Martin Lewis and his MoneySavingExpert team have been instrumental in helping millions of people prepare for the rise in cost of living which is going to impact nearly every household across the country in some way.
The financial squeeze is going to get tighter this month as an estimated 22 million energy customers face the grim reality of soaring bills on top of a 1.25 percentage point National Insurance Contributions rise to help pay for health and social care across the UK.
But all is not lost. In the latest edition of the MoneySavingExpert.com newsletter, the consumer champion and his team have been working tirelessly round the clock to gather the very best tips, advice and savings to help everyone - no matter their circumstances - navigate and mitigate the cost of living crisis.
Last week, Martin asked his followers on social media to share any tips, tricks and savings success which could help others and now he and his team have sifted through the thousands of responses and created the ultimate ‘Survival Guide’ with a staggering 90 ways to help households survive the ongoing financial crisis - and save some money.
In a truly collaborative effort, the list has something for everyone to help them get through the coming months as budgets get tighter and prices continue to rise.
Martin explained: “For some there is sadly no route to cut expenditure below income, that fix will need political intervention. For others, we need a collective endeavour, to work together to take financial pressures off where we can. And that is partly behind this guide.
“The team and I were compiling it, and then I reached out on Twitter, Facebook and the MSE Forum to ask for suggestions we may've missed. The response was overwhelming and uplifting, 1,000s replied. We've added both suggestions and testimonials to what we had - and hope to keep building it.”
Earlier this week, the MSE team also shared a comprehensive guide on how to ‘Heat the human, not the home’, which is the definitive way to keep warm - find out more here.
The ‘Survival Guide’ contains everything from reducing broadband costs, topping up credits on your State Pension, making fast cash from a bank account switch, supermarket savings, checking eligibility for benefits and how microwave cooking could be cheaper than using your oven.
Not all of the financial support tips are available in Scotland, but we do have alternatives which you can find on the mygov.scot website here.
It’s also worthwhile looking at applying to your local council for a Crisis Grant.
This is a one-off payment and can't be given to support your income long-term. If you need help because you are on a low income, the quickest and easiest way to find out what financial support you may be able to claim is to use a benefits calculator.
These are independent, free and confidential and only take a few minutes to complete online. You can find out more about ones from Turn2Us, Advice Direct Scotland, entitledto and Policy in Practice, here.
Read the full MoneySavingExpert.com ‘90 ways to survive the cost of living crisis’ on the website here.
To keep up to date with the cost of living crisis, join our Money Saving Scotland Facebook group here, follow Record Money on Twitter here, or subscribe to our twice weekly newsletter here.
