I've been re-listening to 4:44 this week and it's inspired me to finally do a blog post on saving money! If there is something I'm quite good at it's being frugal so I thought I might as well share some quick tips, because making a few changes here and there can lead to some financial freedom! 

1. Bank Account

The first thing to sort in your life, if you haven't already, is where to keep your money! Yep, there are bank accounts out there that reward you for having money in your account and I'm not just talking savings accounts. Highly recommend you look into banks such as Santander, Lloyds, Tesco who all offer cashback for spending and for just having money in your account. 

On the savings front, most banks offer good interest rates for adding a savings account to your current account. Savings accounts are a good way to ensure you are putting a sum of money away on a monthly basis and you get a bit of interest. If you do this, don't touch it, your future self will thank you. 

2. Food

One way to save a lot of money is to limit the amount you spend eating out. Think about it, do you buy lunch out every day? You may think a £4 lunch isn't that much but total it up for the week, month and year and your spending just under £1K a year..yep £1k on lunch. Making a packed lunch will not only save you money but it will also allow you to make a much healthier choice (think about all the processed ingredients that go into store bought food...yep). And before you say you don't have time to make a packed lunch, well that's bull because you can literally make a packed lunch in less than 10 minutes! If you need some motivation then think about what that £1k a year could go to - a holiday in some exotic destination sounds a better choice. If you need some quick packed lunch inspiration click here. 

Another thing to do is buy in bulk - do you like a coffee in the morning from your local coffee shop? Again, total your daily fix up and you will see it's actually cheaper to buy a jar of coffee and make it yourself. Same goes for your afternoon snack, rather than going to the vending machine go to the supermarket and buy a bulk packet, it's usually much cheaper. This applies to everything from chewing gum to breakfast bars. 

Switching to a healthier lifestyle can also save you a lot of money - not eating crisps and chocolate will be better for your bank and your body! Trust me. 

3. Bills, bills, bills...

If you shop around you can usually get a good deal on almost everything, be it your TV subscriptions, telephone, holidays or car insurance. It's always good to negotiate too - if you have been a loyal customer with a company remind them and ask for a better rate, you will be surprised at the number of times you will get a yes! 

Sign up for a cashback service, such as Quidco and receive some money back on your regular purchases! 

4. Shopping.

Clothes

I used to shop all the time but now I really am not that keen, firstly I can't be bothered going shopping and secondly, the amount of clothes I have given away because I bought them on a whim is unbelievable - I don't even want to think about the amount of money I have wasted! Now, before I buy something I ask myself the following questions - will I wear this? Will I really wear it?  If so how many times? If I don't have this item, will my life be any less off? Asking these questions usually results in me not purchasing the said item! 

If I do buy clothing I ensure I can wear it in a number of ways with a variety of items in my wardrobe. When it comes to shoes, jeans, and bags I tend to invest in better quality pieces. Wait, I hear you thinking surely that costs you more money? Well actually in the long term it doesn't. My designer jeans, when bought in the sale, cost much less than buying a high street branded pair (at full price) and they last much longer so I don't need to buy them on a regular basis - makes sense? 

Another tip on the wardrobe front is to utilize eBay outlet - brand new clothing at half the price of the high street and you don't even need to leave your house. Bam. What more do you want? It's great for basics and quirky jewelry too.

Beauty
One thing I used to spend a lot of money on was face masks - I tried every store bought product to help my skin and you know what they did nothing. My skin looked bad. Ever since I switched to homemade face masks not only has my skin got a glow but my bank account is thankful. Making a homemade face mask takes no time - literally if you are eating an avocado or putting it in your salad then save a tiny amount and mash it on your face...not even joking. Leave it on your face for ten minutes, wash off and voila your skin gets a glow. Try this with a variety of products, eggs, banana, yogurt, honey, you name it. 

Other

Something else I love to do is read but rather than buy my books I just go to the library - what's not to love about free books and it also helps your local community! If you really like the book after reading it then purchase it. Again, think back to the number of books you have bought and never read again!

Switching to online shopping is a massive saver - the number of things you can get cheaper online compared to the high street is unbelievable! Google it.  

Try making the above changes and watch the wads of cash roll in rather than roll out. Leave your money saving tips below.

XxX