With the cost-of-living crisis hitting us all, consumers are on the look out for new tips to help save money. Insurance provider SO-SURE has put together some ideas for small changes which they reckon could help people save over £1,000.
Be wary of discounts
Deals like “Buy One Get One Free” often lead people to buy things they don't need. Better advice for supermarket savers is to use vouchers and check the reduced section.
Switch off standby
Households could reportedly save £147 a year just by switching their electronic devices off by the mains, instead of leaving them on standby when not in use. Turning off vampire devices - those which drain energy even when not switched on - like satellite boxes, laptops, TVs, games consoles and coffee machines, could make some very useful savings year on year.
Track your spending
Many banking apps now offer instant alerts that tell you how much and where you spend your money or use a budgeting app like Mint, YNAB, and Goodbudget. Setting a budget and trying your best to stick to it is a great way to avoid overspending.
Supermarket downshifting
Making smart food swaps from premium brands to supermarket’s own can sve £100s. According to Martin Lewis, downshifting typically cuts grocery bills by 30% so even if you only swapped half the items, that's still a 15% saving.
Set up auto-switching
Although energy costs have reached an all-time high, using auto-switching can be a great way to find lower rates within this current climate. With many auto-switching sites now available, all you need to do is sign-up and they do all the heavy lifting for you, switching you over to the best provider every year.
Shop online in private
Many industries such as travel companies will use cookie and tracking data to monitor which IP addresses are looking at which websites and how often. Using this information, they have been known to increase the price of things such as flights based on a user's interest.
If you shop using private browsers, you have no online history and so you look like a new website visitor each time. And you could see original lower prices.
