As the cost of living rises, many people are finding that their pay cheques just don’t stretch far enough. But rather than feeling helpless, there are a few small changes you can make to save money. Small changes that make a huge difference to your financial situation, without you having to even really try:
1) Skip Your Morning Coffee
Coffee houses are everywhere these days, with one on almost every corner. It is easy on your commute to work to pop in and pick up a large designer coffee, but you’re spending a small fortune. Instead, why not have a ‘coffee fund’ at work and take it in turns to buy coffee to drink in the office?
Alternatively make a large flask full of your favorite coffee at home and take this to work. Latte and other coffees are much cheaper to buy in supermarkets and taste just the same. You could even buy a few of your favorite accompaniments at cheaper prices and save a fortune.
2) Leave the Car at Home
With insurance and fuel prices rocketing, running a car on a day to day basis is proving expensive. So why not walk or cycle to work, or use cheaper public transport? This will help you save a huge amount of money on fuel and you may even get to work faster.
If your local transport links aren’t a direct route to work, consider a lift share with someone from the office. By splitting the expenses and the driving, you will both ultimately save money. You’re also doing a little bit for the planet by cutting down on your driving.
3) Take a Packed Lunch
While getting out of the office and eating out for lunch every day is a little luxury, it’s an expensive choice. Even buying lunch on a daily basis means you’re spending much more than you need to. Taking your own packed lunch to work every day is a cheaper and healthier option.
You could make sandwiches, salads or soup to take to work and there are plenty of ready-meals on the market. You could also make a little extra of your evening meal and take that into work the next day for lunch. If you have a take-away pizza, save a few slices and take them as a lunch time treat.
4) Cook for the Family
Cooking one single meal for all the family is another easy way to save money. Home-made family meals such as lasagne, spaghetti bolognaise, cottage pie and pizza are guaranteed to be a hit with everyone and consist of cheap ingredients.
Eating in this way is not only cheaper, but healthier. Eating out or getting takeaways every night is damaging to both your purse and your body so this simple change is going to make a huge difference to all families.
These changes are so simple; you will barely notice a difference to your day to day life. They’ll eventually become habit and you’ll be able to yield the benefits of the savings. The money you save can be put towards a meal out once a month, or that family trip you’ve always wanted to go on.