Everyone’s pretty clued up on their saving basics – brew your own coffee at home, look for voucher codes, and shop in the sales.
But what about ways that aren’t so obvious?
From clever printing hacks to dodging ‘pink’ products aimed at women, we’ve compiled a list of some of the unexpected ways you can save.
Stop under-inflated tyres burning cash
Under-inflated tyres can increase fuel consumption anywhere between 0.6-3%.
But it’s also important to be aware that under-inflation can cause damage, meaning you may need to fork out sooner than you’d like on replacing them.
The good news is that many vehicles are fitted with electronic tyre pressure- monitoring systems (TPMS) to help keep an eye on this.
To find the right pressure for your vehicle’s tyres, take a look either in your handbook or at the sticker on the inside of the driver-side door.
But remember, don’t go by the maximum pressure reading on the side of your tyre. Always follow the manufacturer’s recommendation.
Get paid for saying what you think
Generate spare funds through online surveys. Research companies recruit new members to test new products and answer questionnaires.
All you need is a few minutes here and there to fill out some online forms and you earn cash for giving your opinion.
Good start points would be sites such as Opinion Outpost and Oh My Dosh.
Access free mental health support at work
The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy says 85% of us feel our mental health had been negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
But if you are struggling, you don’t need to suffer in silence – you may have access to mental health support through your workplace’s employee assistance programme (EAP).
These schemes are free, confidential and available 24/7 and offer immediate access for employees and eligible family members.
To find out if your workplace offers this type of scheme, contact your Human Resources department.
Switch off energy-wasting devices
After a long winter of lockdown meaning increased energy bills, many of us are looking at how to trim costs.
According to British Gas, we could save an average of £75 annually on our electricity bills simply by switching off our vampire electronics – those that continue to drain power when left on standby.
At night, or when not in use, try switching off devices at the mains rather than switching to standby.
Even better, plug your gadgets into an extension lead and switch that off at night, saving you the effort of turning them all off individually.
Think about printer ink
If your printer is out of black ink or toner, change the text colour to dark navy — you’ll be able to print more pages before you have to pick up a replacement.
What’s more, if you avoid thick, ink-wasting fonts in favour of slimmer ones such as Arial and Courier New, you will get more printing for your pounds.
Save your ‘pink’ pounds
Women pay around 25-30% more for toiletries such as razors and shaving gel thanks to the ‘pink tax’, according to equality campaigning group the Fawcett Society.
Retailers cost similar goods at different prices, depending on where they are placed in the store — so it could be worth a look in the men’s grooming section before you fill up your shopping basket.
Ditch the plastic
New research from the MIT Sloan School of Management shows that if you spend with a credit card, you are more likely to overspend.
According to the study, credit cards drive greater purchasing by sensitising reward networks in the brain in the same way as addictive drugs.
Cash payments do not activate the same reward network.
Use blue jeans to sharpen old blades
Fed up of forking out every month for a new razor? Or perhaps you are sick of sending your used blades to landfill?
When your disposable razor gets dull, try gliding the blade a dozen or so times along the grain of a pair of blue jeans laid out on a flat surface.
Doing this a dozen times should be enough to sharpen the blade, giving you more shaves for your buck.
Weigh before you buy
When buying pre-packaged produce – such as a 2kg bag of potatoes, for instance — weigh the bags before selecting the one you want to purchase.
The weight marked on the bag is the minimum required by law, and some bags will likely weigh in higher, even though they cost the same.
For more money-saving advice as well as chat about cash and alerts on deals and discounts, join Metro.co.uk’s Facebook group, Money Pot.
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Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
MORE : How I Save: The company director whose money ‘pot’ method has saved her £22,750
MORE : How you’re overspending without even realising – and how to stop
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source https://metro.co.uk/2021/03/29/nine-savvy-tips-to-help-you-save-money-this-week-14312724/
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