Saving money on the day-to-day expenses that add up each month leaves you and your family with more cash to spend on treats such as days out or even holidays.
It doesn’t take a drastic lifestyle change to save a few pennies here and there, and over time the savings really do add up.
Energy bills are expensive and the costs are only going to go up. Switching suppliers often gains you a special rate designed to attract new customers. Also check if your supplier offers a discount for direct debit payments or a has a duel fuel offer.
Buying meals from restaurants or ordering take outs costs more than double the price of making a meal at home. Take bagged lunches to work wherever possible and save meals out for special occasions or as an end of the month treat.
By the same token, you can save money by not buying pre-packed ready meals. If you do your food shopping in bulk ingredients are usually cheaper.
When you do cook make four times as much as usual and freeze the rest in portion-sized containers. These can be microwaved on evenings when you are too tired to cook and at a fraction of the cost of pre-packed convenience foods.
The cost of running a car is often one of the biggest household expenses.
If your family has more than one car, try to work out if you could get by with only one. Co-ordinating schedules and paying for the odd taxi will be cheaper in the long run than running two cars.
Sell your unwanted vehicle and you will also get a lump-sum payment to put towards any future taxi fares or a treat for the whole family.
Try and pay a small amount of money into a savings account each month. Even as little as five pounds a month soon adds up to enough for a treat for you or the children and it’s good to have some rainy day money put by.
