Play the saving game

You avoid shopping around for the best utility deals because it’s boring.

Reducing our household bills is something we could all be doing – after all, it’s free money. The problem is, utility bills are not fun, whereas snapping up a bargain in a clothes shop gives us immediate pleasure. We’d rather forget about the water, electricity and gas, because you can’t sit down and sort them in one go – you have to commit to work in the future. However, it’s real money that you can save – there’s just no exciting moment where you are given a wad of cash. So, somehow, you have to inject the fun yourself. An incentive could be that if you know you’re going to save £120, promise to treat yourself to something worth £25. That way, you receive a reward and sensibly save some money.