How to save on energy bills – household tips
With energy prices skyrocketing, it's no wonder ordinary Australians are feeling the pinch. The Energy and Water Ombudsman for Victoria has revealed that more people than ever are complaining they can't afford their power bills with payment difficulties having tripled in the 5 years since 2009.
Here's our top 10 ways your household can get a good deal and minimise energy bill shock.
Extended warranties are completely worthless, here’s why
Many customers part with money unnecessarily by buying an extended warranty, when they already have this warranty by law. Its time for a fair go from retailers.
It's possible to get repairs outside the manufacturer’s warranty period for items ranging from electrical appliances like TVs, games consoles to washing machines and refrigerators.
It's estimated two in five people opt for an extended warranty, which can add up to 24 per cent to the final purchase price. However, what most don't know is the warranty is already implied in the price paid for the goods.
The 2 minute car service that will save you hundreds
For most of us, cars get us from A to B and carry ‘stuff’. You put fuel in it, take it to the mechanic when the book says so (well, sometimes). In return, it gets you to where you need to go without causing a fuss. End of story, right?
This would be a short article if this were 100% true.
What to expect when you’re expecting… a removalist
Most Australians consider moving house as one of the most stressful times of their life. With almost half of us having moved home in the past five years, chances are you’ve had a recent experience. There are over 5,500 individual removalist operators available to help us make the move. Almost half of us use a removalist service when moving interstate and over one quarter when moving locally.
However engaging a removalist isn’t something we do frequently leaving many of us uncertain of what to expect from the service and what is expected of us.
9 secret tips of the well-travelled
From booking flights to international ATM fee, follow our expert advice and improve your travel savvy. Here you go...
Great ways to save 20% on your next phone bill – household tips
This article is part 2 in a series on household tips
Competition is heating up in the telco space and with Virgin Mobile recently announcing data roll over for mobile plans a move that is sure to force the hand of other providers.
With mobile phone plans costing Australian's more than ever, we've pulled together a list of household tips to save on mobile phone bills, which we found could save us up to 20% on our current plans.
5 famous brands that turned a mistake into an amazing success story
Sexist? Funny? Or bad timing? On the heels of International Women's Day, an Indonesia sportswear company, Salvo Sports, has issued an public apology for its sexist washing label causing a scandal on social media.
The 'offending' washing instructions “Give this jersey to your woman. It’s her job.” appear on Indonesia Super League team, Pusamania Borneo, shirts.
The official response from Salvo was also less than ideal, with Salvo tweeting:
“The message is simple. Instead of doing it the wrong way, you might as well give it to a lady because they are more capable.”
Not all companies ride their mistakes down hill, here are some amazing mistakes and apologies that turned to strengths for these well-known businesses:
The science of buying groceries
Supermarkets employ a range of ‘buy more’ strategies including bulk purchase deals, reward programs and mood music. Shoppers can save money and avoid temptation simply by being aware of the strategies supermarkets use to encourage spending.
Supermarkets have done their research, they know that store layout and product placement are key to encouraging shoppers to buy more of certain products. There is a reason staple items such as bread and milk are at opposite ends of the supermarket. But it goes beyond that, flowers and baked goods are often found at the supermarket’s entry as things that smell good put us in a good mood and we’re likely to buy more.
Everything you needed to know about the DO NOT CALL register in less than 3 minutes
Telemarketers are more annoying than ever! These pesky salespeople all day and night, hawking their wares (no, we do not want to sign up for your long distance plan). We thought we'd put together a series of 5 30-60 second videos explaining your rights and how to get on to the Australian Government DO NOT CALL register.
How to complain on a first date (and get away with it)
Your date is gorgeous. You are having an amazing time. The atmosphere is perfect.
Then, you notice the meal you ordered isn't exactly what you wanted – it's too cold, it's raw or it just doesn't taste good.
You come to a decision point: speak up and ruin the atmosphere, or keep to yourself and preserve the unfolding relational magic?
Walking this fine line could be the difference between a good night kiss and a “Please lose my number.” Next time your caught in this culinary conundrum, walk yourself through our date complaint checklist: