Money Saving Tips - 3

This is the final of my Money Saving Tips posts for now so I hope they've given you some ideas and if you have any tips of your own then please comment below!

1. Cancel free trials before they end

Often when you sign up for a free trial you have to enter payment details so you'll be charged when the trial's over. To stop this from happening set a reminder on your phone for you to cancel a couple of days before the trial is up so you won't get charged.

2. Discount travel tickets

Sign up for free alerts for when your tickets are available to buy so you don't miss out on the best prices.

3. Discounted delivery

Next day delivery can be quite expensive so if you buy from a specific website quite alot see if they do discounted bulk delivery. ASOS have a premier account which costs £9.95 to join and you get free next day delivery worth £4.99 for a year!

4. Bigger packs don't mean better value

When in shops compare the larger packs of products to smaller ones, if smaller ones are on offer then they sometimes work out better value than buying bulk packs.

5. Check for discounts codes

If you're buying something online have a look for any discount codes floating about. Just Google what you want a code for e.g. River Island discount codes, and you could find a code. Even if it's for free delivery then thats £4 better off in your pocket than theirs.

6. Take advantage of interest free credit

If making a big purchase then take advantage of interest free credit which is often offered if you take out store cards. Just make sure you pay the amount off before the interest free period ends and then cut up the card to prevent more spending.

7. Sell on ebay 

We all have clothes and things we don't use so list them on ebay, check for free listing weekends which are currently every couple of weeks, amd make some money. Even a couple of quid for an old pair of jeans is better than nothing.

8. Join members only websites

Websites such as voyageprive.com and achica.co.uk offer premium brands at a discounted price and holidays for a fraction of the normal price. Just join and register for email updates for upcoming promotions.

9. Reduced meat 

Check the reduced sections in supermarkets for meat which is near it's best before/use by date. This canbe frozen for use at another date and bigger packs can be broken down for several meals.

10. Don't take your bank card on nights out 

Take cash and leave your card at home so you won't be tempted to visit the cash machine. Hide a spare £10 in the back of your purse for emergencies but set a budget and stick to it.

Money Saving Tips - 2

This is my second money saving posts so I hope there's some tip you can use to try to save yourself a few pennies.

1. Write a months budget

Based on how much you're due to get paid write a budget. Work out your outgoings and then you'll know how much you have spare to treat yourself! Of course try to save a little for a rainy day too!

2. Sort your direct debits 

Try to schedule your direct debits to go out of your account just after payday then you won't forget about a bill which could leave you short for the rest of the month or give you unnecessary bank charges.

3. Ebay outlet stores

Shops such as Argos, Schuh and Office list last seasons stock on their Ebay outlet shops at a fraction of the original selling price. When I lived on my own I got 2 sofas from Argos for £200 instead of £1000!

4. Cook in batches

Cook a big pot of stew or a big pan of curry and freeze half of it. They'll come in handy when you haven't got the time to cook or for a quick lunch at work and by freezing you're less likely to throw any leftovers which will also save you money.

5. Got spare parking

If you live near a train station and have a spare parking space then why not rent it out? Even if you charge £50 a month people will be willing to pay rather than having to pay for expensive parking at the station and £50 is better than having an empty drive or parking space. Search online for website which you can advertise on.

6. Stop buying bottled water

You get water through your kitchen tap so why buy it? Instead buy a bobble bottle which filters as you drink so you'll get purer water and at £10 it'll soon pay for itself.

7. Like brands on Facebook

Brands often tell their followers of Facebook and Twitter of exclusive offers before everyone else. These can include sales, discount codes and sometimes even free samples.

8. Orange Wednesdays

If you're on Orange and like going to the cinema take advantage of their Orange Wednesday cinema offers where you get 2 for 1 entry for films on Wednesdays. Easily a miminum £7.50 saving.

9. Mystery shopping

Sign up to be a mystery shopper and get around £10 for each visit you make. You'll often be asked to buy something, ask staff questions and return something but this can be done in under half an hour.

10. Free samples 

There are a number of websites which exist purely to inform people of brands which are offering free samples. These are more popular when a new product is released and baby and child products are realy popular. These samples also often come with money off coupons so take advantage if you like the product.

Money Saving Tips - 1

Over the next few months I have lots of exciting things coming up which I need to save for so I thought I would start saving some money by changing some of my spending habits and hopefully you could save some money too.

1. Plan your meals

Simply planning your weeks meals you can save money by not buying unnecessary food that will ultimately get wasted. Write your shopping list based on your meal plans and your supermarket bill should be much less

2. Shop in discount stores

By shopping in stores such as Poundland, Home Bargains and B&M Bargains you can save money on top brands. Poundland often has brands such as Revlon nail polish for £1 instead of £6.50 and Home Bargains has three cans of coke for £1 rather than around 60p each.

3. Buy value frozen veg

If like me you don't eat that much veg and buying a whole cauliflower or bag of carrots will end up in half going to waste then buy frozen but I've found value brands such as Asda's Smart Price is as good as their standard brand for a fraction of the price.

4. Empty your cupboards

Before doing your supermarket shop have a rummage in the back of your cupboards and at the bottom of your freezer to see what you can put together to make a few meals. Even if you've got a couple of fish fingers, a fish cake, a tin of peas and a jacket potato then that's a meal that might ordinarily have gone to waste.

5. Hair cuts and beauty treatments

In my local town we have a beauty college that is always looking for members of the public to practise on and at a fraction of the price. Students are always supervised by tutors and treatments may take longer than a visit to a qualified professional but at £5 for a haircut who can complain?

6. Turn chargers off

If you have a charger for your phone, iPad, laptop, plugged in and switched on they are using electric even if they aren't plugged into your device and wasting your money.

7. Mobile phone insurance

Don't immediately buy from your phone provider as you can often buy it cheaper by shopping around. Also you are sometimes covered on your home insurance so check that out first.

8. Voucher code websites

Websites such as vouchercodes.co.uk offer discounts for meals out, online retailers and freebies. Whether it's 20% a meal or free delivery for a new dress every little helps!

9. Check your tax code

If you wear a uniform provided by your employer you can claim tax back for washing it. Give the tax office a ring and they should sort it out for you. This doesn't count if you wear your own clothes though.

10. Medicines

Don't waste money on automatically buying branded medicines, compare with generic (often own brands) and you could save. Anadin 500mg paracetamol tablets cost £1.45 whereas Boots Value Health 500mg Paracetamol caplets cost 16p! A massive difference in price for the same product. Just check the strength of the product or ask at a pharmacy if they have a home brand equivalent.