9 Ways to Save Money in Australia in 2025

Australians are increasingly seeking smart ways to cut expenses and while we previously posted on 7 ways to save money , there are other ways you can combat the rising cost of living increase. We talk to Finder’s Sarah Megginson , whose life’s purpose is to help people use money smarter. Sarah gives us 9 practical money-saving strategies tailored to 2025:

1. Save 10% on groceries

Get 10% off one shop at each of Woolies and Big W each month with their Everyday Extra program. With up to $100 of savings, this offsets the $7/month fee. Trial it free for 30 days to see if it's for you.

2. Shop the half-price section of your grocery store

Plan meals around supermarket specials and buy in bulk for pantry staples to reduce grocery bills. I always look at the ½ price specials and plan some meals around those. For instance, if ravioli is half price – from $11 down to $5.50 – I’ll buy a couple to have in the fridge as super-simple, affordable dinners.

3. Don’t pay your insurance renewal

At least, don’t pay it straight away. I always look at an insurance renewal as an “opening offer”. Insurance premiums usually increase every year but in the last few years, the increases have been huge. Give them a call to see if they can give you a better price, or compare car and home insurance premiums online to make sure you're not overpaying. Many Australians have saved thousands by shopping around and switching to insurers offering better rates without compromising on coverage.

4. Pay less tax with health insurance

If you earn more than $97,000 or $194,000 as a couple, you’ll pay an extra 1-1.5% in tax via the Medicare Levy Surcharge. If you earn $120k, for instance, that’s another $1,200 you’ll have to pay the tax man. You can avoid being whacked with this extra cost, take out a hospital health insurance policy.

I quickly crunched the numbers, and a single person aged 30 earning $120k, can get a basic hospital policy from around $100 a month. That’s the same amount you’ll pay in MLS, and you get access to some private hospital benefits. Depending on your situation, you may even pay less in health insurance premiums than you’d pay in extra tax!

5. Check your utilities

Most people set up their energy plan when they move house, and then don’t think about it again until the next time they move. But there could be a huge opportunity to save money here. Negotiating or switching to cheaper plans can save hundreds annually – recently, one of my colleagues switched plans, and he’s set to save $600 a year.

6. Cut back on streaming costs

Streaming platforms are the new gym membership. You sign up, pay the fee each month, and hardly use them – but it feels like such a pain to get them all sorted. In just one hour you can get on top of it and work out what you use, what you can cancel – and where you’re on the fence, see if you can get a discount cancellation offer to stay. When I did a streaming audit, I was able to cut back and save $50 a month, or $600 a year. Better in my bank account than theirs!

7. Shop smarter

Use cashback platforms like Grow My Money to get rewarded for shopping you’re already doing. These cashback apps don’t cost anything to use (they get paid in commissions from the brands that you’re shopping with) and the great thing with Grow My Money is that the cashback you earn, goes towards your home loan or superannuation. Future you will thank you!

8. Get a better mobile and internet plan

Take a look at your data usage and consider switching to lower-cost plans or prepaid options, or see if you can bundle your plans together to get a discount. I was paying $100 a month for internet and $80 for my phone, but by bundling I got this down to $150, and scored a bump in data up to 200GB per month.

9. Refinance your home loan

Take advantage of the competitive mortgage market by refinancing. I refinance every few years, often getting a cashback for my efforts, but always securing a nice big interest rate discount. It’s a couple of hours of paperwork, for potentially thousands of dollars in savings!

By implementing these strategies, Australians can ease some of their financial pressures while creating long-term savings. For more ways to save, consider doing the Finder Fitness Challenge: you could save up to $11,000 over the year on your household bills. And to maximise the money you are spending, make sure you sign up to Grow My Money (https://growmymoney.com.au/) to earn cashback into your superannuation and mortgage.