With so many demands on our finances in these times of economic hardship, it can be difficult to squeeze out any money for luxuries or even to save a little for the future and this in itself can be very disappointing. The good news is that there are ways to save money, be rewarded for regular purchases such as food, toiletries etc or to recoup money where you may not have considered. Here are five ways to find extra money in your day to day finances:
Points rewards cards – There are so many rewards cards available in various different shops and if you are going to buying things anyway, wouldn’t it be nice to get something back? Buying your toiletries in stores where you can collect points can build up enough money quickly to purchase other items. There are even points cards available at some large department stores so you could treat yourself to something fabulous. It might be a good idea to create a new email address to sign up for newsletters and take advantage of any member’s only discounts while preserving your everyday email inbox. Points rewards cards are a great way of rewarding your loyalty so check out if the shops you frequent have a free card scheme and if so, make sure you sign up and don’t forget your card when going out shopping!
Check your bills – It is quite common to get estimates on power that you have used and if you have been paying the estimated bills, you could find that you have paid too much. Make sure that you give your reading regularly and keep on top of your energy usage by investing in an energy monitor where possible. With an energy monitor you can see the levels of power you are using and find ways to reduce it. It can be a great way to reduce your bills and put a bit of money back in your pocket. You can always switch supplier to bring down costs too.
Reclaim PPI – You may have heard the adverts on the radio or seen adverts on the television but there is a great deal of PPI payments still ready for reclaiming so check your old loans and credit cards to see if you paid PPI. PPI can only be reclaimed if it was actually mis-sold in the first place so speak to an advisor to find out if you can reclaim it.
Coupons and Deals – There are several sites online where you can find coupons to get money off all sorts of life’s essentials as well as restaurant meals, beauty treatments and a whole lot of other things so get online and take a look to see if you can find coupons off your favourite brands.
Tax Back? – If you have changed jobs once or twice over the past few years or have had a period of unemployment during the previous two or three years, fluctuating pay may mean that you have paid too much tax. Tax can seem complicated but if you keep good records of your income you should be able to find out how much you have earned and how much tax you have paid and with a little help from the HMRC website you can find out personal allowances and other tax information. If you work in certain roles or travel to various sites using your own vehicle or even public transport for work, you may be able to claim a tax refund so it is well worth looking on sites such as www.riftuk.com to see if you can claim back any money.
The best way to save money is to keep tight control of your finances wherever possible and you may find that there are so many ways to save money and it can actually be a fun task. Be in control of your money and stay financially smart.
Ben Freeman is a freelance writer writing articles on everything ranging from looking after your finances to advice on getting on in the world of technology.