While we always hear millions of different ways to save money on TV and radio adverts, you still need to go out and buy that brand new HDTV and then you might save £50 on a £1,500 TV!! That’s not really saving money, it’s taking a slight dent in what is already an enormous price. To really save money, you need to look at the costs you have each month that you can’t do without, such as your mortgage (possibly look at transfering to a better one) or your fuel bills (ride a bike or walk to work, if possible) and your food shopping bill. Although I’m sure the moneyadviceservice.org.uk will have much more concise help & advice to save your money, I’ve come up with a few ideas of my own.
We’ll stick with the latter for the time-being. You need food and you need to eat, so let’s look at ways to slice this cost down. Now, are you more concerned that you see your peers in Waitroseand not be seen going into Aldi? If this is you and you are struggling financially, then you need to seriously evaluate not only your food shopping bill but your pride. Would you rather only be able to afford that Fillet Mignon from Marks & Spencer or a week’s worth of shopping from a shop that has a slightly lower marketing budget?
However, if you do trip up and overspend, then there is the option of instant payday loans to see you through to your next wage comes in, although if you stick to the following hints and tips to save money, you shouldn’t need to borrow any.
To really lower your necessary bills you need to change the shops you venture into. Most likely, 90% of your time you will eat your food at home where those peers can’t see you, so who cares if you unwrap a Tesco budget brand meal that tastes the same as an equivalent meal that costs 500% more?
OK, with your new supermarket selected, you can begin to really be more frugal. Always, always, always make a list. Don’t forget, your friends and colleagues probably won’t see you in your new supermarket so looking like a grocery geek won’t matter. Plan your meals. If you have three-square meals a day or 5-6 smaller ones (which is good for maintaining a healthy weight by the way), then you need to spend an afternoon checking out recipes online and see what you’d like to make. Jot down what you need and how many ingredients. This is an amazing way to not buy too much and cut down on wastage at the end of the week.
If you can, buy unbranded or shop-branded products. Honestly, the amount of effort from marketing teams and brand designers is incredible, and in most cases, the product inside is either a) the same as the lower-costing one or b) worse to maximise profits for the company. If you’re on a budget, then buy budget stuff!
If you go to Tesco or ASDA, take advantage of their points cards. Make sure you track how many you have and usually by Christmas you have enough money for a full shopping spree, including presents. Utilise the coupons and any discounts or money-off vouchers. This is where sticking with one supermarket can really help your wallet.
