We could all do with saving a little money sometimes, but a lot of us simply find it difficult to do. These are my tried and tested tips for saving money at home:
Coffee:
I hate paying for coffee almost as much as I love buying it. Hitting up the local coffee place before work in the morning can cost you a small fortune over the course of a month and, when you have kids and family members shouting for the latest gadgets around #Christmas time, that money could come in very handy for Other Things.
Owning a quality coffee machine can save you money in the long run, but it does take a bit of time for this saving to be realised.
Whilst making the first coffee of the day from my machine at home, it doesn't help me beat my cravings when I get to the office.
I now buy any quality coffee which is on offer at my local supermarket.I also always check out the boxes of sachets (usually Nescafe) and see what's on offer there. My solution? Mix a bit of both. I buy my special offer coffee (usually around £4) and then top it up with half a #Nescafe cappuccino sachet, or better still, buy a tub of flavoured coffee mix, such as Tim Hortons french vanilla, and take a half spoonful of each. This means I don't use as much regular coffee, but can pad it out with something that's usually a little cheaper. It also gives me a cappuccino type taste without the price rage.
Money Jar:
I always have a purse full of loose change and, as I'm one of those weird people who doesn't like counting it out at the checkout, I tend to collect it until my handbag is so heavy, I struggle to carry it. These days, when I come home at night, I empty the contents of my purse into a handy jar with the words 'Wednesday Wine Fund' on the side.
I'd like to point out that this is NOT actually what the money's for. Not all the time, anyway.
It is quite incredible just how much change one woman can gather in the space of a few weeks. Seriously. My first few weeks resulted in more than £20 in change, which I then put to good use by collecting bags from my local bank and then depositing it.
Although it's my change anyway, it felt like I had a bit of extra pocket money at the end of the month and that can never be a bad thing, can it? Over the course of a year, that's not a bad haul.
Lunches
I can't recall the last time I went out of my office and bought myself a sandwich or something for lunch. I watch my colleagues doing it and never manage to understand why anyone would waste so much money on a sandwich or a wrap. I love a #bagel at lunch, but buying one that's already prepared in my local deli will set me back at least £2.50 each day. Buying a pack of 5 from the supermarket on a Monday, along with cream cheese, or cold deli meat, costs me around £4...for the week. I'm eating what I want for lunch, so I'm not missing out, but I am saving money every day and this makes me eternally happy.
Plus, I can also better control my salt intake, which is always a bonus.
Sky/Cable TV
This is always a controversial one as TV is often something that people rely on for a bit of stress relief of an evening as they chill out on the couch. However, just because you use TV as an escape, you needn't be paying a fortune each month for the privilege. I gave up my #Sky subscription years ago and I've never looked back. For £5.99, I have a Netflix subscription, which has more on it than I could ever watch, and I also just took advantage of a special offer with my mobile company which gave me 6 months free access to #BT Sports. Now I can binge-watch a host of awesome shows without breaking the bank.
Bulk Buying
I buy my staples, such as rice, in the Chinese Supermarket. I can pay £30 for a 20kg bag to last me for 3-4 months, but the savings, when compared to buying a 1kg bag in the local store, is massive. We eat a LOT of rice in our house, so this saving is huge for us. Plus, we know we'll never waste it. Look at what you eat most regularly and check out bulk buys for a great saving.