At a time when family finances have never been so stretched you are probably wondering if it is possible to make your money go further and undoubtedly the answer is yes. No matter how careful you are with your finances there are always way you can save even more. Here are my ten top tips for saving money…
Go shopping less often – how many times have you popped into the local supermarket for a carton of milk and ended up spending £10 or more on things you do not need? We all do it and a simple thing like buying everyday essentials in bulk will remove the need to go the shops so often.
Avoid the bargains – this may seem counter intuitive because a bargain is something that will save you money. In reality this is only true if you were about to buy anyway and, often, you wouldn’t. Retailers offer ‘bargains’ to get you to spend more money – not less.
A new customer usually gets a better deal than an existing one – this may seem unfair as we feel we should be rewarded for our loyalty but we very seldom are. Big companies offer the best deals to new customers for this very reason – once they have them they can charge more next time. So when renewing insurances always look around for the best deal – more often than not it will not be with your existing provider.
Reward yourself – saving money can become boring and the benefits can take a long time to materialise. So use some of the money you have saved to give yourself a treat now and again – it will motivate you to keep saving and is totally guilt free – you’re only spending money you have saved after all?
Learn to negotiate – you don’t have to be a big shot business person to always get the best deal. Usually just asking for a better price will elicit some kind of offer that you wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. The more you do it the better you’ll get.
Team up with a friend to save money – if you are single or don’t have kids you will often miss out on some of the best deals available. For instance, buying multi-packs of fruit and vegetables isn’t practical if you finish up throwing things away but if you can team up with someone then you’ll eliminate the need for waste and get the full benefit.
Collect vouchers and coupons – it can be a pain sometimes to collect all the relevant money saving coupons for things you already buy but if you make a habit of it you’ll be surprised how much money you can save without making any sacrifices?
Claim for everything – many people don’t like claiming benefits but this is often the easiest way to improve your lifestyle. You may not be entitled to much but getting a few pounds towards your rent every month could make all the difference in the long run.
Save up for something – having a long term goal is a proven method of motivation – so think of something you really want and start saving today!
Get more exercise – the fitter you are the less time you’ll spend indoors keeping warm, eating and drinking. If you look at your weekly budget you’ll be surprised how expensive doing nothing can be?