GENERAL MONEY-SAVING
ALWAYS NEGOTIATE!
‘Recently, I’ve focused on how I can save money each month to make sure that my winter fuel bills are not too painful. It started with renegotiating all my monthly payments. I had a lot of success with my TV and broadband, I reduced my mobile bill from £25 down to £13 a month and, despite the 20% price hike that my home alarm company was initially quoting, I negotiated it down to a figure lower than I was on before! All in, these three changes will save me more than £1,000 over the next year.’ Lisa Conway-hughes
NEVER BUY WITHOUT
A DISCOUNT ‘We need to get into the habit of always finding out if there is a deal or discount available even if we can afford the full price. Whether it’s having a loyalty card at our favourite supermarkets or using Google to check discounts before going to a restaurant, now more than ever we have to make our money go further. There is no sweeter feeling than knowing we gained a discount, resulting in us saving some of our hard-earned cash. It’s never about what you make, it’s about how much you keep.’ Bola Sol COMPARE COSTS ‘Some expenses you may not be able to cut back on as they’re necessary, such as insurance. It might seem easy to auto renew with your current insurance provider, but you might be able to make some savings by using price comparison websites – so it’s worth putting in a bit of time to get the best out of them. No website can get you quotes from every single insurance company, so be sure to always check more than one site. If you do find a cheaper price on a comparison site but don’t want to switch away from your current insurance provider, use it to haggle for a better deal.’ Caroline Siarkiewicz
EARN AS YOU BUY ‘If you shop online, look to use cashback sites for your purchases. I’ve started using Topcashback since January and have already built up over £70 worth of credit. I’ve even earned it when I’ve purchased essentials, such as car insurance and cleaning products. Sometimes the cashback is pence, but
it all adds up and will help to maximise your spending budget.’ Hayley Millhouse
FIND CHEAPER
ALTERNATIVES ‘Being money-savvy doesn’t mean going without – it’s about finding cheaper ways of having the lifestyle you want. If having your groceries delivered is non-negotiable for you, book the cheaper midweek slots rather than the pricier weekend ones or invest in a delivery pass (from as little as £3 a month). If working out is your thing, look for free outdoor classes in your local area (ourparks.org.uk) or join a Green Gym (tcv.org.uk/greengym), which combines getting fit with nature projects that help local communities.’ Joanne Finney, GH consumer affairs director