Photo by Dany Kurniawan on Pexels
As the cost of living crisis continues to get worse, a lot of us are worrying about money. Of course, the greater issue is at the hands of our councils and the government to solve. Particularly in the UK, everything is a hot mess at the moment – but we are here to share some tips and tricks to help you save a little bit of money here and there.
1. Meal Plans
Meal planning can be a little overwhelming at first, but all it means is thinking of what meals you want to cook each week before doing your food shop. Buying specific ingredients that you need rather than a random selection of food will help you save money by not wasting food you won’t use.
2. Reusable Cups
Reusable cups are not only good for the planet, but they also mean you can take beverages out and about with you. Rather than buying a coffee or a water bottle, save money and make it at home. Often, coffee shops will actually offer discounts to customers who come in with their own reusable cup!
3. Make Your Own Coffee
Linking to the previous tip, make your coffee at home! If you’re a coffee drinker, there’s no scarier realisation than when you figure out how much you’re actually spending on takeaway coffees.
Let’s do some quick maths. Say you buy coffee every workday at, for example, £3.50. That’s £17.50 a week, £70 a month and over £800 a year.
One purchase at a time doesn’t feel like a lot, but when you do it everyday it really adds up. Get yourself some barista skills and brew at home!
4. Bring a Packed Lunch!
We know it’s easier to buy lunch at work, but prepping your food at home and taking it with you is so much cheaper! Either make yourself extra dinner the night before, or prepare something new in the morning.
5. Air Fryers
Obviously, the upfront cost of an air fryer can be pricey. However, there is a lot of research into how energy-efficient these appliances are. Check out this article by the BBC to see the breakdown, plus some other pros of an air fryer! Of course, one downside is that due to the size of them they aren’t practical for bigger families.
6. Second-Hand Shopping
If you need new clothes, thrift/charity shopping is one of, if not, the cheapest way to go about it! Of course, you do have to do a little digging to find something you’ll like and will fit you – but, for the price, it’s so worth it! Last week, I found a bunch of Zara clothes in a charity shop and got 5 items for £15!
7. Grow Your Own Fruits and Vegetables
Remember when we were kids and tried growing our own fruits or vegetables at home? What’s stopping you from doing it now! Not only is this a fun thing to do, but it also saves you a bit of money in the long run. You don’t even need a garden! Just a window sill space, sunlight and water!
8. Buy Frozen Food
Something that often goes to waste in the fridge is vegetables. I don’t know about you, but I find I never use them all before they go off. Then I feel like I’ve wasted my money throwing food away. Recently, buying frozen vegetables has been my go to! For the same price, if not cheaper, you can freeze your vegetables and use them as and when! You can do this for other food you’d put in the fridge too, i.e. fruit, meat, etc.
Everything is a massive struggle right now and we really empathise with and relate to people in financial struggle. There are more direct ways we can go about helping this crisis and pushing our governments to do something but, for the time being, we hope these small tips will help you start to make a difference.
with love,
becky
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