It can feel like we often have to tighten our belts at the moment. Many people are not getting wage increases and if they are, they are smaller than the increase in prices. This means that we seem to have to be cutting down on our spending all the time. This can feel really hard, like we are having to be punished and so cannot buy all of the things that we want. However, there are ways that we can reduce our spending without feeling like we are suffering. Some might be things that you have tried already but there may be things in the list below that you have not tried out before.
Swapping suppliers
It is good to check out all of the supplier that you use and see whether there are any cheaper ones that you can go to instead. Concentrate on utility suppliers such as gas and electric, telephone and broadband companies and things like this. These can be really expensive and by swapping to a cheaper one you can save a significant amount of money.
Swapping financial companies
We use financial companies for insurance, loans and all banking. They can be really expensive and so it can be a good idea to see whether you can switch to a cheaper one. It can be easy to always stay with the same one, but you can save significant amounts of money by switching each one to a cheaper company. It does not take that long to do either.
Swapping retailers
When you shop it is likely that you always choose the same retailers. Whether we are shopping online or offline we often tend to go with companies we are familiar with. This is not surprising as we know that we can trust them. However, it may be that we are paying far more than we need to. We could find that there are retailers out there that are a lot cheaper but have similar quality products and service that is just as good. It is well worth investigating.
Swapping brands
If you do not want to swap the retailers that you are using then it could be a good idea to see whether they have products that are cheaper than those that you already buy. Have a look at the full range of items that they sell before you decide what to buy and you could find that there are some cheaper ones that you had not noticed before.
Comparing all prices
In fact it is a really good habit to compare all prices all of the time. You will find that you are soon noticing the prices of all sorts of things and it could end up that you are paying far less, just because you have spent a little bit more time carefully choosing what you are buying.
Buying second hand
It is possible to buy some products second hand or even to pick things up for free at places such as freecycle. This can help to save you a significant amount of money and you could end up with better thangs that you would otherwise and pay less money. Some people do not like the idea of buying second hand, but it can very depend on what you are buying as to whether it is worth it. Look carefully at the things you are considering. Look in second hand shops, charity shops and at online auctions and you will get an idea of what is available and know whether you could change your mind with regards to buying second hand.
These changes can be fairly simple and take very little time but could make significant savings if you try all of them. You will also not really notice a change in your lifestyle as you are not getting anything different but you are just paying less for it. Many people take advantage of looking for lower prices and they will be having the same things as you but paying out a lot less money and you could be doing exactly the same thing. Once you get into the habit of comparing prices, shopping in cheaper places and seeing there are second hand alternatives it will be really easy and you might even find it fun. It can also give you a great feeling of satisfaction, knowing that you are saving so much money that you would otherwise have been spending and that you are not missing out at all. You can then spend it on all sorts of things that you might like to buy and could not afford to before or put it away in your savings account for when you need it. It is a simple habit to start and it can end up with you being so much better off.
