If you’re as sick of the cold weather as we are (how is it not the summer already?!) then you’ve probably been daydreaming of what you’re going to get up to once the spring and summer eventually arrive. Longer days and warmer nights are always a joy in good old Blighty. But, for many of us that still isn’t enough, and we crave the even longer days and even warmer nights found in more exotic climes. If you are planning on going on holiday, or are on the fence due to the potential costs, these tips to save for summer in your day to day life could help you!
Always write a shopping list!
It’s so easily done – you hit the supermarket, mentally prepared for your weekly shop, but you’re not physically prepared. You haven’t written a shopping list and worse still, you’re hungry! If you write a shopping list before heading to the shops, you lessen the risk of buying things you don’t need. If you shop hungry you’re much more likely to let your hankering for a snack cloud your judgement and wind up with a load of items that looked great at the time, but expire quickly or don’t actually work together to make a balanced meal.
It’s a very small change, but it can make a big difference to your supermarket spend and help you save for summer. For example, if writing a list and forward planning your meals saved you £20 a week, that’s £1,040 a year! If you started making this change now, you could save around £500 by August – definitely not to be sniffed at.
Shake up your travel routine
The daily commute can be a real test of patience. If commuting on public transport is something you have to endure, you might like our next tip. If you get off your bus/train a stop or two before your usual station and walk the rest of the way, you could shave pounds off the total cost of your commute – and it all adds up! As the weather (hopefully) starts getting a bit less arctic and if it’s a feasible distance, you could even try walking or cycling your full commute. With the amount you save on travel, you’d soon have enough to cover the cost of a bike. In the long run you could save for summer and that money could go towards something a little more fun than the daily grind!
Ditch that gym membership
If you pay for a monthly gym membership, cut it out as soon as you’re out of contract! There are so many free ways to exercise that giving up a costly gym membership is one of the easiest ways you can recoup a bit of your money and redirect it into a holiday pot. Try running three times a week instead of going to the gym. Alternatively, if you want to shake things up try mixing running with a cheap local class to get your fitness fix! If you put the money you save on your gym membership into a money box you could save somewhere in the region of £350 by August (depending on the cost of your gym membership of course). You’ll be sunning yourself in no time!
Have a clear out
This is one we suggest a lot, but it really is worth the effort of a little organisation and admin. We amass so much stuff over time that we really don’t need, and streamlining your belongings can make you a surprising amount of money. Go through your house, your wardrobe, your garage, all your worldly possessions, and get rid of anything you don’t want or use any more. You could find that items you’ve been hanging on to for sentimental value – old toys, family heirlooms you’ve inherited or had handed down to you over the years, even vintage clothes – are worth rather a lot more in money than they are in sentiment, and you’re happy to sell them!
Set yourself rules that you know you can stick to. For example, if you haven’t used or worn something in over a year, then it can go. Once you’ve de-cluttered you can sell whatever treasures you have found. Use eBay, or boot sale apps like Depop or Shpock for a pretty penny. You could even take them for valuation and then sell them at auction. Obviously the amount you can make from doing this will depend on what you’ve got in your cupboards (and how much you’re prepared to part with!). However, making money from things you don’t use any more is a great feeling, and will definitely help toward the holiday fund!
How do you save for summer? Let us know!
