A dozen tips to grow your cash stash

So don’t just fret, do something: Find that "lost" money or negotiate a new deal on your phone-and-internet package. You could come out hundreds of dollars ahead.

5. And don’t forget dividends. You can check with the company itself, the share registry services listed above or the responsible state government department – the Office of State Revenue in NSW and Victoria; the Public Trustee in Tasmania, ACT and Queensland; the Department of Treasury and Finance in Western Australia; and the Territory Revenue Office in the Northern Territory.

10. If you’re coming off a mobile phone contract it might be time to look around for a better offer. Even if you think you’re on a good wicket, chances are there’s something even better out there. There are now deals as cheap as $19 a month, post paid. These don’t include the handset and you’ll have to keep an eye on data usage, nevertheless compared with the $100 a month you could be paying now that’s a saving of $960 a year. It might even be worth paying out your existing contract.

12. Packaging a mobile phone and home phone can be worthwhile, however before you even look at this consider if you in fact need a home line. If your internet connection is good enough you might be able to rely on VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) for most calls, with your mobile phone as backup. You stand to save for the time being $360 a year. Yet make sure your mobile phone battery is always charged for emergency calls.