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How do you cook your lasagna?
 
The oven? 🥱
 
The airfryer? ♨️
 
How about the dishwasher? Yes, it’s the internet’s latest cost-of-living craze in a bid to save money on energy. Watch all you like, but I would not be trying it at home... switch electricity plans instead.
 
The crazy food habits came out this week after my colleague Eden hit the airwaves to discuss how far people are going to stretch their grocery budgets. From switching to frozen veg to snapping broccoli stalks off before the checkout, even dishonestly selecting the cheap mandarins when they’re buying the fancy ones. (Not at my Woolies. Nothing — and I mean NOTHING — gets past our checkout attendant).
 
Bankwest also had the office tongues wagging with its chance to win an 11.50% savings rate 😮. That’s almost double the current market leader at 6%.
 
Only 150 new customers get to win and the rate only lasts for four months, capped at a max balance of $250k.
 
If you don’t win? The rate on Bankwest’s Easy Saver is a competitive 5% considering there’s no monthly rules to qualify, plus a honeymoon bonus, which tops it up to 5.75% for the first four months.

That said, you can do better elsewhere, especially if you don’t mind meeting extra conditions. ING offers a rate of 5.50% on balances up to $100k, while if you’re a spring chicken aged below 36, BOQ is handing out rates of 5.80%. You just have to give up your chance to win for ongoing fine print.

Sadly, dog ownership isn’t all cuddles on the couch and trips to the park to chase a ball. Vet bills can add up, especially as our dogs get older.

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Be prepared to pay more for Apple’s latest and greatest iPhones, watches and Airpods.

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Walk into any supermarket and you’ll spot the ready-made meal revolution, with store layouts literally rebuilt for fast-food convenience. For the time-poor, saving 45 minutes a meal by skipping prep and cleanup adds up to 78 hours saved a year. That’s two full working weeks. But convenience comes at a price. Testing it out, store-bought pumpkin soup was three times more expensive than my home-cooked version. Aldi’s chicken penne pasta was a closer contest, but my homemade version won easily with 150% more chicken. Ready-made meals work as an occasional shortcut, but they aren't a total revolution.

News this week revealed Suncorp Bank’s 1.2 million customers will be moving over to ANZ by June 2027. It’s been a long time coming considering ANZ bought the bank back in 2024. If you’re a Suncorp customer, ANZ will send you a step-by-step guide on how to switch ahead of time. Until then, no action is required (just be on the lookout for scam attempts). Not keen on joining team ANZ? You’re completely free to vote with your feet. Just jump online to compare competitive market offers, and check for fees before making any switch, particularly on fixed rate mortgages and term deposits, which tend to come with costly break penalties.

Buying online shouldn’t stop you from asking for a discount. In fact, asking online spares my kids the embarrassment of me haggling in store. Some shops make the process effortless. The Good Guys has a Price Beat button on site, while JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman take requests via live chat. For Bunnings, it’s an email but they’ll still beat the price by 10%, while Appliances Online price match but will also throw in free metro delivery and appliance installation. Online price matching can still be clunky. I tested out David Jones online and it took 24 hours to get back to me, while Officeworks will only price match if you turn up at a physical store.