Filed under: Saving tips
It is so easy to get into debt, but not as easy to get out of it. The best solution is of course never getting into debt in the first place. Here’s my advice on how to scrape those pennies together if money’s a bit tight to avoid the debt cycle.
The first thing you need to do is set a realistic household budget. List all things you have to spend money on i.e. Gas – Electric, mortgage, then list all the things you want to spend money on. The goal is to separate between ‘Need’ and ‘Want’ for example you ‘need’ to eat or you ‘want’ that new CD. I would also thoroughly recommend using an online money management program to track your spending and help you get a bigger picture of your finances. Read my post on Kublax if you’d like more information.
The idea is to look at you outgoings and see where you can make cut backs, set yourself a shopping budget for food. Some examples of how to save money on groceries and household bills are as follows:
1. Ask your supermarket what time they mark down there products, and purchase these when they are cheaper. Most things can be frozen to restore the sell by date.
2. Grow your own vegetables and fruit allot cheaper than buying.
3. Use price comparisons sites to check you are not paying to much for your gas – electric or mortgage.
4. Check with your energy supplier to see if you have an economy setting, do you washing etc in the evening as it is cheaper.
5. Take a shower instead of a bath, its cheaper.
6. Do you really need the heating on? Can you just put on another layer of clothing?
7. Hang clothes to dry on a rainy day indoors over the bath or use a clothes airer, it’s cheaper than the tumble dryer or radiators.
8. Use natural products for cleaning its cheaper and better for your health!! eg. Vinegar for cleaning windows.
Overall just think about ways to do things on the cheap. Research is rewarding and you will be saving money and getting out of debt. I’m always reading brilliant blogs on frugality such as Almost Frugal.
As my wise mother told me as a kid – If you look after the pennies, the pounds will loook after themselves.
November 6, 2009
Many people are struggling to keep their heads above water in the current economic downturn. Some have even had to take cut in pay, while their financial commitments have gone up and up.
One solution to the problem is to try and increase your income with extra work. If you already work full-time, you may be able to find a part-time evening job, say, working behind the bar in a pub, stocking supermarket shelves, or, perhaps, office cleaning; these are all jobs that can be carried out in the evenings, and will supplement the money already coming into the household.
Selling unwanted items via an online auction site, is one way of increasing your income. First of all, look around your own home to see if there are any unwanted items. Most families have things stored in attics and spare rooms that will probably never be used again. Start listing them, then research the auction sites to find out what is selling, and the prices they sell for. Of course, no-one has an inexhaustible supply of goods, so you could try asking around other family members, to see if they have items they no longer need.
For those people who are skilled at crafts such as knitting, crochet, sewing, card-making and so on, there are sites available nowadays that enable you to open your own online shop, to sell the items you make like Etsy. There is usually a small fee for selling, but you will not have to find premises or staff, so the earnings could be quite considerable. Similarly, if you are good at writing verse and poems, or drawing and painting, you may be able to offer your work to greetings-card companies. You will generally have to write to ask the company for their guidelines first, then submit a sample of your work.
All these are ways to potentially increase your income. By trying one that suits you, you may be surprised at how much extra money you could earn.
June 18, 2009
In the current financial climate, everyone is trying to save money. For every family, there are many unavoidable financial commitments but, with careful budgeting, you can ensure you get the very best value for your money.
Charges for essentials, like insurance, and utilities, such as electricity, telephone, and gas, have increased a great deal over the last two years. Now is a good time to find out if you are paying the lowest prices possible. Today, there are many websites which compare the different tariffs and charges of major energy and insurance providers. By simply inputting your current details, you will be able to find out if it is worth switching to a new company. At the moment, all the well-known companies are fighting for your custom. You may find only small savings with each one, but the overall amount per year could be significant.
The cost of basic food items has also increased considerably recently. Although the supermarkets make some effort to provide bargains to tempt you to spend, there are ways of reducing the amount you pay at the till. For instance, for every big-name brand you currently buy, try a lower-priced item, say, the supermarket’s own-brand, or their ‘value’ range. By saving a few pence per item, over the course of a week, you will have saved a few pounds – far better kept in your pocket than in the supermarket’s tills.
Another tip is to plan your meals for the week ahead, list all the ingredients needed on your shopping list, and shop only for those particular items. Stick to the list, and you will not be so easily tempted to overspend. You will also be surprised at how little you throw away at the end of the week.
By following these frugal tips, you will see a real difference in your spending habits, as well as the amount of money you have left at the end of the month.
March 24, 2009
Trying to get to sleep whilst in debt can be a nightmare. Being proactive about debt is a first step on your way to getting debt free. There are many ways to alleviate and get rid of the debt monster but being creative and forward thinking and crucial to success.
There are only two sources to obtain the extra cash to reduce and pay off your debts; spend less money from your current income and find a creative way to bring in some extra much needed cash.
Getting organised is the first thing you should do. Make a spreadsheet on what you get each month and then add all your outgoings and tally it all up, this allows you to see where outgoings can be cut and money saved. See what you have left over after all this then budget for food and other luxuries. Give yourself room in the budget just in case anything unexpected arises and always know how much money you have in your debit account so you don’t go making any silly superfluous purchases.
Avoid eating out, if it’s a special occasion then cook something special at home, even if you use the most expensive ingredients it will still be cheaper than going out. Growing your own vegetables if you have a garden is also a great way of saving some extra money. Always check the local paper for event listings that are free in your area. Free events are worth taking advantage of as they provide a whole day out and means you’re not spending you hard earned cash on going to theme parks or expensive pay events.
Get rid of all your credit cards and store cards apart from one with a low credit limit. Try to only use cash and avoid using credit at all costs, if you can’t pay for it in cash then you can’t afford it. If you do need to borrow money then try asking friends and family instead.
Buy some thermal underwear! This can drastically reduce your heating bills if you wear it around the house and thus turn down your thermostat. Damart sell cheap thermal underwear and have been in the business for over 50 years, spending a little on some Damart thermals will save you a lot in the long run.
Try and get a second income! Be creative it doesn’t have to be an evening job. You could start a blog or sell items on EBay or even do peoples ironing for them. If you own your house or rent a flat that has an extra room then why not consider renting out. Using the money earned from a second income could be used to put solely into a rainy day account or in to savings or used to pay of smaller bills such as credit cards or store card bills.
So come on, get creative and help yourself get out of debt or make that bit of extra cash.
February 10, 2009
If you’re thinking about going into town to buy some new clothes then stop and think again! Why waste money on petrol or public transport, parking and then overpriced shops when you could do all this from the comfort of your own home and save a great amount of money.
Using the internet to shop online for fashion should be you first port of call when wanting to buy new clothes. The Internet allows shops to sell their stock at reduced prices due to the lack of overheads they have to pay for. Even small, boutique, high street shops may sell at slightly reduced prices on their websites and the large high street retailers will offer even further discounts.
There is always a sale online, unlike the high street a sale can always be found on the web for whatever you are looking for. Normally the first thing you see when you go on a sites homepage is a huge red banner advertising a sale. However, if you do not see this sign do not fear, many online retailers will have special offers on their site for example Roman Originals are offering free matching trousers with any jacket purchased.
Why not try shopping through well known affiliate sites like ipoints that give you points for shopping through them and once you’ve built up enough points then they can be redeemed for great gifts.
You may think that delivery will be expensive but most ecommerce sites will have a spend limit to qualify for free delivery and if you don’t spend enough to qualify then a voucher code could be obtained from one of many sites that will give you free delivery when inputted at the checkout.
If you do decide to order clothes online and they arrive but don’t fit or are damaged you can always return them. Most ecommerce sites operate a good returns policy and will pay for the return postage or provide return pre paid postage parcels.
Shopping online has massive benefits for your wallet, not only does using the web help you save more money and make you feel good about what you have purchased but financially, can be a step towards achieving your financial goals whether it’s filling up that pension, getting out of debt or just putting some extra cash towards a nice holiday you deserve, it’ll really help you in the long run.
February 4, 2009
Reducing your carbon footprint is all the rage at the moment and If like me you don’t like to spend lots of money on expensive products that are made from super sustainable resources and don’t like to give up some of those small luxuries then you’ll be please to know that there are a few great ways of going green that can save you bucket loads of cash.
Drive a bit slower
Easing off the accelerator pedal can drastically reduce your carbon emissions and dramatically improve your mileage. Reducing your speed by just 10mph can improve the mileage of your car by as much as 15%. Avoiding sudden braking and quick starts, you should try and anticipate the lights. Letting the engine idle also wastes that precious fuel so if you expect a long wait then turn the engine off. Doing all your errands on one day will also save you nipping out every day to do one of them, saving you money on fuel and lowering your emissions. Not driving at all would be ideal but we all know how hard a luxury this would be to give up.
Wash clothes effectively
Front loading washing machines use a lot less water and 60% less energy than their top loader counterparts, to save the most money and the environment you should be washing your clothes in cold water as there are many fantastic products out there that will clean your clothes in these low temperatures. You should always make sure the washing machine is full and not just use it to wash one t–shirt at a time. Tumble dryers should be used efficiently as they use a great deal of energy so running full loads and doing two or more loads in a row to make use of the heat that is already in the dryer is a much more efficient process. Using a clothes horse or washing line would be far better but if you’re in a rush then the tumble dryer will have to do.
Video Conferencing
Why do companies waste so much money travelling to the other side of the globe to have a 1 hour meeting in which nothing is ever agreed? The emissions from the planes and taxis and other modes of transport taken are making a significant dent in the atmosphere as well as the money it costs the company is ludicrous, sure talking face to face with someone is far superior for a meeting but for long distance meetings why not just have video conferencing using free software such as Skype.
Programmable thermostats
Just turning down your thermostat can save you a fair bit of money, programming the thermostat to come on at certain times is even better so no unnecessary energy is wasted and even more money is saved. Having the heating come on in the morning and the evening for a few hours makes far more sense than having it on all day and night. You don’t need it on at night while you’re all tucked up in bed and don’t need it on throughout the day if you’re out at work so it’s just more intelligent to have it on for a few hours a day on a timer.
If you follow these basic ideas you may stand to make save some serious cash as well as saving the planet
January 21, 2009
Are you always being plagued by the ever increasing energy prices? Last year gas, oil and electricity prices rocketed to sky high levels and most people were left feeling very out of pocket and not only are these costs jumping to new unseen levels but the credit crunch is hitting hard and so any chance of that pay rise is likely to be out of the question.
One simple, effective way to save money on those dreaded bills is to get some thermal underwear. Ok so I don’t mean wear them to work but when you’re in the house just lounging around you could put on some thermals and turn the thermostat down a few degrees, not only will you be extra toasty warm, but by lowering the temperature by 4 – 5 degrees can help reduce your energy bill by up to 10%. Thermals only cost around £10-30 for a decent set; just think of the return on investment, they will probably have paid for themselves after just one month.
Thermals have had a bad image for a while but there are many brands out there that do not conform to that stereotype image, Damart for example, have been manufacturing thermals for 55 years and have very stylish and colourful ranges. More expensive thermals are even better at insulating and keeping you snug so if you fancied spending a little more cash you could buy some really good thermals and turn the heating down even further to save even more money.
This January looks set to be a cold month and no doubt we will all want our heating to be on high but for those of you who take my advice and get some thermals you can laugh at the poor fools who didn’t when the next quarterly bill comes.
January 6, 2009
Talking to a machine on the phone can drive you insane, especially if the per minute charge is a ridiculously high price All you want to do is talk to a human and all the company your calling wants to do is make you bankrupt but help is at hand from cheapflights.co.uk who have come up with a cheat sheet.
The cheat sheet is a list of lots of airlines and hotels who have automated answering services; the list provides details of what to press and when to get straight through to a real (yes real!!) human being.
I happened across this gem whilst searching for tips to make you richer, and considering many of us call £1+/min call centre’s and have to key in options that aren’t helpful and wait queuing for possibly greater than 20 minutes then it seems fair that this is a brilliant money saving idea.
Check out the cheat sheet here.
December 23, 2008
Saving money shouldn’t be a chore, it should be a challenge and you should look forward to what you will get at the end of it. Whether it’s saving to put a deposit on a house or just to afford the extras on that big family holiday there are some easy ways to cut back find you have more cash than you think.
1. Take a pack lunch to work – Taking a homemade lunch can save you loads of cash as you don’t need to splash out on that sandwich from prêt, cutting back on the daily Starbucks will also make your wallet heavier as spending just £2.50 a day on a coffee can really mount up.
2. Set up a direct debit – If your main bank account is always empty at the end of the month due to you just having to spend everything in it then set up a savings account and transfer a small amount of money to it monthly or weekly. This is a method of forced saving but makes sure you live within your means.
3. Use cash instead – Using your cards less and switching to cash will make you spend less, you will find you have a much more emotional attachment to parting with you hard earned cash rather than just putting it on a card.
4. Clear the most expensive debt – You should always clear the most expensive debt first and this is normally your credit cards, credit cards have huge interest repayments and if you cannot afford to repay the full amount each month then it might be worth considering a small low cost loan as the interest on them is normally half that of the credit cards.
5. Make a shopping list – Making a shopping list is essential, if you don’t you will come out of the supermarket with more items than you wanted and nothing that you needed. Try and plan the meals in advance of going to the shops, try own brand products to cut down on cost and never ever go shopping on an empty stomach as everything in the supermarket will look delicious.
6. Track your spending – Keeping a diary of everything you spend is a great way to keep all you’re spending in check, it will make you far more conscious of all your outgoings and any areas where money is being wasted or could be saved. You could use a spreadsheet on the computer or just a simple notebook, as long as you feel comfortable with it and will make sure you keep it up to date.
7. Shop around for the best deals – Looking around and comparing deals on essentials like gas, electricity, water, telecoms and insurance can save you vast sums of money. For just for a small amount of your time looking on a price comparison website, they will compare hundreds of companies’ quotes in seconds and help you save that extra money.
8. Doing D.I.Y. – Okay so when I say DIY I don’t mean building an extension or fixing a massive hole in the roof but if you do invest £100 or so in a night school class at a local adult college in a maintenance course such as plumbing or electrical engineering then it can avoid incredibly costly callout fees and save hundreds of pound in the long run.
If you just follow some of these simple ideas you will be well on the way to saving up for that dream house or the holiday of a lifetime, If you are in debt you can use these tips to help alleviate the load and help pay the burden off quicker.
If you have any other great money saving ideas then please do add them in the comments section for all to see and use!
December 22, 2008
There are many ways to save money by using the Internet and I think that nearly everyone knows this but where are the best offers and sites. Here I will give you a rundown of my favourite:
1. Affiliate scheme site
These sites make you shop through them to pick up points which can be redeemed for gifts. They make their money by redirecting you to the shops site and then making a percentage on what you spend. They are great as if you were going to the shops site anyway why not get something back from it. My favourite affiliate site is ipoints which has almost every major retailer, gives a good number of points and has a great range of gifts when you redeem your points.
2. Voucher codes
When shopping online try searching for voucher codes in Google first for your favourite shop. The site myvouchercodes.co.uk has loads of codes for many shops and they’re often for 10-20% off and free delivery which is great when you only spend £5 and don’t want to have to pay another £5 for delivery.
3. Savings websites
Moneysavingsexpert.com is one of the biggest names in saving and provides all the best deals and offers that are on at the moment such as 2 for 1 offers at well known restaurants, voucher codes, comparisons between credit cards, utilities, mortgages and consumer rights advice. Other sites such as thismoney.co.uk provide great advice on personal finance and global financial news.
4. Shop around
Price comparison websites are genius, they allow you to save time and effort by checking the price of the product you desire at lots of different shops in split seconds. Kelkoo.co.uk is a good comparison site for electrical products / gift. For insurance, gas and electricity comparison then check out moneysupermarket.com.
I hope you find these sites useful, I don’t know how I’ve ever lived without them as they have saved me so much money over the past few years. If you know any really useful sites that warrant a mention then post a comment and share the wealth.
December 15, 2008
