Featured: 10 Ways to Save Money

Money is a fickle, yet terribly important thing in our lives. Without money, we wouldn't be able to survive. For some, money isn't a problem but for others, any tips for saving money can be a lifesaver. For students and those in a low-paying job, money can cause no end of problems, but these tips might help ease the strain that money can put on a person!

Bargain Brands Aren't All Bad

The easiest way to switch money comes with a switch itself – cut out the name brands and switch to own-brand food, drink and clothes. Most supermarkets will carry a value or bargain brand that, most often, will offer the same ranges as the name brands that you would buy. So if you’re running low on cash, consider giving your coal supermarket’s own-brand a try. You won’t get the satisfaction of telling someone you buy exclusively Innocent juice, but you do get to pocket a little extra cash for other things!

Cross-Shop

Doing all of your shopping in one place could mean that you aren't getting the best deal on your shopping. Make sure that you look around for the items before you buy, because quite often, you’ll buy from one place and find it for cheaper in another! So if you’re going to do your weekly shop, try and move around and use different shops. You could save yourself a fortune!

Take Advantage of Supermarket Deals – but Be Careful!

Everyone knows the deals to go for. A buy-one-get-one-free scenario on frozen food can stock your freezer for upwards of a month and save you a fortune. But sometimes, these deals can be more of a con than anything. Again, going back to the previous tip – check prices from other shops. Is it going to be more expensive for you to buy two of the same item from a different store? You’re good to go, grab as much as you can, permitting the food is non-perishable or can be eaten before it goes out of date. However, if you can buy two of the item separately from a different store for less than you can with the current offer, then steer clear of it.

Kick the Designer Labels

Everyone likes getting nice clothing and some put more stock into having a brand name associated with their clothing than they do the cost. Kicking the designer clothing habit can save you a fortune. Many stores exist cross-country that offer hard-wearing clothes for almost half of the price that designer labels can charge. So if you’re running short on cash, don’t even think about those high-end stores. Instead, get yourself into a Primark, New Look or other budget clothing store. Not only will you save yourself a lot of cash, you’ll still look great!

Utilise eBay

eBay is a godsend for people running low on money. Like a giant yard sale, eBay offers second-hand and brand new items at reduced prices. Although it can be a risky addiction to have, eBay can also save you a lot of money. Many second-hand items are available, including clothes and shoes that have been barely worn. So shed that awkward worry about wearing someone else’s shoes – I once got a pair of almost brand-new Converse from eBay for 99p and saved myself nearly £35 – and get online. You might get a right bargain!

Walk to Work

Most people will either get public transport or drive to work. Either way, this will remove more money from your budget. If your work is within walking distance of your place or residence, then why not don those trainers and walk? Not only will you save yourself money, you’ll also keep fit whilst you’re doing it!

Cook From Scratch

It’s so easy nowadays to just grab a ready meal and be done with it. But sometimes, this can be more expensive than cooking a meal from scratch. So ditch those ready-meals, grab some fresh ingredients and get cooking! Again, not only will you save yourself some money, but you’ll also be putting healthier stuff into your body!

Buy What You Need, Not What You Want

Yes, it’s 5 for £20, but do you really need those Xbox games? And did you need that tub of ice-cream? If you’re seriously struggling for cash, then cut out the non-essentials. As painful as it seems, you can survive without ice-cream and in the process, save yourself some money. Discerning between need and want could potentially save you a fortune each year.

Downgrade Your Phone

We live in a digital world where phones are becoming more and more advanced, but do you need something that can read your heartbeat and take photographs that come out better than an expensive camera? If the answer is no, then don’t upgrade your phone; downgrade it. Most of us only use our phones for the basics – calling and texting. You don’t need the latest phone on the market to do that. So if you’re not a massive techno-geek and don’t care about the latest handset, either keep your current one or opt for a cheaper phone when you next change your phone.

Save Half of Your Bonus

It’s bonus time and your employer has given you a whopping massive sum in this month’s pay check. The first natural thing to do is to go out and spend it all. After all, you earned it, right? Step back for a second, though. Treating yourself is just fine, but do you want to waste all of that money? The best thing to do is to budget your bonus – give yourself half of it to treat yourself with and put the rest in a savings account for a rainy day. As sad as you’ll feel at the time, you might find it will help out massively on a month where everything just seems to have gone wrong.

Special thanks to Norman Reedus and sheepcat; for editing!