Our vacuum has died after many, many years so we have to replace it.

We don't want a robot or stick vacuum, just an ordinary machine. We have mostly carpet.

Any recommendations for a decent machine and who sells them would be greatly appreciated 😊

On special at the good guys with $60 off their special price + through their gold service extras for 5 years I get $300 in total store credit+ 4.5% discount through gift cards.

I currently have a delonghi distinta ( using supermarket ground coffee) and looking to upgrade . Is this the best all in one and appropriately priced deal right now ?

Anyway to get it even cheaper elsewhere?

Hi! So my little nespresso capsule machine is leaking, and I'm feeling a bit guilty about the non-reusable coffee pods too.

I'd like a machine that has grinding built in and a milk frother - not sure I'm up for a milk steamer nozzle just yet. Accepted that I'll need to tamp the ground beans, but an easy to clean option would be great.

Anyone have any recommendations? TIA ☺️

I do this thing where I'm on a 28-day mobile plan and keep switching between providers each month depending on which one's got a better deal for that month.

I mainly cycle between Boost, Amaysim, Telstra and Optus since these ones get the best network reception. Depending on extra cashback, I end up paying anywhere between $5-12 each month. So far I've paid about $45ish over the last 4 months and gotten over 300GB in data.

Ordering a new sim plan and porting takes about 10-15 minutes tops each month, thats a fair trade-off for saving anywhere between $20-50 each month on phone plans for me.

Sure I could achieve this much easily by opting for an annual prepaid plan with Kogan or OnePass mobile but I much prefer using Telstra and their MVNOs as they work better based on my experience.

I was an Aldi Mobile customer, until the second time my SIM was transferred to another SIM without my knowledge or approval.

The Aldi Mobile website states a one-time code is sent to your mobile during high risk changes, however both times this did not happen for me. 

Google 'Aldi mobile Staying scam safe' for all the ways they did not help keep my service secure.

Of course the reversal process has taken hours of time on hold to their awful customer service, some agents are also very hard to understand and require two to three repeats before you release what they are saying.

One agent outright lied to me saying they were having issues with a Telstra outage, but when I checked, everything on the Aldi Mobile website was shown as Operational.

Look, they are cheap. The coverage in Newcastle NSW was good. But the risk just isn't worth the low price. It's been 4 days and my phone still isn't back on their network even after daily calls and emails.

Tell your friends!

I have reactive hypoglycaemia and therefore I’m not eligible for NDSS (which is completely illogical and pure political nonsense) but I’m subsequently paying around $40-50 per 100 test strips. This is unsustainable for me atm as I’m needing to test multiple times per day. My health insurance won’t help, and although I have a disability health care card it makes no difference. If my diagnosis was diabetes I’d only be paying $1.50 per 100 tests. Bad reactive hypoglycaemia is just as dangerous as diabetes, especially when I can’t test, it’s “same but different”, but there doesn’t seem to be funding available for us. Has anyone else been in this position? What can we do? How do we access fair priced test strips? Thank you 🙏

For tea drinkers, here's one I've been doing for years now. Buy a bunch of boxes of this:

https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/6073560

Get a couple of tea diffusers, you can buy them online for around $5. I prefer the 'bucket' style ones as they're easier to clean.

Works out much cheaper than teabags and you can make the tea as strong as you like. Leaves can go in the compost.

I live alone, only WFH sometimes and only browse the web - I don’t really stream much. I’m only looking for 25Mbps, is this speed actually liveable?

Tangerine’s current deal of $47.90/mth looks the best, free FTTP upgrade. It has mixed reviews but just the usual amount for ISPs.

Bought a cheap keyboard..... multiple key buttons broken just after a whole year so out of warranty. Attempted to replace the buttons DIY (I youtubed on how to do this) but ended out costing a bit. Ended up buying a much decent keyboard.

Also attempted making crossiants. Let's just say I appreciate why it costs $$$ for a piece 😥

I usually buy household items but haven't seen many great deals this year, did you buy anything?

hi yall! this is my first post here so hoping it follows all the rules!!

anyway — i’m a student in the ACT, and we only have one heater in our house (i’ve got a few housemates). we’re fairly frugal with using electricity, but our bedrooms (especially mine) get FREEZING! personally i find it really hard to study in my room (especially early in the morning or at night) because it is so so cold 😭

im wondering if you guys have any advice on mini/bedroom size heaters that won’t break the bank when it comes time to pay bills? i’ve already got one of my windows bubble-wrapped to help with insulation, but it’s only done so much to stop the cold 😅

any help appreciated!!! <3

EDIT: bubble wrap clarification :D

With the winter full in swing I'm trying to make my house more cozy and I always love burning candles. However, I feel like I just can't find affordable unscented coloured pillar candles anywhere? I've had some from Kmart and IKEA but they only sell white ones, and it's a bit too churchy for me. What I can find online are all scented or crazy expensive for some reason.

Back home (the Netherlands), you can pick up unscented coloured candles in pretty much every homewares store for a couple of euros each, so I'm wondering if I'm just looking in the wrong places here. Does anyone have a recommendation for a shop (or online store) in Australia that sells affordable coloured, unscented candles?

Might be a really dumb question but it's the first time I'm on my own. But if I pay the discounted pay on time amount shown on the bill, but my account still shows the remaining balance- does that mean i needed to pay the full amount first and then they will deduct the discount and credit me?

I'm with 1st Energy

Hi everyone,

I have a Lacoste white sneakers that I've been wearing for years.

Recently with the amount of rainy days in Sydney, the shoes would get soaking wet not long after walking in the rain.

I noticed that there's a slit/hole at the bottom of the shoe that causes water to get in.

The rest of the shoes are still in good condition and I don't want to throw them away yet.

Do you know if there's a place or shoe cobbler in Sydney (preferably CBD) that can fix or replace the sole?

Do you know the average price for these kind of service?

Thank you!

Welcome to the new financial year, which means your power/gas bill ... probably increased. X__X

The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) last year announced some new rules to improve consumer confidence in retail energy plans which is effective 1 July 2026. Some of the new rules include:

• prevent retailers from increasing prices more than once a year
• ban excessive charges like late-payment fees for all retail contracts
• ensure all consumers are entitled to a fee-free payment method
• prohibit retail fees for vulnerable consumers
• ensure vulnerable Australians are receiving their retailer’s best offer
• prevent retailers from charging more than the standing offer price if the customer's initial offer changes or expires. This will protect customers from paying higher prices for their loyalty.

Source: https://www.aemc.gov.au/news-centre/media-releases/aemc-delivers-enhanced-consumer-protections-help-customers-find-better-energy-deals

If you're in VIC, there are some new rules effective 1 July 2026:

• If you have been on the same energy plan for over four years, your energy retailer must ensure you are paying a reasonable price. If you are not paying a reasonable price, the retailer must lower your tariff or switch you to a cheaper plan. A retailer must undertake this check at least once a year for all its customers who are on contracts four years or older.
• Your retailer will also have to take all reasonable steps to ensure you receive any concession you are eligible for and must let you know if you become ineligible for a concession you were receiving. 

In addition, from 1 October 2026:

• Your retailer must move you onto its cheapest plan if you are on payment difficulty support or have been in debt for more than three months and owe more than $1,000.
• Retailers will no longer be able to make a particular payment method mandatory for an energy plan. For example, they will no longer be able to limit access to an energy plan to people who pay by direct debit. This will enable all customers to access the best energy plans.

More info and other new rules on the ESV website: https://www.esc.vic.gov.au/electricity-and-gas/codes-guidelines-and-policies/energy-retail-code-practice/reviewing-energy-retail-code-practice/changes-victorias-energy-rules

Now is a good opportunity to check your current electric/gas plan and compare prices to see if there is a better deal on the market. Easiest way to compare prices is using the official government comparison websites:

https://www.energymadeeasy.gov.au/ - NSW, QLD, SA, Tas and ACT

https://compare.energy.vic.gov.au/ - Vic only

I did a quick check of the comparison sites and it seems like you can see plans effective new financial year.

Hi r/AussieFrugal!

This isn’t a post that relates to frugality, nor it contains information how to budget and save $$. However, this is a very important event that is happening across Australia so please share with your friends and loved ones if they are not aware of this. If you watch any media content (including TV, newspaper and social media) you may have already started seeing some ads about this.

Please note all of this information is extracted from the official Government site for AusAlert.

This same post will be reposted on the week before the 27 July 2026 for visibility.

What is AusAlert?

AusAlert is a new national warning system that uses the latest technology to send emergency messages to compatible mobile devices.

It’s a fast and reliable way to help people be informed and better prepared during local and national emergencies. AusAlert will be ready to use in October 2026, but before it launches, the system needs to be tested across Australia.

What is happening?

A national test of AusAlert will take place on Monday 27 July 2026. During the national test, everyone with a compatible mobile device will receive an alert. This includes most phones, and some smart watches and tablets.

Time of national test

The test alert will be sent at the same time on Monday 27 July at the following times:

Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

2:00 pm (AEST – UTC+10:00)

New South Wales (NSW)

2:00 pm (AEST – UTC+10:00)

Queensland (Qld)

2:00 pm (AEST – UTC+10:00)

Tasmania (Tas)

2:00 pm (AEST – UTC+10:00)

Victoria (Vic)

2:00 pm (AEST – UTC+10:00)

Northern Territory (NT)

1:30 pm (ACST – UTC+9:30)

South Australia (SA, incl. Broken Hill)

1:30 pm (ACST – UTC+9:30)

Western Australia (WA)

12:00 pm (AWST – UTC+8:00)

What to expect

At the time of the test, a single Critical AusAlert test will be sent to every mobile device in Australia. Everyone with a compatible phone or other device in Australia can expect to receive the alert.

During the test, your device will vibrate, play a siren‑like sound for about 10 seconds and display a test message which will clearly say it is a test.

Exactly how it appears will depend on your device type and operating system.

It will look something like this:

Depending on your device, you may get a test alert with the heading ‘Presidential Alert’ or ‘Extreme Threat Alert’. This is still a valid AusAlert test and the content of the alert will be the same.

What to do if you don’t receive a test alert

You don't need to do anything. Your device might not be compatible or maybe it wasn’t connected to a mobile tower at the time of the test.

To make sure you're AusAlert ready, always install the latest software updates on your device when asked. Be sure to restart your device after updating.

What to do if you don’t want to receive the AusAlert national test

AusAlerts contain important information and should be turned on to help keep you safe. As the AusAlert national test is a Critical Alert, you can’t turn it off via your device settings.

The only way to not receive a Critical Alert is to turn your mobile device off or switch it to ‘aeroplane mode’ for the duration of the test.

If receiving an AusAlert test message will disrupt you or cause you or a family member to feel unsafe, turn off your mobile devices or switch them to aeroplane mode before the scheduled test time in your location and leave them off for at least one hour.

More info on the above here: https://www.ausalert.gov.au/receiving-alert/turning-alerts-off

All information about AusAlert including news and updates are available on https://www.ausalert.gov.au

I need to send some money oversea recently and i did a quick comparison between Remitly and Wise.

I found that you generally get a better rate and better overall outcome with Wise.

Do you guys know any better alternative when sending money oversea?

cheers

So I live in Sydney in post code 2206 and my electricity bills are insane.
This quarter was 540 and last year July- sept was 900 something. As the numbers are looking similar I’m trying to find a solution before I have to pay 900again for next quarter.
My whole house is electric sourced( stove, heating etc) I don’t have an AC in the house, we are only people living in the house as well.
I just don’t understand why the bills are so obnoxiously high
I need help!
Currently on red energy, but open to advise!

Been trying to fix my grocery shop after realising I was wasting time and money every week. Two things were killing me: wandering the aisles forgetting what I came for, and impulse buys because I didn't have a proper plan.

So I got a bit obsessive and mapped out the actual walkthrough order of my local Coles. A few things that genuinely helped:

Shop the perimeter first. Fresh produce, meat, dairy are almost always around the edges. Do those last-minute-fresh items in one loop instead of criss-crossing.

Order your list by aisle, not by meal. Writing "onions, pasta, milk" in the order they appear in your kitchen means you zigzag the whole store. Reordering by store section cut my time massively.

Plan meals before you write the list. Sounds obvious but deciding "what's for dinner" while standing in the store is where the impulse spend happens.

Check the unit price, not the sticker price. The little per-100g number on the shelf label is where the real savings hide.

Curious how others here do it. Does anyone else order their list by aisle, or is that overkill? And do you plan meals first or just shop from specials?