5 Easy Lifestyle Changes to Save Yourself Big Money

When money is tight, it’s worth considering a few changes that you can make to your everyday life to help save some money. It’s no use winning big if you cannot budget the money, and thus end up blowing it. You could make some cut backs to certain areas, switch to cheaper options or seek financial help if necessary. These five tips are simple changes that you can start to apply to your life today.

1. Ditch the car, buy a motorbike
   Many people are visiting their local bike shop and switching from cars as their main form of transport to motorcycles instead. This is largely due to the fact that a motorcycle tends to have less maintenance and insurance costs than a car. According to Investopedia, the price of a best-value motorcycle is ‘significantly lower than that of a best-value automobile’.
   In the long run, a motorcycle can save you money as you won’t have to pay so much for petrol. A motorcycle also allows you to feel the wind and sunshine on your face whilst saving you some big money long term.
2. Buy Used
   You can save a great deal of cash by choosing to buy used instead of brand new. Used items are often just as good as new and you will hardly notice the difference. More often than not, people donate or sell their items because they are upgrading to a different model, which means that the older item still has a lot of energy and time left in it. You can buy used appliances, electronics, clothes and furniture etc. Shopping online for used items will get you some great deals; sites such as eBay and Gumtree constantly showcase thousands of items up for sale, most of which are as good as new.
3. Stream Videos
   Paying for cable and TV licenses can really take a chunk out of your wallet. There is a way around it though – you just have to make sure you are doing it properly so that you don’t end up with a hefty fine. For example, many people don’t watch much television and instead watch their favourite TV shows on Netflix. It is cheaper to use services such as this to save money by streaming rather than watching them on cable. Cutting back on how much you spend on your phone can also save you money. Do you really need that £30/month contract when you barely use data on your mobile? Think about ways that you can cut back and then apply them and watch as your wallet gets fuller.
4. Couponing
   Saving money on the weekly grocery bill is something everyone strives to do every once in a while. Collecting coupons from newspapers or online can save big money when it comes to your shopping. It may seem like one coupon won’t make much of an impact to your weekly bills but over time you will notice the huge difference that can come from using them.
   Make sure you read the terms and conditions of the coupon so that you know exactly how and where it can be used.

5. Switch Off
If you are not using an appliance in your home then make sure you turn it off at the source. According to Energy Saving Trust, the average household can save £45 to £80 each year if they just took the time to turn off all of the appliances that aren’t being used. Filling the kettle with only the water that you need will also save money because boiling a full kettle takes up quite a bit of electricity. Adapting habits such as these will benefit your finances in the long run.