Money Saving Guide

Following on from our previous #Cashplus500 challenge, we’ve put together a list below of things you could be spending your well-earned money on, without getting value for money. There are plenty of cheaper alternatives to the things you may be spending your money on day-to-day but being cheaper doesn’t always mean less valuable.

A Gym Membership

Of course, a healthy lifestyle is important for us all but, to have one you don’t need to be spending money on a gym membership (some of which can cost upwards of £80/month). Going on a run once a week costs nothing and it’s a great way to keep yourself fit. Even just going on regular walks can help. Maybe twice a week you could skip the bus and walk to work. There are also many products you can buy for a home workout. For example there are fitness watches that can keep track of the steps you take and monitor your heart rate.

That Morning Coffee

A hard one for quite a few people, but we’re not taking your caffeine fix away from you – don’t worry! Those of us who work in offices probably see a lot of people walking into work in the morning with a coffee in their hand. A medium latte from our local London coffee shop costs £2.60 – that’s over £50 a month (and over £600 a year!) spent on coffee alone if you get one a day. Everyone likes the convenience of someone else making their coffee for them, but for £600 a year savings, could you not buy some good quality coffee granules and do it yourself?

Satellite TV

At the start of 2017, nearly 50% of people in the UK had Cable/Satellite TV in their household¹. Some packages can cost consumers upward of £100 a month. If you're a cable/satellite TV viewer, you should ask yourself if you’re getting value for money for what you’re paying. They give you hundreds of channels, but do you really watch them all? A lot of TVs these days will come with Freeview installed, and even the ability to watch popular online TV subscription services. For those wanting to watch sporting events, you can now rent sports channels for 24hrs instead of paying for a monthly subscription. If you have a look around, there are plenty of ways to save on what you pay to watch TV.

Dining Out 

Eating out is great - what’s not to like about sitting in a nice restaurant and having someone cook your food and bring it to your table? But there can sometimes be a nasty surprise at the end of the evening when the bill comes. We’re not suggesting you stop this altogether. It’s great to get out the house for an evening away from the stove, whether it’s just to relax or for a celebration. Restaurant vouchers and deals are easy to find online (such as vouchercloud and magicfreebies) and can really help take the bite off the bill at the end – leaving you suitably full but without a burning hole in your pocket.

Multiple Supermarket Trips

Making small trips to the shop or supermarket every couple of days can really make a dent in your bank balance. It seems at the time that these small payments are manageable, but they can easily add up. Going for a big monthly/ fortnightly shop can really help. Especially when buying products that have a long lifespan, it’s better to buy in bulk than smaller amounts throughout the week. A lot of online supermarkets will offer you deals, including free delivery at times, meaning you don’t have to leave the comfort of your own home to do the big shop.

Bottled Water

Water is literally ‘on tap’ in the UK, so why do so many people feel the need to buy it in bottles? Plastic is one of the biggest issues in our environment, and it’s estimated that there will be more plastic than fish in our seas by 2050². You can buy a good quality reusable water bottle that will last you for a long time, and then just use your sink to fill it up, saving you a pretty penny from the bottled water you’d get from the shops.

Newspapers

With everything being at our fingertips these days, what with all the technology we have on offer, some things are slowly becoming obsolete. There are multiple news apps available for free which can bring you the latest stories as they happen around the world. As well as being more expensive, newspapers are quickly out of date after they’re printed. It’s not the biggest expenditure but holding off from buying a newspaper can help you put money towards your savings.

Remember, with #Cashplus500, we’re challenging our customers to save £500 in a year, through small, incremental savings. And, as ever, you can let us know how you’re getting on by tweeting us at @Cashplus and using the hashtag #Cashplus500. 

Sources

[1] https://www.statista.com/statistics/531183/penetration-of-cable-satellite-television-in-great-britain/

[2] https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jan/19/more-plastic-than-fish-in-the-sea-by-2050-warns-ellen-macarthur

This content was created on 3rd August 2018