You might have found yourself using your car more in recent months. With more people heading back to the office or out for day trips over the summer holidays, increasing petrol costs are really starting to hurt. In order to make your car more fuel efficient, consider: 

We’re sure you know about other suggestions such as shop around to find the cheapest petrol station in your area, use a loyalty scheme for your purchases and listen to your car to make sure you know when there is a fault. 

There are many ways to be a savvy shopper when you head to the supermarket. There are of course the classic tips such as; always write a list, never go shopping when you’re hungry and shop around for the best deals.  

But did you know that it can be beneficial to look up and down? Research has shown that supermarkets tend to place their most profitable products at eye level so that we are drawn to them. You may find something more purse friendly on the top or bottom shelf.  

On a similar note, pay close attention to the price tags on the shelves. Try comparing the ‘per 100g’ or ‘per KG’ prices as opposed to the main price to make sure that you’re getting the best deal.  

Have you ever tried the Downshift Challenge? It involves going down a brand when shopping to see if you can save some money. For example, instead of Heinz beans, try Morrisons own brand. Or switch from their own brand to their Savers range. You might find that the ‘lesser’ brands are just as good, if not better, than their more expensive counterparts. 

Arguably one of the most talked about price hikes this year has been the cost of energy. The increase in the energy price cap earlier this year has seen prices sky rocket.  

A quick and easy tip, which may not be too useful with the summer weather, is to heat the human not the home. Instead of heading to put the heating on when you start to feel cold, add layers such as extra clothing or a blanket. 

When cooking, try using a smaller device such as a microwave or Air Fryer instead of the oven. The simple reason for this is that, as they are smaller devices, they take less energy to reach your desired cooking temperature. They also cook your food quicker. 

When doing your washing, make sure that the machine is full before you switch it on. If possible, wait for a warm day so that you can hang your washing up outside to air dry. This helps your washing machine to be more energy efficient and reduces your use of a tumble dryer. 

If you want to save money, it makes sense to keep track of your finances so that you know exactly what is coming in and going out each month. Make sure that you keep track of all the payments that you make on a regular basis to ensure that prices are staying affordable. It may also be worthwhile taking note of any subscription services you are paying for and determining whether it’s worth having all of them. Do you need Netflix and Amazon Prime?  

If you’re looking to make a little extra money, try having a clear out and selling your unwanted items. You can sell old clothes through apps such as Depop and Vinted or you can sell old books and bric-a-brac on eBay. You’ll be surprised at how much you could make selling off your kids’ old Lego sets and your old DVDs! 

Once you’ve had your clear out, try to save that money, don’t spend it! It can be very tempting to browse online stores or to check out the offers that are sitting in your email inbox. How often have you bought something simply because you were sent a voucher? As soon as you get a new email, scroll to the bottom and click unsubscribe, then turn off the notifications on your shopping apps. If you reduce the temptation, you’ll hopefully reduce your unnecessary spending. 

And now for our final tip. When you go to make a non-essential purchase, ask yourself a few questions.  

We hope that some of these tips can help you combat the rising cost of living and help make life a little easier for you. However, if you are struggling and need some advice regarding your finances, please don’t hesitate to get in touch to see how we can make your money change your world.