A lot of people are feeling the financial strain these days; people are finding it harder and harder to afford anything that isn’t a necessity like bills and food. However, life is for living, and everyone deserves to enjoy a treat that they’ve saved for. If you’re looking for ways to shave money off your major monthly bills, and put some aside for a rainy day, these top tips should help get you there…
- Swap to energy-saving appliances
Going green can also be a good thing for your wallet; take a walk around your house and look for all the appliances that are currently wasting energy, from your boiler to your lightbulbs and even your toilets. It might cost you initially to replace them, but look out for government incentives where people are given money or discounts for switching to eco-products, and remember, it’s a long-term investment. You can click here if you’re interested in changing every-day habits to reduce the amount of energy you’re using.
- Switch energy suppliers
You can cut the amount of electricity and water you use, but the real monthly savings are made through switching suppliers and lowering your payments. If you’re coming towards the end of a contract, or you’ve seen a fantastic introductory deal, always start by doing research into the various offers on the market. Then ring your current supplier and give them the opportunity to match it. If they don’t, consider the cost of leaving your current provider against the benefits of switching, and go with the best long-term option.
- Renegotiate your phone contract
You can also switch mobile phone providers, and it can often be much faster and the gains considerably better. Technology moves so quickly these days that a phone is out of date even a few months after it’s been released, and that should be reflected in the price you pay per month. If you’re on a year-long or 24-month contract, check out what new phone deals are available, as well as any new-customer offers available with specific networks. Again, give your current provider the chance to match it or offer you a better deal to keep your custom, but don’t be afraid to stand your ground – you could save hundreds each year.
- Could you save by leasing?
Another great way of saving on monthly bills is to lease your car instead of buying one on finance. The main reason for this is because leasing contracts take the depreciation value of a vehicle into account; if you buy a car on finance, the monthly instalments are fixed and do not drop even though the value could have dropped by as much as 19%. However, the monthly rental payments on the exact same car would decrease each year, because the value of the car is recalculated, and that lowers the figure you pay. You can find out more about leasing here.
If you have any more money-saving tips, let us know by leaving a comment…