It’s been one thing after another when it comes to finances for most of us. For those of us in our thirties and early forties it’s been seemingly constant since leaving school, from recession and credit crunch, austerity, covid, war in Ukraine and so many more huge global events that have impacted the way we can save and spend money. We live in a boom and bust society, and we seem to have drawn the short straw unfortunately with bust after bust after bust! Being able to manage money is always important, but with the price of everything these days it’s so important to be able to get by. Read on for 3 money saving ideas.
Save money on food
There’s no doubt that food is expensive, more so than ever at the minute. Even cheap staples like beef mince and frozen chips will probably make you physically wince when you pick them up off the shelves in the supermarket. They literally come with the sort of price tag that you probably use to save for luxury treat items! But there are ways to bring down the cost of your food bill and with the price of everything right now, it’s something that just about all of us should be aiming to do. First thing will always be to plan your meals, when you have a plan you’re prepared and this will prevent last minute dashes to the supermarket, unplanned expensive takeaway nights and expensive top up shops. Create a meal plan and then a shopping list based on this. If you bulk cook and then freeze meals this is a cheap way to stretch food to reuse later if you can get cuts of meat and things on offer. Fill your pantry with storecupboard staples like rice, pasta, tinned veg and tinned fish so you’ve always got a few meals you can make in a pinch even without any fresh ingredients on hand. When you’re out and about, pack lunches and your own drinks which can be a very good way to save money if you’re used to buying sandwiches, snack and meals and things at places.
Save money on travel/ transport
Transport is another area that can suck up budget for a lot of people. If you own a car then running it is always going to have a cost to it, there’s no getting past tax, insurance, MOTs, servicing costs, repairs and more. But if you’re smart about it you can get the most for your money. If you’re in the market for switching your vehicle then choosing a smaller and more efficient car could be the way to go, and spending a bit more up front to save money on running costs by going electric is another option. Have a look through the websites of local citroen, renault and hyundai dealers who tend to have the best small electric cars. Getting onto the right tariff can mean that you end up paying next to nothing to charge it which can save you fuel costs. If you rely on public transport, ticket costs can add up quickly too. Looking for season passes or off peak deals can make a difference, and sometimes even switching your route or mode of transport can save you more than you’d expect as well.
Save money on energy bills
Energy costs are another part of the household budget that can easily spiral out of control if you’re not careful. It’s worth taking measures like turning the heating down a bit and wearing an extra layer (even though they’re pretty miserable measures) but one of the best ways is getting with a good energy provider. Some providers even offer periods of free electricity or cheaper rates at certain times of day, so if you can change up when you use appliances like washing machines or dishwashers, it can make a real difference to your bills without hugely impacting your life or comfort levels.
If you are looking to make an investment that will save you tons on your bills in the future, then you might want to think about looking at loans and grants that can help you install solar panels that will very quickly pay for themselves in lower electricity bills – you might even make money if you generate enough energy that you can sell some back to the grid.
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