r/AussieFrugal

I am wanting to put together a basket/hamper for my mum and dad (early 60s) as a thank you for helping us with child care over the school holidays. They are living on a very tight budget, and I would like to have this gift ease their finances for a little bit, but not feel like I'm just giving them dishwasher tablets/paper towels. What helpful groceries/items do you think would be suitable but not make them feel like I'm treating them like a 'charity' (their words, not mine!) Ideas I have are the coffee they like but only buy when on special, a big pack of nice bacon, and a couple of fancy sauces.

To note - we offered to pay them, and they said no. We have also provided all the stuff the kids need while they have been there, so they are not out of pocket in that regard. This gift is the only way they will accept thanks! We're on a budget ourselves, but I want to splurge on this a bit.

Paint has become very expensive in recent years - I should know, I'm a painter by trade. I try to keep some paint for the next job (like Whites and Primer that I know i'll use) But it often sits in my garage for years until eventually I drop in the local "PaintBack" bin for old paint at the tip. The other day I was dropping some off and noticed a nearly full 10L of Dulux Precision ($250 worth) that someone had left there - YOINK! you're coming to a better home little buddy. Now, are you really allowed to take paint out of there? I didn't ask - but it would be a crime against the environment not to. I'm sure there plenty of nearly full 10L Whites and Primers that go to waste. If you're not too fussy about having the latest fashionable White you could be lucky and find enough for a whole room. I'll keep a closer eye on my local one. Some people really overestimate how much they'll need and then just throw it away.

I really need to change my electricity plan after supply charge got more than doubled. Every few weeks I get a burst of energy and commit to doing it, but it is ridiculously difficult.

Almost without fail, the rates I am getting through EME are wrong. The plan is listed on EME as available for my NMI, and the retailers link to that plan through their basic plan information page, but then when I try to sign up, that plan isn't available for my postcode and the available plans are WAY more expensive. I am looking at the right plan info sheets for my address and electricity distributor. I have also tried calling and retailers also say over phone that advertised plan isn't available. I am spending so much time on this and just keep hitting dead ends because I can never sign up for the plans I find on EME.

Is there ANY other way to reliably compare plans in NSW? I'm guessing not because all the comparisons would be based on what they declare as their pricing through the basic plan info, which is wrong. Also is there an easy way to tell EME if retailers are providing misleading info in their advertised plans?