Finance tips are as easily sought as opinions on social media. So much so that you might find yourself fielding the advances of those who wish to furnish you with their plans for your money saving/accumulating at the same rate you try to deflect prospecting PPI claims firms. However, when you’re happy to further your interest in your own time, you’ll be relieved to learn that there are a veritable smorgasbord of alternative means by which you might harvest an astute investment. Or at the very least, live better within your financial means.
And the best bit about the advice which follows is, that you don’t need to splash the cash in the short term before you can start saving it in the medium to longer term. Save for the one suggestion that is; namely insulating your home better. But don’t worry about that, as it’ll be worth it in the long run, trust us. Also don’t forget; if your finances are already at stretching point (and by that we mean you’re maxed out on your credit cards, bank of Mum and Dad has refused to lend any more funds and your employer still won’t grant you that pay rise they’ve been promising you for as long as you can remember), how about a payday loan lender? Those guys are there to help when the chips are really down and are well worth speaking to before pushing on with any solutions which require initial expenditure; however large or small.
Back to the business of saving you money though, and below we take a quick look at just 6 ways you can achieve this, as part and parcel of our invaluable finance tips for 2018.
Insulate to Accumulate
Nobody was necessarily thinking about how they were planning to heat their home better a few weeks ago; not when we were basking in record-breaking summer temperatures. However now the evenings are drawing in, thoughts inevitably turn to the winter months which lie ahead. And more over how to reduce the inevitably extortionate heating bills which will quickly follow. By ensuring your home is winter-proofed (courtesy of getting the loft and cavity walls filled with that foam-y stuff which stops the heat from escaping), you won’t end up forking out hand over fist when the next quarterly bill drops through your letter box just before Christmas.
A Change is as Good as a Rest – With banks actively encouraging people to switch account providers, 2018 really is the time to consider swapping one for another. Especially when there’s a cash incentive involved which could bag you up to £200. All the big high street banks are playing their parts in this game of current account musical chairs right now, including the likes of NatWest, HSBC and M&S Bank, together with their solely online rivals, First Direct and Santander. What have you got to lose?
Switch One on, Turn the Other Off – On the subject of mixing things up a little, the same logic applies to many other areas of your life. For instance switching TV, mobile phone and broadband providers means you could reduce your monthly outgoing in a few clicks of a mouse. Shopping around has always proved beneficial when it comes to insurance lines, yet there’s absolutely no reason why you can’t enjoy the same savings when applying the same principle to your most important service providers in 2018.
Look after the Pennies and the Pounds will Look after Themselves – It may sound a bit old school, but sometimes you have to go back to the future. Yes, we’re talking about putting all your spare change in a piggy bank and saving it for a rainy day. Don’t snigger. You’d be surprised at just how much money you can accumulate doing this over the space of a few months. Then, should you have an unforeseen problem with your car or the washing machine decides to pack up without giving you any notice, then voila. Remember, literally, every penny helps.
Try and grow your money – Investing can be a great way to enjoy greater finances further down the road. Forex is one such way, where you trade currencies using strategies – you’ll want to do your research though, since there is plenty of risk at play. Visit ForexTradingExpert for tips and advice. Other areas of investment include stocks, shares, and investment trusts.
Phone Shopping – No, not the dreaded visiting of a phone shop (and warding off praying mantis-like salesfolk), but rather the downloading of any of the increasing number of dedicated supermarket cashback apps. The likes of Shopmium and Checkoutsmart offer a range of useful freebies and enticing cashback offers, plus they’re user-friendly and you can start making savings in minutes. Same rule of thumb applies to refund kings, TopCashback and Quidco ClickSnap; albeit based on you scanning a barcode and snapping (and sending) them a photo of the receipt beforehand.
Smart Saving – Speaking of smartphones, don’t forget to check out specific apps designed so that you can keep tabs on your personal finances on a day-to-day basis, at the swipe of a screen. Take Money Dashboard for example, one of a new breed of phone apps which allows you manage your money whilst on the go. Oh, and did we mention the best bit? That it’s completely free to download and use?? Simply – and safely – sync the app to your bank account, and as soon as any transaction occurs it’s flagged up on your dashboard display.
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