7 ways to save money

Money is tight for all of us, especially if you are raising a family. Whether you are a single parent family, or a two-parent one, with one or two incomes, having kiddos means there is often little extra left over at the end of the month. Family life requires a lot of money to sustain – from rent/mortgage on a house to food bills, utility bills, clothing, days out, clubs…. it all adds up.

Budgeting is essential, as is looking for simple ways that we can save money every day to give us a little extra to spend on fun things, or even to just make sure we break even at the end of the month.

1| BUDGET

The first step is to create an actual budget. If you don’t, then it’s hard to know where exactly your money is disappearing to each month. Take the time to track all of your income, and for a month keep a track of every single penny that you spend. Then it’s time to set yourself limits for different categories. If you know how much you have to spend, and watch what you are spending you are less likely to go over your budget.

2| SHOP AROUND

If your utilities have been with the same company for a while, it’s worth using a money comparison site to see if you could be getting a better deal elsewhere. Broadband companies are prime offenders for rising the prices of your contract upon renewal with the hopes you’ll accept it and continue their service. It’s easy to compare broadband providers and get the best deals, so you shouldn’t accept their prices and be stuck in another contract.

3| MEAL PLAN

Food waste means you are also throwing money away. I find that when I meal plan, I only buy what we need, and it all gets used up – meaning I am not throwing food away, but also not wasting money on buying things that we don’t need. You can see some examples of my meal plans here.

4| COOK FROM SCRATCH

Buying ready meals, pre-packaged or pre-prepared foods is expensive. Buying the ingredients to cook from scratch will save you money {and is also healthier}. ‘Treat’ foods especially are better to make your own – we have a baking day once a week to stock us up on cakes and cookies for snacks and packed lunches throughout the week.

5| PAUSE BEFORE YOU BUY

Impulse buys can easily take us over our budget. I keep a list in my purse of things that we need/I want so I know what I’m looking for when we are at the shops. If I am tempted by something that is not on my list, I’ll leave it for a day or two before I go back to buy it. Quite often, once I’m home the idea of it has lost its excitement and I know that I don’t really need to buy it.

6| BUY SECOND HAND

Where you can, opt for second hand items. Not only does it save you money but it also better for the environment. Furniture, clothing, toys – check out eBay, car boot sales, charity shops, Facebook Marketplace. 90% of the things I’ve bought for this baby are second hand, which has saved me a fortune!

7| COMPARE LOANS

If you’re in a tight spot, and really need a loan to tie you over, then it is essential that you consider the interest rates offered, else you could end up paying back an excessive amount. Look at loans for bad credit if you have had problems getting a loan in the past, and only borrow as much as you need and can afford to pay back.

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