Money. You can’t
live without it.
But it sure seems
to disappear
fast, right? Now,
thanks to this little
wallet-sized pocket
rocket of powerful
savings tips, you’ll
find some of our
favourite ways to
save.
The little book
of big savings
ideas.
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Written by savvy Westpac customers,
it’s packed with smart savings tips and
special secrets to get your savings
spree well and truly started.
We’ve divided this little book up into
4 sections, covering Everyday Savings,
Holiday Savings, Family Savings and
Smart Savings.
Whatever kind of saving you’re into, we
promise you’ll find something in here.
So what are you waiting for?
Dive in and make every cent count!
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¢ ¢
Customers tell us that their
biggest surprises come after saving
small amounts like $2 and $5.
Remember a jar full of $2 coins will
be worth a lot more than a jar full
of 5c coins! And you honestly won’t
notice the difference.
“Bowls of change lying around the
house are full of lazy money. Every
couple of months gather it up and
deposit into your mortgage and
suddenly your lazy money is hard at
work!” Andrew, SA
Everyday
Savings
“Write down all the bills you get over
the course of the year, then work out
how much that equates to each pay
you receive. If you put that amount
aside each pay to cover it, when the
Keep an eye out for “Our two cents”
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¢ ¢
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“Instead of grabbing a curry or a pizza
after work, theme your nights in with
different countries, dishes and even
costumes - it’ll feel like your eating out,
but it’s a lot more fun!”
Ketherine, ACT
“My favourite is the good old $2.00
coin jar! The rule is, you can’t ask for
them, but if you receive them you
can’t spend them. Last year I saved
$2100.00 and bought airline tickets.”
Anna, VIC
“Replace the urge to buy with the urge
to sell! Selling in an online auction or
organising a garage sale can be way
more fun then a shopping spree and
the money you make can go towards
that savings goal.”
Brad, VIC
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Westpac Reward Saver actually
rewards you with bonus interest
when you make a deposit of at
least $50 (or anything you like for
Westpac Reward Saver Kids, Youth
and Student), but no withdrawals
in a month. It’s great for serious
savers and situations where you
won’t dip in to your money every
month. And the rewards can be
great! See westpac.com.au for
more details.2
¢ ¢
“Pump it up baby! Make sure your car
tyres are kept at the right pressure and
that there is nothing unnecessary in
your boot - it will save you petrol - and
that will save you money in the long
run!” Meg, SA
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big bills hit - you can cover them, and it
doesn’t eat into your savings!”
Melissa, VIC
“Make two days a week “No Spend”
days. No fancy lattes, no DVD rentals,
no fast food or restaurant meals. You’ll
be surprised how well you can actually
live without spending a cent!”
Paul, WA
¢ ¢
Online banking means you can
save even if you’re in your pyjamas!
Westpac Online Banking is a quick,
secure and simple place to enjoy a
virtual piggy bank you can access
anywhere, at any time, through the
internet. Open 24/71 for banking,
it makes saving easy. See westpac.
com.au/discover for more details.
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“I used to be beguiled by the ‘Sale’
signs ... save 30% ... save 50% ... 70%
off. Now I keep walking and save 100%
and it feels fabulous!”
Diane, QLD
“Set up a direct debit to move some
money out of your current account into
an internet savings account the day
after your salary gets paid into your
current account – that way, you don’t
even notice you had that money.”
Calista, WA
“Make a pact with yourself to add 10%
of the value on every non essential
purchase you make to your savings.
For example if you buy a $100 MP3
player put away $10. You will be
amazed at how much you think about
what you’re buying and how fast your
savings grow.” Adam, NSW
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“Have two savings accounts. One your
husband knows about, and one he
doesn’t. I call mine the ‘shoe fund’.”
Natalia, NSW
“Get into the habit of swapping skills!
I look after my friend’s child in return
for her doing my hair (she’s a qualified
hairdresser). This saves her costly
child minding fees and me on salon
prices. We keep it fair by working out a
good balance.” Joanne, VIC
¢ ¢
We live in one of the most beautiful
countries in the world – so get out
there and enjoy it. Take a walk in
the national park, or have a picnic
in your local one. And don’t forget
to pack some nibbles, plenty of
water, a hat and some sunscreen!
Family
Savings
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“Calculate your utility bills for the past
year and then aim to lower your usage
and save the difference for something
you really want. That way it is good for
you and the environment!”
Nicole, WA
“Here in the Northern Territory the first
thing a man does when the wife stops
work to raise the kids is to start homebrewing. That way he can still enjoy a
hard-earned coldie but now at just 20c
a bottle!” Chris, NT
¢ ¢
Set-up and maintain a spending
journal. If you do this, you’ll be
amazed when you discover what
your spending habits are like. And
you’ll be able to identify ‘wasted’
savings opportunities much quicker.
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“I offered my children 50% of all energy
bill reductions quarterly as a saving
plan. Now they conserve energy at
every opportunity. Great for me, and
them!” Kier, NSW
“My favourite savings tip is really
simple. Just DON’T take your husband
or children with you to do the
groceries.” Angela, NSW
“Every week I give my children $5 to
buy their lunch for one day at school.
If they choose to make and take their
own lunch I give them the $5 for their
money box.” Diane, WA
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“Aim to save a certain amount of
money and when you get to that
figure, reward yourself with something
special. I reward myself with a spa
treatment after every $1000 in my
savings account. I spend $100 on the
treatment but still have $900 saved!”
Manisha, NSW
¢ ¢
Got a fair bit of money to
squirrel away? Then why not think
about a Term Deposit? Safe and
secure, you get a fixed interest
rate for a fixed term from 7 days to
60 months for deposits between
$5,000 and $5,000,000. With no
set up or management fees, they’re
good for longer-term investing for
big-ticket items. See
westpac.com.au for more details.
Think about exchanging skills or
time – instead of money – between
friends and family. Even small
things like odd-jobs, babysitting,
tools or other skills can be
swapped for something that can
save you money.
¢ ¢
Smart
Savings
“Have a pantry challenge. On weekends
have your own version of “Ready,
Steady, Cook”. Put 8 items from
your pantry, fridge or freezer into an
environmental bag, and take it in turns
in creating a family dinner. Great way
to clear out the pantry of older items,
saves on take-away and lots of family
fun!!” Michelle, VIC
“Instead of taking the kids to a cafe,
make muffins and have a picnic at the
park.” Sarah, VIC
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When was the last time you visited
your local library? These days, you
can find magazines, CDs, DVDs
and, of course, lots of the latest
books. Best of all – you can take
the whole family. It’s good brain
food – and it’s free!
¢ ¢
“Plant a veggie garden! Growing your
own veggies saves on grocery bills, plus
there is nothing more satisfying than
sitting down to a home cooked meal,
plucked from your own garden!”
Jodie, NSW
“If you live in a city and have a car park
that you don’t use, consider renting it
out for a monthly fee. The payment you
receive will pay a good portion of your
rent or mortgage repayment.”
Nicole, VIC
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Make your money work harder
– the easy way. Westpac eSaver
has a competitive interest rate
that pays you interest monthly –
compounding your savings power.
Interest is calculated daily, paid
monthly and you get unlimited
access to funds via automated
Telephone Banking and Online
Banking to your other Westpac
transaction or savings accounts.
There’s no minimum balance either.
See westpac.com.au for more
details.
¢ ¢
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“When you finish paying off a regular
payment towards a debt like a loan or
credit card, keep the payment habit
going! Transfer the funds (or a part of
them at least) that you would normally
pay into a high-interest savings
account. You won’t even notice the
money is gone until you see your
savings start to grow!”
Victoria, WA
“Instead of renting expensive holiday
homes for accommodation, try a home
swap! My husband and I are big fans
of house swapping to save on holiday
accommodation, and we have literally
saved thousands of dollars on holiday
expenses in this manner.”
Mayumi, NSW
“Don’t aim for the stars with your goals.
Start with small, achievable ones that
keep you motivated. Give your budget
a bit of flexibility so that you will be
able to stick to it.” Jared, WA
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“During school holidays we give
‘control’ of the family budget to our
kids. All spending has to go through
them and any excess that has been
saved the kids get to keep! It’s harder
than they think - as they still have to
put away for annual bills etc. They get
to see how much it actually costs, but
it’s also a great way for them to learn
responsibilities.” Michael, QLD
Teach children the value of money
from an early age. You could match
your children dollar for dollar when
they deposit money in the bank, for
example.
¢ ¢
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¢ ¢
Take your savings with you!
Our Mobile Banking service means
you can access your savings on
the go through your iPhone™ or
iPod Touch™. You can check and
manage accounts, pay bills using
BPAY® and even ‘pay anyone’ to
send money to family and friends!
See westpac.com.au/discover for
more details.
Holiday
Savings
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Having a “Savings Buddy”, like
a friend, partner or child can
work wonders. When you share a
savings milestone, you both should
celebrate by doing something
special.
¢ ¢
“When saving for a holiday, I like to
get my friends and family to save too.
That way we can all influence and
encourage each other, and we usually
start a competition to see who can
save the best. Because we’re all in the
same boat, we often enjoy low-cost
activities together.” Sarah, SA
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Rainy Day?
Don’t forget, the best time to start
saving isn’t ‘some day’ – it’s right now.
So dig around your pockets, bags and
wallets for some gold coins, and pop
them in a jar. Remember, saving is a
habit. And it’s one that can really reap
big rewards in a short space of time.
But most of all, saving should be
fun! So pop this little book onto your
fridge or into your wallet, and use it for
inspiration whenever you need to.
Here at Westpac, we’re always happy
to help you find ways to make more
of your money. Just visit us online at
www.westpac.com.au to find out more.
Happy Saving!
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“Make Christmas cookies as presents
for family and friends. You’ll probably
be cooking before Christmas anyway,
so why not make extra of those little
treats and give them to your family
as gifts? The personal touch will be
appreciated.” Victoria, NSW
“$5 isn’t much, but if you can put $5 in
a piggy bank each day for 365 days,
you’ll end up with $1825. That money
makes for a fantastic holiday and you
won’t even think twice about saving
your 5 bucks.” Viet, VIC
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Things you should know: This information
doesn’t consider your circumstances. Before you
make a decision to hold or acquire a product, you
should read the terms and conditions available at
westpac.com.au, by calling 132 032 or visiting a
Westpac branch. Conditions and fees apply.
1. Subject to system availablity.
2. Bonus interest will be payable for each month
in which, by the last business day of the month:
• the account balance has remained above $0
throughout the month,
• deposit of at least $50 (or of any amount for
Kids, Youth or Student Reward Saver), and
• you have made no withdrawals (other than
transferring an amount to a Westpac Term
Deposit through a Westpac branch.
Transactions processed after the last business
day of the month will count for your bonus
interest qualification in the following month.
iPhone™ or iPod Touch™ are trademarks of
Apple Inc.
® Registered to BPAY Pty Ltd 69 079 137 518
Westpac Banking Corporation
ABN 33 007 457 141 AFSL 233714
RBS010 (09/10) 204786
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