Cosy up on cash: Winter swapsies to boost your bank balance

Estimated reading time
 7 min

In this article

• How to get rid of cash-draining habits
  
• Learn simple swapsies to boost your bank balance
• 6 tips to help you cosy up on cash during Winter

Alcohol, sexy restaurant meals, that online shopping habit…those expenses add up.

And when it’s chilly outside, it’s easy to cling to cash-draining habits for their perceived warmth. But with a few simple swapsies this winter, you can boost your bank balance – and have fun doing it!

That’s right: cutting back on expenses during winter doesn’t have to mean going parched socially. Getting your friends involved is a brilliant way to elevate the experience into a months-long fun fest. And you’ll be astonished how much you can save – money you could funnel into your emergency fund or save for that decadent vacation.

Here are our six top tips to help you cosy up on cash this season. Winter, you little beauty.

Banish the booze

The thing about a boozy night out? It’s not just the amount you spend on alcohol. It’s the dinner out with friends that ends in those pricey night caps, the taxi ride home, those midnight munchies via the drive-through and perhaps a hefty babysitting bill? By embracing a quieter lifestyle this winter, you could potentially save hundreds of dollars. Our suggestion? Bank it. You can bathe in those shiny bills later, Scrooge McDuck-style.

Make cook-ups a thing

When it’s chilly outside, our thoughts turn to warming meals shared with loved ones. But that doesn’t have to mean extravagant restaurant meals. This winter, why not embrace the home cook-up instead? Slow-cooking cheaper cuts of meat or root vegetables isn’t only satisfying and delicious, it’s also a great way to maintain your social life while showering your nearest and dearest with home-cooked love. Better yet? You’ll save on takeaway or eating out, leaving you to bask in the warming glow of greater financial wellbeing.

Transform your lounge into a sanctuary

Swapping the dancefloor for the couch mightn’t seem like an especially uplifting switch. But spend an evening turning your loungeroom into a bona fide sanctuary and watch the friend requests fly in. If you’re short on soft furnishings, stop by your local op shop – you’ll be astonished at the plethora of soft blankies and fun cushions you can pick up for a steal. Throw some tea lights in a few glass jars, dim the lights, slip into your PJs and luxuriate on your very own couch.

Rather get your boogie on? Then set up a loungeroom disco instead – a great way to party with friends minus those pesky entry fees or hefty bar tab. Do this for the season and you could be a whole lot wealthier come spring.

Lay off the stimulants

You know what’s better than processed sugar and takeaway coffee? Mental clarity and cold hard cash. Picking up that daily $5 chocolate muffin or regular flat white, isn’t necessary to live the sweet life. Whip up a batch of wholesome bliss balls from dates, raw cacao and shredded coconut (those bad boys cost $4 a pop at cafes!), and ride the natural, finance-boosting high. And why not try swapping those jittery takeaway coffees for the brain-loving benefits of homemade green tea? Track how much you’ve saved on these simple switches and funnel that extra amount into your savings. You’re welcome.

Hike it up

Longing to get the blood and endorphins pumping? Then grab a buddy and hit up some scenic hiking trails. The bracing fresh air will invigorate you from the inside out. Better yet, free physical activity is great for both mental and financial wellbeing – a tried-and-true double act that’ll make saving a cinch.

Shop less

Developed a wee online shopping habit? Now’s the time to kick those money-draining apps to the curb. Try ‘shopping your wardrobe’ with a friend instead – a great way to get creative with items you already own. Crank the tunes, brew some warming chai on the stove, and make an afternoon of it. Our tip? Cull ruthlessly and sell those items online or at the market. Or you could even donate those unwanted clothes to your local op shop to double that feel good factor? Then slip each remaining garment onto its own flocked velvet hanger.

The simple luxury of opening your beautifully-arranged wardrobe each morning is reward enough, though your bank balance may be the greatest beneficiary. It really is a win-win.