Never got enough money? People often tell me that they can’t afford to save because their expenses frequently equal or exceed thier income.
Saving a little each month will pay big dividends. Whilst saving can mean cutting things out, saving can be done by doing things differently or swapping for an alternative.
Following these tips will save much more than £50/$50 per month if combined or repeated more often than the times suggested.
What do you think?
1. Track every penny you spend – get reciepts for everything
2. Consider using a cashback card such as the Utility Warehouse cashback card which gives you 5% of your spend against your Utility Bills.
3. Use cash when you go shopping and only spend the cash you have with you.
4. Make your lunch 1 day per week.
5. Shop with a list and don’t deviate from it
6. Sell your unwanted books and CD’s on ebay
7. Instead of paying to have old sofas, beds and washing machines removed advertise them on Ebay for a £1. Instead of paying to have things taken away you may get some money!
8. Shop around for all your utility bills;gas, electricity, home telephone
9. Use the library instead of buying a book
10. Cancel magazine subscriptions you never read
11. Email or use skype instead of calling your friends
12. Use the bus or walk instead of using a cab.
13. Cancel the health club and use the local authority gym instead or buy a few peices for home
14. Don’t go to the coffee shop at the weekend
15. Skip going to the cinema and rent a film instead
16. Eat in instead of going out for a meal
17. For a special meal go out for lunch instead of dinner (lunch is usually much cheaper than dinner)
18. Eating out – look for restaurant deals and eat mid week
19. Use coupons or cash back sites when shopping
20. Buy presents when they are on sale (but make sure you know what you’ve bought and for who – and where you put it)
21. Buy generic instead of branded items
22. Shop around for large purchases
23. Shop around for fuel and use supermarkets wherever possible.
24. Check your receipts – mistakes do happen
25. Turn the heating down and put a jumper on
26. Never pay extra for extended warranties
27. Buy in bulk where possible
28. Only run a full dishwasher
29. Take a shower instead of a bath
30. Don’t pay the lottery or football pools – the odds of winning are small
31. Pay yourself first. Pay yourself a £1 a day
32. Save all your loose change in a jar or piggy bank
33. Cut cleaning cloths in half
34. If you have a credit card balance and you can only pay the minimum balance, then pay the amount weekly instead of monthly (this will minimise interest charges) : See How to Control Your Debt
35. Use Unleaded Fuel instead of Super Unleaded
36. Don’t use Motorway Service stations – if you have no choice buy the minimum amount possible to get you to a supermarket
37. Keep you tyres properly inflated to improve fuel consumption
38. Cancel the premium TV channels you don’t watch
39. Don’t spend any pay increase. Save it or increase your monthly debt repayments
40. Spend a day cooking meals you can freeze and simply reheat. This will reduce wastage.
41. Don’t use convenience meals – stir frys can be made just as quickly
42. Turn off all your electricity appliances (except your fridge and freezer!) when you’re not at home
43. Don’t park in the city centre. Use park and ride instead.
44. Instead of having your hair or nails done every 2 weeks, try having doing it every 3 weeks
45. Don’t pay main dealer prices for generic items such as tyres and oil
46. Don’t use paper towels. Use cloth ones and wash them
47. Save up for items instead of putting them on your credit card
48. When buying something ask yourself whether you’ll still be using it in 6 months – do you really need it?
49. Hang washing out to dry instead of using the clothes dryer
50. Shop around for financial products, move your mortgage and your credit cards to a better deal.
What would you add to this list?
