If you’re looking to cut back on how much your spending, you’ve come to the right place.
Going back to the office a couple days a week? A brand new flexi train ticket could help you adjust to flexi-working.
Meanwhile, getting tech savvy can help you save — whether that’s dodging scams, sneakily browsing your favourite shops or flogging your old clothes via an app.
For more money-saving tips, read on below.
Avoid text scams — and report them
People aged 16-34 are most susceptible to being scammed and account for more than half the hustles in the UK, according to new figures from the Local Government Association.
Signs to watch out for include being asked to make a payment of any kind — councils or other agencies will never text asking for you to make a payment — being asked to do something quickly or being told you’ve missed a deadline and could be punished.
If you get sent a message that you believe to be fraudulent, you can report it to your mobile phone provider or by forwarding the message to 7726, a free reporting service provided by mobile phone operators.
Cash in the wardrobe
Did you know the average British home has an estimated £1,000 worth of unworn clothes sat in their closet?
Not only is this a waste of money for us, it’s bad for the environment. Research from The WRAP Love Your Clothes campaign shows that more than 5% of the UK’s total annual carbon and water footprints result from clothing consumption.
If clothes stayed in active use for nine months longer (extending their average life to about three years), this would reduce their carbon, water and waste footprints by 20-30%.
So, extend your clothing’s life and make some extra cash by listing unwanted items on resale platforms such as Depop, Vinted and eBay.
You can also find top-quality gifts on these sites. Pre-owned doesn’t have to mean lower-quality — many items sold are brand new and often cost less than the original retail price.
Get water-saving device for free
Unlike gas and electricity companies, you can only be supplied by your regional water company. You may not be able to switch suppliers, but there are ways to reduce your bills.
Fit a device in your toilet cistern to minimise the water used in flushing. It can save up to three litres of water with every flush, says the Energy Savings Trust. Ask your water company if it supplies them free of charge.
Use an incognito browser
Going incognito when you shop online can help you save money by automatically deleting your browser history when you close a tab.
This means companies can’t track what you’re looking at and put prices up, so it will be especially useful for planning your long-awaited next holiday.
No-spend weeks
Saving money sometimes feels impossible. Whether you’re saving for something specific or tired of going into your overdraft, it can be hard to stick to your goals.
One way to cut back is to try a no-spend week, where you literally don’t spend money on anything for seven days. It’s a great way to save money and helps you understand your habits and what cuts to make.
Once the freeze is over, re-evaluate what you spend on non-necessities.
Flexi train travel for flexi working
As restrictions ease, many of us that worked from home during the past year will be adopting a ‘hybrid’ approach in the future, splitting our time between home and the office.
For those who travel by train, this can be expensive as peak-time tickets can soon add up.
But from today, you can buy and use flexible season tickets, which enable you to travel unlimited between two stations on any eight days in a 28-day period.
Although the new flexible season tickets apply to National Rail operations in England, they are available on cross-border commuter routes, for example Berwick to Edinburgh or Bristol to Cardiff.
But do your sums in advance. While the government estimates average savings of up to £350 a year, critics of the scheme calculated that it’s not always the case, with savings only available when compared with a walk-up, peak-time ticket for all eight days a month.
Snap happy
If you get a parking ticket and think it was issued unfairly, act fast.
Take as many photos as possible before you leave the car park and email them to yourself to record the time and date.
If you challenge the fine, you will have all the evidence required to support your claim.
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