Cutting the waste: make your money go further during the cost of living squeeze

When it comes to saving money, there are always usual things like changing broadband providers which could give you a one-off cost saving, but are there things you can start doing now that could help you get more for your money for the long-run?

Here are our top three tips

Meal Planning

You may have tried it before and then said ‘I don’t have time to do this’. It can feel like a burden, but with the cost of food on the rise, there’s never been a better time to make the time. If you’re just starting out with meal planning, do a stock-take of your cupboards and freezer before you go to the supermarket to make sure you’re not buying anything unnecessarily. By planning your meals in advance you can utilise what you’ve got in your cupboards and make large batches to feed the whole family or fill your freezer. If you find that you don’t know how much you need and often buy too much, use this portion planner to make sure your eyes aren’t bigger than your belly!

Get creative in the kitchen

The next step from meal planning is looking at your weekly shop. According to the Office of National Statistics the average UK weekly shop is £63.70 but one woman has been able to cut her food shop bill from £100 a week to just £20. Think you can’t feed a family of four on just £20? Read this and think again.

Clear out those cupboards

Now’s the perfect time to get rid of clothes you never wear (or those Christmas gifts you didn’t really want/ need). Use Depop to offload clothes, shoes and accessories for cash, and Shpock or Facebook Marketplace for literally everything else (these are better than eBay if you want cash in hand ASAP).

You can also sell old unused tech like mobile phones, tablets and laptops on Mazuma or Laptopsdirect. Even if you’re not sure anyone will want your old Lego collection, it’s worth putting it up for sale anyway - one person’s trash is another’s treasure! Many high street shops, like H&M and John Lewis, will offer you money, a gift voucher or a discount if you bring in the stuff you no longer wear.