With these surreal days showing no signs of easing off anytime soon, you might be worried about the long term effects of Covid-19. We all know about the health risks, but what about the dangers to our finances and lifestyle? As the economic climate looks increasingly uncertain, we may begin to worry about our job stability, our ability to find a new role, and our chances of moving house in the future. This means that you might be keen to keep a closer eye on the purse strings. During a pandemic and making sure to check sites like Raise to see what coupons and codes there are to be had when shopping for what you need online, there are some other simple things that you can do to keep your finances in the black and save money. Read on to find out what those things are.
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Switch
There are so many things that we set up direct debits for that we take for granted. We rarely check the best deals because we are complacent and don’t think it’s worth the hassle. However, by heading to an online comparison site or a broker, you can save hundreds of pounds by switching companies. If you are near the end of your first year of car ownership, check out more suitable cheap car insurance deals rather than just renewing your premium. Building up your no claims bonus should result in more affordable car insurance, so don’t be willing to pay a more expensive premium and seek a new provider.
The same goes for your utility bills, home insurance, travel insurance, bank accounts, mortgage provider, and broadband. The competitive nature of these industries means that providers want to attract new customers. When your services come up for renewal, check out the competition to get the best deal, and save money.
Credit Cards
Credit cards are not always evil. It can be an intelligent financial decision to have a credit card, as it can enhance your credit score, showing financial companies that you are a responsible borrower. However, if you are slipping into uncontrolled debt, you need to get a grip on your money. Consider swapping to a credit card with zero per cent interest on balance transfers. This means you won’t just be paying off the interest each month. Don’t spend anything else on your card, and try and save cash elsewhere on luxuries. Remember, the money that you spent on fuel that you would have been putting into your car can now go into paying the debt off your card.
Since the start of the pandemic, many people have been making purchases online to avoid large crowds. While online shopping makes our lives easier, it can also expose us to online risks like scams and hackers waiting to take advantage of the sensitive information we share while shopping.
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Food
You aren’t heading out to restaurants as much, you won’t be venturing to the cinema, and you aren’t hot-footing it to see pals or making long journeys. This should give you some extra money to play with. Don’t consider using it to renovate the home and instead top up your savings.
Get into good habits when heading to the supermarket. Rather than going for high-end food, opt for the more sensible and cost-effective options. Look out for deals on bulk buy items you know you will use, such as toilet roll, washing powder, and bin liners. Buying in greater quantities will mean a larger outlay initially, but the cost of each unit is much less. If you find yourself throwing food away at the end of the week, you should consider using Hellofresh. You choose the meals you want for the week, and they send you the exact quantities so no wastage. You can also pause deliveries if you only want a couple a month. As a family, we loved their recipes and the simple to follow instructions.
The pandemic that we are currently living through is resulting in many challenges. However, follow this guide, and your finances won’t be one of them.
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Bulk buying is a great way to save money. Thanks for sharing these tips! xo
Thank you Gemma. I think we could all do with some money-saving tips at the moment 🙂
Some great tips here. I’ve managed to save a little but can always do with saving more.
Thank you Rebecca. I know what you mean. It has made me realise how I need to be better with money. 🙂
I’ve certainly found that I’ve been saving more money during lockdown. The debt free community and blog posts like this have really helped me kick start my journey to financial freedom.
Thank you Laura. I have managed to stay on top of my finances this last few months too. 🙂
Thank you. I love reading about how to save money. There’s always money to be saved.
Saving money is so important right now. Even a small amount, even I could do better with my savings. Thank you for reading Hong 🙂
Great tips! It’s amazing how much you can save at the grocery store when you buy bulk food items. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Tiffany ? it really is so much better bulk buying some times. We started doing that last year and that won’t change moving forward
Any money I have been saving on going out I have been putting aside for an emergency fund.
I’ve been saving as much as I can. That’s one positive to come out of all this
Great tips! So glad I come across this because everyone is always going on on social media about how much lockdown has saved them and I am like, “what?”.
Thank you Kelly ? I’m glad you found it useful
Many people are struggling finacially right now so some good advice here.
Thank you Rosie. ?
One thing I don’t have is a credit card, but I know I need to get one as I know it will help my credit score, a great post full of helpful advice! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
We don’t have credit cards either at the moment due to our younger self’s and stupidity. Wish I did sometimes. Glad it was helpful
Really great tips that I know so many people need these days (myself included). Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Molly, such strange times.