As the cost of living hits a 30-year high we reveal how to keep your spending under control with these ten tips
THE cost of living has rocketed a 30-year high, with families facing paying out up to £3,000 a year more for everyday essentials including food, fuel, household bills and clothing.
Cutting your costs and keeping your spending under control has never been more important, so try my top ten tips to put the pennies back into your purse.
1) GO WONKY: Strange-shaped fruit and veg tastes the same but costs less.
TRY: Morrisons Wonky Potatoes 1kg, 60p at Morrisons. Save 29p on standard spuds
2) COMPARE PACK SIZES: Always check the cost per gram or per item to hunt down the best deal. It should be displayed on the price card in-store.
3) GO MEAT FREE: Bulk out meals with beans or tofu – or go veggie a few days a week to save. Each meat-free day of the week saves £100 over the year.
TRY: Morinu Silken Tofu 349g, £1.50 at Asda
4) SHOP OWN LABEL: Buying supermarket own brands can slash grocery spending by up to 60 per cent.
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TRY: Morrisons Baked Beans 410g, 39p at Morrisons. Save 61p on equivalent branded can
5) TRY ONE IN, ONE OUT: Need new clothes for yourself or the kids? Sell on the old items to help fund the new.
TRY: Sell on eBay or Vinted.
6) GET PAID TO SHOP: Use cashback sites and apps to claw back some pennies on every purchase.
TRY: TopCashBack, Quidco and greenjinn.com
7) LOAD UP YOUR LOYALTY POINTS: Join your favourite supermarket’s loyalty card scheme to get rewarded for what you’re doing anyway.
TRY: Tesco Clubcard, My Morrisons or Nectar at Sainsbury’s.
8) BE ADVENTUROUS: Switch from your standard meat to cheaper cuts which can be even tastier. Love fish? Swap cod for pollock and tuna for mackerel.
TRY: As the Morrisons Market Street butchers and fishmongers for help and advice.
9) STOCK UP: Buy non-perishable items like loo rolls and cleaning goods on offer and set up a storecupboard for your bulk buys. You’ll be amazed how much you save
Read more on the Scottish Sun
10) START A SAVINGS CLUB: Get friends and neighbours together to share the latest deals, swap food you won’t use and split BOGOFs and multibuys. Check out what you can get on the Olio app too.
Prices correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
February is Pride Month so support your local LGBTQ+ community through new site Queerys.com.
Launched by Ambulance dispatcher Jodie Kear, the digital directory showcases inclusive businesses across the UK ranging from finance firms to travel and hotels to arts and crafts to restaurants.
The platform also offers business owners a course on how to be more inclusive and firms which pass will be certified and given a green tick to help users identify them easily.
Mum-of-two Jodie said: “Being an inclusive place is so much more than having a rainbow flag sticker in your window. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, it can be difficult when heading to a new place to know which businesses are friendly, and which aren’t.
“This new website aims to help everyone feel comfortable and secure in the services they are using, no matter how they define themselves.”
See queerys.com
Jodie’s Tips for Families on a Budget
1. Search for LGBTQ+ discounts – they are a thing! Sites such as prideunity.co.uk and myvouchercodes.co.uk/pride are offering money off coupons.
2. Utilise LGBTQ+ safe spaces such as meet-up groups or on Facebook, They will help you build a supportive community and are great for selling or swapping items too.
3. Before you buy, check if a business is genuinely LGBTQ+ friendly by looking at their social media feeds.