- Christina D’Sylva, 38, from Casey, Vic loves to share her money saving hacks
- On social media, she shows off her shopping hauls
- She’s a self-confessed stingy mum and loves to be frugal
Here she shares her story in her own words.
Filling out a market research survey, a smile tugged at my lips, keen for the special incentive that was soon coming my way.
I can’t wait for my $50, I thought, submitting my entry online.
It might not sound like a lot of dough, but it’s a good chunk towards my weekly groceries budget!
Thriftiness has always been a part of my life.
My parents Mario and Rosa arrived on Australian soil after migrating – Mum from Calabria, and Dad from Abruzzo, in Italy, in the 1950s. They didn’t have a lot of money when they began their fresh start in Victoria.
Born here, I was one of three siblings, and my parents scrimped and saved to give me and my older brothers the best life possible.
‘We don’t have to replace something that we can reuse,’ Mum, a tailor, would tell me, mending my jumper.
Dad would encourage me to reuse things such as ice-cream containers, washing them out to use for food storage.
The importance of saving money was ingrained in me, as was the value of buying property as soon as possible.
‘Once you pay off a mortgage, you’re living for free!’ Mum told me.
At 16, I began dating a boy in my year named Dean, then 17.
He grew up in a family with similar morals and values. After leaving school, we both lived frugally by staying at home for the first few years, saving every penny from our jobs – me a teacher and Dean working up the corporate ladder.
In 2010, aged 23 and 24, we were delighted to buy a block of land to build our dream house.
‘Congratulations!’ my parents hugged us, proud.
The build took us eight months. The next year, Dean and I married at the same church where my parents wed.
Coming from different backgrounds, mine Italian and Dean’s Indian and Sri Lankan, we slightly splurged on the event for our many family members.
But we were back to stretching every dollar after our honeymoon in Bora Bora.
In spring of 2015, I was delighted to fall pregnant.
Giving birth the following March, we named our baby boy Leo.
Soon after, Dean took a leap of faith by quitting his job to start a cabinetmaking apprenticeship, and follow his true passion. With a reduced salary, we had to be even more careful with spending.
During my maternity leave, I’d take Leo to the local shopping centre to play on the equipment. It was winter, so outdoor parks weren’t as appealing.
But being at the centre, it was hard not to spend.
‘Is there a way I can make money by spending money?’
I needed to do my usual shopping, but wanted to avoid the temptation to grab other random items.
It got me thinking – Is there a way I can make money by spending money?
I’d dabbled with cashbacks – rewards programs where customers can earn back a percentage of the money they spend while shopping, but now I wanted to deep dive into incentives.
Signing up for rewards accounts with the shops I already visited for essentials, I began making money on almost every trip to the store, making $10 here and $20 there when I bought items.
Soon after that I launched my Instagram page @the_stingy_mama to share tips with others on how to shop a bargain and live frugally. My following slowly increased over the months, as Leo went from crawling to walking.
‘I’m so proud of you,’ Dean hugged me.
Look at this Kmart jacket on clearance that’s only $1! Hurry!’ I wrote, sharing my secrets.
Within six months, I had a few hundred followers.
Soon, brands were reaching out, offering to pay me to promote their products. It was a great way to make extra money.
‘I save hundreds with my strategies of using cashback platforms.’
When Dean and I welcomed our daughter Aurora in Feb 2019, we were ecstatic. Buying her nappies, formula and toys, I was stoked to build points on FlyBuys and Everyday Rewards, but also get dollars back on platforms like TopCashback.
I can’t believe I made $50 on my shopping spree! I’d smile.
Dean finished his apprenticeship in 2018.
In 2020 when Aurora was one, I went back to work as a teacher.
We spend around $400 per week on groceries. But now I save hundreds of dollars with my strategies of using cashback platforms, and converting grocery shop points to get discounts, or flights for free or cheaper. We have plans to go to Fiji this year, and I was able to convert my points into $100 off my flights.
I’ve also learned the art of haggling.
Ditching the mindset of brand loyalty can help you save a whopping amount off your final bill, I explain to my now 27.4k followers.
To make my shopping even cheaper, I use Click and Collect services, which are free and help me to refrain from impulse buys.
And I have side hustles such as participating in market research surveys.
Dean, now 39, Leo, nine, and Aurora, six, are so proud of my important message. If I can save money at the checkout, then so can you!
