Spring clean your finances
It may not be spring but spring cleaning your finances is a vital component to achieving financial freedom. A lot of us are wasting money on things we do not need and reviewing pitfalls within our finances can help us save 100’s annually. As I have mentioned before, we have managed to pay off £5000 worth of debt while taking a £20,000 pay cut as a family. Becoming a parent is amazing but costly so spring cleaning our finances was vital. We have managed to save over £600 in less than 2 days.
Spring Clean your finances 1: Internet
Changing your broadband provider can save you £100’s annually. When our 2 years contracted ended I did some research to find a better deal on the market and I found a deal which will reduce our monthly broadband from £35 to £26 a month. That is a savings of £174 for the next 18 months but the contract comes with a £60 gift card which can be used in any high street store.
Total Savings : £234
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Spring Clean your finances 2: Mobile phone contract
I decided that I didn’t need to upgrade my phone because the offer was available, I opted for a sim only plan which has reduced my monthly payment plan from £35 a month to £5 a month because I got loyalty discounts. I currently use my old phone and I get 4gb with of data plan with an additional 5gb from my broadband switch.
Total Savings: £360
Cutting these two bills will save me over £600 annually.
[click_to_tweet tweet=”Short-term sacrifices for long-term gain” quote=”Short-term sacrifices for long-term gain” theme=”style6″]
Taking the time to look over your bills to see where you can cut down can save you £100’s, sometimes going into the £1000’s so it is worth doing. The truth of the matter is that it takes time and effort. It took me two days just to save on two bills. This is because, I had to do research to find good deals, do price comparisons, contact my current supplier then contact the new supplier then finalize my orders. This is just a snippet of what you can potentially be doing if you really want to save more money.
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Everyone will have a different experience when they spring clean their finances. My personal budget is very lean so I do not have a lot to spring clean however, there are a few vital steps to take to maximise your annual savings.
Spring Clean Your finances: Step 1 – Do a budget
Seeing all of your income and expenditure being written out allows you to spot any pitfalls in your money. Also seeing all of your money in one place creates the foundation for developing better money management habits.
I personally use an app called colourful budget which can be synced to your google drive and you can Bluetooth your content to someone else so you both have the same budget.
Step 2: Review and Evaluate
Questions to ask after writing an honest budget :
Do I spend More than I make? If yes, what can I cut down on without changing your lifestyle significantly?
Do I waste money on random things? Examples can include a gym membership for a gym you do not attend or phone insurance for an old phone you upgraded from 2 years ago. Or a cleaning service when you are broke.
Related post:
Marriage and finances: How to be united to achieve a debt free life
Step 3: Highlight and Haggle
Highlight any bill that you consider are too high or unnecessary then start making the changes.
Key tips for identifying potential saving opportunities:
Highlight any bill with a finished contract – e.g Phone contracts, broadband, mortgage, gym.
Highlight things you can live without – e.g No point paying for a full sky TV package if you do not watch a lot of TV. Just get an online subscription service.
Another example, if you have a monthly or annual traveling pass and you have no children, having a car is a waste of money, especially if you live in a city with easy transportation services.
Highlight miscellaneous expenditure – Takeaways, eating out, social outings.
You need to now contact all of your suppliers and haggle to see if they can bring the price down. If not use price comparison sites to help you find the best deal on the market.
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Check out 46 different ways to save money off your bills. I hope you found this post useful and insightful. Saving money is a form of making money.
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Implementing these strategies can help you save a lot of money. Companies are happy to take your money if you allow them. They are also aware of their competitors and are willing to offer you a good deal to keep you on as a customer. Take average. I hope you liked this post. Please do share and comment below if you have applied of the tips.
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