How to save money to live better

Money controls our lives and it’s for a reason! You need money to survive. However, saving it can be hard.

Adverts are designed to catch our eyes everyday and urge us to spend money on what we don’t need.

This blog post will share money-saving secrets to help you have a stable savings amount for those times of need. These tips are also super useful for when you need to save up for a wedding or just want an extra special treat!

1. Meal plan

One that gets overlooked but is so important! If you know what you’re cooking everyday then you’ll know exactly what you need to buy when shopping.

This means you’ll skip over the aisles where you’ll “just pick this up just in case.” You won’t need a just in case and you’ll get everything you need in one trip.

An extra tip to tie into this is don’t go shopping whilst hungry. It’s been proven many times before that shopping while hungry makes you spend more money. You instinctively add more food to your shop and this adds those sneaky extra costs on. You then find yourself wondering where the money went!

Make a list and stick to it. This small act of self control will save you money in the long run! After a few months, the extra money will help you live a better life.

2. Draw money out each week

Each week , set yourself a budget and draw that money from the bank.

Keep the money in your purse and only spend that cash each week. The money will then build up in your bank. Move this money into a savings account so it’s not available to spend on your card!

Over the weeks, you’ll accumulate so much money, and you’ll have yourself to thank for all this saved up money!

With a strict budget, you’ll save money faster but start lower and work your way up. You’ll be surprised how much money you don’t actually need each week!

3. Round each price to the nearest £/$/€

So, if you follow tip #2, you’ll be paying in cash. When it comes to paying, round it up to the nearest £. The change you get from this, you then put in a jar, or something you can save money in.

If you don’t trust yourself to not dip into this, then let someone you trust control it. This method isn’t the quickest way but the change will add up. It’s also a very easy way to save money.

My boyfriend and I did this last year at uni, we only did it for 3 months and not very strict at all. However, we still saved £100! We’re putting it towards a holiday in the future.

Like I said, extra money can help you live a better life!

4. Thrift for clothes!

If you’re a shopaholic, like me, you’ll love buying new clothes but, this adds so much cost to your spending.

An easy way to save money while still being able to shop, is to thrift. Not only is it more sustainable but you’re getting quality clothes at a fraction of the price!

I love Depop for thrifting as the UK doesn’t have amazing thrift shops. You can literally get Levi jeans for £20! This saves you around £80! This is money you can be putting away into your savings!

So, before you splurge on that nice top, see if you can find a similar alternative through thrifting! You’ll be amazed at what you can find and how much money you’ll save.

5. Pay attention to your electricity!

Your electricity bills could be taking sneaky bits of extra money from you because of one simple thing you probably forget to do!

Turn your lights off!

I’m very guilty of this one myself and it’s one of the simplest things you could be doing to save a little extra money every month!

It’s not the fastest way to save money and it’s not going to save you the most, but it helps you save those extra pennies that eventually add up to a substantial amount of money.

6. Walk as often as you can

Petrol isn’t cheap so fill your tank less often by not using your car to get to nearby destinations. This will mean your car has to be filled less and in return, you’re spending less money.

This will save you loads of money as you either won’t need to buy as much fuel each time or you’re going longer between each fill.

You’ll also feel a lot better in yourself by walking places as it’s good for your health. So while saving money, you’re also building a better, healthier life for yourself.

This tip is a win-win! Just remember that umbrella for when the weather is a little bit damp and miserable. You’ll appreciate it soon enough and your energy levels will increase along with your happier mindset!

7. Don’t eat out as much

Eating out should be a luxury anyway, so limit it to a once a month thing. Or, maybe switch your eating out to a takeaway.

Food is generally cheaper if you have it as a takeaway as opposed to a meal out! Also, if you live close by, collect it from the store yourself.

This will save you on delivery costs too.

Depending on how strict you are will determine how quickly you save money with this tip. If you usually eat out every week and cut it out all together, you’re likely to save over £100 in a month!

Like before, I have a mini tip within this tip and that is, don’t choose an alcoholic beverage. Cocktails are often very expensive and you’ll save loads by choosing a soda or juice instead. If you really want to save, choose water!

8. Make use of coupons!

Now, I’m not saying cut out every coupon you see and sign up for the extreme couponing TV show, but this is a simple and obvious way to save money whilst grocery shopping.

You can find them in newspapers or even on other websites! You can get items for half price and sometimes even free! Who wouldn’t want to claim a free item?

Now again, this only saves you pennies, but like I’ve been saying those pennies add up to big amounts over time! However, if you have several coupons, you’ll be surprised at how much money you can save.

Imagine how good life can feel knowing that you got all these free products by just owning a coupon! Maybe not amazing but everyone loves getting free things!

9. Switch your disposable items for reusable ones

This is another sneaky way that money is escaping your wallet! What do you do with a bottle of water once you’ve finished? Throw it away…

Maybe, invest in a reusable water bottle, then you don’t have to spend that £1 every day on a bottle of water. That’s £7 a week, £28 a month, just by cutting your water!

Now, let’s look at your Starbucks… say £4 a day, £28 a week, £112 a month!

If you need coffee to survive the day, make a coffee at home and take it with you in a flask. Not only does it save you money, but it keeps your coffee warm for longer! It’s a win-win situation here!

The reusable item may seem the expensive option at first, but it saves money in the long run.

What do you spend too much money on?