Find yourself needing to save money? Don’t we all! Here are some quick and easy ways to save money with just some small changes in your spending habits.
If you make money-saving fun then you are more likely to stick to it – I’m not about to share ideas about reusing teabags to save money, but rather some nice easy wins and simple hacks that you can implement right now to stick some more cash in your pocket.
Give it a go!
1 – Track your spending
Recording every penny you spend will take time and you might have to deal with facing your spending habits, but by taking a look at your current spending you will easily see where you can cut down – and you could even challenge yourself to spend less next month.
Make sure that you break your spending down into categories including groceries, bills, clothing, entertainment and anything else that you spend money on.
You can do this in a number of ways, from using a budgeting app to using good old pen and paper to track your spending.
2 – Find a better deal
Many companies don’t reward loyalty these days, so take a couple of bills and see if you can find a better deal either by switching or asking them for a customer loyalty discount.
You could try searching for deals on your mobile phone bill, your energy, your phone and broadband and your TV subscription.
Whilst you are at it, set a reminder for when your contract ends on things like your car insurance so that you can spend a few minutes running a price comparison to see if you can save money.
3 – Come up with low-cost activities
Saving money doesn’t mean that you need to sit at home doing nothing to save money, there are still plenty of activities you can do with a low-cost alternative.
For example, if you use Meerkat Movies for cinema tickets on a Tuesday or Wednesday you will get 2 for 1. You get to enjoy the same film at the same cinema for half the price just by using a code and visiting on a Tuesday or Wednesday.
There are plenty of low-cost activities you can do, from walks along the river to hosting your own movie night at home.
Spend some time coming up with a list of them so that when a friend suggests a meetup you have some low-cost ideas to hand.
4 – Challenge yourself to use less
This challenge isn’t about going without, but it is about using less in order to save money.
It could be that you aim to take shorter showers, or turn the water off whilst you lather your hair, resulting in a lower water bill.
Or you might try to reduce your car journeys to save not only on the cost of fuel but also the cost of wear and tear on your car.
Some other areas where you can save money by using less is eating less meat, using less energy and buying fewer clothes.
5 – Consider ditching your TV package
With the cost of TV packages skyrocketing you might want to consider if you can ditch it for a cheaper alternative like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video.
These alternatives can cost a fraction of the cost of TV packages, and if you aren’t watching live TV or BBC iPlayer you can also consider ditching your TV license to save even more money.
6 – Meal plan
Meal planning is a great way to not only save money but also to reduce your food waste.
Meal planning doesn’t have to be boring or rigid – you can just choose 7 dinners for the week and create a shopping list based around those meals.
This means you won’t be tempted to buy everything you see in store and means that you only buy what you need.
7 – Save your coins
Although we seem to be moving to a cashless society, saving up your coins is still a fun way to put money aside without it impacting your day to day finances too much.
You could use a money box or a money tin to save your spare change.
8 – Buy second hand
Buying second hand is a great way to save money and lower your carbon footprint.
You can buy almost anything second hand easily with Facebook Marketplace, charity shops and places like eBay and Vinted.
From clothes to furniture simply search for items you are looking to buy and see how much you can save.
9 – Take your own lunch to work
The cost of a daily meal deal can really add up over the week, so if you are going to work then consider taking your own lunch to work.
Even if you did this just a couple of days a week the savings will soon mount up.
You can take leftovers from dinner the night before, sandwiches, jacket potatoes, soup and so much more.
10 – Use deal websites
Deal websites like Groupon and Latest Deals offer you the chance to save money on something you were looking to buy, by alerting you to a sale.
Do be careful that you don’t find yourself buying something just because it is on sale though.
11 – Shop the reduction shelves
When food is getting close to its sell-by date the supermarkets are likely to reduce this and place it on reduced shelves for a much lower cost.
This means that you can pick up groceries for a fraction of the cost if you are lucky enough to get there at the right time.
Don’t be sucked into buying something you will never eat because it is cheap, and do be sure that you watch out for food safety by freezing the food or using it that day.
12 – Make hot drinks at home
Whilst a trip to your favourite coffee shop can be one of life’s joys, cutting back on these could help you to save money easily.
You can pick up a reusable cup cheaply from a discount store like Poundland or Home Bargains and make your hot drink yourself.
I won’t judge you if you still want your Friday Starbucks treat though.
13 – Complete a savings challenge
There are so many fantastic savings challenges around, from saving a penny a day to doubling the amount you save every day.
Or you might choose to set yourself a very low food budget for the month and use up the ingredients you already have in your kitchen.
Find a savings challenge that will be fun and achievable for you and your family.
14 – Automate your savings
Setting up a standing order or Direct Debit into your savings account every month is a great way to grow your savings without waiting to see what you have left over every month.
If you wait to see how much money you have leftover at the end of every month then chances are that you won’t have much left.
By setting up a regular payment just after payday you can see your savings grow.
15 – Ditch a takeaway
I’m not suggesting that you give up all takeaways, but by swapping just one or two takeaways a month to a homemade fakeaway the savings will soon add up.
You can cook most popular takeaway dishes at home for a fraction of the cost of a takeaway.
Once you get into the habit of saving money you will find that it becomes automatic and you are always looking out for more ways to save money.
