The lazy person’s guide to growing wealth
Written and accurate as at: Mar 12, 2026 Current Stats & Facts
Growing your wealth doesn't have to be a full-time job. In fact, there’s a lot that can run on autopilot with the right tools and habits in place. So if you’re not the type to spend hours agonising over a budget and don’t want to give up your weekends to complex side hustles, here are a few simple strategies to help you get ahead.
Outsource the hard work to technology
The first step is recognising that a lot of the heavy lifting can be done by technology. You probably already have direct debit set up for some of your bills. Why not adopt the same approach to saving and investing?
An automatic transfer to your savings account each payday can put your money to more productive uses before you get a chance to spend it. And if you want to automate investing, there are a number of apps that round up your daily transactions and invest the spare change in ready-made portfolios.
Consider low-maintenance investments
Not everyone has the time, know-how or resources to analyse market trends and sift through company reports. And even those who do struggle to pick winning stocks on a consistent basis.
One alternative is investing in index funds or ETFs. These are bundles of shares that track a particular index (like the ASX200) or are grouped according to a particular theme (like healthcare or cybersecurity). While they carry risk like any investment, having your money spread across many different assets means there’s less pressure to follow markets or scrutinise individual company results.
Doing less and saving more
Look for ways you can simplify your daily routines and save money at the same time. For example, batch cooking your meals can free up several hours a week and also significantly cut down on expensive last-minute takeout orders.
You can also declutter your digital life by cancelling streaming services, apps or subscriptions you rarely use. These small monthly charges may not seem like much, but you might be surprised how much they add up to over a year.
Set and forget your super contributions
Your super can be one of the most tax-effective savings vehicles available to you, and a big part of what makes it so effective is it works in the background. You can take advantage of this by setting up automatic transfers to your super or even entering a salary sacrifice arrangement at your work.
This involves asking your employer to pay a portion of your pre-tax salary directly into your super fund. Because these contributions are typically taxed at a lower rate than your marginal income tax rate, you could pay less tax while channelling more of your money toward your retirement nest egg.
Earn rewards on things you already do
Rewards credit cards, cashback programs and loyalty programs can offer small perks – points, gift cards and discounts – for purchases you were already planning to make.
Of course, companies don’t just give away these rewards for nothing. In return, they get data on your shopping habits that lets them better target you with limited time offers. If you can resist these and stick to buying things you were already planning to buy, these programs might be worth your while.
Reduce your reliance on willpower
If you’ve identified spending habits that aren’t serving you well, you might be able to curb them by adding some friction. The harder something is to do, the less likely you are to do it on impulse.
Some of these will be mental barriers, like reminding yourself how much you earn per hour to put a planned purchase in perspective. But you can also try more concrete ones, like avoiding online shopping and not having your credit card loaded on your phone. Even transferring extra savings into an account that’s slightly harder to access can create enough pause to stop you dipping into it.