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Doing the regular grocery shop across multiple supermarkets or grocery stores is one of the most common ways savvy consumers save money, and this practice of polygamous purchasing may be on the up. Adopting a practised multi-store approach where and when possible lets you take advantage of each store's discounts, says Garg, and helps you avoid retailers' attempts to keep you instore and spending on categories for which you'll be charged more. Supermarket tactics to get you spending Supermarket companies employ all sorts of tricks to get you to complete your grocery shop in their store - and to buy things that aren't even on your shopping list. [Extracted from the article]

Impersonation scams are a common type of scam that target Australians, with more than 70% of reported scams being impersonation scams. Scammers pose as trusted businesses, government agencies, family members, or friends in order to steal money or personal information. They use technology to make their messages appear legitimate, such as using the sender ID of a real business or creating websites that mimic major retailers. To spot these scams, individuals should be cautious of urgent requests from trusted organizations, messages asking for payment for usually free services, and suspicious links or websites. If someone suspects they have encountered an impersonation scam, they should not provide any money or information, contact their financial institution or payment platform, and report the scam to the appropriate authorities. [Extracted from the article]

The article provides tips for smart shopping during the post-Christmas sales season. It advises shoppers to be realistic about the limited options and suitability of discounted clothes and shoes, and suggests keeping an eye on sales throughout the year. For kitchen appliances, buyers are encouraged to consider their actual need for the item and to check specific features before purchasing. The article also warns about scams on websites impersonating major brands, the potential pitfalls of extended warranties, the impact of overseas prices and shipping costs, and the importance of checking for product safety standards. It concludes by highlighting consumer rights and protections under the Australian Consumer Law. [Extracted from the article]

The moment Lauren* heard the voice on the other end of the phone, she knew exactly who it was. Corrupted thread makes scam more convincing Once they've sent an SMS under a phoney ID, scammers are then often assisted by the receiving phone's message app, which will usually merge texts coming from the same sender ID. Swayed by the text messages and under pressure from the voice on the phone to save her money by sending it to a new account, Lauren transferred just under $5000 out of her account, never to be seen again. [Extracted from the article]

How to choose a sustainable appliance CHECK EFFICIENCY AND PERFORMANCE You can immediately get a sense of the impact an appliance is going to have on your utility bills by looking at its energy- or water-efficiency rating. We've found your appliance purchase cost makes up a third of your overall costs, with another third going to energy and water costs and a final third to consumables", explains Steen. NEED TO KNOW A sustainable appliance performs efficiently for a long time, suits your needs and is made of safe, re-usable and recyclable components. [Extracted from the article]

The upshot is that if you walk into a used appliance shop, there's a 50/50 chance you'll be able to test the product then and there, but every store we spoke to assured us they test appliances themselves before putting them on display. You can also draw on the knowledge of fellow consumers regarding which brands last the longest in different product categories by looking through the results of our product reliability surveys - we've crunched the data on a range of goods including fridges, washers and TVs (see CHOICE Sep 22). BRICKS-AND-MORTAR STORES The proliferation of online marketplaces and person-to-person trading does raise the question of what a bricks-and-mortar store can offer that a private sale can't. Some of the product experts and experienced buyers we spoke to preferred to source used appliances from online classifieds, mainly for the opportunity to come face-to-face with a product's owner and ask about its performance. [Extracted from the article]

For specific information about what payment assistance and retailer financial hardship programs may be available to you, contact your water provider (this may be your council) or search for their policy on financial hardship or payment difficulty. SOUTH AUSTRALIA Water retailers must offer customers who are experiencing payment difficulties a hardship policy and payment plan. TASMANIA Water providers must offer their customers a hardship policy and a payment plan if the customer lets them know they're having trouble paying. [Extracted from the article]

Powershop, Origin Energy, AGL and EnergyAustralia all have apps that let you track energy use being measured by your smart meter, while most other retailers will display this information on your online account. Liam Kennedy explains what they can, and can't, do Having a technician come to your home to read your electricity meter may soon be a thing of the past, thanks to the rollout of smart (or advanced) meters that measure your electricity use at intervals across a day, sending the data directly to your provider. Smart meter cost In many cases, the cost of a smart meter will be absorbed into your daily supply charges, like the cost of other electricity infrastructure such as poles and wires. [Extracted from the article]