7 Top Tips On How To Save Money

Almost everyone is struggling to cope financially during this current recession. Prices on everything are increasing and wages are not being increased to help us cope during this economic squeeze.

In view of this, is there anything that we ourselves can do to award ourselves a pay rise?

The answer is yes there are things that we can do to help create extra funds to pay our household bills. All we need to do is to examine what we spend on a daily/weekly business and see whether there are any things that we can eliminate or reduce on to create the extra funds. Below are some tips on some ways that we can reduce on costs.

1. Laundry/washing up

Do you really need to use the dishwasher everyday especially if there is not a full load? Given that the average dishwasher uses 2 units of electricity an hour many units a month could be saved by washing by hand. The same applies to the costly tumble drier. This appliance uses on average 4 units of electricity per hour. It is therefore better to dry the washing outdoors. It is also more cost effective to ensure that you wait until you have a full load before washing clothes in the washing machine. Just implementing these few simple changes can reduce your electricity bills and save the pennies for other things.

2. Switch off appliances. Don’t leave them on standby

This is an easy way of cutting down on the electricity that you use. Leaving appliances on standby uses lots of unnecessary electricity.

Be sure to also switch off any lights not being used and again you will gain some extra pennies off your electricity bills.

3. Change to Direct Debit and online billing

Most companies now offer large discounts for customers who pay both by direct debit and online. Any savings made by them for billing in this way are passed on to you the customer via cheaper tariffs so why not take advantage of such an easy saving?

4. Cut down on unwanted items

Do you really need to buy a newspaper everyday especially as current news is easily available via the internet or on television? Do you also read the magazines that tempt you via appealing headlines on the covers? The best way to avoid buying such items is to steer clear of the counters where they are displayed.

The same applies to the tempting snack counters that sell sandwiches and snacks. Making your own lunch is not only cheaper but also a healthier option.

Do you take your children to soft play? This can be an expensive experience especially if you also have food and drinks there. Why not take it in turns with friends to call to each other’s houses instead and create some fun at home by using your own toys and maybe introducing a craft table complete with things to make to keep them occupied. You could also make up your own packed lunches to make it more fun.

It is also surprising how much money could be saved by stopping eating out or having takeaways. Instead why not try making your own curries or even buying a ready made supermarket curry. This option will be a lot cheaper and can still be fun.

4. Change your brand

Experiment by dropping a brand level on everything that you buy. Instead of buying specific branded products try a supermarket own brand. They often taste the same but are cheaper. The same applies to buying value or basic supermarket brands as opposed to the premium ones. Often these measures alone can cut your bill by a third. It’s certainly worth a try.

5. Use your accelerator less

With the ever increasing cost of petrol and diesel it is important for us to get the most for our money. By merely keeping the revs less by not accelerating so hard it is possible to lower our petrol costs by at least 20%.

6. Get the best deal from Insurance companies and energy suppliers

Do not automatically renew your household or car insurances. Make sure that you use the various comparison websites that can get you the cheapest deals available. The same applies to your energy bills.

7. Check your tax code

When you get your tax notice make sure that your tax code is correct. At least 5 million people in the U.k have been overpaying as they were on the wrong code. Make sure that you are not one of them!

All in all when you closely examine your finances it can be surprising how much extra cash can be raised by cutting down on basic items. So go on, take control and reward yourself your own pay rise by just looking at and cutting down on what you spend.

You could even invest a little of the money raised to create additional income for yourself by starting your own business. There are many business opportunities that can be started up on a very small budget which would also include a step by step educational pack to help you get started.

So here’s to your success as you start saving money.