My last blog detailed the depressing news for both Australians and tourists of the rising costs of living downunder – in particular four cities that now rate higher on the scale than New York City (the benchmark for the survey) and even other cities such as Hong Kong, Rome and London.
Do refer to the blog or the survey for more details.
Given the comments on that blog, I thought it might be beneficial to list some ways of avoiding these high costs as I certainly would still want people to consider travelling here.
These are basic commonsense ways of escaping the tourist binge that address most of the points surveyed (eg. transport, clothing, tobacco etc and thus put into headings under these). Hopefully, they don’t appear to be too simplistic or cheap and nasty – but perhaps some you may never have considered before such as the “don’t catch a taxi” one.
Feel free to add your own cost saving tips – let’s encourage people to still come downunder!
Shopping basket
1. Food and drinks
It goes without saying that food and drinks purchased near tourist attractions cost a lot more. That means if you’re in Sydney Harbour at the Rocks or in Brisbane’s Southbank and you feel thirsty or hungry, of course the price of food and drinks is going to cost more.
Tip: Bring food and drink bought from a supermarket, or simply bring a water bottle and keep topping it up (water is free in parks all around the country).
2. Supermarkets
Yes, eating and drinking out in Australia is going up in price, but you can save a lot of money while you travel by purchasing food from supermarkets and cooking or preparing it yourself. If you don’t have access to a kitchen, you can still do picnic lunches or ready made style meals or barbecues on public plates (obiquitious in Australia). On that note however, it is good to be aware that supermarket prices do vary in cities. For example, city-based supermarkets or even supermakets in a particular postcode are likely to be more pricey than elsewhere – ask around if you’re unsure.
Asian markets are often a lot cheaper; these will be in Chinatown (every Australian city has them). You can often get cheaper meat cuts (like chicken carcasses) and spices, packets, flavourings, rice, lentils and so on at these shops. Remember, Australian customs don’t allow you to bring much of this stuff in!
You’ll save even more money on fruit and vegetables by getting these at local markets. I believe I spend half of what I would at a supermarket buying at my local market in Brisbane. It can be a hassle to find these while you’re travelling but ask some locals and they’ll point you in the right direction. For example, Brisbane is home to the West End, Kelvin Grove and Northey Street markets (all reachable on public transport).
In country towns, you’ll find pub meals quite good value and they can be in the city too – many offering cut price deals at different times. Asian eateries are usually the cheapest means of eating out in the city. I recall a foreign friend complaining that she couldn’t eat out for less than $25 in Brisbane when I never paid more than about $13 at my favourite restaurants – all Asian eateries given my ethnic background. Once I showed her a few places she was quite happy, so if in doubt ask locals for the best deals.
Pic:AP
Clothing
3. Clothing
Australia has all the top label brands you could ever think or long for. But there are an equal number of second hand shops, known locally as “op shops”, that offer quality clothes at good prices. These exist in cities and even in little towns – ask around for details. They sometimes do have specialty items such as surf shorts, bike pants and some sports shoes.
Recreation & entertainment
4. Free events
Okay, so you might want to go to some paid attractions or go out for drinks but all cities around Australia put on plenty of free events that won’t cost you anything. Look out for these at public parklands, on the city council website, in the newspapers and so on..
Transport
5. Public transport
Taxis are not the way to travel cheaply, not in Australia or elsewhere. They might be as expensive downunder as they are in London, Rome, New York or anywhere else for that matter. So avoid them where possible. If you’re planning on a late night out, then either get the last train/bus back or try to go in a group so the taxi price doesn’t kill you. The same goes for arrival and departure from airports. There might be cheaper planes first or last thing at night but if you have to pay for a taxi because the train/bus stopped running it’s not worth it. So always consider this carefully – all airports have public transport connections although if you’re in a group it may well be comparable to the cost of a taxi.
All Australian cities have public transport; the cost and efficiency of this is debatable (not in Sydney and Melbourne where they are excellent) but you can easily plan your holiday around it rather than rely on taxis. Many cities have transport ticket deals to help you get around. The other option is to walk or get a bicycle and put your pedal down.
6. Get a car
If you’re planning on being in Australia for a while, the best way of getting around will be in your own car – get a station wagon or 4WD and deck it out with camping gear and a few friends to share the costs. Sleep in it as you go along and your major costs will be food and fuel. If, however, you’re based in a city you might want to avoid a vehicle and instead base yourself on public transport – the cost of fuel is rising and many people are downsizing their vehicles. If you are keen to have wheels a bike is green, cheap and fun – or get a scooter. Scooter parking is still free in cities like Brisbane (can’t answer for elsewhere) and the cost of running and filling the bike is far less. Scooters are also becoming far more available and it’s possible to ride around in them and do your shopping.
7. Car relocations
These aren’t a huge deal in Australia but they do exist. For just a few dollars a day you can hit the highway and drive a vehicle from A to B (they may even give you some fuel money). These are offered on limited time deals but it can still be a good way of getting somewhere at a low cost. If you aren’t keen on relocation,s car rentals are available – the cheapest is generally considered Wicked Campers.
Tobacco and Alcoholic beverages
8. Alcohol and cigarettes
These are astronomically high cost items in Australia. If you do want to drink it will be far cheaper to buy bottles from a shop and do a BYO than drink in a pub or restaurant. Most places have corkage fees as well.
Tip: You can always quit smoking while here!
Utilities
9. Rentals
Inner city suburbs or choice addresses are always going to be expensive and the rental market in the four major cities is skyrocketing. If you don’t have to live or be based in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Perth then consider going elsewhere – Adelaide, Darwin, Cairns, Alice Springs, Coffs Harbour, Byron Bay, Newcastle, Broome, Kununurra are all other great options and far less busy places.
If you are going to rent in Bondi, Sydney be prepared to share a house or room with others in order to help cut costs. Those on the hunt for cheap accommodation should check out universities and student options on websites and notices.
10. Accommodation,
East coast accommodation is always going to be higher from hotels to hostels to even campgrounds. There’s not a lot to be done about it. You can and will save money by staying on campgrounds and caravan parks (although some of these still aren’t that cheap) but once you head inland off the coast, the costs drop dramatically.
Australia has a series of free campgrounds all over the country. You do need to be self sufficient with water, cooking equipment and food but with a little organisation, you can enjoy a very cheap holiday (refer to my previous blog from an Easter holiday).
If you prefer the budget-style travel, then hostels are going to be the cheapest option. Many of these can line up work or may even offer some in lieu of board. You can also try out WWOOFing (Worldwide opportunities on organic farms) for lodging in exchange for your time. Cattle stations also offer certain similar arrangements.
Feel free to write in with other tips.
