Money saving tips for families whoare struggling to cope with their home budgets asmany of us try desperately to avoid overspending, but having a family sometimes requires us to spend more than we had planned for. I have two teenagers who want the latest in designer clothing, footwear, technology and not to mention their haircuts can cost a fortune too.
Sometimes I wish I could hide the never ending bills and spend that money on my family, but to be honest that would only bring more anxiety. My husband has a good job and our income at this time is steady yet like many others we have to count our pennies and come up with money saving ideas that help us get through each month.
So, I have compiled a list of money saving tips which I would love to share with you.
List of Money Saving Tips So Far!
1. Find deals online.
Generally, I love to shop around for products my husband hates it, but I have a different opinion. Sometimes the urge to buy something in store before looking online can be disastrous to our budget. Here is an example my husband required an electrical adapter which he paid £14.99 for a few weeks ago, after looking at the same device online I manage to purchase a similar adapter (different make) up for £2.99. That saved us £12 which in all honesty surprised me at the time to. I don’t mind waiting an extra day or two to get a great deal.
2. Sell your Junk make and money online.
I love the quote “another mans trash is another man’s treasure”. I have used online selling sites for a number of years now and although I have some bad experiences with buyers the number of good buyers far outweighs them, so I continue to make money this way. I have sold so many things that I can often make an extra £200 per month by selling my families old items. Whenever I can I often save boxes and instruction for certain products because I think this helps when selling, but I also sell things inboxed and they sell equally as well. I also love the fact that I have in essence recycled something that I no longer use and this makes me feel like I am doing my bit towards the environment.
3. Buy non branded food products.
Many supermarkets these days have their own branded products, I actually did a comparison with using own brand vs branded products making a cottage pie and I was shocked with the results. I used to use solely branded product, however with many becoming a little tighter I try to save wherever I can by using non branded ingredients. Simply changing a couple of your ingredients doesn’t have to affect the taste of your food saving you money at the till.
4. Charity & Thrift Shop Shopping.
Yes, this is one of my favourite money saving tips. I love to shop and even when money isn’t as tight I often go browsing around charity shops trying to find a new outfit for all sorts of occasions. I love thrift shop fashion shopping I always find some really great deals and normally the clothes are still in trend. I know you can’t get the exact dress or pair of jeans you have set your heart on, BUT I have found myself picking up some top brands to complement other designer clothes I already have in my wardrobe. I come home and show my husband and children what I have found and they often look in shock at what I have bought and saved at the same time.
5. Salvage or make your home decor.
Now I am not the most crafty person on the planet but I do love to make my home look and feel unique and if making things to save money helps then I will always give it ago. Only last year we were looking for ways to give our bedroom a makeover with a small budget. One of the things that gave our decor a superb finish was not something we bought, but something we made. I wanted a headboard that looked quite unique so we used some pallet wood to create a Mr and Mrs bed headboard and even to this day I can not believe how much I love this easy to make idea. Re-using objects from around your home can also give you a great new look for a fraction of the cost of buying new items for your home. If you would like a little crafty inspiration you can this wonderful Craft DIY and Easy Stuff to make boardwhere I get lots of ideas from.
6. Online deal sites.
I am always on the look out for saving money on new products. I hate to spend our hard earned cash on things like computer games, beauty products and so on. These are not things we need but they are nice to have. I generally use a few various sites like hot deals, amazon deals and Money saving expert. I have signed up to all of their e-mail newsletters to stay upto date with the latest money saving tips which are generally endorsed by the followers of the sites.
7. Simply save on electric bills.
I used to be really bad for leaving electrical items on wasting money all day and often all night long. Sometimes the bills were so big I used to struggle to pay them on time most months. I was given this tip by my mother after I asked her just how much her bills were and believe me they were far less than mine. I began to switch things off whenever I could, not leaving things like the television, tv box, internet hub etc.. on standby. This seems to have dramatically reduced my family’s monthly bills and now it’s like second nature to me. Not to mention that it’s probably far safer to have less electrical items on through the night.
8. Check your supermarket 2 for 1 offers.
Money saving tips are often the things we know but never really think about until someone points it out. It’s not often you go to the supermarket and they don’t have a 2 for 1 or 3 for 2 offer on certain products. These deals can be good but they can also be pretty rubbish too. The offers are designed to draw you in make you think you are getting a great deal when it is not. The supermarkets have been know in the past to actually hike their prices the week before on the products only to lower when the offers are on. I love this article seven biggest supermarket scams the which explains in depth what you need to look out for in supermarkets and tricks that they use on consumers.
9. Set a Budget.
Sounds simple and in reality is. People tend to avoid setting budgets because this generally shows us how little money we have. I used to avoid doing this like the plague because it upset me thinking it would limit what money we have. My good friend showed me her budget and how she did it and she assured me limiting our monthly money short term would lead to having more money long term. A year and a half later and we are in a much better place and clearing our debts quite nicely. It’s something to consider when you are thinking of money saving ideas and I urge you to at very least try to budget even if its for a couple of month to help cut back on overspending.
10. Think of fun things to do at home.
Don’t spend money on trips out with the family if you can help it! At least not every week. You may recall I wrote a post about our family cinema nights and making a low cost family feast for next to nothing. Before this we often went to the cinema and spent cash we didn’t have on food and drink to compliment our day. Most cinema trips at least for a family of four can cost around £50 if you’re not careful. That money could be saved and spent much better elsewhere. We stuck to our guns making cinema nights a fun and regular experience in our home saving us tons of cash. This is just one money saving tip to do with the family and there are so many more. You can follow our ideas by signing up to our newsletter or subscribe by e-mail to our rss feed.
11. Free dry cleaning for the unemployed.
When I first heard about Timsons giving away free dry cleaning to the unemployed I was shocked. This company have probably helped quite a few people get back to work because when you look smart your confidence can go through the roof during interviews. It’s one to remember because you never know when you might need their admirable help.
12. Shop for car and household insurers.
Before you simply renew your car insurance remember there are so many companies out there that will want your business and you must shop around. I am not going to recommend any companies because I think each insurer will look at each person individually. I can recommend a great place to look for starters which is comparethemarket.com and again moneysavingexpert. You can simply google their names and you should find what you’re looking for when it comes to money saving tips for car insurance. Just ring around and get yourself quotes. You could half your current car insurance adding money back to your family budget.
13. Bulk Buy your essentials.
Bulk buy all of your household essentials from washing powder to to pet food things you just have to use each day. You work out the cost of your individual products and then find your essential product in a wholesalers like Costco or Makro. You won’t just save on the cost of your products buying this way will also reduce how often you travel to the supermarket saving you from impulse buying and reducing your fuel cost. This will also give you a little extra time to spend with the family.
14. Give up or change a luxury.
Although, I have not created these money saving tips to punish you and only to make your life a little easier long run. I would say by changing something like your regular morning starbucks or your expensive glossy magazine you can save so much over a short space of time. Remember a “Penny today is a pound tomorrow”and that is what we are trying to achieve here.
15. Don’t shop on an empty Stomach!
Sometimes you have to be quite smart before you do your weekly shop making sure that only things you need go in the basket. I generally makes sure my family are all fed before we leave to do our grocery shop. I have always found that when we are a little hungry we always place additional items in the trolleyand these items are never on my shopping list. So get a meal before you leave your home and monitor just how much more money you save each week.
16. Meerkat Movies 2 for 1 cinema tickets
Meerkat movies can save you quite a lot of money over the summer holidays. The promotion is a great way to keep thr family entertained at half the price! Simply purachse a comparethemarket.com product which qualifies you to recieve the discounted code for an entire year!
I don’t want to come across as the grinch although I am better at making our family income go a little further than I used to be.
It’s quite simple really If you want a better future and you are struggling now, get on top of your finances and start to save. I am by far not a perfect role model when it comes to money saving tips. I am however someone who is always on the look out for deals, offers and ways to make our family life pleasant.
I only realised very recently just how many people are struggling and this upsets me If I can help just one person or family rethink their budget and begin to help them save money then that is good enough for me.
Take a deep breath and start saving money now!
Back to you! What are your favourite money saving tips?
