This time of year is naturally one where we look a bit more closely at our financial position and try to save money for Christmas. A lot of people can struggle with some money saving tactics which seem too forced, such as always bringing your lunch into work or cutting out that daily Costa visit, especially at a time of year when the fun is just gearing up, but the good news is there are some every day, seamless switches you can do to help you cut down on those expenses. These tips can be combined with a more formal savings plan to turbo boost it, or simply adopted on their own as a way to pay out less and start living the life you want.
Sign Up To Card Roundups
With most of us now using contactless card payments or things like Apple Pay, it's easy to go weeks without actually touching physical money. The danger can be that these systems are deliberately designed to feel seamless and to lessen the feeling of spending money. However, you can make that work in favour of your savings account too. A lot of banking apps or dedicated savings apps like Moneybox now let you opt in to card round-ups, where the amount of a transaction on your card is rounded up, and the difference put into savings automatically. So, pay £5.49 for your lunch, and the 51p goes straight to savings with roundups. If you combine this with a regular deposit on payday, it can soon start to add up nicely, and it's a good way to save extra without really noticing.
Always Compare Prices And Points
Never buy anything without first using the power of the web to make sure you’re paying the lowest possible price. Shopping price comparison apps on your phone can give you the information at your fingertips and let you click to purchase as well. Meanwhile, you should never make a direct debit commitment like insurance for cars or your home or utilities without going through a comparison site – be aware that they all have different deals, so you may want to visit two or three to make big savings. Don’t forget to take into account companies which offer Nectar points and other loyalty rewards, as these can really help your budget go further at Christmas – you can even sign up for points on eBay if you hunt for deals there.
Remove Stored Details
Impulse buying is never a good idea – it doesn’t allow you to shop around for the best deal, and there are a lot of things you may reconsider without the retailer-designed environment urging you to the tills or the cleverly designed ecommerce site luring you in. Set up a 24 hour cool down period on all non-essential purchases to give yourself breathing space, and facilitate this by deleting your stored credit card numbers from internet browsers and your mobile phone. It's too easy to tap to buy something without even having to put your details in, so if you stop this in its tracks by taking out the information and storing your cards in a drawer, taking that extra step to have to purchase slows you down and you may just reconsider. This simple trick can really help you to cut down and save some money.
