If you’re finding that your money isn’t staying in your account very long and it’s all going towards the bills with little left, you may be feeling frustrated. However, it doesn’t have to stay that way. Reducing your bills is a great way to make sure you have some cash left over at the end of every month. Here are 7 ways in which you can reduce your bills.
Your Phone Bill
Do you really need all that data? What about unlimited texts? The majority of us barely use the bundle we’re paying for so it could save you a lot of money to switch to a different plan. Of course, it depends where you are in your contract, but it could be worth looking into sim only plans. Sim only plans mean you keep the phone you’ve got, rather than upgrading to a new phone. That means you won’t be paying for the phone if your contract is up, just the data, calls and texts you use per month.
Reduce Children’s Activities
It’s great for young children who aren’t in school yet to get out and about with other children the same age. There are lots of dedicated classes to bring on their development. The only problem is, some of these classes can be expensive, so if you’re taking part in a few a week, the cost can add up over the month. Consider cutting down on classes and creating your own activities at home. For example, why not create your own messy play session and invite some other children and parents too?
Make Use of Comparison Sites
We often take our bills for granted, believing that we’re getting the best deal. However, if you take the time to regularly compare companies, you may find that you can get better deals. With things like car insurance, home insurance and broadband you may be surprised at how much changes in a year.
Grooming Expenses
It’s important to take pride in your appearance but that doesn’t mean you have to break the bank. Instead of getting your haircut every 4 weeks, why not stretch it to 6 weeks so you aren’t paying as much over the year? Perhaps you like to dress to impress, but why not wait for the sales to spend your money and be stricter on your spending the rest of the time? The same goes for the rest of the family- including the dogs. Instead of sending them to an expensive groomer, have a go at doing the job at home. Once you’ve bought the necessary equipment, you won’t have to spend that money again for a long time.
Consolidate Debt
Sometimes, the best way to deal with debt is to consolidate it. That means, instead of paying lots of smaller debts across the month, you pay back one larger debt. Consolidating your debt by using one large loan to pay off everything could save you a lot of money. It’s likely you’ll get a much better interest rate on a larger loan than you have on smaller ones. You can get advice on consolidating debt from Citizen’s Advice.
0% Balance Transfers
If you’re racking up the balance on your credit card and finding it difficult to make repayments, you should consider a 0% balance transfer. If you pay your monthly charges on time, it’s likely you’ll be accepted for a balance transfer. You could pay no interest on what you owe for over a year with some credit cards. This gives you a chance to get your credit card debt down as low as possible, meaning you’ll have more spare cash per month and far less to pay back when the interest does kick in.
Turn It Off
It’s a simple thing to do and yet many of us never do it. When you want to save on your bills, it’s important to turn lights off when you don’t need them on. The same goes for your heating and other electrics. Do a load less of washing per day. Turn the temperature of your hot water down and cover your hot water pipes. Make sure to eradicate any drafts from your home so you aren’t over using your heating. They’re simple things that should come as second nature to us and yet we waste money and energy every day.
If you really want to reduce your bills, it’s just a matter of sitting down and getting the best for your money.
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