Go back to cash and the office: 14 small ways to cut back costs

theguardian.com:

Life in Australia is very expensive at the moment, and only getting more so: especially for renters and mortgage holders. We asked readers to share the ways they are cutting back, big and small.

Today, readers share the savings techniques they’ve already incorporated into their everyday lives.

These aren’t silver-bullet solutions to solvency, nor are households to blame if the numbers in their budgets have stopped adding up. But sometimes making small changes can, if nothing else, restore some sense of agency when faced with forces beyond one’s control.

Heating in a microwave is much cheaper than using the stove. Bircher muesli or overnight oats are cheap, nutritious and filling; and when grocery shopping, focus on frozen vegetables and whatever is on sale. Anonymous

I’ve given up on my $6.20 cup of coffee a day, and have gone back to the old French press to make my own coffee at home. Mark Baxter, northern NSW

We’ve been reusing teabags – we drink a lot of tea! We’ve also quit alcohol, and have dramatically reduced our meat consumption. Anonymous, Melbourne, Vic

I am even more careful than usual about food waste. I tend to only buy what I immediately need. I can do this because I am retired, however I could not have grocery shopped like this when working and feeding a family. Time was too precious. Anonymous

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We are a two-person household and have started shopping at Aldi. I plan our meals and buy extra ingredients to make sure we have leftovers for dinner the following week. With meat and fresh food being so expensive, we buy frozen veggies and chicken. At the end of the week, I try and create meals from the