Savings – Page 2

Amazing Ways to Save Money in 10 Minutes or Less

June 21, 2015 by Steve

You’ve probably read through 101 different ways to try and save money. Most of them seem like they’re just too much hassle to bother with. Plus, time equals money. So are you actually saving anything by spending hours trying to cut costs? To help curb this problem, here are some amazing ways to save money. That will take you 10 minutes or less!

Write a Shopping List

Before you ever go on a shopping spree you have to make a list! This takes 5-10 minutes and could save you a fortune. Most of us do this anyway when it comes to grocery shopping. However, you should be writing a list for everything. Why? Because then you’re less likely to impulse spend. And let’s be honest, that’s when we tend to spend the most. Write up a shopping list and stick to it.

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Keep Your Receipts

This takes no time at all! You simply have to keep all of the receipts for whatever you buy. At the end of each week take a look through all of those little bits of paper. Were there things you spent too much money on? You’ll be able to come up with ways to cut down costs, by keeping an eye on your spending. You’ll also be less likely to impulse buy if you know you’re going to tell yourself off at the end of the week.

Print off Vouchers

This is something that will take no more than 10 minutes out of your day. Before you go anywhere, have a look to see if there are any vouchers available. Use a voucher website and see if the place you’re visiting has any offers on. This is particularly useful if you’re going out to eat or drink. Plenty of retailers have offers running through the week, so keep your eyes peeled.

Make Some Calls

As long as you’re not on hold for half the day then this is another quick way to save money. Call up all of the companies you have services with. Mobile phone operators, broadband providers and cable TV suppliers. Talk to them and let them know you’re trying to cut down costs. You’ll be surprised at how many will have special offers to keep you as a customer. It’s a good idea not to call during lunchtimes or after work, as this is when they’re the busiest. Also, make sure you check their call rates so you’re not forking out extra on your phone bill.

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Double Check ‘Cost Per’ Labels

This is a really handy trick if you’re out grocery shopping. It doesn’t take too long, either. Before you get sucked into special offers or deals, have a look for the ‘cost per’ on labels. This is usually cost per unit or cost per kg. You can quickly price match all of the different brands to see which one is the cheapest. You may find that those special offers aren’t as cost effective as you once thought.

Last Minute Dash

Want to grab yourself something nice for dinner without going on a long shopping trip? Head to the supermarkets around an hour before they close. They will be putting out all of their reduced items. You can pick up a bargain for dinner, in under 10 minutes.

And there we have it! Some super quick ways to save money on everyday essentials. Make one of these changes every day and see how much money it can save you.

How to Save Money When You Have a Pet

March 25, 2015 by Steve

Pets are said to be expensive. But, in reality, they are only as costly as you allow the process to be. Of course, your cat or dog may need health care facilities and they will need toys to play with. But, that doesn’t mean that you have to spend all of your wages on caring for your pet. The route to pet ownership should not come with a high associated cost.

There are some great ways that you can save money on the cost of raising a pet. Here are some super simple ways that you can maximise your savings without compromising your furry friend.

Invest in Insurance

Your furry friend will need some medical attention at some point in their life. Do you have the money to pay for these costs? Don’t be a dummy; ensure that you invest in pet insurance. It can save you a great deal of money over the long-term.

Buy in Bulk!

Okay, so if you are a frugal shopper you will be all too aware of the benefits of buying in bulk. The same applies to your pet. Buy their food in bulk from places like Costco to ensure that you see more savings. Bulk buy their food to see the savings mount up.

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Second Hand Supplies

Second hand toys, beds and leads can be a super easy way of saving a bundle. Of course, if you have a pet such as a hamster, fish or rabbit, always opt for a second hand cage, run and hutch. These can be expensive to buy from brand new. What’s more, places like eBay and Gumtree are great resources to source these items from.

Shop Online For the Best Deals

When it comes to keeping your pet happy and healthy, you cannot compromise when it comes to buying these goods. Medications cannot be ignored. After all, your pet should not suffer as a result of penny pinching. The key is to opt for lesser known brands, such as Eliminal. If you opt for the premium brands, you will find that you end up spending more for the same product. These lesser known brands can guarantee that you save money, without hindering your animals health.

Never Buy an Animal

With so many rescue centres up and down the country, it makes good sense to adopt. Not only does this save you money, but it also ensures that a homeless pet can be given a wonderful new family. You may have to make a small donation, but it won’t be anywhere near the cost of buying from a breeder.

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Ditch Expensive Training Schools

Training schools can be important when it comes to training dogs. But, boy, are they expensive! You don’t have to send your dog to a training school to get the best from them. Use the internet as a resource for typical behaviours and training information that you need for your breed. It’s a simple, low cost way of making sure that your hound is a well-behaved pup!

5 Hacks to Save Money on Your Wedding

March 3, 2015 by Steve

Every bride wants to have a beautiful, fairytale wedding. But, with weddings being extremely expensive, having the day of your dreams can seem impossible.

You may not realize it, but there are plenty of ways you can save money on your wedding without compromising on the big day. By making some small changes to your wedding plans, you can save yourself money while still having the celebration of your dreams.

To help you have the wedding of your dreams without overspending, we have created a guide to five wedding hacks that will save you money. To find out more, have a read of this:

Start planning early

Start planning your wedding as early as possible. The earlier you start planning the better chance you have of keeping the costs low. By giving yourself adequate time to go through all the options, you will have time to compare prices and find all the best wedding bargains.

Did you know that by planning your wedding early, you can get some great deals on venues, caterers, and entertainment? Plus, by planning early you can get the best pick of everything.

While planning your wedding early will allow you to get some great deals, it is important to be flexible with certain aspects of the wedding. For example, being flexible with the date or location of the wedding will allow you to take advantage of some fantastic deals.

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Choose the venue carefully

Choosing the right venue can save you a lot of money. So, it is important to pick your reception venue carefully and think it through.

Opting for an outdoor venue or a venue that has a lot of built-in character, will save you a lot of money on decorations. While choosing a hotel or restaurant for your reception that includes tables, chairs and tables linens can save you a lot of money.

Some wedding venues also offer packages that include wedding vendors, wedding planners and everything else you will need for your big day. These are all important things to consider when choosing a venue for your wedding.

Keep your guestlist short

As almost every wedding price is calculated on a price per person basis, the easiest way to keep wedding costs low is to keep the guest list short.

Of course, there are some people who you want to share your special day with, namely your close friends and family. But, there are other people who you may only invite due to obligation. Don’t invite people just to be polite, only invite those people who you really care about.

Choose the date of your wedding carefully

During peak wedding season, April to September, wedding prices are much higher than in the winter months. As are the costs of everything else, from wedding dresses to wedding invites, the costs are much higher during peak season. So, if you are happy to have a spring / winter wedding you can save yourself a lot of money.

It is also a good idea to avoid getting married on a Saturday, as Saturdays are the most popular day for weddings and so, are most expensive. Holding your wedding on a Friday or Sunday can save your a lot of money, so it is worth considering.

Shop the sales

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you wedding dress has to be a designer original – you can save yourself a lot of money by looking for your dress in the sales.

During sale times, wedding dresses can be priced as low as 50 percent less than full price – that is a lot of money. Don’t turn your nose up at the sales, sometimes there are some amazing deals.

Five Fresh Tips for Saving Extra Money at Home

March 2, 2015 by Steve

Saving money is not easy – sometimes it really needs a lot of research, and changing our habits into less expensive ones to have a long term effect. But, as the old saying goes, each penny not spent is an extra penny in our pockets, so saving is worth it in the long run. Here is a fresh collection of tips that might help you spend less.

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Top Expenses You’re Paying Over the Odds For – And How to Save More

October 2, 2014 by Steve

There are all kinds of expenses to pay for in a busy modern life. From rent and utility bills to car insurance and clothes, it seems as if all of your salary goes on the essentials you need to survive. Perhaps you think that you can’t cut your expenses any more than you already have, but there are probably several things you’re spending too much on. Sometimes your essentials aren’t quite as essential as you think, or you can change the way you spend on them. Even expenses like electricity and water bills can be carefully managed so you can cut them down.

Food

Food is, of course, essential to our everyday lives. But it may surprise you that you can save money on your food in ways you haven’t thought about. Some ways of saving might require you to change the way you think. For example, one way to make the most of your food budget is to avoid buying branded products. Many unbranded products, such as supermarket own brands, are no different from the products with big names. The ingredients are the same, and the taste is often the same too, but the price is much lower. It might be hard to let go of your favourite brands, but doing so will save you a lot of money. You can also save money on food by planning meals in advance to help you avoid the temptation of frozen and ready-made foods.

Household Bills

There are plenty of sensible ways you can cut down on your household bills. With the price of utility bills rising, you obviously want to reduce them in any way you can. Of course, you need to keep your family warm, clean and fed, which requires water, gas and electricity, and maybe even fuel delivery from somewhere like nelsonpropane.com in order to keep your heating running during the colder months. But you don’t need to push your bills to their limits. Avoid putting the heating on unless everyone is still cold with a jumper on. Don’t run the water unnecessarily and take showers, not baths. If you look at stats on cutting your water bills, you’ll find that you could save 50 litres of water by cutting your shower time by 5 minutes. Turn lights off when you aren’t in the room and don’t leave things on standby to save electricity.

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Cars

If you drive, your car is probably one of your biggest expenses. There’s the cost of buying it, the insurance, tax, fuel and maintenance costs. You may think that all these costs are inevitable if you want to be able to drive, but there are ways to cut back. To begin, consider buying used cars instead of new. If you’re careful about buying and make sure to research and check each car, you can get a decent vehicle for a much lower price. Buying several used cars in a few years could end up cheaper than one new one. You should always shop around for insurance too, and get the best deal on any maintenance costs. Don’t always go with the first company you find.