Most of us will face a time in our lives when we need to pinch the pennies, and it can be a daunting prospect to figure out ways to save money. But fear not – our infographic shows you 20 ways to reduce your costs easily (with a few extras thrown in, from our clients).
Transcript
Food and Drink
1. Get Listicle
Supermarket offers are there to tempt you. Make your list your new best shopping buddy.
2. Pack it up
A daily £5 lunch means £1,300+ over a whole year! Bring food to work instead and save while you eat.
3. Slice and dice
Pre-prepared vegetables can cost 5 times more and contain 84% less vitamins than standard ones that you can easily cut up yourself.
4. Super savers
Choose supermarket own brand basics such as milk, butter and bread to really save some dough.
5. Masterchef
Make like Jamie Oliver and cook a week’s worth of meals in a day. Freeze, reheat, then eat.
Energy and Bills
6. Switch it up
You could knock an average of £300 off your bill just by switching to a different energy tariff.
7. I like big (water) butts
Using a water butt to store rainwater not only helps the environment, but also means you’ll be able to keep your pesky metred water costs down during plant-watering season, saving you £2-3 a month!
8. Ditch a degree
Dropping 1 degree could cut 10% off your heating bill! This can save around £55 a year.
9. Brighten your day
Energy saving bulbs last 10 times longer, are brighter, more energy efficient and can save you £55 over their lifetime. Need we go on?
10. Washing machine diet
Overloading can damage your washing machine and won’t clean your clothes properly. Avoid re-washed and repair costs by ensuring your clothes fit comfortably inside the drum.
Leisure
11. Loyalty pays
Get vouchers, deals and money off items with a supermarket loyalty card. As they say: points make prizes.
12. Turn down the telly
Reducing the brightness & contrast of your telly can save up to £100 per year.
13. Sell your stuff
Instead of having clutter gathering dust, make some money and sell it on eBay or Preloved, or have a car boot sale.
14. Not-so-gym bunny
If you don’t use it regularly, don’t pay for it. You could save an average of £348 by doing home workouts instead.
15. Keep your trusty mobile
Sim-only deals are loads cheaper than regular phone contracts. There’s no point getting a new handset if you don’t need one.
Life Hacks
16. Get into gear
A 20-minute bike ride burns off as many calories as are in a chocolate bar or cappuccino.
17. Fix that leak
A leaking toilet can waste 757 litres per day, which could cost £45 a month!
18. Taxed to the max?
You might be one of 400,000 homes in the wrong tax bracket. Check your local government site, pronto. Thank us later!
19. Ticket to ride
A season rail pass could save you an average of £445 for monthly tickets or £878 for weekly tickets over the course of a year.
20. Au naturel
White vinegar, baking powder and lemon will clean a multitude of sins and you probably already have them in your cupboard.
Your Bonus Hacks
Fruit Frugality
For fruit that is over-ripe, freeze in ice cube trays and use in smoothies or cocktails later. Less waste + no pricey smoothie mix = win
Foiled Again
Line the wall behind radiators with tin foil. The heat will reflect back into the room rather than heating your wall cavity.
Cache Me Outside
When checking price comparison sites or looking for holidays, clear your cache. Many companies track your progress so may alter the price the longer you search – this could save you hundreds on flights!
What are your favourite cost cutting hacks? Let us know in the comments!
