Last week I wrote a post all about saving money for
something special whether that be for a house, a holiday or whatever else
tickles your fancy. You can read that post here. For myself personally my special
purchase was my first home and now that I am in my home I am still trying to
save money where I can. So here are 5 tips that I have learnt to help cut back
on monthly bills:
1.
Meal Plan! – I cannot stress this one enough! I
sit and plan what we are going to have each night and make a list of things
that I know we are going to need. This list is gospel and I try and stick to it
every week, if it’s not on the list it aint going in the trolley! I do pick up
treats here and there but keeping to this list helps me to keep within our
budget and I can keep on track of what I spend.
2.
Consider a water meter – We live in a 3 bed
house and as such the council automatically put us on a water tariff which
takes this in to account. Since there are only 2 of us in the house we had a
water meter fitted and it has literally saved us hundreds of pounds a year. On
this note here is one quick and easy tip which I remember being told in my
first ever secondary school assembly: When you are brushing your teeth turn off
the tap! It’s a golden rule which has stuck in my mind!
3.
When you leave a room, switch off those lights!
– I try and make a habit of this. There is no point leaving a light on for the
invisible man or the monster under your bed. I also switch the telly off when
no one is watching it, the other half used to leave it on when we were eating
dinner in another room and it would drive me mad, even leaving the TV on for
half an hour a day extra soon adds up!
4.
Try the next brand down – I saw this tip on the
Martin Lewis Show. If you normally buy Mcvities try the next brand down of
Tesco’s own or even be brave and try the value range. Swapping a couple of
things in your weekly shop can soon see you making big savings. And who knows
you might even find something that you prefer. Personally I do most of my
shopping at Aldi and I have found some great products which give the big brands
a run for their money!
5.
If you want something cheaper just ask! – Ok so
this one is simple in theory but I know some people do not like doing it but I
have made some great savings with things such as insurances. We had breakdown
cover with one company and found that another company were offering the same in
terms of service but they were considerably cheaper, almost by £100! We told
our breakdown company and they lowered the price to match. It is always worth
asking, the worst they can say is no!
What are your tips for saving on your monthly bills?
This is such a good list! We definitely could do with a water meter & I've never even thought about bartering with a company to price match. That's a great idea! x
ReplyDeleteThank you! It is definitely worth trying, as I said the worst they can say is no! X
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