Hole in your pocket? The totally avoidable money-wasters costing you $5,000 each year
Kelly Emmerton | 17 Oct 2017
You might think your little vices, like cigarettes, a punt on the pokies or forgetting that you have a gift card at the bottom of your purse don’t add up to much in the end - but you’re wrong.
Mozo research has found that Aussies are shelling out an incredible $5,000 every year on avoidable spending habits, including things like cigarettes ($1,217 bill per year), food waste ($950 per year) and household energy waste ($511 per year).
“The silver lining is that these money-wasters are largely things you can control, which means you have the power to turn $5,000 of wasted money into $5,000 of savings,” said Mozo Director Kirsty Lamont.
“Changing a few of your bad spending habits can mean saving thousands of extra dollars, so it’s well worth the effort.”
One of the habits costing Aussies big time is letting bank charges pile up. Between credit card interest, bank fees and ATM charges, $1,200 a year is drained out of the average household budget - a whopping $10.4 billion in total.
“With our credit cards about to get another workout over the festive season, now is the perfect time to work on reducing your credit card debt and the interest you're paying. Transfer your debt to a 0% balance transfer card and work on clearing your card balance as quickly as possible. The quicker you can get on top of things, the better it will be for your wallet,” said Lamont.
Ready to stop wasting your hard-earned on credit card interest? Check out some of the top balance transfer credit cards below.
Balance transfer credit card comparisons on Mozo - rates updated daily
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Hot Deal 0% for 26 months
CitiCiti Platinum (Balance Transfer Offer)
0% p.a. for 26 months and then 21.74% p.a. (2.50% balance transfer fee)
20.99% p.a.
$149 $49 in the first year
0%p.a. for 26 months on balance transfers (one off 2.5% BT fee applies, reverts to cash advance rate). Also receive complimentary International Travel Insurance.
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0% p.a. for 26 months and then 21.74% p.a. (2.50% balance transfer fee)
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$149 $49 in the first year
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20.99% p.a.
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55
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21.74% p.a.
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3.5%, min $3.50
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Transfer points to a range of airline programs or redeem your points for travel, cashback, gift cards, retail rewards and shopping gift cards.
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Apply By 30 September 2018
Woolworths
Woolworths Everyday Platinum Credit Card
0% p.a. for 14 months and then 21.99% p.a.
19.99% p.a.
$49 $0 in the first year
10% off your 1st Woolworths shop on selected dates once a month. No annual fee for the first year.
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0% p.a. for 14 months and then 21.99% p.a.
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$49 $0 in the first year
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19.99% p.a.
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55
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21.99% p.a.
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3%, minimum $5
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Woolworths Money Shopping Card sent every 4 months if enough points have been accrued.
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Apply By 31 July 2018
HSBCHSBC Platinum Credit Card
0% p.a. for 22 months and then 21.99% p.a. (2.00% balance transfer fee)
19.99% p.a.
$129 Refunded when you spend over $6,000 p.a, $0 in the first year
0% p.a. on balance transfers for 22 months. Conditions apply. Travel like a high-flier with 2 airport lounge passes every year.
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0% p.a. for 22 months and then 21.99% p.a. (2.00% balance transfer fee)
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$129 Refunded when you spend over $6,000 p.a, $0 in the first year
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19.99% p.a.
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55
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21.99% p.a.
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3%, min $4.00
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Redeem your points for travel, gift cards, retail rewards and shopping gift cards.
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Apply By 02 September 2018
Virgin MoneyVirgin Money Virgin Australia Velocity Flyer Card - Balance Transfer and Points Offer
0% p.a. for 18 months and then 20.99% p.a.
20.74% p.a.
$129 $65 in the first year
Earn 3 bonus Velocity Points on top of standard earn rates in first 3 months
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0% p.a. for 18 months and then 20.99% p.a.
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$129 $65 in the first year
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20.74% p.a.
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44
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20.99% p.a.
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2.7%, Min $2.70
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Points are credited to the Velocity Frequent Flyer program.
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- CUA
CUA Platinum Credit Card
0% p.a. for 13 months and then 21.74% p.a.
19.99% p.a.
$149 $0 in the first year
0% p.a. balance transfer, $0 annual fee for the first year and also receive 1 rewards point for every dollar spent
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0% p.a. for 13 months and then 21.74% p.a.
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$149 $0 in the first year
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19.99% p.a.
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55
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21.74% p.a.
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2.00%, Min $3.50
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Redeem your points for cashback, retail rewards, shopping gift cards and travel.
Details Close
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