Last week my weekly discussion was Beating The January Blues. This week I have chosen a popular topic and talking about Money Saving Tips. Which I feel is a good time to start this discussion, as we all know January is a very long month waiting until payday.
Table of Contents
Payday
Probably the best place to start. When I worked and had a proper salary on payday I would look at my account balance and then list down all my regular payments ie
- Rent/Mortgage
- Utility Bills
- Other Bills
- Insurances
- Savings – even £10 a month. This will add up and give you a cushion for unexpected bills. Compare savings accounts to find one that works for you. Whether it is a regular amount each month they may may reward you with a higher savings rate. Or one that if you do not withdraw from may give you a bonus.
I would then see how much I had left and then divide by how many weeks until my next payday. This then gave me how much I had to spend each week on food etc.
How To Cut Down Weekly Spending
Cutting down on what you spend each week can be done by making a few changes –
- Make your own coffee instead of buying one
- Take your own lunch instead of buying a sandwich
- Can you walk instead of taking the car or public transport
Weekly Food Shop
This is something that just seems to be going up and up. I have just come back from a food shop at Sainsburys while waiting for C to finish college.
- Find the time that the supermarket reduces items. When C was in Primary school, I would drop her and then go across the road to Lidl. They always had reduced meat etc and would save money that way as would pop in the freezer until ready to use.
- Look for offers, in Sainsburys they often have a price and then nectar card holder price
- Try using shops own products. I have found some we just did not like, but others we could not taste any difference
- I bulk buy toilet rolls, and cleaning products, shampoo and shower gels on Amazon. This does save money if you have time to look through for reductions they have
- Check Supermarket Cashback rates
Shop Online
One way to save money is, shopping online. I find this especially helpful with food shopping as although you miss out on the reduced items, You can stick to your shopping list and not be tempted by other things.
- I have an extension on my laptop and phone, which finds discounts automatically and adds once you are at the checkout. The app I use is Honey, you can find out more and join using my referal code here. I do get 500 points for anyone who signs up. Alongside getting automatic discounts added to your shopping cart, and this works on all websites. You also earn Honey Gold, which you can redeem for gift cards ie Amazon.
- Join groups on Facebook, one I use regularly and it has helped me is UK deals and discounts. Members share any sales or discounts on everything and you can get some great deals. Just remember to not get drawn into all the deals.
Bulk Cook
One way to save money is through meal preparation and bulk cooking, or finding ways to cook one meal for everyone taste. C is fussy with some meals and will not eat some things.
- Chilli, bolognaise – I cook up and freeze down what is left to reheat another time
- Rice – I can only cook rice one way and never had a disaster. I will share in a post on easy meals another time. But always have left over which I freeze down
- Beef – I use my slow cooker and freeze down for further meals
Other Ideas
There are so many ways to reduce outgoings
- Try to reduce your utility bills – shop around for best rates. Look around your house to make sure there are no drafts. Turn your thermostat down. Look at times your heating comes on so you are not heating an empty house.If you’re looking for a mortgage, compare options using a mortgage comparison calculator to get the best deal.
- Put your change in a jar each night, you will be surprised at how quickly this adds up
- Check your subscriptions – do you use them or need them
- If your phone contact is coming up – do you need a new phone?
- Sell unwanted items there are a few platforms you can use Facebook Marketplace, Ebay or Vinted
- If you have a baby and overstocked on baby formula you can sell unopened formula
There are so many ways to save money no matter what you are buying, even the dreaded school uniform.
Do you have any tips on saving money that you can share with us all?
It’s not a snobbery thing, but the only thing I won’t economise on is toilet paper. You really can tell the difference between two and three-ply paper and the relative coarseness/ smoothness of some brands of loo roll. I am willing to be convinced. If someone gives me a pack of X and it’s as good as, not to mention much cheaper, than the one I prefer then I will celebrate! But I don’t think it’s going to happen…..
I am with you there, I have tried the cheaper brands but they are not that great and my family all moan. I buy mine bulk and recently did try a different brand that was a little cheaper and no one has moaned so far
Food literally eats away at family budgets more than it ever did, at lest in my lifetime. To save a little, I was buying ‘bottom shelf/own brand’ products but, after watching a food scientist demonstrate what manufacturers add to make products go further or look larger (usually a non-food starchy substance!), I am giving that option a miss and buying good quality but eating a little less. I am also trying to cook from scratch more often and making a ‘now and later’ meal for the fridge or freezer.
I have my eye on something I want to buy this year so that helps motivate me to make good financial decisions.
I must admit I am quite fussy in some of the things I buy and will not move from branded products. I do love freezing meals down for another day as it also saves cooking as well
I needed these tips. I want to start saving more and this post is really so helpful. I agree doing weekly shopping and shopping online is a great idea to save up .
I am glad I have given you some ideas on how to save money
Great post! I swear by bulk cooking—it’s a game-changer. Planning meals, grabbing discounts online, and cutting utility costs are lifesavers!
Bulk cooking is a game changer and really does help both in reducing your food shop, and stress when not enough time to prepare a meal
Cashback for shopping online is something I need to get better at as I am so bad with remembering (as I do most on my phone so can’t have a browser extension). Some great tips to save money x
You can use the Honey app on your phone, which I have only recently found out which is great
Definitely look into cashback sites too that helps you get money back from your every day shop. Also, smart devices are also a great investment like a smart thermostat and smart plugs, that helps you control on your energy usage and only comes on when needed.
I agree I do love cashback sites, we have an app to control our thermastat and heating which helps
I’ve set myself a challenge to save £10K this year (which is pretty much impossible, but I’m more likely to stick at it than if I set a goal of say, £2K, as I always ‘dip’ into the money, thinking I can put it back later – which never happens).
I’m self-employed, so have been putting 20% of my earnings into a savings account with a high interest rate. I’ve also decluttered the house and am going to try and sell some bits on Vinted, Depop and local Facebook pages.
My bills aren’t particularly high, so I don’t think I’ll be able to save any money there, but definitely going to try to spend less than I usually do this year! I like the idea of the change jar too. I might start one tomorrow 🙂
I think it is about setting challenges that you know will work for you, and you know you can work too
Fantastic tips! Sometimes it can be hard to save up a bit of money, but using helpful advice like this can make it a little easier. And even a little bit of money being saved at a time really adds up.
It is looking at options and finding what you can work with
Really great step by step instructions. It can be daunting but once you get started it really pays off. Best long term habits to start on.
It is all about looking at your finances and finding ways to save money and reduce outgoings
Your choice of topics is spot on – Beating the January Blues followed by Money Saving Tips. January does feel like the longest month, especially waiting for payday. Looking forward to gathering some practical tips and insights from your discussion to navigate this financial stretch. Keep the great content coming!
Thank you, I am hoping this new weekly topic will help address and talk about things we all worry about and often not talk about
Bulk cooking is a really good way to help reduce bills and also reduce waste. Both chili and bolognaise keep well and are perfect to enjoy over the winter months. This can also be a great time saver if you have a busy schedule.
I agree anything I can bulk cook and freeze helps, today I am doing my slow cooked beef which will freeze down for a few meals
Saving money is definitely easier said than done! These were some great tips!!
It is more difficult to start with and does get easier as you get used to it
We are looking to save money this year, and having some tips is always helpful! Bulk cooking, we have found, really helps our budget.
I find bulk cooking does help the budget and also helps on those rushed days when you need something quick and easy
These are some great tips on how to save money! This is very helpful. Thank you!
I hope I have given you some useful tips
I make sure I compare insurance costs when renewing as the prices can differ so much
I always look at comparison sites to find the best deal
Lots of good tips – i plan to do more bulk cooking to help save money and be organised!
I find bulk cooking really does help the budget
I agree that the food shop seems to go up and up. I am lucky that I have a couple of supermarkets nearby so I often scour both for bargains and reduced items. I also like to bulk buy cleaning products on Amazon too it really does help!
The food shop is going up, I do mix my food shop with where I shop or whether I shop online. Sainsburys is the closest to C’s college which is why I was there yesterday. But I was looking at something yesterday and was shocked at how expensive it was. Bulk buying cleaning products really does help
We have had a tough time financially but last year we took control and have really been disciplined with our budget, spending and saving and things are definitely getting better.
I think once you look and take control of your finances things really do start to get better
Love batch cooking – take away coffee can be a very expensive habit – an odd one is ok
I love batch cooking as well and knowing I have meals in the freezer and that satisfaction of a cheaper shop. You have to allow the odd treat so the odd coffee is fine
I can always use some good money saving tips so I found this article most helpful. Thanks for the suggestions and I have to check out all those subscriptions I should cancel.
Glad to have given you tips on saving money
I think one of the biggest tips here is also the smallest. Even putting SMALL AMOUNTS into your savings every pay period can add up over time. Don’t think it has to be something big.
I agree no matter how much it is still saving and you will be surprised at how it does add up over time
We pay a lot for internet and other utilities such as electricity, etc…We’re researching house insulation, we’re hoping it would decrease our electricity bill.
It does seem to be a big chunk of monthly outgoings. Insulation should help