Weekly tips & deals to lighten the strain on your wallet

WEEKLY WALLET WINS

Save $10K in 2026 without scrimping

😱 House price forecast: Check your city

How to take advantage of the RBA hold

Xmas delivery cut-off dates 2025

Will my elec bill increase with a smart meter?

Use it or lose it! 2025 Health extras ending

Ways to beat the solar tariff price drop

This week, households were given what can only be described as a Santa sack full of coal. ‘No more rate cuts’, says the RBA. ‘No more electricity rebates’, says the government, because, well, it needs to prioritise its spending (look up in the sky, you might see a Minister’s family flying by).

Which means this summer, if we want relief, we’re on our own. But there are ways to turn these hard ‘no’s’ into solid yes’s by ourselves:

1)    Check your home loan rate: any owner-occupiers paying above 5.25% should take a long hard look at why.

2)    Hit the internet to find your own electricity relief. Plenty of providers are offering cash incentives for those who jump ship, just make sure you find one that’s offering decent rates as well.

Want the numbers?

On the mortgage front, our research shows that an owner-occupier who bought a $600K property in early 2022 and hasn’t negotiated their rate since could potentially save as much as $8K in the next two years by switching to a different lender.

For electricity. Well, if the average household in Sydney jumped ship from the average-priced plan to the lowest, they could potentially save $311 over the next year, while the biggest savings out of the capital cities is Canberra–it's as much as $390, just for making a simple switch.

Got a wallet win or burning question? Send it to me this week at sally@canstar.com.au  

New forecasts reveal Australian house prices could surge by the end of 2027. Discover which cities could see the biggest price growth.

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We’ve compiled a delivery cheat sheet, including the last possible order dates from major retailers—some of which close this week.

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Now’s the time for a savings rate check in

The curtain may have fallen on cash rate cuts, but that hasn't stopped some banks from chipping away at their savings rates, which makes now the ideal time to do a stocktake. If you’ve got a bonus saver, check how often you’re achieving the bonus interest each month because our research shows two in five people with these accounts aren't nailing the landing each month. Tired of the treadmill? Either set up a system, such as an automatic transfer, to help you hit the bonus requirements, or ditch the drama and swap to a ‘no-strings-attached’ account. While these accounts don't offer the highest ongoing rates, there are still some relatively competitive rates on offer if you shop around.

Naughty or nice? Don’t overlook the gift card rules this Xmas  

Gift cards are set to feature under the Christmas tree this year, but if you're buying the gift of money, check the fine print. Though post-purchase fees are banned, some cards still add a hefty surcharge of over $5 when you’re at the checkout. However, there are plenty of stores that don’t charge fees at all, so shop around. The rules also state that these cards must not expire within three years, but if the recipient is a known hanger-on, look for stores offering unlimited expiry (like Bunnings, Apple, and Amazon). If you receive a card, keep it safe, never give the card number or pin to anyone on the phone, and avoid overspending to use a small balance; instead, ask for the remainder in change or consider boosting your karma by gifting the remainder to the person behind you in the queue.

Super mistake costing Aussies millions

Around 4 million Aussies have two or more super accounts, many of which are included in the $18.9 billion in unclaimed super. Even if you’ve got tabs on both, it typically means double the fees and double the insurance costs, eating away at your nest egg. Yet rolling your super is surprisingly easy, particularly via myGov website. After logging in and linking to the ATO, navigate to the 'Super' section. Here, you can view your accounts, including any unclaimed super, select the one you want to keep and follow the prompts. Before consolidating, make sure you check: 1) the fees and performance of each fund to help you decide which one to keep, 2) the level of insurance cover you’ll lose from the one you plan to close and 3) that you’re securely logged on the MyGov platform, not some shonky site.