It’s amazing how quickly expenses can add up, and these days everything seems a little pricier than before. If you’re looking for ways to cut back on your living expenses, consider the following tips and see if you can reduce your outlay every month. Sometimes the smallest changes result in the biggest savings!
Cut out takeaway coffees
That cup of take away coffee you buy every morning on the way to work is a luxury! As is any other cup of takeaway coffee. If you make your own coffee at work or take a flask of coffee from home, you’ll soon see just how much you can save if you ditch the Java habit.
Brown bag it
Just like that daily coffee adds up, so too does lunch! If you work in an office that does not have a subsidised (or free!) canteen, rather make yourself lunch at home. You’ll save yourself a fortune, as often places geared towards providing office workers with lunch are over priced, and the food not always the healthiest.
Buy unbranded supermarket products
It’s amazing how much more branded products cost when supermarket brands do the job just as well. This is especially true when it comes to cleaning products and similar. You’ll pay a lot more for that pretty packaging and it won’t be any different inside. Stick to in-house brands where you can, and you’ll quickly cut costs.
Get thrifty
We’re not saying don’t buy new clothes ever, but wherever you can, try thrift stores for new threads. A lot of people get rid of barely worn or basically new clothing, and you can get your hands on it at a fraction of the cost. You may even find a few designer labels lurking about that you’d otherwise only have been able to afford if you had won big rewards at online bingo sites in the UK!
Bulk cook meals
If you have the time, bulk cook your meals for a week, then freeze the. This way you won’t resort to take aways when you are tired or hungry, and you can buy ingredients in bulk too and save. If you make 1 dish you can portion it out and freeze individual portions so you don’t get bored of eating the same thing.
Turn off the lights
You don’t need to light your home up like a Christmas tree every evening. Rather only use the lights you really need, and turn of lights when you leave the room. You can also change bulbs to energy saving ones to reduce costs on an on going basis.
Start a coin jar
Throw all your loose change into a jar and at the end of the month pay it into a savings account. You’ll soon see how much you’ve saved. Alternatively, if you mostly use debit cards for payments, see if you can save a set amount of each purchase in a separate ewallet or pocket in your bank account.
Don’t take out loans
Lastly, avoid loans like the plague, and if you have any credit, try and pay it off as soon as possible. You’ll save yourself a fortune in interest!