Saturday morning, 24 hours out from the fuel cliff. The temporary 16 cent per litre excise cut ends at 11:59pm tomorrow night, Sunday 2 August, and the full 52 point 6 cents per litre excise resumes from Monday 3 August, adding roughly 17 cents per litre at metropolitan pumps once the annual inflation indexation is layered on. Sydney metropolitan unleaded retail is currently averaging 187 cents per litre this Saturday morning, and Monday morning it will sit above 204 cents. Fill the tanks today. Meanwhile the second calm weekend for Australian mortgage households continues: with all Big Four banks now aligned on an RBA hold on 11 August at 4 point 35 per cent and money markets pricing a hike at just 3 to 4 per cent, the rate you have this Saturday is very likely the rate you have through spring. Today’s Top 5 opens with Kick Push Skate at up to 80 per cent off.
Fuel Cliff: 24 Hours To Sunday Midnight
The fuel excise unwind is now inside the final 24 hour window. Treasurer Jim Chalmers confirmed on Tuesday 29 July that the temporary 16 cent per litre excise cut, introduced in late April in response to the Iran conflict oil price spike, will fully unwind at 11:59pm on Sunday 2 August. The fuel excise relief will end at midnight on Sunday, Chalmers said, per SBS News on 29 July 2026. The full 52 point 6 cents per litre excise resumes from Monday 3 August. Combined with the annual inflation indexation that resets on 1 August, the pump price uplift on Monday morning is approximately 17 cents per litre at most metropolitan retail sites, per CarExpert on 29 July 2026. Peter Khoury from the NRMA said the increase will likely be 17 cents rather than 16 cents once indexation is layered on: we think it is going to be another cent because of the inflation adjustment, Khoury told SBS on 29 July 2026.
The immediate cost read for Australian households. Sydney metropolitan unleaded is currently retailing at around 187 cents per litre this Saturday morning; Monday morning it will sit above 204 cents per litre. Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth all track within a few cents of that Sydney reference. On a 65 litre tank fill, that is an extra 10 to 11 dollars every time a household fills up from Monday. For a two car commuting household filling weekly, the running weekly cost lifts by roughly 22 dollars, per Bushletter on 29 July 2026. The Heavy Vehicle Road User Charge also unwinds on Monday from 16 point 4 cents per litre back to 32 point 4 cents per litre, which will filter through to freight costs on grocery, hardware and appliance deliveries over the following two to three weeks, per ABC News on 29 July 2026.
Weekend Fill Window: Where To Look, What To Lock
The Saturday game plan for Australian households comes down to three tools and one timing call. First, check the local price cycle this morning. Use MotorMouth or PetrolSpy to compare prices within a five kilometre radius of home right now. In most metropolitan cycles, Saturday morning sits at or near the cycle low, with Sunday afternoon typically the first uptick as retailers reset ahead of the excise resumption. Second, use the 7 Eleven Fuel Lock app to lock the current price for up to seven days at any participating 7 Eleven site. A household can lock this Saturday morning cycle low, drive on the current tank through the weekend, and redeem the locked price mid week on the second tank. Costco members can layer a similar hold via Costco Fuel’s standard practice of stable weekly pricing at the pump. Third, top up every fuel storage vessel the household controls before Sunday night: primary car tanks, second vehicle, camper trailer, caravan, boat outboard, ride on mower jerry cans, and any generator or workshop fuel supply.
The math on a two car commuting household. Filling both tanks Saturday morning at 186 to 188 cents per litre saves roughly 10 to 11 dollars per tank versus Monday pricing at 204 cents, so 20 to 22 dollars across the initial fill. Locking one 65 litre tank on 7 Eleven Fuel Lock and redeeming mid week saves another 10 to 11 dollars. Filling a 65 litre jerry can supply for a caravan or ride on mower saves another 10 to 11 dollars. Total weekend savings run to roughly 45 to 60 dollars per two car household against waiting until Monday, per Carsales on 29 July 2026. Regional and outer metropolitan households will feel the excise unwind sharpest because the local cycle has less spread, so Saturday and early Sunday morning fills are the safest play outside the major capitals. Do not wait for Sunday afternoon; retailers are already progressively lifting shelf prices ahead of the midnight cutoff.
RBA Hold: All Big Four Now Aligned On 11 August
Beyond the fuel window, the second calm weekend for Australian mortgage households continues. On Wednesday 29 July, Westpac became the last Big Four bank to abandon its rate hike call, following the softer than expected June quarter CPI print earlier that morning. Westpac chief economist Luci Ellis told The Broker Times on 30 July 2026 that inflation has been more benign than we feared and the RBA forecast. On Thursday 30 July, the Commonwealth Bank reaffirmed its own hold view. Belinda Allen, CommBank head of Australian economics, wrote that CBA expects the RBA to remain on hold in August and for the remainder of 2026, and now expects RBA rate cuts to commence from early 2027, per CommBank Newsroom on 30 July 2026. NAB and ANZ have held the same view since before the CPI print. AMP’s Shane Oliver joined the consensus on 29 July. That leaves NAB, Commonwealth Bank, ANZ, Westpac and AMP all aligned on a hold on 11 August at 4 point 35 per cent.
Overnight indexed swap markets now price the probability of an August hike at just 3 to 4 per cent, down from around 22 per cent before Wednesday morning’s CPI print, per Switzer Daily on 30 July 2026. The trimmed mean measure of underlying inflation the RBA watches most closely came in at 3 point 6 per cent year on year for the June quarter, below the 3 point 7 per cent consensus and below the RBA’s own 3 point 8 per cent May forecast, per the Australian Bureau of Statistics. That is still above the top of the 2 to 3 per cent target band, so Governor Michele Bullock retains the option to hike again if wages growth or services inflation reaccelerates over the next two prints. For a variable rate mortgage on 500,000 dollars at 6 point 24 per cent, the withdrawn August hike scenario represents roughly 82 dollars per month saved. The rate you have this Saturday morning is very likely the rate you have through August, September and October.
Retail Weakness: Roy Morgan Record Low, Myer Flags Challenging Half
The retail backdrop against which the fuel cliff and the RBA hold sit is visibly weak. Roy Morgan consumer confidence printed 74 point 7 in June, the lowest reading in the survey’s history, and only recovered to 75 point 6 in July, still deep into pessimistic territory. On Monday 27 July, Myer released its FY26 sales update: total sales up 11 point 3 per cent to 4 point 08 billion dollars on the back of the apparel brands acquisition, but comparable sales up just 0 point 7 per cent, and the shares fell 12 per cent on the day, per Reuters on 27 July 2026. Chief executive Olivia Wirth flagged the second half as volatile and significantly more challenging on the earnings call, per Inside Retail on 28 July 2026.
Beyond Myer, the retail autopsy continues. Betts, the Australian family footwear chain trading since 1892, confirmed on 26 July it will close 20 of its 35 remaining Australian stores by December, per ABC News on 26 July 2026. Linc, Gl Store and Barbeques Galore are all in various stages of store network downsizing. The May ABS retail trade data released last week did show retail spending up 5 point 8 per cent year on year to 39 point 67 billion dollars, per the Australian Retailers Association on 25 July 2026, but that growth is concentrated in food retailing and cafes rather than discretionary categories. Department stores, clothing and footwear, and household goods retailing all sit in negative territory year on year. For Australian shoppers this weekend, that weakness is what is driving the sharp discounting in the Top 5: retailers with excess winter stock are moving it aggressively ahead of the mid August spring transition.
Saturday Top 5 Deals
Discount
Kick Push SkateSkate & ScootersUp to 80 per cent off Kick Push Skate: complete skateboards, decks, trucks, wheels, bearings, protective gear and skate shoes from the Australian owned family run skate specialist based in Melbourne, with Afterpay, Zip and free Australia wide shipping over 100 dollars.80%OFF2
SportsgirlWomen's WearUp to 70 per cent off Sportsgirl: dresses, tops, denim, knitwear, coats, activewear and accessories from the Australian owned womens fashion label established in Melbourne in 1948, with Afterpay, Zip, PayPal and free click and collect at over 100 Australian stores.70%OFF3
BettsFootwearUp to 50 per cent off Betts: womens and mens shoes, boots, sneakers, sandals and accessories from the Australian owned family footwear chain trading since 1892, with Afterpay, Zip and free click and collect at over 100 stores nationwide.50%OFF4
OPSMOpticalUp to 50 per cent off OPSM: prescription frames, sunglasses, contact lenses and eye care from the Australian owned optical chain with over 300 stores, with private health rebates, Afterpay and free eye tests at participating stores.50%OFF5
Scooter HutScooters & SkateUp to 50 per cent off Scooter Hut: complete scooters, decks, wheels, bearings, bars and protective gear from the Australian owned scooter and skate specialist with stores across Queensland, NSW, Victoria and online, with Afterpay, Zip and Australia wide shipping.50%OFFEvery store in Saturday’s Top 5 is Australian owned or locally fulfilled. Every discount was checked against the store’s current sale page this morning. None of it is Temu, Shein, AliExpress, Wish or any offshore marketplace dressed up as a local brand. Every product ships from an Australian warehouse and is backed by the Australian Consumer Law. Kick Push Skate at up to 80 per cent off is the outright winner this morning on complete skateboards, decks, trucks and skate shoes from the Melbourne based skate specialist. Sportsgirl at up to 70 per cent off runs winter clearance across dresses, tops, denim and knitwear from the Australian owned womens fashion label established in 1948. Betts at 50 per cent off catches the family footwear chain in the middle of its store rationalisation, so stock is moving hard. OPSM at 50 per cent off covers prescription frames and sunglasses with private health rebates layered on top. Scooter Hut at 50 per cent off delivers complete scooters and protective gear from the Australian owned scooter specialist.
Other Deals Worth A Look
Beyond the Top 5, a handful of other Australian owned or locally fulfilled retailers are worth a Saturday scroll ahead of the Sunday midnight fuel excise unwind. Sunnylife (today’s Top 6 ticker pick) is at up to 50 per cent off pool floats, outdoor games, esky coolers and beach accessories from the Australian owned lifestyle brand established in Sydney in 2003. Typo is at up to 50 per cent off stationery, gift wrap, notebooks, planners and desk accessories from the Australian owned Cotton On Group brand. Sussan holds 50 per cent off knits, dresses and lingerie from the Australian womens fashion brand established in 1939. Lee Mathews is at 40 per cent off womens tops, dresses and knitwear from the Sydney based designer label. Novo Shoes is at up to 40 per cent off womens footwear including boots and heels. Veronika Maine is at 30 per cent off tailoring, dresses, coats and knitwear. All Australian owned or locally fulfilled, all backed by the Australian Consumer Law.
Week Ahead
Three dates matter for Australian shopper wallets between this morning and the RBA meeting on 11 August. Sunday 2 August at 11:59pm: the temporary 16 cent per litre fuel excise cut fully unwinds and the full 52 point 6 cents per litre excise resumes from Monday 3 August, with roughly 17 cents per litre added at metropolitan pumps. Wednesday 6 August at 11:30am AEST: the June quarter Wage Price Index lands from the ABS, the last key data print before the RBA meeting five days later and the read on how strong wages growth still is against a slowing headline CPI. Monday 11 August at 2:30pm AEST: the RBA cash rate decision, now overwhelmingly priced as a hold at 4 point 35 per cent, with the accompanying Statement on Monetary Policy the next big directional catalyst for household mortgage and savings planning through spring. Spring inventory transitions typically start around 15 to 20 August as retailers pivot from winter clearance to fresh spring stock, so hold discretionary fashion purchases if timing allows.
Our Take
Saturday 1 August is the day the fuel countdown becomes physical. Sunday at 11:59pm is the cliff, and by Monday morning Australian households are paying 17 cents per litre more at the pump. Filling both tanks at cycle low this Saturday morning saves roughly 45 to 60 dollars for a two car household against Monday pricing at 204 cents per litre. Use the 7 Eleven Fuel Lock app to lock a second tank for the following week. Top up every fuel vessel the household controls: caravan, boat outboard, jerry cans, ride on mower. Do not wait for Sunday afternoon. Alongside that, the RBA hold on 11 August is now essentially a done deal, with all four Big Four banks and AMP aligned. The rate you have this Saturday morning is very likely the rate you have through spring. The retail backdrop remains weak: Myer flagged a challenging second half, Roy Morgan consumer confidence sits at record lows, and Betts is closing 20 stores. That weakness is what is driving the sharp discounts in today’s Top 5.
That is exactly why It’s On Sale exists. We track 35,000 Australian stores and 45,000 live sale products, every retailer Australian owned or locally fulfilled, every promotion audited daily against the store’s own price history. No trial traps, no hidden fees, no offshore marketplaces dressed up as a local brand. Today’s Sales shows every store currently running a discount in one place. The AI search reads the way real shoppers ask (try “winter clearance jacket” or “outdoor games”). None of it is Temu, Shein, AliExpress, Wish or any offshore marketplace dressed up as a local brand. Browse Today’s Sales this Saturday morning to make your money go further with Australian retailers who stand behind the ticket and the Australian Consumer Law.