Five easy ways to keep your money in check
It’s a few weeks into 2018, and we all know how hard it can be to keep motivated to meet your New Year goals. Despite the days getting longer, the evenings are still dark, the weather is still damp and grey and those post-Christmas bills have been received.
So we’ve been thinking about ways to help keep your money on the right track, whether your financial goal is saving more or spending less – Here are our 5 top tips for you!
If you take out some cash on a Monday morning, you’re more likely to keep tabs of what you’re spending because you can physically see how much you’ve got left.
It’s worth keeping an emergency fund in a bag or in your car, for example in case you need fuel or forgot to get something in for dinner. But we reckon that by not having money on you means you’re less like to make those impulse purchases.
You might still be paying for a subscription service that you never use and have forgotten about.
So we’ve been thinking about ways to help keep your money on the right track, whether your financial goal is saving more or spending less – Here are our 5 top tips for you!
1. Pay with cash
We can all be guilty of spending ‘invisible money’, by using chip and pin or contactless for your daily payments. In 2016, we carried out a survey and found that 52.1% of UK shoppers have no idea of their bank balance.If you take out some cash on a Monday morning, you’re more likely to keep tabs of what you’re spending because you can physically see how much you’ve got left.
2. Don’t carry your purse or wallet with you
One easy way to spend less money is to take the means of spending away. How often do you find yourself craving something sweet and before you know it you’ve spent some pennies to get some chocolate or a sugary drink? It’s probably more often than you think!It’s worth keeping an emergency fund in a bag or in your car, for example in case you need fuel or forgot to get something in for dinner. But we reckon that by not having money on you means you’re less like to make those impulse purchases.
3. Review your monthly outgoings
How long has it been since you looked at your direct debits or standing orders, and reviewed if you still need them? If you signed up for a gym membership which you never use, why not cancel it and take up a free exercise, such as running or using the local park’s free gym equipment instead?You might still be paying for a subscription service that you never use and have forgotten about.
4. Earn a little extra
Spend a weekend having a clear out of your clothes, books, DVDs, anything else you have stashed away and get selling! Decluttering and selling your items on eBay or on local Facebook groups can really help top up some of your savings.5. Walk more!
We know this isn’t always possible, but by saving a few pounds a week on your fuel costs will soon add up! It also has health benefits, as walking at least 30 minutes per day can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke by up to 27%*.*Source: Step To Health.
This article was checked and deemed to be correct as at the above publication date, but please be aware that some things may have changed between then and now. So please don't rely on any of this information as a statement of fact, especially if the article was published some time ago.