How We Saved An Extra £100 A Month Without Even Trying

Save Money Tips, Life Hack
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I’ve always been brought up to save my money for a rainy day or the bigger things in life and it’s just become natural for me to put some money aside each month for holidays, car insurance and any surprises that come along. But recently Joe and I have made a decision to step up our savings for the future and take a closer look at just what we’re spending our money on. We found that we were frittering so much away on things that we really didn’t need so with a bit of organising I’ve managed to save an extra £100 a month without trying or noticing the difference. If you fancy giving it a go and topping up that piggy bank then take a look at my top 5 tips to save money without even trying!
Save Money Tips, Life Hack

1. Go DIY 

Meals Out and Takeaways aren’t cheap. £20 for a curry here and there soon adds up and that doesn’t even include the bottle of wine or 6 pack you’re buying to wash it all down with – head out to a local pub or restaurant and you’re looking at even more. I’m not saying don’t go out and treat yourself at all but if you find yourself reaching for that takeaway menu every Friday night or jumping in the car for a cheap mid-week tea then your money will soon disappear! Try making your own takeaways with ingredients from the cupboard – have you seen my Slow Cooker Chinese BBQ Pulled Pork – or organise a DIY Date Night at home cooking your partners favourite food with a nice bottle of wine on offer in Tesco! You can still dress up and go the full three courses for a fraction of the cost, and no taxi charges either, winner!
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  2. Plan Ahead With Travel Tickets and Event Deals

Know you’re heading down to London next month for something? Buy your tickets in advance to save a boat load on travel. If you can travel outside of peak times that helps too as does choosing longer train journeys…most train shops sell wine so what does another 1/2 matter! Thinking about heading out for a date night or going away for the weekend? Check out voucher websites like Groupon or BookaTable and grab any deals that come up ahead of time – it also gives you something booked in advance to look forward to as well.

Photograph 057 by Ashley Schweitzer found on minimography.com

3. Write A List Of Monthly Expenses

This is something I do every month and a tip that really helps budget your money. Write down a list of all events and expenses you have coming up in the month (night out with the girls, mum’s birthday present etc) and write down an estimate of how much you think you’ll spend or how much you want to spend next to it. Every time you go out stick to your budget – try drawing out the cash and leaving your cards at home, that way you won’t be tempted to pop another round on the card or overspend. Sometimes unexpected events happen or pop up but by budgeting this way you’ll probably have a bank of money left over after your planned events that you can see a figure for and make a decision from there!
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 4. Cut Back On The Drinks

We have a lovely coffee machine at home that we barely use yet I wouldn’t think twice about dropping £5 in Costa on a soy latte and a cake. By making my own coffee and popping it in a travel mug I’ve saved so much money every month, not to mention the extra calories I’ve banked by not being tempted by the cake stand! We’ve also cut back on our boozing since taking part in Dry January and jumping back on the fitness bandwagon. Again you won’t believe the amount of money you can save when you’re not spending £5-7 on a bottle of vino every Friday and Saturday night, or picking up a couple of beers here and there. If you don’t fancy cutting back on the booze then just by taking advantage of supermarket offers instead of hitting the bar you can save a fortune.
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 5. Transfer Your Spare Money To A Savings Account or Piggy Bank

By working out the spare money you have after your bills and transferring it to a savings account you’re less likely to spend it frivolously away! If you have to log into your banking app to transfer that £20 for a new top into your current account it might make you think twice about whether you actually need it! Also, by drawing it out and putting it in a piggy bank you can physically see your spare money dwindling away which really does make you think about what you’re giving it away for!
What are your top money saving tips?
Leave a comment below or tweet me @xameliax! #savemoney
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