Money Savers

lifestyle Money Savers

5 ways to bring your monthly living costs down

1. Re-assess your broadband and TV packages and consolidate them where you can. Do you really need all of them on top of your basic TV package? 2. Take fewer showers, keep the central heating down when not needed and turn the lights off when you leave a room. 3. Utilise any two-for-one deals when going out for dinner/ drinks – a taste card is usually great for deals. 4. Do online food shops where you can; that way you are monitoring what you are spending and don’t have the temptation of putting items you don’t need in your basket. 5. Switch to SIM-Only talk plans; for example, with providers like Lebara, they offer competitive rates and monetary incentives when you refer a friend.

mobile.lebara.com

5 charity shop bargain

-hunting tricks

1. Look out for detagged surplus stock from high street shops as many donate samples and excess stock, plus some designer names do too. 2. Follow them on social media as you can get insider knowledge on flash sales, new products and great bargains. 3. Head to charity shops in swanky areas - chances are, many items will be designer. Hot favourites include

Edinburgh, Chelsea, Oxford, Tring, Bath, Cheshire and

St Andrews.

4. Go little and often – and aim to visit during the week and in the morning as you’re most likely to nab a bargain. If you can’t get out, you can shop online if you have to; for example, Oxfam has an online shop, while many organisations also sell on eBay such as the British Red Cross, British Heart Foundation and the Royal British Legion.

HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR WEEKLY SHOP

1. Eat before you shop. An empty stomach

means that you’re more likely to impulse buy, so have a meal or a snack before you go. 2. Plan out your meals for the week. Better

organisation will mean less food waste - and better savings. Make sure you check what’s in your cupboards and fridge before you leave so that you don’t end up buying twice.

3. Keep an eye out for money-saving

vouchers. These can be found in supermarkets’ magazines, online, via newsletters and on apps. 4. Try supermarket brands. If you’re used to

buying branded goods, give the supermarket’s own brand a go. It’s typically much cheaper and you might not notice the difference - a win-win! 5. Read the labels. When you’re comparing products in the supermarket, always check the

‘price per unit’ label as it will give you an idea on what offers better value.

6. Look up (and down). Supermarkets play a few tricks on consumers - one of which is putting their most profitable items at eye level. So when you’re looking at products, remember to check out the lower and higher shelves, not just what’s straight in front of you.

7. Use comparison websites to ensure that

you get the most bang for your buck. This

works well if you’re bulk buying or specifically going on a shop for a specific product.