While coronavirus is hitting the freelance economy, we’re hitting back. We’re helping Australian freelancers save their money with Thrifty Tuesday. A thread in the Freelance Jungle community, this is translated into savings around the home, office, in entertainment, study and more.

All of the tips and ideas below are given by our members. We have no affiliation with the offers discussed.

Waiting for the freelance economy to pick up doesn’t mean we have to do without! Here’s how

Photo by Mikael Cho
via Unsplash

Savings in the home and home office

Getting your thrift on around the home or home office can really help. Take this opportunity of freelance economy downturn to look at where you can save with these opportunities.

Australian Electricity Concessions

If you’re on government support and/or have low income, you may be eligible for cheaper electricity. Extra helpful going into winter. This is for Aurora Energy but your electricity provider should have a page similar to this that outlines the application process.

New Zealand Electricity Concessions

In New Zealand, we have Electric Kiwi Power Company which gives 1 free hour of power per day (must have smart meter) – so I do all my baking in that hour. Plus, the laundry and whatever else I can. My power bill has been down as far as $13 per week for two people.

Make-Do Library of Things, Port Kembla

Make-Do Library of Things helps you stretch your money further by allowing you to borrow items for home, office and more for all sorts of tasks. After creating a splash in Northern Illawarra, they are now heading south to help more people in Wollongong. They are currently looking for volunteers for the new Port Kembla branch. So much of the work has been done, and there’s even a budget! Looking for motivated locals with a vision of sustainable community.

Cheap rent via Renew Australia
If you have a need for a shopfront to test out your cool, creative ideas, you should check our Renew Australia. The program works with council, creatives and local real estate agencies to offer peppercorn rent.

It is currently revitalising spaces in Geelong, Wollongong, Maitland, and far west New South Wales.

Bargain Stock photos

Get picture perfect with cheap stock-photo credits from Despositphotos with no expiry date.

Freelance economy software savings

You can’t participate in the freelance economy without the tools of the trade. Multiple software companies and app providers are doing their part to provide savings to their customers. You can check out a lot of other companies pitching in to offer bargains in the freelance economy worldwide via our previous Thrifty Tuesday blogs here and here and here. These are the May 2020 offers.

Groovesell is offering help with funnels, pages, affiliates etc seemingly giving away lifetime licences.

Affinity is free for the first 90 days or you can get 50% off the price (whole suite works out to about AUD $120). It seems similar to CS bit things are just in different spots or called slightly different things.

Bleeping Computer has supplied a fat list of free, low cost and discounted software.

Upskilling to earn more

Once the freelance economy rebounds, we’re going to be bigger and smarter with the help of some awesome courses and tools. From learning UX through connecting with soft and direct skills alike with the Australia Council, there’s something that’s bound to appeal.

Better UX

FakeClients is for when you don’t have clients but want to practice your UX skills. Practice UX design using randomly generated client briefs. Become an expert at UX design, get 2 free months: Sign up for Skillshare.

Better social media

Want to make better use of your social media? Check out this new blog on the Freelance Jungle and pair it with this free social media course by HubSpot.

The Smithsonian Institution MOOCs

Browse free online courses in a variety of subjects. The Smithsonian Institution courses found below can be audited free or students can choose to receive a verified certificate for a small fee. Select a course to learn more.

Australian creative skills

Check out free CREATIVE CONNECTIONS seminars by the Australia Council.

Cheap Entertainment

All work and no play make a freelancer’s brain a moisture-sucked potato. That’s why it’s important to get your entertainment on. With many ‘pay what you can afford’ models operating now, you can also help support the arts freelance economy in the process.

Queer performances

For any queer Minkies who fancy a Friday night party, a couple of friends have started a live variety show called Loud n’ Queer TV. Bonus that Monica Higgins from Green Peas for Breakfast did the logo. It’s free to watch, but you’re welcome to donate to the performing artists if you can spare a few bucks. You can find out more about it here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/246109192446804/

Art gallery tours

You’re invited to the Virtual 3D Tour of Unjust Contentment & Thomas Ascott’s Beneath the Canopy. You can stroll around the gallery, check out the show and even click on the artworks to view them in high resolution!

Models

Unity Asset Store is doing a Sci Fi Sale, half price on space related assets. So, if you ever found yourself wanting a game ready detailed model of the ISS, NOW is your time to shine.

Music

From the Cure to David Bowie: Hundreds of Hard-to-Find Peel Sessions Catalogued on YouTube. Featuring everyone from The Kinks to Nick Drake to Joy Division.

All over Australian creativity and beyond

This is a sensational list of creativity and musical deals from community radio station, FBI radio.

Films

“We Are One: A Global Film Festival,” is a 10-day event showcasing a selection of feature films, shorts, documentaries, music, comedy, and panel discussions. It ends June 7th so dig in now.

Freelance self-care

Even when the coin might be thin on the ground, you can still take good care of yourself. Here are some of the ways you can look after yourself while you weather the storms of the freelance economy.

Nothing in the pantry?

If money is tight but you are living in Newtown (Sydney) or Thornbury, Abbotsford or St Kilda (Melbourne), you can order pay what you can afford meals from Lentil as Anything.

From the pantry face scrubs

Moisturizing almond and green tea scrub. Ingredients: almonds, green tea, and yogurt. Directions: grind the almonds, mix in yogurt and green tea until paste-like, and smooth onto skin until it feels like you’re at the spa.

Got blackheads coming through? Mix tomato paste, a teaspoon of honey and a dessert spoon of porridge oats. Leave it on for five minutes and rinse with warm water.

Want to kill that annoying whitehead zit? Take table salt and fresh lemon juice. Dab it on to the offending pimple. It will dry it out with a couple of applications. Or at least reduce it from mega size.

Grace’s hen house mix

Okay so this is kind of silly, but the whole grain wheat I buy for my chickens (about $1/kg) can be eaten by humans and is actually delish! Soaked and sprouted for one day, or boiled for half an hour, added to baking or breakfast cereal; fills a function like porridge oats or soup barley or boiled rice equally well (not sure about sushi though, lol!). I even snack on uncooked grains and enjoy the nutty taste even though they take a bit of chewing.

Want other budgeting tips to help stretch your dollar further in the Freelance economy? Check out the Freelance Jungle blog.


The Freelance Jungle has a Facebook community, virtual catch-ups for stress reduction and networking, and a commitment to education via podcasts, blogs, and online learning.


 

HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?

Mailing Address:
The Freelance Jungle
PO Box 68
Windang
NSW 2528