With Christmas fast approaching, the festive season has turned into a stressful time as many households try to keep up with the rising cost of living. Comparison website Finder recently found that only 46 per cent of Aussies could live off their savings for up to a month, while just 24 per cent said they could last six months or more. Thankfully, there are a few simple things you can do to potentially save up to $1,000 before — or even after — Christmas.

Here's four steps to put more money back in your pocket.

Cancel subscriptions

According to Airtasker data, Aussie households have an average of 4.4 paid subscriptions, paying about $52.97 a month (not including telco, energy and other services), with many of these going unused or forgotten after free-trial periods end.

Airtasker CEO and co-founder Tim Fung says one of the first things Aussies should do right now is take a closer look at their subscriptions. "One of the few things about subscriptions is it takes a lot of effort to take a look at — to go through your subscriptions to make sure you are turning things off that you are not using... It saves so much money," Fung told Yahoo Finance, citing that people should take a look at everything from their medical insurance to streaming subscriptions, and to make sure they're on the right kind of plan. "Financially, it makes total sense," Fung said.

• How to do Christmas shopping for the lowest price possible

• Warning as Aussies brace for 75% grocery bill hike

• Best and worst Christmas hams revealed: 'Unpleasant and dry'

Many Aussies use Airtasker to find people who can help streamline subscriptions, he said. "There are some real experts in our community who help out other customers with basically that job of going through your subscriptions — making sure you're on the right plan and turning off what you don't need," he said.

Plan your meals

Take-away meals can blow a budget quickly, so meal planning can help reduce impulse buying and ensure food isn't wasted. Fung says Aussies are able to use Airtasker to lower their food budgets in the lead-up to Christmas and beyond. "You can save money by cooking at home but a lot of people on Airtasker use it to talk to nutritionists and get advice on how to save money."

Re-sell household goods

Aussies are also encouraged to start selling unwanted items such as sports and exercise equipment, power tools, musical instruments, books and clothes on platforms such as Facebook Marketplace and eBay. Personal sellers are available on Airtasker to do this if you don't have the time.