We all have those essential items – food, clothing, shelter – that are truly vital to living a good life. Many of us believe that saving lots of money on these essentials is a tough thing to do, but that really doesn’t have to be the case. Saving money on life’s essentials can be pretty simple if you’re organised and you know what you’re doing…
Work out what’s actually essential
If you want to save a significant amount of money on life’s essentials, the best thing you can do is work out exactly what is essential to you. So many of us think that we must have new clothes every month or we couldn’t live without our favourite brand of beans when really they aren’t vital to our essential happiness or wellbeing at all.
Sit down and make a list of all your regular essential products and services and then try to weed out which ones actually are vital from the ones you could probably live without and immediately you will have made huge savings.
Shop online
A surprising number of people are still wary about shopping online because they think they could end up being ripped off or they worry it’s too easy to buy stuff when your card details are stored online and you aren’t handing over any cash. If you’re one of them, you may want to have a rethink because you can buy everything from essential medications like duac gel and HRT to groceries and household items like cleaning products online, and often much cheaper than you would be able to buy them in your town. Not only that but buying online allows you to compare prices more easily so that you can find the best deal for you.
Buy seasonal items out of season
Whether you’re looking to stock up on Easter eggs for the grandchildren, Christmas gifts for your partner or a swimming costume for your next summer holiday, you are almost certainly going to find bigger bargains and save money if you buy them out of season than buying them during the period they’ll be most in demand. For example, buying your next year’s Christmas Cards right after New year’s day is likely to yield huge discounts, and you can always get a cheaper winter coat in Spring than you can in October – it’s basic supply and demand.
Obviously, this means you’ll need to be more organised and get used to planning your purchases ahead of time, but when you see just how much you can save, it will be worth it.
Use coupons
There are sites that offer coupons that give you money off products. It is worth checking out a site like Groupon, top cashback or similar cash back sites when you are shopping to see if there is a deal applicable to what you’re buying.
Swap and share
Swapping and sharing items with friends and family is a great way to make savings on life’s essentials. For example, you could organise a clothing share with friends where you can get rid of stuff you don’t wear and pick up something “new” from their wardrobes and vice versa. You could also organise an informal local tool library where neighbours can borrow the tools they need from other neighbours who already own them so that you all need to buy fewer things overall.
Buy food in bulk
If you have enough disposable income to do so, you can save a lot of money on basic food staples like rice and pasta by purchasing them in much larger quantities than you usually would. It’s not just food either – everything from washing powder to toothpaste can be bought in large quantities for bigger discounts if you know where to look and it means that not only do you save money, but you never run out of things either.
Grow your own
Growing fruit and veg is dirt cheap, much easier than you may think and a great way to get some exercise – what’s not to love?
Go green
Going green is a great way to save money on your gas and electricity bills because more efficient appliances, LED bulbs, water butts and various other energy and resources saving devices have never been cheaper or more effective. Some councils even offer green schemes whereby you can get a grant to make your home more efficient, so it is definitely an avenue of saving money on life’s essentials worth exploring right now.
So there you have it – saving money on life’s essentials is neither impossible nor difficult. Yes, it may take a little more planning and organisation, but when you can cut back and have more money left in your bank account at the end of the month, it will be totally worth it.
(collaborative post)
2 responses to “Saving money on life’s essentials”
Great advice, Anne. During the Pandemic, being able to buy items online has been a real help. And the items are often less expensive than what I’d been paying in a store. We’ve definitely seen our bills come down the past 6 months. All the best, Terri
Every little helps with saving money because it really can start to add up. Buying out of season can save so, so much money, especially when you wait for the deep discounts and keep those things (Christmas cards, wrapping paper, table runners & napkins, odd gifts etc) stored away for when they’re next needed. The go green point is a good one too. Sometimes the initial outlay can be more expensive, such as is the case with LED bulbs, but they’re better value for money in the long run when they cost less to use and last far longer. Great suggestions!
Caz xx