Easy Ways To Reduce Your Bills

If this last year has taught me anything it is to not take anyone or anything for granted. It’s been a long year of not seeing our family and friends and watching what we spend as money has been on the tight side. It has been hard but I’m glad to say better things are on the way.

It’s true what they say that money never goes far when you have a large family. That is certainly true of our family as there is always something that needs fixing or replacing.

I’ve mentioned before that over the last few years, I have become a bit of a savvy shopper to help make our money go further and this last year has been no different in fact I’ve probably been even more savvy with our money. If you’ve found yourself in tough times recently you are most definitely not alone. If you’ve a tight budget that you need to stick to there are a few changes you can make that will reduce your bills. These include:

Working out your budget

Knowing what your budget is each month is a good place to start. That way before you start spending you know what’s what. Have two bank accounts as well. One where all your bills are paid from and one where your money is paid in to that way you can see what money is coming in and what money is going out. One way of working out your budget is to use an online calculator. That way you can track all your income and expenditure and see what you have left over.

Asking for an incentive before renewing

When it comes to renewal time it’s always worth asking if your provider has an incentive to keep your business. This can work well if your phone contract or tv package contact is ready to be renewed. There are plenty of companies out there who will give you an incentive to switch or charge a lower price than what you are currently paying so use this to your advantage.

If your phone contract is up for renewal but you don’t want to update your handset ask what they can do for you in regards to cutting your monthly amount. You don’t have to let your contract roll at it’s current cost once you are out of the time frame. If you do want a new handset look at competitors and see what they are offering, it is always worth asking your provider if they are willing to match or better the offer.

Use a comparison website

Following on from my previous post. When the time comes for renewing your insurances, home utilities, phone contract, tv packages or anything that you pay a monthly fee for, look at some of the comparison sites that are available as they can help you to get the best deal for your money. When you are renewing your car insurance shopping around is a must as your renewal price isn’t often cheaper than what you have just been paying. By using a comparison site you could save yourself 100s of pounds on your renewal quote.

Limit your shopping trips

How many times do you say I’ll just nip to the shop for something for tea? If you’re going to the shop every day you’re more likely to spend more so instead try to do one big shop a week. If you find temptation too hard shop online as that way you won’t be tempted to buy things that you don’t need. I have always tried to shop online so that I’m not tempted and even more so this last year. I also have a delivery saver as it’s cheaper to pay £6.99 a month than up to £6 per shop when we need the shopping the next day and within a certain time. If I do have to shop in an actual supermarket I always write a list of the items we need before we go and stick to it too that way I’m not tempted to buy more than we need.

Use Coupons

Using coupons won’t save you lots of money but it will help reduce your spending especially if it’s for items you already use. Look on the internet for money off coupons as there are many companies who offer them. Most supermarkets have saving stamp schemes which you can use to save money for your Christmas shop. It’s surprising how a couple of pound each week quickly adds up. I save up my Tesco Clubcard points for Christmas each year and use them towards our big Christmas shop. It helps towards the cost of Christmas dinner or treats for us all to enjoy.

Visit cashback websites

If you are planning to make a big purchase online, visit cashback websites. Many offer a percentage of your money back when you make a purchase or take out a service such as insurance or a utility through their website.

Wait for the sales

It often pays to wait until the sales are on before making big purchases. I know that sometimes it can’t wait especially if something like a fridge or oven needs replacing but if you can it makes sense to wait as there are some great deals to be had.

Do you have any tips to help others save some money?

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