Daily life can get in the way at times. We can quite happily head to work and earn our money to pay our bills. But more often than not we can all be waiting for when the next payday comes round. A lot of this has to do with your current outgoings; you might find that they seem to be creeping up, and you have no idea why. So if you find yourself wanting to bring your outgoings down, then these top tips should help you do that.
Don’t remain loyal to your current providers
We can all get complacent with our bills. We seem to be happy just to pay the payment each month and think that's the end of the story. But sometimes it doesn’t pay to be loyal to a brand or company. More often than not, the best deals and lowest prices are offered to new customers to entice them in. So take advantage of that and become a new customer yourself somewhere else. Regularly changing providers for things like broadband and energy can keep your costs down to an all time low. You'd be a fool not to explore it and see how much you could be saving.
Regularly check your bank statements
Some people couldn’t tell you exactly how much comes out of their bank account each month. Regularly checking your outgoings to see where all your money goes each month is vitally important. Many people forget they have subscribed to things or joined places like a gym, but yet the money still leaves your account each month. Those small amounts can add up over time. Checking your bank statement will allow you to identify those costs that simply don’t need to be paid. You can then cancel the debits and save that money.
Use discount and promotional codes
As much as we want to save what we can, there are still essential things we need to buy. We all need food to eat and clothes to wear after all. But that doesn't mean you can’t be frugal in how you shop. Using things like discount codes and vouchers for websites like Target.com can save you a heap of money. Especially on some of those bigger purchases like household furniture or christmas presents.
Only buy what you need
Everyone goes a little crazy at times. We can all be guilty of buying things when we don’t need them. Sometimes it’s just too tempting. But when you have a focus on keeping your outgoings down try and refrain from spending on things you don’t need. So writing a list to go food shopping, or ordering things online, so you don’t get tempted are key ways you can keep those costs down to a minimum. Creating a budget online on websites like budgettracker.com can help you keep track of your spending.
Consider forming new habits
Sometimes those bills have to be paid. Things like food shopping and energy bills are all essential. So creating new habits yourself could be a viable way you can actively save yourself a little bit. Meal planning is an essential method for reducing your food bills. Also, actions like switching lights off at home and turning the heating down. Small changes often done can make a big impact on your costs.
I hope this has inspired you to reduce your outgoings.
Lina Martinez has her B.S. in journalism and is a contributor to our politics, life and money pages. She once admitted over drinks to singing "Careless Whisper" in the shower. We are still trying to get her to sing it at karaoke.