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3 High impact cost of living hacks for NSW drivers

cost of living

The cost of living in NSW keeps rising, but that doesn’t mean you have to overpay. With our free calculators, you can compare every green slip insurer, track real-time fuel prices and review your health insurance in minutes. Here are 3 high-impact hacks to cut your costs.

Compare prices first!

How to reduce the cost of living in NSW

There are 3 high-impact ways to reduce the cost of living in NSW using our free calculators:

  1. Save money on green slips.
  2. Pay less for your fuel.
  3. Get a better deal on your health insurance.

How can I save money on green slips?

Save money on your green slip by using the green slip calculator. Green slip prices vary widely between insurers. Comparing prices could save you hundreds of dollars — in just a few minutes.

  • It gives you the cheapest prices from all 6 green slip insurers.
  • There’s no need to visit lots of insurer sites.
  • You see the lowest available price, based on your details.

Insurers set green slip prices based on risk. You may be able to influence your price next time by reducing one or more of your risks.

Always compare prices first!

What makes my green slip price go up or down? 

Lowers your green slip price

Increases your green slip price

Country

City

Over 27

Under 27

Motor car

Ute or light goods vehicle 

New car/safety features

Old car

Full licence

P1 or P2 plates

No demerit points

Demerit points

Clean licence

Traffic offences

No at-fault claims

At-fault claims

Other motor insurance

No other insurance

Some drivers saved up to $300 a year on their green slip by keeping a clean driving record with no demerit points.

Find 10 ways to make your green slip cheaper.

Essential to know

  • Always pay your registration on time to save money.
  • If you pay later than 21 days after the due date, you must buy a green slip and renew for 12 months
  • 6-month rego is better for cash flow.

Transport costs don’t stop at registration. Fuel is a frequent and considerable expense for drivers.

How can I save money on fuel?

You can save money on fuel in NSW by using our fuel price calculator. Even saving 5–10 cents per litre can add up to hundreds of dollars a year, especially if you fill up weekly.

  • Our fuel price calculator instantly shows you the latest, lowest prices for any NSW service stations you select.
  • Prices are updated every 20 minutes.
  • You can favourite the ones close to work/home or check fuel prices during a road trip.

Find the cheapest fuel near you and register for email alerts. 

 Our fuel price calculator helps time your purchases within the 7-week petrol cycle. In this cycle, prices increase sharply over 2 weeks then decrease gradually over 5 weeks. Save money by looking for service stations with the slowest increase and the fastest decrease in prices during each cycle.

Also see how to find the cheapest fuel prices near you.

Health insurance is another big household cost but many people might be tempted to set and forget it.

How can I save money on health insurance?

Reviewing your policy once a year can prevent thousands of dollars in unnecessary premiums.

To find a cheaper policy or compare with the one you already have,  use the free healthslips.com.au calculator. healthslips.com.au compares every policy from every insurer. This means you find insurers and policies that don’t show up on other health insurance comparison sites.

We found a massive difference of nearly $9,500 per year between the cheapest and most expensive Gold Hospital and Extras Cover for a couple in NSW. Review or compare your health cover in minutes.

6 ways to save money on health insurance

1. Review your policy regularly

  • Find cheaper policies that offer you better value.

2. Downgrade your cover 

  • Drop Treatments and Extras you don’t use.
  • Switch from Silver to Bronze Plus, which is cheaper but with similar cover.

3. Hold an effective policy

  • Insure only for treatments you really need.
  • Does the policy allow you to avoid the Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS)? 

4. Increase your Excess

  • Paying a higher Excess reduces your monthly premium.

5. Take out cover while young

  • Take out Hospital Cover in your 20s to qualify for the Age-based Discount, which makes policies cheaper until you turn 41. 
  • If you don’t take out Hospital Cover before you turn 31, you pay a Loading for 10 years up to 70%.

6. Read terms and conditions for promotions

  • Is it a good deal for your needs and budget?
  • Make sure you understand the terms and conditions of any promotion. 

Health insurance is important for peace of mind but nobody wants to pay too much for it. See how to get cheaper health insurance.

Essential to know

In a tough time, you can take a break from paying your health insurance:

Get peace of mind with our promises

Use our calculators for some cost of living hacks – and get peace of mind with our promises:

  • Compare every insurer (or servo) – compare 100% of the market
  • No commercial bias – on information and comparisons link to how we’re funded
  • Cheapest policy/price guaranteed – look no further
  • Free open access – all our information and results without giving your name, email or phone number.

Cost of living pressures aren’t going away, but overpaying is optional. Compare prices, review your cover and use our free calculators.

Did you know you can also save big money on tolls?

author image

Corrina Baird

Writer and Researcher

Corrina joined greenslips.com.au in December 2015 as a strategic writer. Corrina is now an expert in the NSW CTP scheme. Read more about Corrina

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