased a couple of books, and because the total was more than $20, I was then entitled to purchase any of the books they had in a different section for only $7. Now, I know it’s a great ‘upselling’ scheme, but – the books that I could buy were worth much more than $7, were all relatively new titles and had price tags of $30 - $40 on each. I did buy a couple of the ones that I wanted, and now that’s some of the Christmas gifts taken care of. Insulation This morning I’m having some workmen here as a part of the government initiative/incentive where you can have up to $1600 worth of insulation installed for free. I didn’t think I was eligible because I already had some ceiling insulation – the loose ‘blow in’ type. However they checked it out and found that what was there has shrunk quite substantially and so they’re putting batts in. So – because my house isn’t very large, it’s costing me nothing. If the quote was for more than the $1600 that the government will pay, then so long as I paid the difference, I can still have it done. To me, that’s a pretty good bargain, and it’ll help to reduce my heating and cooling costs as well. Supermarket This week’s bargain supermarket buy is at Safeway – where you can get 4 jars of raguletto pasta sauce for $4 – that’s pretty close to half price. 19 October 2009 Place Mats This week I’ve been looking for some nice place mats for the dinner table – the ones with cork backing. I also would like some drink coasters to match. There’s a variety of prices ranging from $30 up to almost $100 for a set of six but I found that the best price at the moment is a 12 piece placemat and coaster set (which is setting for 6) for $19.95. You can get them for this price at Thomas Jewellers. That’s definitely a bargain, and if you don’t need some for yourself, they also make good Christmas presents. Mummy Hook I found a great idea for busy Mums who always seem to have their hands full when they’re out shopping. It’s a thing called a ‘mummy hook’ which you can hang on your trolley and have all your bags together in one safe place. Now – the bargain I found was at ‘Max & Koby’ baby store (in High street Wodonga) where you can buy a mummy hook and a baby hook together – at a special price of $19.95. These normally retail for around $25 (and that’s a cheap internet price). Perfect gift and at a bargain price. Muffins And a great deal – just for our readers. Muffin break in Lavington are offering a 4 pack of muffins for $10 (muffins are normally $3.80 each) or they’ll give you a cup of coffee and a piece of their new cinnamon swirl for just $5. But – you have to tell John and the crew that you heard this bargain deal from Blocky and the Budget Bitch. 12 October 2009 Beds I’ve been looking around at beds this week and decided that I’d look for the ‘best price’ in general, rather than look for the one-off sale. This is because beds are what are known as ‘big-ticket’ items and we don’t buy them as often. There are a few places to choose from – but the one that ‘overall’ had the best prices for a queen-size bed and a single mattress was – ‘Makin Mattresses’. You can get a good queen-size mattress and base set for around $600 and they also have commercial quality single bed mattresses for $169. I bought my bed there a few years ago, and the prices are pretty much the same as they were then. Second Hand Shops We haven’t talked about the second hand shops before, but they’re well known places where you’ll always find a bargain or two. And, there’s a shop opened recently in And, I did notice this week, that Vinnie’s on Urana road are urgently appealing for used furniture. Half Price Coles Supermarkets seem to have changed their ‘multi – buy’ campaign to a ‘half-price’ campaign on some of their items. It pays to keep your eyes peeled for the advertising on what are really good bargain prices. 5 October 2009 Fabrics Coffee and cake I’ve found us another ‘coffee and cake’ deal and it’s a beauty! Over in Wodonga, in Office furniture This week if you’re looking to purchase some large items for your office whether it’s at home or business – there will be an auction of office furniture from Commonwealth Government offices in
Sara Lee Apple Pies This week they have a special bargain buster price of $2.25 each. That’s a really great price and its way less than half the normal cost. You can only get them for this price at the factory outlet on BBQ Gas Refills We’ve talked about BBQ gas refills before – but I found an extra special price this week, so I just had to mention it – The Great Outdoors, on Animal Litter Not the mess they create, but the litter-beads we have to use to keep their messes tidy. These pellets can be quite expensive but, because they’re necessary for housebound pets, we don’t usually give it a thought and just buy the stuff regardless. A large bag will generally cost close to $20 but I’ve found that this week, the ‘Pet stock’ animal supplies shops are selling 3.8kg bags of ‘litta-beads’ for $8.99. Now, considering this usually sells for around $17 – that’s a bargain! Pet Stock are at Wodonga in
Pavers A cheap way of outside paving for a very hard wearing area is to use old bricks. Now where would you get them? And at what price? I found a couple of places and I’ve found that Murphy’s Salvage (Sanyo Drive Wodonga ph:6056 2059) have them for the best price. They’re cleaned, on pallets and ready to go. They cost 66 cents per brick, (other places have them for $1 per brick) and there’s around 39-40 bricks per square metre. Effectively that’s $27 a square metre. Lawn Mowers It’s that time of year again – warm weather, a little rain – yep! Spring is here, and we’re back to mowing the lawns again. This week I decided to check out the best buy on lawn mowers. The average price seems to range from $270 - $400 for a standard 4-stroke push mower with a catcher. So, when I found one for $179, I knew I’d found a bargain! Dahlsens, who are out in what’s known as ‘ Lunch I’ve found a great place for a bargain lunchtime treat – It’s called “the chow shop”. They serve authentic Chinese cuisine and they have lunch specials of a small serve for only $7. If you’re hungrier than that – you can get a large serving for a couple of bucks more! You’ll find them in Bathroom linen I’ve found a great place that has some bargain prices for these items. Classic Linen – at the top end of Fruit In the food dept this week – Plant pots These are a great way to have a small garden without the huge water bill. They’re a good idea for veggie gardens but sometimes the bigger the pot, the bigger the price. Do you remember the old wine barrels that we used to use for garden plants? I’ve had some for years and they’re a great place to grow strawberries. Well, I’ve found that you can still buy them! And they’re not that expensive! Tods machinery and steel (on itunes card How much is a gift card worth? If you or your kids have an ipod you’ll know that the easiest way to purchase and download songs is by using an itunes card. These also make great gifts for teenagers and with Christmas only 14 weeks away it won’t hurt to have a couple of these cards put away – because I found a bargain price. You can buy a $30 itunes card for only $24 at Big W this week (well there’s only 2 days left for this sale price, the sale ends on Tuesday evening). Norton 360 These days Internet security is absolutely necessary if you’re using the internet. Without it, you’re potentially going to end up with all sorts of costly computer problems and that’s an expense you don’t need. Everybody has their own favourite brand but buying the Norton360 brand will give you protection for 3 computers. Normally this sells for around $120 - $130 but Dick Smiths’ (in Fruit n Veg On the fruit and vegetable front – I see that Aldi have a big range of fresh supplies at 99 cents per kilo, or per item depending on what it is. They’ve got a good range available at this price. It is good produce, with the majority being Australian grown. That’s some great bargain prices for these fresh shopping items. 31 August 2009 Fathers day It’s coming this weekend and time is running out if you haven’t arranged something for your dad. One of the traditional gifts is that of the old jim-jams, or pyjamas for those that don’t know what I’m talking about. I’m told that Dads love them. So I went hunting for the best priced flannelette jamies I could find and found that they generally range in price from - $19.99 – $35.99. Now, seeing as they all seem to be made in that factory called China, I guess it doesn’t really matter where you get them from, so you need to be on the look out for the 10% or 20% off sales that are happening at the moment. I bought some at Target last week, and because of the sale they were having, only paid around $15 for them. Boating Camping Fishing I went into the BCF store this week, on the hunt for Fathers day bargains and wow! Isn’t that store huge, although the boys in there said it was one of their smaller stores. Anyway, I found heaps of great gifts for the old man – and he doesn’t need to be a fisherman for you to find something. They have lots of the fun outdoor stuff… chairs, BBQs, camping, outdoor gear and hats… and they had lots of bargain prices. You’ll definitely find a gift for Dad under $10 there! Coffee We’ve talked about coffee in the past … but if you’ve got a coffee machine at home there’s a great bargain price for Vittorio coffee beans at Safeway this week – buy a one kilo bag and get one free – which means its 2 kilos for $26.79. That’s a bargain and that’s all I have for this week. Ski gear There’s still a bit of time left for the ski-season so there’s also a bit of time to get hold of some good buys for snow gear. If you’re a skier, then you’ll understand the benefit of having the right equipment and clothing and this week I’ve found that there are some bargains to be had in Wodonga @ Pauls Ski Shop on Thomas Mitchell Drive. They’re selling ski boots at below cost and also have snow-boarding boots for 40% off the regular price. Skiers will understand what bargains they are. Father’s Day It’s father’s day in a little over a couple of weeks, so I decided to start looking early to see where the bargains are. If your budget is quite tight and you haven’t got much money – go along to Jaycar electronics in Muffins If your budget doesn’t allow for buying fabulous muffins from Muffin Break or a bakery, you can always make them yourself. Now, the cost of packaged ingredients is getting quite expensive these days BUT – if you head down to the SPC cannery shop (one of my favourite places) you’ll find they have Betty Crocker banana Muffin Mix for only $2 per packet. For the kids lunch boxes, that’s a bargain. The other alternative is – drop me a line and I’ll send you my basic muffin recipe, which makes lots of them for about 30cents each.
Bikes Another of the budget friendly forms of exercise is bike riding. It can be a quite inexpensive activity for the family and there are always good bargains around if you need to buy a bike. Obviously, if you can get a second hand one then you’ve got the best chance of a great price – garage sales are good for those. But if you need a new one – there’s a sale happening at The Bicycle Superstore on Outdoor furniture One of the best things about this time of year (winter) is buying your outdoor furniture. Now I know we’ve just spent the past few weeks in the warmth of the house and the last thing on our minds is shivering outside – BUT – it’s a perfect time to get a good price on an outdoor setting if you need one. Think about it – in most cases, the shop keepers are happy to get rid of last season’s stock, to make way for the newer stuff coming in for summer. Now, I’ve had a skirt around and found that whilst there’s not a huge range to choose from, there are some GOOD bargains at both The Outdoor Centre (on Wagga road) and also at BBQ’s Galore on Hume street. Saveloys I used to buy them prepackaged from the cold-cabinet. They cost me around $8 for 6 which equates to about $1.35 each. And that doesn’t seem too dear, does it! However, over the past few weeks, I haven’t been able to buy them this way, so I looked in the Deli dept of the supermarket. Initially, the price looked rather expensive but because I really did want them this week, I went ahead and ordered half a dozen. Imagine my surprise when I found that the price was $5.70 – which meant that I’m only paying 95 cents each. A bargain! (and that’s where I’ll be buying them in the future) 27 July 2009 Mobile Phones Generally I’m a bit loathe to wax lyrical about mobile phone deals, basically because the fine print needs to be read thoroughly before purchase. But this week, I’ve seen some great bargains at Strathfield – on Toys With Christmas only 5 months away, a lot of the big stores are having their monster toy sales – and this is a great time to get some bargain priced toys for Christmas. You don’t have to pay for everything now – use the lay-by system that they have in place, which is interest free, and it also means you have a storage place for the larger items, away from little eyes. If you do it now, and start paying off a little each week – it shouldn’t hurt your budget and Christmas time will have less financial stress. Pizza Everybody has an opinion about where to get the best pizza, but pizza tastes all the same to me - so this week I decided to check out the prices on where the best deal is. I found that the more pizzas you buy – the cheaper the price becomes. But that doesn’t help if there’s only 2 of you – there’s only so much pizza your household can handle. So – in my research I looked for the cheapest deal for ONE family size pizza, with the lot, and I found that while some places charged up to $15.60, the cheapest place was Eagle Boys @ $9.95. That’s a pick up price. You have to pay a $9 delivery fee there. (makes it a bit dear) Some of the more expensive pizzas had only a $4 delivery fee attached. Methinks that if you wanna save some dollars – then you best be going and getting it yourself! Tax Its tax time – as we know… and for some people this means an on-going headache until their tax return has been lodged. Biztrak Accountants are offering to do tax returns from $99 – which, I discovered after I’d done a ring around, is a not expensive at all. In many cases you’ll be able to claim the cost on next years return and obviously, it won’t be that cheap if you have a complex return but it mightn’t hurt to give them a call - @ $99 – that’s a pretty good price. Have you seen the sales spot for the Gluten Free There are lots of people these days who have food allergies, and for people who are coeliacs and/ or who have wheat allergies – they know that the cost of gluten free food is a bit more expensive than buying from the general range. For those that suffer, it will always be a bit harder to stretch the money in the supermarket. Biscuits, cakes and things made from flour are the things we would assume can’t be eaten – but sausages also have flour in them, and coeliacs need to buy gluten-free ones. They can be considerably dearer than the ordinary ones but Coles are selling them for $3.50 a kilo this week, which is a good price for these.
Cosmetics This week, while I was out and about, I came across a bargain place, for the ladies, to get cosmetics. In Olive Street, you’ll find the shop ‘cos-cuts’ and in there are some amazing bargains for hair clips and accessories as well as a heap of bargain prices for many cosmetic products. I purchased one of my favourites for half the price of my usual supplier. Painting Generally, winter is not the time for house painting but because we spend so much time indoors we notice more readily, the rooms that need to be painted. Anybody who has ever done any painting will know that paint can be quite an expensive item to buy. Frozen Vegetables As food prices continue to rise, it really pays to keep an eye out for ways to save at the supermarket. We talked a couple of months ago about the rising cost of vegetables being attributed to poor nutrition when it comes to diets. Reports are saying that families are not eating vegies because of the cost. Now, it is true that vegies can be quite expensive, and when the harvest season finishes, they get even more so. Well… the bargain prices can be found in the freezer cabinet. Yes – frozen vegies are in plentiful supply there and at a competitive price. Nutritionists say that the benefits are the same – and I’ve personally found that there’s little or no waste. The compost bin suffers a little, but the prices are easy on the wallet and you’ll always find one variety with a special price each week. 6 July 2009 Underwear I know we’ve talked about underwear before, but I did see that at the moment Target are having a huge sale – 20% - 30% off all underwear and socks and seeing as those items seem to have got more expensive over the past year, it might be worth your while popping in to pick up some bargains in that department. Memory Sticks We’ve talked about computers, copy paper, and printer ink – but we haven’t talked about getting a ‘memory stick’ or a pen drive as some people call them - today’s equivalent of the old floppy disk. Some of these can be quite expensive, so you have to really watch the prices before you buy because there are lots of good deals around much of the time for this item. In hunting around, I found that an average fair price for 2 GB (which is a fair amount of data) was around $15 - $20. But the bargain price I found was at Joyce Mayne – where they are selling 2 GB for $8 and 1 GB for $6. They assured me they would still be available at those prices for the coming week. Honey One of the things that has soared in price is honey. It’s got more expensive over the past couple of years, and I don’t think the bees have got a pay rise! Anyway – depending on which brand you buy and where you buy it – it can cost around $6 - $7 per 500 grams. Obviously it’s a bit cheaper to buy a kilo tub at around $10 per kilo. However, there’s no such thing as no name bees, so don’t be deterred by the label because it’s also the best supermarket buy. BUT – if you go to Chiltern Honey Farm, and take your own container you’ll get it for $7.50 per kilo, and that’s a bargain! Common sense says you wouldn’t make a special trip unless you’ve got an order from everybody in the street, but if you’re in the area – it’s worth a visit! They’re located in 29 June 2009 Nappies This week, I did some investigating about the cost of disposable nappies. Now I don’t want to get involved in the argument of whether cloth nappies are better for baby than the disposable ones but I did find that there can be quite a difference in price depending on where you buy them. Now whilst there are bargains to be had for buying in bulk – I found that it actually pays to break the price down to a single unit price. For example – the nappies you purchase at Aldi are $16.99 for 56 – which equates to approx 30 cents per nappy. But if you buy the big pack from Woolies for $35.86 which hold 108 you’re actually paying 33 cents per unit. Change the baby 8 times a day – which is every 3 hours, and everyday there’s $2.64 down the toilet, so to speak. Cheap price doesn’t necessarily mean cheap quality – it’s the little things that can break the budget. Kids Computers There are some great bargain prices for computers around at the moment. A lot of this has to do with the Rudd governments’ education tax refund which means people could get back up to 50% of their kid’s education expenses. It’s a rebate of $375 for each primary school child, and $750 for each secondary school kid. Leading Edge computers on Breakfast Cereal One of the biggest costs in the weekly shopping basket is breakfast cereal. Of the popular brands it’s hard to find a large box for less than $5. The best winter warmer at breakfast time is porridge. However, this too, can be quite expensive if you buy the flavoured varieties. If you’re watching your budget – the bargain price is a supermarket home brand at an average of $1 per kilo. You can always add your own honey, fruits or nuts, and still save money! 22 June 2009 The Supermarket at Thurgoona, which was under the IGA banner until a couple of weeks ago, is closing down at the end of this week, the 28th June, I believe. This is to make way for the new shopping complex and Safeway supermarket which will be opening soon. So – they’re clearing all their stock and everything has been reduced by 30%. There are some great bargains out there – but you’ve got to be quick because once the stuff is sold, there’s no rain-checks or replacement. Washing powder… does it make a difference what sort you use? Well… I have to say – it doesn’t. I’ve really tested this theory over the past year and I find that all of them do a great job of cleaning my clothes, regardless of the price. Powder or liquid – it doesn’t seem to make much difference. The wool wash liquids are definitely kinder on your clothes – being a gentler form of soap there’s fewer tendencies to shrink things. I’ve found my fitted sheets don’t shrink and therefore still fit the bed since I started washing in the gentler detergent. The best price for the wool wash is the no-name brand - $1.98 for 1.25lts, and the wash is as good as a more expensive brand. Fruit and vegetables. This is an interesting one! Over the past couple of months, I’ve done a comparison between buying the fruit and veg from the supermarket, or from the ‘green-grocer’ (now there’s an old word). Interestingly enough – I’ve found that the prices for a weeks’ supply are very similar, and the difference is found in the quality and the longevity. Let me explain – I buy a weeks supply (or what I think should last a week) from the supermarket, and find that it’s only lasting 5 days, and I’m having to throw a fair amount of it into the compost bin. Depending on what it is – some of it can be turned into soup. (apple soup doesn’t exist). However, I buy the same amount and type from My tip for this week – get yourself a money box, or a money jar, or a little container to hold all the leftover coins that you find in your wallet or purse at the end of the day. Never, ever underestimate the value of having a money box. 15 June 2009 Sausage Rolls These are handy food items and great winter warmers so I’ve been hunting around to find the best value. $7.05 will get you a packet of 30 cocktail size ones at Safeway which equates to 23.5 cents each. And then I thought – I wonder if it’s better value to make your own. So, I bought some sausage mince, and some puff pastry and for the cost of $7 I was able to make 56 – that equals 12.5 cents each. Better value, better taste and if you don’t know how to make them – ring me and I’ll come around and show you. BBQ Gas Swap and drop – means you change over your gas bottle every time you need gas for the BBQ. And even though winter is here, there’s still a need to purchase it because many people have those patio heaters which use gas. There’s a huge variance in price here… you can get it at service stations for $32 - 36 , hardware stores have it for around $27 - 30 ,but the cheapest place to get it is – BOC gas in Osburn Street Wodonga. You can get it there for $24.20 – and at that price it’s a bargain. Books Now we all now that if you love reading, like I do, then the cheapest read around the place is at the library. Having said that – they just don’t have all the new books that are written every year – and so there are some good bargains to be had at the book shops. Dymocks, Collins, or Angus & Robertson’s all have great sales every week, as do the big department stores – K Mart and Woolworths. However – if you want to buy something to read, or you’d like to exchange the ones you’ve bought and read, then head to “By the book” on 1 June 2009 Chicken fillets This week I’ve been out and about looking for the best deal. It seems to me that as soon as one retailer lowers the price – everybody else jumps on the band-wagon and matches the price. That can only be good for us as consumers. Now I have it on good authority that Lenards @ Lavington square will have them on sale this week for $7.99 a kilo – starting today – June 1st. I guess that means the nearby butcher shop will reduce theirs too! Computer ink To replace or refill?? Big brand names or ‘compatibles’? ok… to find the answer I did some checking for some ink cartridges for an Epsom PS printer. Normally, the price is between $15 and $20 per cartridge and it needs 4. If I can buy them for $15 – then I think I’ve got a bargain. However – after doing a bit of a search I found that I can get ‘compatibles’ for $11.50 each at The Printer Wizards. Might not sound like much – but it means I’m getting 4 for the price of 3 of the ‘big brand name’ ink cartridges. Printer Wizards are at 5 ways in Lavington. Shopper Dockets Have we forgotten how good these can be? It’s simple – look on the back of your shopping docket and you’ll find some great bargains. For example – the Boomerang Hotel are advertising a $7 main meal with your shopper docket at the moment. Of course there are some conditions – such as you have to buy another main meal for that price or greater …. But regardless – if you’re looking to eat out, at a reasonable price – it’s a bargain! And – just something to be wary of – remember the other week when I researched the price of tyres? Well… this week the place that gave me the cheapest price for the same tyres I have on my car – are advertising them for $8 dearer than the price I was quoted. ($185 - $193) I guess the clue is – don’t always believe the advertising brochures are the best price! 25 May 2009 Lamb The price of a lamb roast is almost prohibitive for most of us these days. $15 - $25 dollars for a leg of lamb big enough to feed a few is becoming extravagant. At the same time, lamb chops aren’t a cheap feed either. So… the best tip for buying lamb – is to wait for a bulk deal when the price of a side of lamb is affordable. And yeah, I know that there seems to be a bit of waste but if you use the flaps and stuff for soups, casseroles and bones for the dog… you’ll find there’s very little wastage. This week, Kennedys’ have sides of lamb for $4.99 a kilo and that’s a bargain. Copy Paper Those of us that have a computer know that the cost of the consumables (extras) can eat into the budget quite severely. Of course, it’s not just the computer – there’s also a printer which needs to have paper for printing. That can be costly, if you don’t keep an eye on the price of a ream of paper. Quite often, it’s cheaper to buy a box – which is about 4 to 5 reams. If you don’t need that much paper then the best value general purpose copy paper this week is at Officeworks. At $3.99 per ream – that’s a bargain! Handbags Lots of ladies love finding a bargain in this department, because there are many who own more than one handbag. Let’s face it – your handbag says a lot about who you are and I’m told that you need to change your handbag to match your mood. So our female listeners will be pleased to know that Zelows have one week left of their 40% off sale, which has been happening for the whole of the month of May. They have all sorts of handbags, and a large variety of some beautiful luggage and with that sort of discount – that’s surely a bargain!! 18 May 2009 Toilet paper It’s a messy topic, but I am constantly amazed by the number of people who stock-pile this item. They buy it every week because they tell me – it’s on special. I know one lady who has 125 rolls in her cupboard and if that household uses 5 rolls a week - that’s a 21 week supply (5 months) So…. How can you tell if the toilet paper is a good buy?... well divide the price by the number of rolls. Eg: $4.99 for 8 rolls equates to – approx 62cents per roll. That’s an average price for a good quality 3 -4 ply paper. Anything less than that is a good buy. And – by the way – take notice of the supermarket – they have toilet paper ‘on special’ every week! Tyres I have to get some tyres for my car. It’s a small car, an Astra, and so for the purposes of this exercise I used my car for a pricing model. And I have to tell you – I’m a bit gob-smacked about the prices. To replace the ones that are on it is going to cost between $180 and $225 per tyre. Jax Quickfit quoted me a price of $125 each for some with a brand I can’t even pronounce and the chaps at Bob Jane gave me a reasonable price of $149 for an all-rounder type of tyre. So… with $100 variance in prices – it certainly pays to shop around. Eggs The cheapest place to buy your eggs at the moment is at 11 May 2009 Exercise Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve had some discussion about gym memberships… well… I guess the final word on this is that if your budget doesn’t stretch to being able to afford a gym and you still want to stay fit - the cheapest form of exercise is to go for a walk. Of course, you’ll need to have the correct footwear but I’ve found a bargain price for Mens joggers at Rivers - $28 will get you out pounding the pavement, … but you’ll have to be quick because the sale finishes today. Trade in Old Games PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, Wii … these days, who hasn’t heard about these machines? They’re another form of entertainment for the kids - and the grown-up kids. But the price of buying the games is so expensive! But I have found a bargain – Trade in your old games at EB Games - so that you can save money on new games. You can put your old games to good use by trading them towards new ones. You can also trade in your old game consoles… depending on the model and provided it’s working, then you could get up to $250 in store credit… towards a new one. Cheese I don’t know if you’ve noticed but cheese has got terribly expensive of late. To purchase a block of tasty cheese has almost doubled in the past 2 years… and it’s around $12 - $14 a kilo. Sliced cheese is expensive, as is the grated varieties. So, in looking for prices in a good ‘all-rounder’ type of cheese I checked the prices on a kilo bock of tasty cheese – and found that THIS week – the best price is $7.79 @ Aldi supermarket. 6 May 2009 Correction Last week we talked about gym prices and in the search for the best value for a day visit – the Fitness Centre at Howlong was overlooked. Beryl very kindly sent an email making us aware of this – and with a price of $8 for a casual visit – this represents good value and is actually a better price than the one found last week. Mothers Day Is this weekend… and it’s not always easy to know what to get for our mothers. I’ve hunted high and low for the best gift possible, one that won’t break the bank… and I’ve come to the realization that the most valuable present for her and the most inexpensive for you – is the gift of time. I’m thinking we all need to spend some of our time on our mothers! Inexpensive Meals I was out walking with a friend yesterday… and came across a place where it’s possible to get a good meal at a reasonable price in a licensed restaurant. Now normally, I wouldn’t have given this place a thought if I was looking for a place to eat out – have you heard of Valleys restaurant? Over at Wodonga TAFE. What a great idea… they’re open on Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 6pm for dinner… and Thursday lunch from 12 -2. anyway… the Bargain Buster there … is that TODAY they have a SOUP’er lunch special… of homemade soup and a bread roll for only $4.50. Starts at 12pm. E-Bay type Auctions Do you use E-Bay? Well… there’s always a bit of conjecture as to how secure the deal is when you’re buying online. So, while there are a lot of people out there who love a bargain they still have hesitation about shopping online and taking advantage of the best buys from e-bay. Well, guess what? I found the next best thing! It’s called the Tender Centre – on the cnr of South and 29 April 2009 Gym Memberships With all the talk around about obesity – time to check out the best value for gym memberships. Well, that’s easier said than done – have you ever tried to get that information over the phone and without having a personal assessment first? It was like trying to tap into a ‘secret society’. Different people obviously have different fitness needs and all the gyms have different packages to suit. So… what’s the price for a ‘casual’ day visit? Well, there was a lot of reluctance to share that information also. Prices ranged from $14.99 to $24.58 per day visit. Then – after a frustrating hour of trying to get some answers without throwing too much weight around – a gym with the friendliest receptionist was found, who was very happy to answer all the questions without needing to size me up first. Life Force in Wodonga… and guess what? It’s only $10 for a casual visit. That’s the best gym deal I’ve heard! Glasses Let’s talk about glasses. Well, spectacles to be exact… they’re a fairly expensive item but sometimes it’s possible to find a bargain for new ones. I contacted every spectacle maker in Albury and Wodonga and was basically told by most of them that “they don’t have bargains, discounts or special prices”. Laubman & Pank are offering single vision glasses for $299 but at OPSM they have a “buy one, get one free” deal at the moment. So… that’s a bargain, particularly if you’re like me and need to wear prescription sunglasses also. Coffee Last week we talked about having a coffee in a café… this week I want to talk about having coffee at home. Generally, we buy the instant variety for a quick cup of coffee. Now, rather than weigh up all the different brands, let’s just pick one for today. Nescafe – the 43 blend variety. This has escalated in price over the past year or so … and today it generally costs around $25 to $27 for a 500gm tin. That’s way too dear – unless you can find it for less during a special promotion somewhere. So – here’s my tip for buying this – check out Big W – they sell this product in a 700 gm tin for around $22 - $23 as the normal price. When it’s on special – it comes down to around $18. In both instances – it’s a bargain price! And while you’re there – check out the cheap price for Tip for this week Get yourself a money box, or a money jar, or a little container to hold all the leftover coins that you find in your wallet or purse at the end of the day. Never, ever underestimate the value of having a money box. 22 April 2009 Coffee n Cake The hunt this week was to find the best place for a coffee and price wise – coffees range from $3.20 - $4.20 for a cappuccino. Not much between any of them, but whats the best deal. You know – coffee and cake for a certain price. After a fair bit of hunting it seems that the old coffee and cake offer has disappeared. But just when it seemed that the search was fruitless, Harvest Thyme – in Health Insurance How do you know if you’re getting the best value for money? Cannex – an independent financial research company, has given the 5 star award for the ‘best value health insurer’ to MBF So a visit to their office in Men’s socks Where’s the best place to buy good quality men’s business socks? Rivers of course, at $1.80 that’s a bargain! They also have ladies as well. Thicker sox are $2.95. 15 April 2009 Its school holidays this week – for both NSW and Victoria and as usual, mums and dads are looking for inexpensive ways to keep their kids occupied. Don’t we all hate the catch-cry “I’m bored”. While the obvious cheap entertainment is a visit to the local play ground or park – when it’s raining, that’s a little impractical. Check out the activities at the libraries (which are free) and also the cinemas. Movies If you want to take the kids to the pictures – don’t forget that Tuesdays offer the best value – with ‘cheap Tuesdays’ where all ticket prices at the Regent in Albury are $9.90 each. While it’s cheaper to buy movie tickets at the Wangaratta Cinema Centre ($9 on Tuesdays), the cost of driving from Albury makes it a bit prohibitive. Buying a book of 10 tickets will cost $89 for kids’ tickets and $109 for adults. Of course, if you’re a bit smart – you could always share the cost and the tickets with another family or 2. Cooked Chickens Because we all lead busy lives – sometimes we find it’s easier to buy a take-away meal rather than cook one. Of course that can be a little costly. Have you noticed the price of a cooked chook lately? This used to be a cheap alternative to buying a take away meal, but not any more – with prices well over $10 per bird. We found that the best value cooked chook this week is – $7.40 at Coles. This price is only available till Wednesday. 6 April 2009 Bathroom Cabinet This week we talked about the contents of the ‘bathroom cabinet’. You know the sort of things – soap, toothpaste, shampoo, razors, tissues, cotton-balls. Now, so many of us buy all this at the supermarket which might often be the most convenient way but is not always the cheapest. You’re just paying for the convenience much of the time. So the answer is – check out the chemist shops – with so much competition out there these days, you’ll find that it’s a much less expensive place to buy the necessities for your bathroom cabinet. Hot Cross Buns It’s Easter this coming weekend and hot cross buns are on the menu. We checked out the prices and found that the best value (that’s price and weight) for hot cross buns can be found at the Thurgoona Bakery ($6 for 6). But it pays to shop around and see if there’s a better price and value elsewhere. Easter Chocolate Of course Easter wouldn’t be Easter without the chocolate goodies. Which leads to the question – what’s the best value? Big eggs, small eggs, one egg or a bag of them? Chocolate rabbits or a bilby? Or would you be better off with a plain old ‘block of chocolate’? We’ve done some shopping and some calculations … a large Kinder chocolate egg or rabbit which weighs 150 gms will cost around $13.50 which actually equates to $89 per kilo. A Cadbury egg of the same weight will cost around $26 per kilo and a Lindt Chocolate rabbit, of the same weight and depending on where you buy it – will cost between $55 and $70 per kilo. The good old block of Cadbury Dairy Milk costs around $18 per kilo and this week Big W were selling 2 x 400gms blocks for $8 which equates to $10 a kilo. Don’t get too carried away by fancy packaging and tin foil – buy the Easter treats to suit your budget. If you had no eyes and no hands and I had to feed you the chocolate on a spoon – could you tell the difference? 30 March 2009 Dog Grooming This is quite a growing industry on the border, and most places have a waiting list for shampooing and clipping our canine friends. We made lots of enquiries, and found that it costs between $48 and $65 to have this done – and that’s for a small dog that is well controlled. Apparently you’ll pay more if your dog doesn’t have any manners. We then discovered L.A. Clips – who not only have a pick-up and drop off service they are also less expensive than the others. $45 was the quote for a Maltese Shitzu. Sounds like good value – and we hear that they’ve just got a new dog-wash as well. Local Footy It starts this coming weekend. And it costs $10 an adult to go and watch. There are 9 home games in the season and that’s $90 to go to and follow all the games that your favourite team has. The best value is to become a member. Take the Sweet Tooth If you love the taste of Sara Lee – then the factory outlet on Urana Road Lavington, is the place to go. 23 March 2009 Dry-cleaning This can make a hole in your budget. It’s almost a necessity, because let’s face it – a mans suit just doesn’t look good if it’s been washed at home, no mater how carefully you do it. So, we scouted around to find the best price for dry cleaning a man's suit. The most expensive was $18 and the cheapest price was - $15.50 at Wodonga Dry Cleaners. However, some of the shops will give you a special price if you want to get an extra pair of pants or maybe a shirt done at the same time. It’s a good idea to ask about this before you take your suit in for cleaning. Bark chips Lots of people are filling their gardens with bark chips, either filling their garden beds, or turning areas that were once lawn, into new bark filled areas. We investigated the cost of a trailer load of bark chips. An ordinary household trailer (6 x 4) takes 2 to 3 scoops of bark chips. So it can be a quite expensive task when prices are between $10 and $15 per scoop. However, we found that the cheapest place to get your bark chips is at the Rock Yard in Bread This seems to be getting more expensive every month – with some loaves costing $4 to $5 each. Now if you live in a bread-eating household – that’s a lot of dough! There will always be the debate as to whether it’s cheaper to make your own, and the claim is that you can make 5 loaves of your own bread for about $5. But you can also buy bread for that price – if you look carefully. The home brand breads in the supermarkets are only $1.09 a loaf. There is nothing wrong with them, they are made by the big name bakers, in the same ovens and at the same time as the more expensive brands - they just have a different label. If you like to buy in bulk and freeze your bread – Smarts Bakery on Tip for the week “If you want to save water, as well as money- keep a bucket near your kitchen sink. Every time you rinse a bowl or a cup or something, pour that water into the bucket rather than down the sink. You’ll be amazed at how much water you collect. The first day I did this, I emptied the bucket 3 times – now I’m emptying it once a day but my plants are still thriving and my water consumption is less.” 16 March 2009 Haircuts This is one item that can really eat into your budget. There is a great choice of hairdressers on the Border somewhere in excess of 70. So that means there’s plenty of competition out there. The average price of a basic (no frills) haircut for women is - $37 and for men it’s $25. The cheapest cut that could be found was $20 for a very basic woman’s cut at Quick Snips in Meat For most of us, the most expensive part of the food bill each week is meat. We compared prices for a weeks supply of meat at quite a few of the well-known meat providers on the border. The shopping list consisted of – rump steak, mince, sausages, a lamb roast, pork chops, lamb chops, and chicken fillets. There were 2 clear cut winners and there was only a few cents difference between them. They were a good $20 (or more) cheaper than the other places. So the cheapest places to buy your meat at the moment is at – Haus of Meat and Aldi. Complete Garden This is in the Peards Complex on It was only for that day. 9 March 2009 Thomas the Jewellers Bargain sale of forfeited laybys, unclaimed repairs and estate jewellery. Today only at 9am and it’s only for today! SPC Cannery Shop on One of the cheapest places to buy your non-perishable grocery items. They don’t just sell canned fruit and baked beans – they also have tinned fish, tea, coffee, desserts, pasta and pasta sauces, juices, chutneys and sauces. Major supermarket had jellied fruit – 4 tubs for $4. A box of the same stuff from SPC Cannery for the same price. Barlow Brothers (over in Wodonga) If you call them you won’t have to take the car there yourself as they offer a pick-up and delivery service as part of servicing your car. AND – another extra thing is that they give you a free car wash and vacuum with every service or repair. It’s great value – saves time, saves water and saves wear and tear on your vacuum cleaner. Tip for the week “If you over-use your credit card – then put it into a glass of water and place it in the freezer. It’ll take 8 hours to thaw out - which will give you enough time to think about what you’re using it for.”
The information provided in these excerpts were correct at the time of the radio broadcast. Budget Bitch Pty Ltd does not warrant the accuracy of the information provided as prices and circumstances may have changed since the radio broadcast. Budget Bitch Pty Ltd is not liable for any loss incurred as a result of the information provided. Readers should make their own enquiries prior to purchasing or entering into any arrangements with any of the suppliers listed above.
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