Savings guide to freebies and discounts in 2020
It’s no secret that Aussies love a bargain. But with family finances tighter than ever, saving on the fun stuff has never tasted sweeter.
Whether it’s a free Whopper burger on your birthday or 60% off a pair of Apple Airpods, there are plenty of places to save.
To make life easier, we’ve compiled the ultimate list of savvy ways you can snag discounts and freebies on everyday items, including food, drink, fashion and entertainment.
Birthday freebies
Businesses certainly make it easy for you to pamper yourself on your birthday, with a large number of outlets across Australia offering treats in the form of free food or gift vouchers. To score the freebie or discount, you’ll generally need to join their loyalty program - either by downloading their app, grabbing their loyalty card in-store, or signing up to their newsletter/marketing communications.
Hot tip: Tempting as it may be to use a birthday gift voucher you’ve received from David Jones, Country Road or Dymocks, it’s best to think twice before buying that maxi dress or pretty notebook. You’re actually spending more than you’re saving, if the only reason for your purchase is to get the $10 or $20 off (plus, you might find an even cheaper deal by shopping around online rather than sticking with the store you got the voucher from).
As for birthday offers that are actually free, most are food or drink related. To redeem these offers, remember to bring along your loyalty card, app or email voucher. You may also be asked to show your photo ID.
Store | Freebie* | Valid dates | Any conditions (besides signing up)? |
---|---|---|---|
Baskin Robbins | Free scoop of ice cream | Unspecified | No |
Boost Juice | Free juice | Up to 2 days before or after your birthday | No |
Chatime | Free bubble tea from their standard permanent menu | Any time during your birthday month | Must buy 1 full-priced drink in the three months before your birthday |
Gelatissimo | Free scoop of ice cream | On your birthday, and 4 weeks after that | No |
Hungry Jacks | Free Whopper burger | Unspecified (but you’ll receive the offer 3 days before your birthday) | No |
Krispy Kreme | Free four-pack Original Glazed doughnuts + $10 off your next online order | Up to 7 days after receiving the offer email | Must join the loyalty club 4 weeks before your birthday |
Muffin Break | Free muffin | Any time during your birthday month | No |
Mrs Fields | Free Soft Baked Signature Cookie | Up to 7 days before or after your birthday | No |
Nando's | Free regular meal | Any time during your birthday month | Must verify your email before the start of your birthday month, plus make a transaction in the 6 months before your birthday month |
San Churro | Free churros for 2 people | Any time during your birthday month | Must sign up at least 1 month before your birthday month From 1 Jan 2021: must make a full-price purchase in the 12 months before your birthday month |
Zone Bowling | Two free games of bowling | On your birthday only | No |
*Note that while these offers are available at the time of writing, they may be subject to change.
Discount websites
Gones are the days when shopping around involved keeping an eye on catalogue discounts every week or trekking from store to store to compare prices. Nowadays, bargain hunting can be done from your computer desk, with online communities like OzBargain and marketplaces like Catch.com.au offering the convenience of searching for discounts from a single browser.
These sites are updated constantly, but if you aren’t bothered monitoring them every few hours for new offers, you can opt to have daily emails delivered straight to your inbox. OzBargain also lets you set up search alerts for particular items or brands.
Meanwhile, other discount websites cater to specific product types. For instance if you’re looking to treat yourself to a greasy comfort meal or a dinner out with family, then Frugal Feeds or Groupon might have special deals you wouldn’t find just by heading straight to the restaurant or ordering over UberEats.
Browser extensions
Not too eager for your inbox to be flooded with hundreds of promotional emails? The good news is there are handy features you can add to your browser that will do the heavy lifting of sifting through discounts for you.
Once installed, extensions like Honey and RetailMeNot Deal Finder will scour the net for any relevant coupon codes or cashback offers and then automatically apply them to your purchase at checkout. Easy as!
Both these add-ons work for Chrome and FireFox browsers, while Honey is also available on Safari, Opera and Edge.
Price match
‘Big ticket’ items like smartphones, cameras and fridges could leave you thousands of dollars out of pocket, but this is a trick to ensure you never have to pay full price again.
So how does price matching work? Once you can find an item for a cheaper price, just show the deal to an employee in-store and they should let you purchase that same product at the lower price. Many electronic and white goods retailers such as Harvey Norman and JB Hi-Fi have a price match policy, while Officeworks takes things to the next level with a promise to beat the competitor’s price by 5%.
To successfully price match, look for a competitor offer that’s:
- In stock
- Australian (grey or direct import products not sold through an authorised Aussie-based reseller won’t be accepted)
- Not part of a cashback or coupon offer
- Not a clearance item (but items on sale should be acceptable).
How much should I budget for the fun stuff?
That depends on a range of factors, including your income, expenses and savings goals. While every household’s budgets will look different, a useful method to follow is the ‘50/20/30’ rule:
- 50% of your monthly paycheck goes into essentials (e.g. rent, utility bills, debt repayments, groceries)
- 30% goes into ‘fun’ (e.g. entertainment, eating out)
- 20% goes into personal savings.
However this rule-of-thumb can be adjusted according to your needs. For instance, if you’ve recently experienced a pay cut or you just want to buff up your rainy day fund, you may instead decide to dedicate 35% to savings and only 15% to fun.
Wondering where to stash those dollars you’ve spared, thanks to discounts and freebies? Your best bet may be a savings account with a high interest rate and monthly conditions you can realistically meet. Scroll down below for a snapshot of what’s on offer right now, or for a more comprehensive list, head over to our high interest savings accounts page.
Compare high interest savings accounts - last updated 29 March 2024
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Mozo experts choice awards won:
- Kick Start Savings - 2024
High Interest Savings Account
5.75% p.a. (for $0 to $250,001)
4.40% p.a.(for $0 to $250,001)
Yes up to $250,000
Bonus rate for the first 4 months from account opening
Reward yourself with a higher rate for your good savings habits with the Rabobank High Interest Savings Account . Receive the maximum rate when you grow your balance by at least $200 each month. No Account keeping fees. No minimum balance.
CompareCompareHigh Interest Savings Account
Reward yourself with a higher rate for your good savings habits with the Rabobank High Interest Savings Account . Receive the maximum rate when you grow your balance by at least $200 each month. No Account keeping fees. No minimum balance.
- Maximum rate
- 5.75% p.a. (for $0 to $250,001)
- standard interest rate
- 4.40% p.a.(for $0 to $250,001)
- Govt Deposit Guarantee
- Yes up to $250,000
- account fee per month
- $0.00
- Maximum rate conditions
- Bonus rate for the first 4 months from account opening, reverting to standard variable rate. Rate shown is for Personal customers and is subject to change. Different rates apply to Business/SMSF customers.
- Access
- Internet banking
- Minimum balance
- $0.00
- Other restrictions
- Must link to a transaction account
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Rabobank High Interest Savings Account
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Savings Account
5.35% p.a. (for $0 to $250,000)
4.75% p.a.(for $0 to $1,000,000)
Yes up to $250,000
Bonus variable rate is available for the first four months.
Competitive introductory variable rate for first 4 months (on deposits up to $250,000). No account keeping fees to pay. Multiple 2023 Mozo Experts Choice Award winner.
CompareCompareSavings Account
Competitive introductory variable rate for first 4 months (on deposits up to $250,000). No account keeping fees to pay. Multiple 2023 Mozo Experts Choice Award winner.
- Maximum rate
- 5.35% p.a. (for $0 to $250,000)
- standard interest rate
- 4.75% p.a.(for $0 to $1,000,000)
- Govt Deposit Guarantee
- Yes up to $250,000
- account fee per month
- $0.00
- Maximum rate conditions
- Bonus variable rate is available for the first four months.
- Access
- BPay, Branch access, Phone banking, Internet banking
- Minimum balance
- $0.00
- Other restrictions
- Must have a Macquarie Transaction Account to link with.
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Macquarie Savings Account
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High Interest Save Account
5.10% p.a. (for $0 to $250,000)
0.10% p.a.(for $0 and over)
Yes up to $250,000
Deposit at least $200 to either Spend or Save account from an external source each month.
No monthly fees on any of your save accounts. Split your money with up to 10 Save accounts. Set savings targets and track the progress of all your Save accounts. Deposits guaranteed up to $250K per customer.
CompareCompareHigh Interest Save Account
No monthly fees on any of your save accounts. Split your money with up to 10 Save accounts. Set savings targets and track the progress of all your Save accounts. Deposits guaranteed up to $250K per customer.
- Maximum rate
- 5.10% p.a. (for $0 to $250,000)
- standard interest rate
- 0.10% p.a.(for $0 and over)
- Govt Deposit Guarantee
- Yes up to $250,000
- account fee per month
- $0.00
- Maximum rate conditions
- Deposit at least $200 to either Spend or Save account from an external source each month.
- Access
- Internet banking
- Minimum balance
- $0.00
- Other restrictions
- Account can only be opened through iOS or Android app, but may be accessed through internet banking.
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the ubank High Interest Save Account
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Reward Saver Account
5.25% p.a. (for $0 to $1,000,000)
0% p.a.(for $0 and over)
Yes up to $250,000
Intro bonus rate of 5.25% for balances up to $1,000,000 for the first 4 months, reverting to 3.25%. Minimum deposit of $50 and no withdrawals.
Introductory bonus rate for balances up to $1,000,000 for the first 4 months. Minimum deposit of $50 and no withdrawals. Start your account online in under 10 minutes and earn interest on balances up to $1,000,000 (T&Cs apply). No monthly account fees, helping you save smarter and faster.
CompareCompareReward Saver Account
Introductory bonus rate for balances up to $1,000,000 for the first 4 months. Minimum deposit of $50 and no withdrawals. Start your account online in under 10 minutes and earn interest on balances up to $1,000,000 (T&Cs apply). No monthly account fees, helping you save smarter and faster.
- Maximum rate
- 5.25% p.a. (for $0 to $1,000,000)
- standard interest rate
- 0% p.a.(for $0 and over)
- Govt Deposit Guarantee
- Yes up to $250,000
- account fee per month
- $0.00
- Maximum rate conditions
- Intro bonus rate of 5.25% for balances up to $1,000,000 for the first 4 months, reverting to 3.25%. Minimum deposit of $50 and no withdrawals.
- Access
- ATM, EFTPOS, Visa Debit, Cheque book, BPay, Branch access, Phone banking, Internet banking, Bank@Post
- Minimum balance
- $0.00
- Other restrictions
- -
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the IMB Bank Reward Saver Account
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Mozo experts choice awards won:
- High Interest Savings - 2024
AMP Saver Account
5.40% p.a. (for $0 to $250,000)
1.20% p.a.(for $0 to $5,000,000)
Yes up to $250,000
Enjoy a bonus rate when you deposit at least $1000 per month with the AMP Saver Account.
No account fees. Unlimited transactions when linked to an AMP Bank transaction account. Easy online access to your money. Option to link your savings account to an everyday transaction account. 2024 Mozo Experts Choice Award winner.
CompareCompareAMP Saver Account
No account fees. Unlimited transactions when linked to an AMP Bank transaction account. Easy online access to your money. Option to link your savings account to an everyday transaction account. 2024 Mozo Experts Choice Award winner.
- Maximum rate
- 5.40% p.a. (for $0 to $250,000)
- standard interest rate
- 1.20% p.a.(for $0 to $5,000,000)
- Govt Deposit Guarantee
- Yes up to $250,000
- account fee per month
- $0.00
- Maximum rate conditions
- Ongoing total variable bonus rate of up to 5.40% per annum applies if customers deposit $1,000 in the previous month. Available only on balances up to $250,000.
- Access
- Phone banking, Internet banking
- Minimum balance
- $0.00
- Other restrictions
- Ongoing total variable bonus rate up to 5.40% p.a. is earned on the balance the month after you deposit $1,000 and is paid the following month, on balances up to $250k. Max balance per customer name is $5 million.
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the AMP Bank AMP Saver Account
Your selected savings accounts
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Your selected savings accounts
Your selected savings accounts
Your selected savings accounts
^See information about the Mozo Experts Choice Savings Account Awards
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