Australians are still travelling overseas despite cost of living crisis

The business woman and mother has tips on gift cards, loyalty programs and credit cards to help consumers enjoy luxuries amidst the cost of living rises.

"I try and leverage any new rewards opportunities to save money on my day-to-day," Ms Eliseo said.

Flying on a dime

The costs of overseas holidays are climbing, yet Ms Eliseo said there are still cheap ways to travel.

Shoppers can sign up for free loyalty programs online, where reward points for shopping are used towards flights and airline upgrades.

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Ms Eliseo, who started seriously looking at reward programs six years ago, said you get the most value from your points if you fly business or first class.

Many of the programs are offered through credit cards and phone plans, which the savvy saver said are effective if used well.

"The only way to maximise points through credit cards is by paying them off in full each month," Ms Eliseo said.

Her blog on luxury travel savings, The Champagne Mile, also lists available deals.

Cutting costs through loyalty programs

As the cost of living rises, lavish holidays are not an option for everyone. Ms Eliseo has also found ways to save on day-to-day expenses while grocery shopping.

She checks gift card sales at Coles and Woolworths, stockpiling for future use.

"The supermarket chains are seeing that people are looking to save money in this way. Typically, you'll see that Coles and Woolworths will run gift card promotions once or twice a month," she said.

Gift card sales often include Airbnb, online shopping sites like the Iconic, or even the grocery stores themselves.

It's worth keeping an eye out on the catalogues, which are generally released on a Wednesday," Ms Eliseo said.

Cashback portals, where a certain percentage of your spend is dispensed back into your account, can also help save money on everyday items.

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"Most major brands play in that space now," she said.

Where to start

Using spending hacks takes time and skill, making many shoppers scared to start. Ms Eliseo said to pick one technique to try and slowly build up. She suggests starting with loyalty programs.

"I would suggest just being strategic about looking for the opportunities in the everyday," she said. "An hour a month can be enough to make real changes."