Sydney is now the seventh most expensive place to live in the world according to reports of the
latest study.
With high rents, mortgages, school fees, rising power costs and the general ever-increasing cost of living, sometimes its nice to just get a bargain.
Here a few good deals that I love in Sydney.
Waiting for the ferry is so much nicer when you aren't paying a fortune to travel
To get around on a fun Sunday out, not much beats the
Family Funday Sunday pass. As long as there is at least 1 adult and 1 child in your group, you can get the family Funday Sunday pass and for $2.50 per person (under 4 years are free) you get unlimited travel on all trains, buses, ferries and light rail in the Greater Sydney area. So leave the car at home and explore Sydney.
Image courtesy of Sydney Rail
Attend a local festival or cultural day for a fun weekend outing. Check out the 'events' section of
weekend notes and see what is on this weekend that interests you. Learn about different cultures or visit an area of Sydney that you haven't been to before. For the cost of lunch from one of the food stalls, you get the fun friendly atmosphere thrown in for free. There is usually music or other performances happening on stage, buskers or professional street performers. Some even have free rides or balloons for the kids.
Image courtesy of The Australian National Maritime Museum
Why not spend a day at
The Australian National Maritime Museum - entry to the main part of the museum is free. There are charges for visiting some special exhibitions but you can easily spend half a day looking around the free area.
Then afterward, you can take a walk down to Darling Harbour and visit the new (and free)
Darling Quarter family playground and have a picnic on the lawn.
Or how about some great value fruit and vegies from
Flemington Markets? Saturday mornings are a great time to get to the fruit and vegie markets and stock up for the week or fortnight. If you get a group of friends or family together, you can all take it in turns to go, and your little co-op will save a fortune compared to retail prices.
For a fashion retail fix that won't have you in the poor house, head to
Birkenhead Point on the water in Drummoyne. There you will find a range of fashion stores for all members of the family offering clothing, shoes and accessories at reduced prices. Stores here offer prices around 30% to 70% lower than their regular shops to clear out overstocks or last season's styles. It may take a little more looking than your usual shopping trips but it can make for a fun day out and you may find a few bargain treasures as well. The centre has heaps of parking and is well serviced by
public transport.
Birkenhead Point
So, what Sydney bargains do you have to share?
