Ways to save money instantly by cutting back on things that can add up over time…
Takeaways
Not only will this provide you financial benefits, but also health benefits.
Fakeways are becoming ever popular and the best part for me is that I know what exactly has gone into my meal without worrying about food hygiene amongst other things.
Ideas include having a homemade pizza night, recreating your favourite takeaway dish or having a themed cuisine night.
Technology
Do you really need to buy the latest piece of technology when it comes it? How will this benefit you?
I often question if replacing your phone every two years is necessary and if your phone actually needs to be replaced every two years, the quality clearly isn’t up to scratch.
Going to Restaurants / Bars
Just your reminder that you have drinks and food at home! Instead invite friends around, have picnics / BBQs or look out for deals such as happy hour or set menus.
Also in terms of work lunches – meal prep! Maybe leave one lunch a week as a treat – such a Friday treat lunch.
Yep I used to be that girl that would happily pay £13 for a cocktail that would only last a few sips, but going forward I personally won’t be cutting out all restaurant visits totally – I will just be more sensible. Bars / restaurants are a great place for me to socialise with friends – so whilst I will reduce the amount I visit, I will not totally cut this out of my life as I am lucky to live in a city with such great choice of restaurants and bars.
Coffee
Let’s say your morning coffee costs £3 and you purchase this 3 times a week…. this will total to £36 a month or £432 a year! This money could be happily invested into the stock market instead.
Lockdown luckily pushed me to stop buying coffee, as I no longer have to walk past NINE coffee shops on my short walk between the tube station and my office. Even prior to Covid-19 I always ensured that I had my morning coffee in my takeaway cup and sip this on my commute and continue to use coffee supplied at the office throughout the day.
Moreover, purchasing a coffee machine for home has further reduced the need to purchase coffee from outside of home. The initial cost of buying the Nespresso machine will outweigh the costs of buying shop brought coffee in the long run.
Less Monmouth coffee for me….
Phone Contracts
Buying a phone outright and then paying for a Sim-only deal has been proven to save you money over time compared to being sucked into a phone and monthly contract. It may initially cost you more to purchase the phone outright, however over time the total cost will be much lower.
Always shop around when looking for the best deal… after looking around for a better deal, I went back to my phone provider and I now pay £7 a month for 12GB of data and unlimited calls / texts – a contract usually worth £26 a month.
What things have you stopped buying or reduced buying in order to save money?