I’ve spoken a lot on Instagram about money issues lately; about teaching our children about money matters, about reducing outgoings, increasing savings and getting better at being financially responsible. All of these things are really important, and even taking baby steps towards them is beneficial. Saving a few pounds a week to ease the pressure when an unexpected bill comes in, cutting a few utility bills to make your money last longer each month – amazing things to do. Sometimes though spending money feels a bit unavoidable, even when we cut back most of us are still going to end up blowing some cash occasionally – whether it’s because we need to replace something that’s broken, we need to get something new or there’s just something we really want to have (it’s okay to treat yourself sometimes!). Plus with Christmas coming up we are probably all doing a bit of spending. Thanks to an increase in cash back websites, loyalty schemes and some seriously competitive sales pricing it’s quite easy to save even as you spend! Here are a few ways to benefit from the cash you’re splashing.
Find Voucher Codes
The internet is a beautiful place, and luckily there are now several websites out there which have collated a huge number of discount or coupon codes in order to save you a few pennies while you’re buying from your favourite stores. Dontpayfull lists a variety of discount codes which will come in handy whether you’re purchasing clothes, electronics, food or travel.
Also worth searching for any discount codes or extra vouchers when you’re in store that you can use for your purchase (great tip from Life With Lianne). You can even join dedicated groups on Facebook to help search out great deals and great voucher codes such as Bargain Bunny UK.
Also worth checking if there are any other ways to get yourself a discount – for example Blue Light Discount for NHS workers or those in the Armed Forces, or if being a customer elsewhere will get you some money off. Rowena from My Balancing Act let me know that if you’re a National Trust member you’ll get money off at Millets, and being a member of the Caravan and Motorhome Club gets you discounts at loads of places including Alton Towers, Hobbycraft and Mountain Warehouse.
Use Cashback Websites
An absolute no brainer, especially when you’re making big purchases, is using a cashback website which effectively returns some of that spend to you. MotherGeek recently got £130 cashback from a 12 month broadband contract by using website Top Cash Back and there are lots of others out there so search around before spending your money. Erica from The Incidental Parent also uses Quidco, and says that although it’s not mega bucks it does add up over the year.
Photo by Heidi Sandstrom. on Unsplash
Loyalty Schemes
Over the years I have really benefited from several shop loyalty schemes that allow you to collect points every time you spend like the Tesco Clubcard, Nectar card or Boots Advantage card. I know people who have booked holidays, or paid for their whole Christmas just with the Clubcard points that they’ve been gathering throughout the rest of the year. You can even collect points when filling up with petrol so plenty of opportunities to gather rewards.
Abi from Something About Baby always bags her husband’s birthday present with her reward points, and Beth from Twinderelmo recommends always checking the reward card apps to find any extra offers or deals. These can sometimes be based on your spending history so it should be super easy to boost your savings without being tempted to buy stuff you don’t need!
Shop Around and Price Match
When making a purchase, big or small, it’s so important to check if you can get it for less elsewhere before you commit. I recently nearly bought some Lego for £20 – thankfully I googled it before checking out and found it in a different store for £11! Sarah from Arthurwears suggested looking out for retailers like John Lewis who price match – this guarantees you the best possible deal but means you can still use your chosen shop to benefit from their customer service/return policies/etc etc. Also take into account whether you can collect any of those reward points mentioned above, and make sure you’re getting the very best deal.
Hopefully that’s given you a few pointers to save a bit of cash as you spend it this December – if you’ve got any more tips please share them with us below!
Photo by Mel Poole on Unsplash
