50 easiest ways to boost your bank account!

If you’re serious about saving money, why not take a few pages from the frugal lifestyle book!

Picking up a few frugal habits can have a massive impact on your budget and lifestyle, which is why we’ve decided to help you out by listing the 50 easiest ways to boost your bank account.

If you think living frugally means you’re cheap, then think again. Living frugally means to think carefully on how you spend your money, and if you follow through with our frugal tips, you will see a huge difference on your bank balance.

50 easiest ways to boost your bank account:

1. Create a monthly budget. Simply write down what you’re bringing in i.e. your income. Then list your monthly bills and expenses. By doing this, you can identify what’s going out and how much you’ve got left over to save.
2. Steer clear from shopping centres if you want to save money. There’s no point purposely shoving temptation in front of your face, especially if you’re a shopaholic.
3. Do your shopping online. Whether it’s shopping for groceries or clothes, doing it online can save you a hefty sum of money. Sure, they charge delivery fees, but you’ve got the chance to use coupons and discount vouchers which you normally wouldn’t get in store.
4. If you prefer to shop in store, then look around. Don’t just visit the one store, find a pair of boots and purchase them. Visit different stores and you can be guaranteed you’ll find the exact same (or similar) pair of boots at a cheaper price. This is another reason why you should shop online! Other websites can have the same item you are looking to buy at a cheaper price. Add your discount voucher to it, and you’ve got yourself a bargain!
5. Try to do a “no-spending” day. If you feel you spend more money than your bank balance can handle, try to go a full day without spending a single penny. If you’re feeling brave, you can challenge yourself to see how long you can go before you have to use your debit or credit card to make a purchase. Research shows that people who took up this challenge managed to save between £100-£200 in just a week!
6. Sell unused clothes or household items – use websites like Amazon, eBay or Gumtree.
7. Wait for the sales to do your shopping, but only if you are looking for something specific! Impulse purchases will smash up your budget and hurt your bank balance. If you’re going to shop during the sales, write a list and take it with you to remind you of what you need, not what you want.
8. Shop when the holidays are over. There’s always huge discounts that will save you money!
9. Always buy in bulk. This will stop you from running to the shops when you don’t have something at the time you need it.
10. Spend more of your dinner nights at home.
11. Consider downsizing your home or car.
12. Always budget when you’re shopping for the holidays or someone’s birthday.
13. Constantly take a list with you when you shop. As said previously, this will remind you of the stuff that you need to buy instead of making impulse purchases.
14. Avoid drive thrus and takeouts. (Unless it’s a Friday night. Everyone deserves a good takeout after a long week.)
15. Keep the heating down. Burning electricity will cost you!
16. A full freezer is a happy freezer 🙂
17. Don’t bin your leftovers! Wrap them up or freeze them for another night. You’re just wasting money and good food.
18. Only use the washing machine and dishwasher when full. Never put in a small load.
19. Have more meatless dinners.
20. Become a handyman/woman! If something breaks, YouTube it. There’s plenty of videos out there which have something related to your problem and they can show you how to fix it.
21. Ditch the dryer and hang your clothes. Use a clothesline or drying rack and keep money in the bank.
22. If you’ve got two or more cars for your family of 5, then stop. You don’t need so many cars (unless you’ve got a family of 10, then that’s understandable), but there’s families out there who have at least 2 cars when there’s only a few family members. Stick to one car and save yourself money.
23. Use public transport, your bike or walk.
24. Switch off lights which aren’t being used. Again, this is burning electricity and costing you money.
25. Get rid of your landline. People nowadays – whether it’s a business call or phoning a friend – will use their mobiles. Having a landline if you barely use it is just a waste of money.
26. Cut the cable.
27. Start preparing your lunches at home and take them into work with you. Research shows a worker can spend an average of £5 during their lunch break a day.
28. If you want to save money, avoid the queues at Costa and Starbucks. Make your coffee at home for free.
29. Unplug appliances you aren’t using.
30. If you have a garden, start using it to grow fruit and veg. It will save you having to buy them at the supermarket every week.
31. Stop buying bottled water every day. Buy one bottle and reuse it.
32. Cook from scratch. Although your “ready made” meals take just a few minutes in the microwave, they can cost you a pretty penny if you’re buying them nearly every day of the week.
33. Save your loose change. Don’t spend it.
34. Don’t buy to impress. You don’t need luxury clothing to impress people. You can buy clothes at a more affordable price and tweak them to suit your style.
35. Make your own cleaning solutions – using vinegar, baking soda and water – instead of buying them at the shops.
36. Do a savings challenge. See how much money you can save by the end of the week, month or year.
37. Cancel the gym membership. People can spend an average of £40 a month – which is around £480 a year – on a gym membership. Instead, why not try turning your home into your own personalised gym? All you need to do is buy a pair of weights, a workout mat, move the furniture out of the way and voila… you have your own private gym. Best part? Its free!
38. Buy furniture second hand. There are many websites out there such as Gumtree which sell good quality furniture at an affordable price.
39. Plan a “eat what you have” for a week. Instead of going to the supermarket, get creative with your food.
40. Keep an emergency fund handy.
41. Always stay organised if you want to save money. Don’t get sloppy!
42. Buy things which will last.
43. Stop constantly buying plastic bags when you’re doing your shop. Store your bags in the cupboard or in the back of your car and reuse them.
44. Shop locally.
45. Consider installing low flow toilets and shower heads.
46. Change your current lightbulbs to LED ones.
47. Drink more tap water.
48. Buy frozen veggies.
49. Stash your cash in envelopes.
50. The biggest tip of all: learn how to say no.

Happy saving!