Top 10 tips for saving money

If one thing’s for sure during these crazy, uncertain times, it’s that we could all benefit from saving a few pennies and making our money stretch as far as possible.

But the best bit is that saving money doesn’t have to be a big hardship, and you don’t have to drastically change your lifestyle to start reaping the benefits. As the saying goes, ‘it’s the little things that make the difference’, and they really do, you just need to think outside the box!

We’re sharing our top 10 tips to help you save money in your household, to ease the pressure a little.

1. Cancel Sky Sports

You might not like to hear this, but with no sport being broadcast at the moment, continuing to pay for your Sky Sports package is just money down the drain. You can cancel it really easily via the My Sky app. Similarly, are there any other TV subscriptions you could do without right now? Do you really need Netflix, Now TV and Amazon Prime?

2. Freeze gym membership

With all gyms (private and leisure centre ones) now closed, you should enquire about freezing your membership until further notice. To stay fit and active, you could create a home gym instead. Make use of things you have around the house rather than splashing out on expensive equipment. YouTube is a great place to go to for home workout inspiration.

3. Supermarkets own brands - don’t diss them till you try them!

Whilst you might be the biggest lover of Heinz, it’s time to give the supermarkets own brand a go - and you never know, you might be pleasantly surprised. You could even have a bit of fun with it and do a blindfolded taste test and see if you can catch each other out!

4. Ditch the car

With most of us now spending the majority of time indoors, try to seek out any opportunity to stretch your legs and get walking. Leave the car at home and walk to the shops instead. Carrying your shopping bags back will definitely get the heart rate up and count towards your daily hour of exercise - who needs dumbbells, eh?

5. Clear your direct debits

Make a list of all the direct debits you pay out each month. Obviously there will be ones that you have to keep, but put a mark next to the ones that are ‘nice to haves’. Question whether you really need that magazine subscription to Ideal Homes right now.

6. Get savvy with food

An average household wastes around £500 a year on food and drink*. This is a huge amount of money that we’d all rather have in our own pockets right now, so let’s do something about it.

Meal plan

Only buy the ingredients that you need to cook your planned meals for the week or fortnight. This should cut down on a considerable amount of waste straight away.

Batch cooking

Cook big batches and freeze portions. This is great if you have veg or meat that needs to be used up, and is also really convenient for those days when you can’t be bothered to cook anything - just go to your freezer and take out a portion for that day.

Buy frozen

If you have the freezer space, try to opt for as much frozen fruit and veg as possible. They’re just as nutritious as fresh but will last much longer - did you know you can buy frozen, and ready chopped, peppers, onion, spinach?

7. Grow own vegetables and herbs

Although this isn’t a quick win, growing your own vegetables and herbs in your back garden is an incredibly satisfying exercise to do. There’s nothing quite like sitting down to eat a meal that you’ve produced with your own two hands, from scratch! It’s also a nice activity to do with the kids, and can be educational too.

8. Save money on energy bills

It’s easy to stick with the same provider and not realise that there are cheaper deals to be had. But with Look After My Bills, it’s really quick and easy to see if you could save money by switching your energy providers.

9. New love for old clothes

Rather than buying new clothes, reignite your love for old clothes that you’ve forgotten about. Dig deep to the back of your wardrobe and experiment with new styles. Get creative, try bright colours, clashing patterns, the lot! No one’s going to judge you in the comfort of your own home and it can feel quite liberating.

10. Cashback credit card rewards

If you use a credit card regularly, and responsibly, it’s worth getting one that you can earn cashback rewards on, as this is essentially free money for using their credit cards, so why not?

Mortgage advice

For further support with managing your finances, including your mortgage, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our friendly team.

We can review your mortgage and make sure you aren’t paying any more than you need too.

*http://www.wrap.org.uk/content/all-sectors