If your purse strings are tight, then why not take a page out of a hipster’s book? Try these different approaches to managing your expenses. These hipster options are also environmentally friendly, meaning you are both minimising waste and saving cash.
Shopping for furniture
Upcycle - For those who don’t know, upcycling is creating new furniture out of old or used furniture, or even waste material. This is an excellent opportunity for those with a creative mind. Our top two tips for upcycling are:
- Invest wisely: Pick a style for your home and stick to it. This could mean having to be patient and waiting for the suitable furnishing to become available. Also, always consider how much work and cost will go in upcycling an item. Always ask yourself – are you investing your time and money wisely?
- Look online: Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree often have second-hand furniture going for low prices, sometimes you can even grab free items!
Hipster entertainment options
Sign-up for deals - if you are reflecting on last year’s finances and realise you are spending WAY too much on music festivals, going to the movies or other forms of entertainment; then maybe consider subscription deals. Here are two examples of subscriptions for those who love to be entertained:
- GiggedIn*: If you are spending way too much on gigs, but don’t want to sacrifice your inner muso, then why not try GiggedIn? You can cancel at any time and for as little as $14.95 a month you get tickets to a different gig each month!
- Sinemia*: Spice up your movie going experience with this budget option. Pay a yearly subscription for monthly tickets to your local cinema.
How hipsters shop for clothes
Hit the thrift shops - from the Salvation Army to St Vincent de Paul, you can find some great items in second hand stores all over Australia. | Greater Bank
Our two top tips for rummaging second-hand stores are:
- Shop a season ahead of time: This means at the end of Summer you should go on the hunt for a summer dress and at the end of winter, be on the lookout for a big wintery coat. The end of a season is when people are cleaning out their closets and getting rid of their seasonal wear, so it’s an opportune time for you to jump in and pick up the perfect outfit for next year.
- Shop around: Try different suburbs and stores – not every second-hand store is the same and one may have better stock than the other.
Hipster gift options
Go thoughtful or go home - a true hipster values authenticity, originality and individuality, so channel your inner hipster and be creative when it comes to Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries and Valentine’s Day gifts. Our top two tips:
- Choose an experience: Rather than purchasing something impersonal that will probably just end up in a landfill with plenty of other unused gifts, be creative and pick a memorable experience that you and the recipient can do together. For inspiration, check out experiences on Groupon, Social Living and other deals websites.
Banking like a hipster
As a customer owned bank, we at Greater sit apart from the big banks, as we always put the customer first. Our profits go back into improving our products and services, rather than into the pockets of public shareholders. As a customer-owned back, we prioritise each individual customer and what they hope to achieve from banking with us.
Spending like a hipster
For those who spend like a hipster, we recommend our Ultimate Access Account. With no fees as long as you deposit $2,000 per month (like your salary) and unlimited access to your account, this Everyday Account is perfect for people wanting to cut out bank fees and save. You can download the Greater Bank app and manage your finances from the convenience of your phone or tablet, allowing you to transfer cash in just a few swipes. For your benefit, this account offers SMS and email alerts to warn you if you are about to incur any arrears fees or fees incurred by missing direct debit payments. To find out more about opening an account with Greater Bank call us on 1300 651 400 or drop by and visit us at your local branch.
* Greater Bank is not affiliated with GiggedIn or Sinemia
This article is intended to provide general information of an educational nature only. This information has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Therefore, before acting on this information, you should consider its appropriateness having regard to these matters and the product terms and conditions. Terms, conditions, fees, charges and credit criteria apply. We do not recommend any third party products or services and we are not liable in relation to them. Any links to third party websites are for your information only and we do not endorse their content. Information in this article is current as at the date of publication.