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When it comes to cutting back on your monthly expenses, small change is big change. Try these proven tips, and you too could put savings in the bag.
by Linette Retief*
I have to confess that I’ve never been, nor will ever be, a DIY guru. DYK, on the other hand, is a different story. Do you know what DYK stands for? Probably not, because I just made it up. It stands for Did You Know.
When it comes to DYK, I am a walking, talking back of a Chappies chewing gum wrapper. That’s where I picked up such amazing factoids as the one about the airline that saved millions of dollars by leaving one olive out of the salads in First Class meals.
Perhaps it’s  just a fancy version of the old “save a match and buy a farm” adage. Be that as it may, in my own little way, I’ve saved a few matches and omitted a few olives. I’m a seasoned traveller, wise to the ways of the impulse purchase pangs and the candy-and-magazine catastrophe at the till. I’m much happier knowing that I don’t have to part with unjustifiable amounts of money to be content in my heart or my humble home.
Far be it from me to continue this perilous journey alone. Herewith, some hints and tips to help you navigate your way through the retail minefield. Did you know:
Bigger is not always better: Don’t assume that the ginormous box of washing powder, the extra-large tin of coffee, the giant bag of frozen veg or the bonanza bottle of shower gel is cheaper. Check  the label on the shelf to see shows what the product costs per 100g or 100 ml.
Don’t let cleaners take you to the cleaners: I’ve become cynical about the wide variety of cleansers supposedly catering to every nook and cranny of your home. The kitchen surface cleanser, the bathroom surface cleanser, the stove and microwave cleanser, the bathroom mildew remover, the wood polisher, tile cleaner, and appliance cleaner. One good, basic product makes a clean sweep of most of the above. If the cleanser runs out, a squirt of dishwashing liquid  in a bucket of warm water does wonders for everything from tiles to toilet.
Face up to savings: Nobody needs to tell me about the desires that are conjured up in the advertising dream factory, particularly in the cosmetics and skin care divisions. I was an advertising copywriting for decades. But I myself have fallen prey to the “jar of hope” syndrome.
For years now, I’ve been using fewer and cheaper products, with encouraging results. Don’t blow budget on your cleanser and toner. Cheapies do the trick. Get more bang for your buck with a good moisturizer.
Forget about body exfoliators. A bag of cheap fine salt mixed with brown vinegar leaves you smooth as a baby’s butt, even though you’ll smell like a chip. Ditto a hand full of coarse salt mixed with olive oil. If you still have too much month at the end of your money, a jar of aqueous cream and a small bottle of tissue oil will see you though.
Turn over a new leaf:  Don’t splurge on orchids or roses. Even a bunch of cheapies can be too expensive. A single leaf in an interesting wine bottle can be a thing of great beauty.
These are just some of the ways in which I’ve been trying to save. In the process, I’ve gained more than a few coins in my piggy bank. I’ve gained wisdom.
If there’s one thing I’ve learnt on my journey into and hopefully out of debt, it’s that the fancy smartphone, the new car, the designer leather skirt or lip plumper added little to who I am.
It’s what inside, the greatness and smallness, the vulgarities and vulnerabilities, that makes me who I am and gets me through the day and night.
* Linette Retief is an award-winning copywriter and journalist from Johannesburg. She has a large following among readers of Afrikaans newspapers, who empathise with her as a single mum trying to make ends meet whilst secretly hankering after champagne and Swiss chocolate.
** This article first appeared on the Change Exchange, an online platform by BrightRock, provider of the first-ever life insurance that changes as your life changes.
