If you’ve wanted to save money then you’ve probably looked at “boring” ways of doing so. Perhaps you’ve finally decided that you want to purchase a home in the future and maybe that has led you to open a savings account. However, taking money out of your salary every week or month and depositing it into a savings account can sometimes be frustrating or upsetting. It’s a boring way to save money and it can severely reduce your chances of successfully saving your cash. To make things easier, we’ve put together a couple of fun ways to help you save money so that you can easily
secure your financial situation in the future.
Avoid Brands
While it might be normal to go for branded items such as toiletries, food or even clothing, it’s a good idea to look at the generic nameless items or brands as well. If you’re lucky, you’ll find that there are plenty of cheap nameless alternatives to your everyday items that you spend a considerable chunk of money on. Whether it’s heading to the supermarket to buy their brand of cereal or purchasing blank shirts and trousers on the internet, avoid brands so you can stock up on items and pay less at the same time.
Pick a Different Bank
Some banks love giving back to their customers. Sometimes you’ll get free coupons, unique deals or even special promotions. If you have to save money, make it fun and have it give back to you by looking for alternative banks to sign up for. Look at their reward schemes and see if they have any offers going on that could give you better value for your commitment.
Learn to Budget
Learning to budget your money might sound frustrating or boring, but it can actually help you realise where you can spend more money and where you could save. Budgeting can easily be done with the help of some software either on your computer or phone, but you can just as easily budget using a piece of paper and a pencil.
Paying Less for Tech
If you find yourself spending a lot of money on tech, then there’s one simple solution that will help you save heaps of money: learning about the tech you use. If you’re quite the computer enthusiast then you’ll realise how much money you can save by purchasing pre-owned or second-hand components and building your own computer. You can also save money by getting
refurbished phones and laptops instead of relying on buying new items all the time. Not only are they more reliable because they’ve been well-used and potentially fitted with replacement parts, but you’ll save a lot of money that could be put to better use.
Embrace Staying at Home
Do you just love heading out and going with friends to a bar, going to the cinema or even going out to eat? Instead of spending all your money on heading out, why not
stay indoors now and then? Buying alcohol and drinking it at home with your friends might not be the same as going to a bar to meet people, but it’s still a great time to be had with friends. Similarly, staying in with your family to watch a movie on video-on-demand service is far cheaper than buying several tickets to go to the cinema. Hosting a dinner party for your friends is also a lot less expensive than eating out and can be just as entertaining. In short, embrace the idea of staying at home to entertain yourself, don’t just waste your money by spending it on days and nights out!
Scour the Net for Deals
You’d be surprised at the number of websites and services on the internet where you can find
news about great deals or coupons and discount codes for virtually anything. Whether it’s a
Superdrug discount code to make toiletries cheaper or a discount code for clothing, you can find a lot of fantastic deals online as long as you’re willing to put in some work to search around.
Learn to DIY
Doing things yourself is a much better option than paying for it if you can. For instance, if you have a bit of knowledge on
repairing computers, then it’s better to look up how to fix your issues instead of calling up an expensive technician. Similarly, if you need to paint your home, try and buy the paint, brushes and other materials and get a few of your family members or friends to help you out.
Frugal Fashion Tips
If you love fashion then you’ll probably love buying excessive amounts of clothing. Whether it’s
buying shoes, shirts, jackets or even socks, your collection could probably amount to quite a lot of money. If you want to save money on your fashion, then why not follow some frugal fashion tips? For instance, don’t be afraid to wait for sales if you have to own branded items. Consider going to a thrift store if you love expressing yourself through your fashion, and make sure you take care of your clothing so you don’t end up replacing them on a regular basis due to bad cleaning habits.
Living With Less
If you want to love saving money, then you need to
learn how to live with less. Ask yourself if you really need all of your possessions; if you absolutely must own all of the games, music and entertainment that you have. Many people become mindless consumers without even knowing it and it doesn’t take long to realise that you’ve been spending far too much on things that you don’t actually use on a regular basis. Learning to live with less is a fun lifestyle change because it enables you to find entertainment in everything around you and you’ll rarely be left with a feeling of dissatisfaction.