As prices appear to be on a mission to reach new historic highs every month, attempting to save money has become more important than ever. Be it for a rainy day or your next big expenditure, being more conscious about your spending is the best way to start, with a hard budget plan never doing any harm.
However, it doesn’t just have to be about not buying certain items; you can cut down your monthly expenses. Many people see these regular outgoings as set in stone, but the more expensive something is, the more wiggle room you’re likely to find among competitors. Here are some areas that you can explore.
1. Ditch Mobile Plans Outright
All over TV, the big-name smartphone providers advertise their latest and greatest models, and, invariably, these must-have devices cost upwards of $1,000 each.
So, when a mobile provider offers the seemingly cost-effective plan of two years, $30 per month, and you get the mega smartphone, it sounds like a great deal. But, it simply isn’t, especially as many get coaxed into renewing two years later for the next newest phone.
Americans across the country have begun to cotton onto this trick, and now, a survey relayed by PC Mag found that two-thirds of customers have ditched plans and now buy mobiles outright. The survey was only of 1,000 people, so that number may not reflect the whole US, but it shows a leaning towards this more money-conscious method.
Not only are SIM-only deals wildly cheaper, but you quickly discover that smartphones last more than two years and don’t need replacing.
2. Walk Away From Your Lender
One of the most significant expenses in just about anyone’s life could be a mortgage. You go through so much to prove you are worthy of one of these huge loans that once it’s done, people tend to carry on making their regular payments.
Unfortunately, this is how they get you: after your fixed term expires, mortgage lenders jack up the price. Luckily, you don’t have to stick around for this.
Thanks to the competitive landscape, people can save hundreds by getting in touch with a mortgage adviser like Trussle online.
A remortgage could save a lot of money each month, and it could even be done quickly and conveniently. The platform’s real-time remortgage rate finder can give you a quick idea of the landscape, while the broker also offers a five-day speed promise for a decision on your mortgage.
3. Phase Into A More Affordable Diet
Eating out and ordering food to be delivered has only become more convenient and accessible for most, but doing so is wildly expensive compared to what you can make at home. You don’t even need to go much out of your way to getting started, with CNN Money suggesting you come up with your own mantra, such as “Taco Tuesday” or “Wildcard Wednesday,” to help limit the outlay.
Of course, shopping at a supermarket, buying fresh ingredients, and making your meals yourself is the cheapest way to go, as is switching to a more sustainable diet. It was found that vegan and vegetarian diets are easily the most affordable and can cut costs by as much as 33 percent, while flexitarian diets also cut costs by about 15 percent.
If you really want to go all-in on cost-effective food, get a big slow cooker, bulk cook something like curry, stew, or chili, freeze a bunch of tubs, and then have great, cheap food at your convenience.
Your mortgage, mobile plan, and choice of where to eat can unnecessarily run up your monthly outgoings, so see if you can quell the expenditure in these areas to help save money.
