5 Genius Saving Tips

New Year is a great time have a clear out and make some money in the process. Love eBay, but can’t be bothered with the hassle of posting the items? Well, try Facebook. There are loads of selling pages where you can sell those unwanted items, without the hassle and hefty fees. Search for the local selling groups, most areas have one. All you need to do is post the item on the page, add how much you want for it and include a photo or two. The buyer will then arrange pick up from you. But make sure you only meet in a safe place! I started doing this in August last year and so far I’ve made £1,525.

Items such as toiletries can really add to your grocery bill totals, so buying them in the sales can really save you money. After Christmas, Boots, Superdrug and all of the supermarkets will reduce their gift sets by as much as 70%, so this is a fantastic time to stock up for the year. You could even go one step further and stock up for birthday gifts throughout the year too.

Do you know how much your mobile phone bill is? Or how about your gas bill? I’m not even going to ask if you know when your TV licence comes out of your account. So few of us actually keep note of how much we’re spending and where that money is going. If you don’t know what and where you’re spending your money, not only could you be missing out on a savvier deal, you also won’t know where you could cut back. Regularly reviewing your current accounts or using a money management app can make a massive difference.

You’d be amazed at how much money you could save by bringing your own lunch into work each day. When you do your weekly food shop, make sure you stock up for your lunches too. Eating this way is so much cheaper and could save you more than £1,000 every year- enough to pay for your next trip abroad.

Once you know how much you’re paying for your utility bills, you can shop around for a better deal. There are lots of comparison sites available to help, like Uswitch.com, MoneySupermarket.com and Comparethemarket.com. I recently saved £133 a year on my energy bill. That’s money I can put towards something much more fun!