More Money Saving Ideas

In times when there isn’t as much money coming in each month as we might like then saving a few pounds can’t be a bad thing. This post gives tips for saving money on food shopping, energy & water bills, transport and several other tricks to save a few pounds.



General

• Don’t buy bin bags; use plastic shopping bags. As well as being free they are often stronger than the cheapest bin liners. If you are concerned with saving the environment you may feel that paying for biodegradable bags is worth the money. That said many shops do give you recyclable bags.
• Look after the pennies. Keep any small change; it can be swapped for more practical currency later.
• Ditch the designer labels and browse charity shops for ‘new’ clothes.
• Keep an eye out for deals and coupons. Coca cola did a handy promotion which gave out a total of £4 phone credit for example.

Food Costs

• Look in smaller, local shops such as Costcutter, Spar, Nisa, Lidl and Aldi. Many of those have better special offers than the supermarkets. Take advantage of these offers before shopping at the big supermarkets.
• Buy now save later. Take advantage of items that are available in value packs; it will probably save you money in the long run.
• Alternatively only buy things that are reduced because they have a best before date that is near expiry.
• Take a packed lunch to work rather than buying fast food/ ready to eat sandwiches.
• Give supermarket own brand products a go. Most value products aren’t that inferior (if at all) in quality to their branded counterparts.

Energy

• Invest in energy efficient light bulbs. They cost no more than 50p and use a fraction of the power.
• Check you are getting the best deal, don’t be afraid to switch energy supplier.
• Turn off the television, computer and video game. Get outside and take an evening stroll round the block, do a crossword or make a visit to the local library. Reducing time sat in front of the television not only saves energy but may also lead to a better quality of life.
• Keep doors shut
• One more extreme tip I read in a student guide is to buy an all day bus ticket and then just stay on the bus as it goes around its route. This may provide a slightly warmer seat for those cold winter days but I think the drone of the engine noise would drive me insane after a while.
• Don’t overfill the kettle

Water

• If you’re not on a fixed rate water payment then reducing your water usage will be to the advantage of your bank balance. Take short showers rather than baths or if you like swimming or go to the Gym then take advantage of the facilities provided.
• Do the washing up in a plastic bowl rather than the sink itself.

Transport

• Cycle rather than take the bus or train. Especially if you rarely travel any more than five miles at a time. Local free-ads are good places to buy bikes; a basic mountain bike costs no more than a few weeks bus fare.
• If you must use public transport search online for the best deals on train tickets.
• If you drive look at where it is possible to reduce the miles driving. Cutting out shorter trips or ‘hitting two birds with one stone’ to cut out unnecessary and wasted journeys.