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Feel like you’re forever living from payday to payday? It’s a stressful cycle to be in. Many of us can feel like we’ve spent most of the next month’s wages the second we’ve been paid. It may seem like the only way out of your money issues is to find a better paying job (easier said than done) but actually, some careful budgeting can really help.
Here are some ways you can make your wages last longer.
Socialising
Obviously, at the moment it isn’t possible to meet up with family or friends but at some stage, we will return to our normal lives.
Going out to eat and drink, cinemas, bowling, ice skating and other activities are great ways to spend time with friends and have fun. But, they can be really expensive. Keep an eye out for deals and discounts to save you money, and consider some lower cost alternatives. A potluck style dinner party where everyone brings a dish, or a cocktail party at home where everyone brings a bottle often won’t cost half as much as going out. You can still have a lovely time and save money too.
Food and Drink
It’s so easy to overspend on food and drink. Grocery stores are cleverly designed to make us spend more, and there are fast food chains, coffee shops and restaurants on every corner making it hard to avoid treats and temptations. One of the best things you can do is meal plan – write lists and shop from the list buying only what you need. Prepare tasty lunches and coffee you can take with you to work and on days out instead of paying over the odds. Time your shopping right and you can buy food at a reduced price from supermarkets. The best part is some can be frozen to be eaten at a later date.
Bills
Bills might seem like an inevitable expense and it’s true, we all have to pay bills there’s no getting out of that. But, did you know you could be paying well over the odds? Get yourself onto a price comparison site and make some switches, as a new customer you’ll get much better rates and can save hundreds over the course of the year.
Car Costs
Having a car gives you so much freedom and independence, but they don’t come cheap. If yours is always breaking down, a notorious gas guzzler or an older model which costs you a fortune in tax then a newer model might be a better option. Spending money in the short term can save you money overall, you’ll get a more reliable and economical car. Check out used car companies like Southern Commercial Sales and find something that fits your needs and budget.
Digital Subscriptions
Netflix, Spotify, Amazon Prime and others are nice to have but how often do you really use them? If weeks go by without you utilising what you’re paying for then you’re simply wasting money. Consider cancelling everything for a month or two (when you can do so without incurring charges) and seeing if you can live without them. If you can’t you can always resubscribe, but chances are you won’t miss them as much as you think and it’s money that can be better spent elsewhere.
What tips would you suggest to help make your wages last longer?
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After being furloughed I think we could all do with information about saving money!
It is important to try and save as much as possible with the current climate. Many don’t have savings to fall back on.
I think the way we shop and spend is going to change moving forward.
This advice is really helpful. Especially as most of us feel the pinch from one pay day to the next x
It is important to make wages last as long as possible with the uncertain climate.
Great post, one thing I do to save on money is when making something like a spag bol or chilli I freeze half down for another day, I also do the same with rice. I do this with other meals as well, this not only saves time but also you have home cooked meals for times when money is a bit shorter
Batch cooking can help cut the cost of feeding the family and give you that bit of reassurance that you have food for tougher times.
We are terrible for popping to the shop for one thing and coming out with lots of things we really don’t need. To be honest that as all stopped now as we are strictly doing one shop a week so hopefully that will save us some money.
Sounds like it will help keep your expenses down as you won’t be able to buy random items you would normally find whilst shopping.
At least twice a year I like to go through all of my expenses, such as phone, tv, etc. I call each provider and make sure I’m getting the best deal for our needs.
That’s good as it must help with getting good deals.
These are all fab tips to save money 🙂 This month I have somehow managed to be just as spendy despite lockdown… I will have to be more careful next month.
Oh no, good luck for the next month.
This lockdown has been a good opportunity for me to evaluate how we can save money and I have cancelled a number of subscriptions and I always change up Tesco vouchers etc for meals out. I love a bargain! Mich x
Ha, me too!!! Getting a bargain is great. Good to hear you’ve cancelled some subscriptions you don’t need. That can help.
I think at the moment it’s tough as while we’re spending less on things and socialising, a lot of us are living on lower wages, or only one wage and not two which is tough. I think planning a budget and thinking of what’s essential and what’s a want is the most important thing to do x
It is tough where our income is affected. That’s why it can help to look at where you can cut costs.
I always make sure to go through my digital subscriptions and cancel the ones we aren’t using. I do have a few I refuse to cancel though.
If you use them there’s no reason to cancel. They can help pass the time during lockdown and rainy days.
I used to be exactly like this and you have some good tips here. I used to save a lot of money by cutting down on the amount of take away food I would order
I know some get food in regularly. It can be quite a saving to minimise this.
The subscription one is good however I couldn’t live without it. Instead, my housemate and I signed up to Netflix and Spotify as a family plan and then got a friend each to join our plan too. So we split the free between four of us. Makes it much more affordable.
That’s a great way to save on the subscription Kaylea.
One of the ways we have saved money on lunches is by boxing up an extra serving of the evening meal the night before and having that for lunch the next day.
That’s a great way to save money on lunches. It’s surprising how few people do that. It helps save time and can be a way to ensure you eat a healthy meal too.
I have deleted some of my digital subscriptions, it is amazing how they ramp up.
It really is. It’s good to check every so often and unsubscribe from those you no longer use.
Great posts, I’m not spending much at the moment but I know that’s going to change once we’re allowed to socialise. I’ll have to rein myself in using these tips.
Katie xoxo
My biggest expenses are necessary bills and food and drink. Luckily I didn’t go out much before so not much change there lol. Hope you can keep on top of it after lockdown.
I think going through outgoings on a regular basis is a good idea. You can see if you need to cancel any subscriptions or shop around for utilities.
Hopefully, you will find areas you can make savings.
Subscriptions are a biggie! Just paid our local daily paper bill £ 40 !!- thimk i need to go online
You’ve covered my best advice about keeping food costs down. I make sure I find out what time of the day that supermarkets mark down their food. I also make sure I actually use what I buy, even if that means making large batches of soup or pasta and freezing it. I also use the microwave rather than the oven whenever possible as it uses less electricity.
Batch cooking can really help save money and time too which is handy.