Ok, Heres the good stuff (lol!) I have mentioned a few of these things on other pages but I am going to repeat them anyway, we all know repetition is a good thing!
Petrol Stations:
Petrol is CHEAPER on certain days of the week. Keen an eye on prices and figure out which day it is for your local station then try and make it your ritual to fill up on one of these days. Also, petrol stations a block apart can have as much as 15-20c difference (Im not kidding you!) so make sure you shop around! There are petrol stations like Caltex Woolworths that offer a 4c per ltr discount if you shop with Woolworths, but most of the time it only brings the price down to the same as the 'non gimmicky' stations anyway, so as I said, shop around, get to know your area.
Supermarkets:
Supermarkets also vary HUGELY in price, unfortunately they have also started bidding wars over here which is where they will drop the price of fruit for example to compete with the fruit shop nearby, Good for us I guess, but its pushing the smaller guys out of business which is what keeps our prices down through competition. I would recommend having a look at Aldi, they dont have a huge range but we usually do the majority of our grocery shop there first, then top up at one of the bigger supermarkets with anything we have missed. (I wouldnt recommend fruit or veg from Aldi but everything else is great) This usually saves us a ton. Aldi has fantastic Nappies, we found our favourite Huggies were just too expensive here and are rarely on special, luckily the Aldi nappies are just as good and MUCH cheaper. Make sure you keep a close eye on what your local supermarkets pricing is like, it might just be worth driving an extra few minutes to the next suburb!
Hanging out for Kiwi food???...
There is a Kiwi Shop at 300 Olsen Avenue in Parkwood :) It has all those things we miss and the staff are lovely...
Discount Vouchers
There are two ways to save big $$$ on the gold coast, step 1 is to buy an Entertainment book for $50 (seems like a lot but you will make this back almost immediately) This is packed with vouchers for all types of restaurants, accommodation, and entertainment. We dont ever use it all because there is SO MUCH in it, so we make sure our friends and family use as many vouchers as possible when they come over! Also try and head to www.clevercoupons.com.au or www.hotdockets.com.au and search for any discount vouchers that you may use, you could potentially be paying for one meal rather than two EVERY time you go out if you remember to check out the voucher sites.
General House Shopping
The Warehouse here has just recently turned into 'Sams warehouse' (just a useless piece of info) There are some great places to shop, such as Super A Mart (they have ALL types of furniture and bedding for CHEAP) Ikea is great too. Kmart has a great range of stuff to stock the house to begin with. There are salvos stores dotted around the place, and you will be VERY surprised at some of the bargains you can get - definitely worth a nosy!
Meat
There is a butcher called Pattons Big Gun, on the corner of Resources Court and Distribution Ave in Ashmore. Prices of meat are fantastic (eg $6.99 for chicken Breast) and the meat is great quality. Meat is reasonably priced from the supermarket but the quality is not always the best.
Appliances
There is a place called the 'Appliance people' in Ashmore and they sell Fridges, Washing machines and Dishwashers secondhand. Everything is priced well, 175 Currumburra Rd, Ashmore, QLD 4214, (07) 5539 2259. Harvey Norman in Bundall has a clearance centre than sells awesome televisions, and general home appliances, They are definitely worth a visit! Recently we have started shopping at the Good Guys, and have also found their products well priced.
General shopping for saving money
Harbor town has a fantastic Converse, Nike and Fila store that has great kids shoes if youre quick. There is also a 'Dimmeys' there which is THE BEST for anything like sheets, curtains (I got mine for $10 a pair and they are block out!) cushions, kids clothes (limited but awesome prices) Lingerie, duvet covers, and random Junk. You wont always find what you want there because they get lots of things in and it sells so quick, but when you find what you need youll save a ton! And its a great place to look for bargains. Everyone always raves about Trade secret, I didnt find it AMAZING but again I have heard its a luck of the season thing, sometimes they are stocked, other times they dont have much at all. That is on Ferry road in a place called 'the brickworks'. As I mentioned earlier, those that want to save a dime, the Salvation Army stores here are amazing, I LOVE to go in and have a rifle around, and I tell you, the things I have picked up that were as good as brand new have saved me hundreds!! (my last purchase was a 1.1m high piglet for $4) There are no $2 stores here but plenty of 'junk shops' around, Crazy clarks is a big chain, but there are smaller shops scattered all over the Gold Coast. They are really good for arty, party or (no Im not going to say what you are thinking haha!) general necessities (sellotape!)
Local Tradesmen
Now one thing I found REALLY hard was, WHO TO CALL!? You build up your own little list of tradesmen at home, and suddenly youre in a new place with no list.... and you really dont know who you can trust! So I have a few numbers here, of the most gorgeous guys you will meet, they are well priced and well recommended.
Plumber - William Price - 13PLUMBER - William Will waive his callout fee if you mention you got his number off this site! He is one of the nicest guys I have meet in a long time and I never cease to be surprised at how FAST and how affordable he is.
Builder - Mal - 0422699980
Electrician - Ben - WillPower Electrical - 0419775708
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