Money Saving Tips

Repair cafes

If you have broken household items that you can’t fix yourself, then try local Repair Cafes. It is free but they appreciate a donation of what you can afford and volunteers repair anything from clothes, toys, electricals, computers etc.

Try a heated blanket for chilly days

It costs between 2p-4p a day to run so is far cheaper than turning the heating on!

Food and drink sharing app Olio

Instead of throwing away leftover food, people sign up to the app and offer it for free to the local community so keep an eye on there for any unwanted food items that you might need that someone might be able to share with you!

Period poverty

You can ask for an ‘emergency package for Sandy’ in Morrisons and also take a look at this cheap or free sanitary products guide for more.

Switching bank accounts

There are many banks that pay £100 or more for you to switch to them. If you’re a couple, you can both do it. For example HSBC offer £170 and Lloyds Bank offer £125 and six cinema tickets.

You might qualify for free school means

If you fill out the pupil premium paperwork at your child’s school you can find out if you’re eligible for financial support throughout their school years such as free school meals, free school milk and funding for school trips.

Batch cooking

This involves preparing all your meals for the week or few days ahead at one time. It helps cut costs as it means less food waste! A slow cooker is a great way to batch cook.

Microwaving

They tend to be used for less time, and they only heat the water in food, so there’s less wasted energy. Microwaving a jacket potato costs 25% less of what it would cost oven-cooking one. Prick them and put them in the microwave for 5-10 minutes until soft then oven them for 10 minutes to crisp up on the outside. Saves the cost of the oven being on for a long time!

Keep an eye on regular payments

Look at direct debits, standing orders and recurring payments. Once you've got the payments, first decide if you still want the goods or service. If not and you're out of contract, cancel. If you do need it then the next question is, can you do it a cheaper, or a better, way?

Save water

Water firms hand out free water-saving gadgets via water efficiency website Save Water Save Money. These include shower heads, tap inserts and garden hose nozzles. As well as saving money for those on water meters, as much of the water we use is heated, it also reduces energy bills.

Food subscriptions

 If you take advantage of the introductory offers you might be able to get free or hugely discounted meals from places such as Gousto and Hello Fresh. Some even offer free first boxes and most of them have a no subscription obligation so you can cancel anytime.

Council tax discount

If you live alone, with students, have a severe mental impairment, have a live-in carer, receive pension credit or are on a low income, you could get a council tax discount. Click here to find out more: https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-council-tax-discount

Healthy Start

If you are pregnant, have a child under four and receive certain benefits then you can use Healthy Start vouchers to buy cows’ milk, formula milk, fruit and veg and other food. Apply via the NHS.

Selling items

If you haven’t used something for a year, why not try selling it to make some extra cash? You could try Facebook marketplace, eBay or Depop.

Prescriptions

Prescriptions in England cost money but some groups do qualify for free prescription, such as if you’re over 60 or have certain medical conditions. Visit NHS England to find out if you’re exempt from paying.

NHS Prescription prepayment

A one-off fee that covers the costs of all prescriptions for a period of three months or one year.

Watch the weather for when to wash

Doing one fewer load of washing a week, using your machine on a 30 degree cycle and making sure your machine is full when you use it can save you money on your energy bill.

Going from ‘branded’ to ‘own brand’

Go for ‘own brand’ or ‘basic’ ranges when shopping. If you can’t taste the difference, stick with the basic ranges. On average it cuts 30% off bills so if you only stick with half, that’s still 15% saved.

Free films and boxsets

All 4 has more than 280 box sets and you don’t need a TV licence to watch them and Rakuten offers a number of free films outside of its paid-for service.

Fakeaways

There’s lots of items in supermarkets that allow you to recreate your favourite takeaways for a fraction of the cost. For example, try a DIY ‘Nando’s’ whole chicken for £4.90, with a supermarket chicken and two packs of 95p peri-peri rub.

Free furniture, clothing, toys etc

There are free online groups such as Freecycle and Freegle where people offer their unwanted possessions for free.

Fuel costs

Using PetrolPrices.com you can find the cheapest petrol and diesel near you.

Trainee haircuts

You can ask your salon for a haircut done by a trainee. Toni&Guy offer trainee haircuts in London and Manchester for £10. Alternatively, ask for a junior stylist as that is often much cheaper.

Too Good To Go

Free app that helps you find end-of-day discounts at cafes and restaurants.

Tesco shopper? Check your Clubcard points

Convert your points to Tesco vouchers to use at a store. 500 points are usually worth £5, but spend them the right way (you can swap them for up to 3x their value for days out) and they could be worth £15

Drive less, walk or cycle more

Could you share lifts with someone at work? Can you try cycling to work? There are lots of second-hand bikes on Freecycle, Freegle and Facebook Marketplace.

Free outdoor gyms

There are hundreds of council-funded free outdoor gyms that you can use at anytime. If you need to cut back on a gym membership, try giving an outdoor gym a go.

Free oral hygiene products for children at Boots

If you visit one of its stores, Boots says if you ‘ask for Jesse’ a member of the team will discreetly give you a pack of dental products for children from 3-5.

Grow your own veg

If you have a garden or a windowsill, you can grow your own veg and herbs such as parsley, coriander and basil. You can get an old jam jar with a j-cloth and a rubber band and sprout some seeds! A pack of mung beans from a health food shop will do for many refills. For pennies, you can add some serious nutrition to your diet, in a simple sandwich, salad or stir fry.