Money can be tight, especially when you have a family. There are lots of costs that seem to just keep coming; something breaks, a school trip pops up, you need more groceries… you know the drill.
So saving money is one of the most important things to do – especially if you want to be able to treat your family, do things together and maybe get a little something for you too. Here are some ways you may not have considered to help you put a little cash aside for a rainy day.
Reward Schemes
Shopping can really add up, especially when you have to buy food, clothes, cleaning supplies and everything else – not just for you, but for 2, 3, 4 or even more other people. Spending so much every week is a big part of your budget – so why not get something out of it? Lots of major supermarkets and shops have reward schemes you can join – for example, Tesco run their Tesco Clubcard scheme, which allows you to collect points whilst you shop that be used for discounts on a huge variety of things such as meals out in mainstream restaurants like Pizza Express, and days out for the family in popular places like Legoland and Alton Towers – so you can get something back out of your groceries, without having to dish out extra money.
Buy Second Hand
If you’re looking for clothes, checking out charity shops or thrift shops is a good way to cut costs, as often they sell clothes that people have just grown out of, or have no need for anymore. There’s no risk of buying anything dirty, as clothes have to be thoroughly checked by members of staff before they can be put on sale.
Many other things such as gadgets, furniture and games can be found second hand on sites like eBay. Although it’s always wise to have an element of caution with things on sites like these, often there are photos of the item, and you can try them out or see if they are what you’re looking for before you buy.
Most people just want some money for their old items and it’s worth having a look to see if you can find yourself a bargain, rather than paying over the odds for the same thing in store. Or better yet, ask around the family and see if they’ve got any gadgets or clothes they’re thinking about getting rid of – you never know!
Shop Around for Insurance
Insurance is something that, once sorted, many people seem to forget about. But prices can change all the time, both with the company you’re with, but in other companies too. If you don’t shop around you may be missing opportunities to get a really good deal, and end up paying out loads of money for something you could’ve got cheaper elsewhere.
Things like car insurance, in particular, will often have a renewal quote from your existing provider that’s much higher than you could find elsewhere, and it’s worth checking annually to see if there are any better options for you. Quotezone can help you to find the best deal by comparing prices from over 100 companies simultaneously.
Be Healthy
It may sound contradictory – after all, there’s a lot of stigma about how expensive healthy food can be – but being healthy can actually save your money. Although some healthy food is a bit pricey, food like vegetables, rice, pasta, bread, chicken and salad leaves are pretty cheap from main supermarkets.
Using these to cook together will not only be cheaper than splashing out on dozens of microwave meals, frozen food and takeaways, but it also means you get time to spend together as a family.
The other benefit of cooking healthy meals together is that your children can also learn about what goes into food, the difference between healthy and unhealthy, and learn good habits for the future.
Exercising can also save you money – for example, walking or cycling to work instead of driving will save you petrol costs as well as parking costs, and keep you a bit fitter in the long run, too – a win-win.
Saving money, when you put your mind to it, is easy – it just takes a little bit of thought and time, and contribution from the rest of the family too. Use these tips, talk it out with your family, and soon you’ll all be able to work together to save some money that you can use for bigger, better things.
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