When you’re going through a rough patch with your finances, buying the things you need and want can become a stressful process, and suddenly you can’t be so carefree with your spending. Times like these call for a completely new strategy to help you get through it. There are many ways you can cut out costs on your daily spending, but you need to know where to start, and you need to be ready to make sacrifices. For some people, they make these cuts and savings even when they don’t need to, as there’s really no bad time to be wise with your money, it’s just a matter of convenience over wealth.
Know where to save
You’ll find often that stores commonly put up sales on products to help them sell, and there are ways you can take advantage of these. While it is a bit more effort, it’s worth it in the long run. It mostly involves shopping around a bit to find the sales to fit your shopping list. Most people aren’t willing to make this effort as it can be inconvenient, however if you added up how much money you’d be saving on a weekly basis then you might think otherwise. Avoid end of aisles as these tend to be where most people make impulse purchases- shopping with a list can help you avoid falling prey to exciting looking items that you don't really need.
Utilise reward systems
Supermarkets often have loyalty systems in place, Tesco for example allows you to collect Clubcard points which can be redeemed on things like free meals in restaurants, days out and vouchers to spend in the store like cash. However stores aren’t the only places that offer such a service, credit cards can offer the same benefit. You might be put off by the risk of picking up a debt, however you can make up for it with some kind of reward (depending on what kind of deal you’ve applied for). Most credit card suppliers have this kind of system, for an example, you can check out best credit card rewards, and you’ll see what kinds of offers can help with your savings. It’s a strange concept to spend more money to make something out of it later on, but you need to be looking at the bigger picture rather than just having something now. Aways think carefully before taking out credit, if you plan on doing so to gain the benefit of a reward then you need to go about it in the right way. Pay back the full amount each month so you're not carrying a balance and racking up interest.
Try cheaper brands
Most of us tend to stick to the same brands and items week in week out, because we know we like them. However, big brands are often produced in the same factory using almost the same ingredients as cheaper ones- and so it's worth trying these out to see if you can save money. It's not to say you have to switch to a completely budget shop, but don't stay loyal to big brands because you could find something similar that slashes your shopping bill enormously. Lots of item switches will add up, so try things out here and there if you want to save money,
Even if you’re not struggling financially, there’s nothing wrong with looking for shortcuts in your spending. You shouldn’t see yourself as tight just because you don’t want to spend that extra bit of change every day, just think of what it could add up to instead after a week, or even a month! There are plenty of blogs you can check out to give you more ideas on where to save, you’d be surprised how much people waste consistently throughout their lives.
