Simple saving tips for the year ahead
Andrew Stuckey • May 15, 2020
As human beings, we sometimes like to daydream that our financial prospects may fix themselves, but the responsibility of simple saving ultimately rests with one person – you.
Granted - unforeseen repairs, disregarded automatic renewals and rising bills are all unwanted nuisances that can stifle even the most positive of savers. However, it’s important not to allow your head to spin out of control while taking a minute to think about simple ways to lessen the impact of life’s inevitable costs.
So for those looking to finally get on top of their savings, take a look at our simple saving tips below so that you can enjoy a manageable, prosperous year.
What you can’t see…
When we said our saving tips were simple, they really don’t come simpler than this small life hack! Literally taking a few clicks, setting up automatic savings account online can prove one of the most effective ways to save money.
For issues of paying rent, holiday or even for the sake of just siphoning off agreeable funds for good karma each month, online banking is truly empowering.
In practice, setting up subsidiary savings accounts online means that actually, it requires that little bit more effort to gain access to these reserves should you really need them.
Eliminate emotional outlay
The eternal enemy of smart saving, emotional spending is a bad financial habit that affects so many of us. As our society becomes increasingly impatient and demanding, negative emotions such as boredom, unhappiness and general discontent can tempt us into hasty purchases, including:
- Expensive clothing
- Rare memorabilia
- Holidays or weekend away
This one will require some willpower, but by taking a moment to assess whether you actually need, or in some cases, even want something may help some of you to save money.
Travel smartly
The cost of public transport in Britain is a well-documented, sensitive subject. Given the overwhelming sense of routine in our daily lives, it may prove the case that individuals haven’t actually taken steps to work out the most cost-effective way of travelling to work.
Ask yourself whether coughing up to buy a monthly or annual season ticket would prove better value in the long-term. Ask yourself whether cycling instead of driving to work in the summer may be viable and ask yourself if you’re making use of modern services such as Uber – a popular cheaper mode of taxi transit.
Voucher codes are your best friend
Just like travel, a root cause of wasted money is time and in this case, time to research. After all, by researching voucher codes online, individuals can consistently apply noteworthy savings to a range of activities, experiences and everyday goods.
Just a simple Google search of ‘UK voucher codes’ will throw up a wide variety of websites that offer discounts for an entire plethora of retailers, services and even your weekly grocery shop.
Other simple saving tips
While saving intent will differ from person to person, there truly are an incredible number of other ways to save money this year, including:
- Switching off insurance auto-renewals
- Switching energy suppliers
- Selling unwanted items online
- Making lunch, not taking lunch
- Sharing car journeys to / from work
- Joining a non-contract gym instead
- Downloading budgeting apps (E.g. Wally, You Need A Budget etc)
It’s easy to forget that you’re actually in control of your own finances when the bills are mounting up. However, we hope that our simple saving tips have helped to open your eyes to new ways that may make this year the time when you finally seized control of your spending.