It can be difficult to identify areas to cut back on spending and save money, if you're already surviving on a minimal budget. Fortunately, there are some simple money saving life hacks that you could use to increase your savings without having to cut back even further.
Whether it's switching off your lights to save electricity, or taking advantage of online voucher websites - these easy money hacks will help you to increase your bank balance whilst maintaining your current lifestyle habits. If you're looking for tips on how to save money easily and make your bank balance go further, continue reading to discover our exclusive tips.
1. Check your credit score (for free)
If you've had a credit or loan application rejected in the past, it's always best to check your credit score. This allows you to determine whether there are any mistakes on your credit record, and it can help you to decipher why your application was declined.
It's important to keep an eye on your credit score rather than making multiple credit applications, as applying for too many credit cards or loans within a short space of time can make you seem like an 'unreliable' lendee. As a result, you may end up paying more in interest and you may be unable to obtain credit at all.
Fortunately, websites such as ClearScore allow you to view your credit report for free. So, make sure to check your score to see if there are any areas for improvement.
2. Clear your browser history
For regular online shoppers, it's a must to clear your cache and online browser history on a regular basis. This is because online retailers can change prices and show you personalised offers based on the information contained within your browser history and cache. This means that you may end up seeing higher prices on comparison sites, and you may see more personalised adverts and offers, thus encouraging you to spend more.
Simply clear your browser history and cache every so often, and you'll take advantage of lower prices and save more money as a result.
3. Drink water before eating meals
This simple life hack will not only help you to save money, it can also to help you feel healthier and lose weight. At least 30 minutes before each meal, make sure to drink up to 16 ounces of water. This can help you to avoid overeating, as it will help you to feel fuller quicker.
This will help you to avoid ordering too much at restaurants, as well as avoiding overeating at meal times at home, thus saving you even more money over time.
4. Tweak your job title on car insurance quotes
Car insurance can set you back significantly depending on factors such as your age, sex and prior driving history. Despite this, there's one easy money hack that you can use to potentially reduce your renewal quote by hundreds of pounds.
By simply changing your occupation when looking at car insurance quotes, you could reduce the costs of your car insurance premium with ease. This is because some occupations are seen as more of a 'risk' than others, therefore, car insurance providers bump up their policy prices as a result.
Of course, you can't lie about your occupation as this could result in your policy being voided. Instead, you can find similar job titles that could see you paying less on your car insurance policy. This handy car insurance job picker tool from Money Saving Expert allows you to enter your current car insurance costs and job title, and offers suggestions for alternative occupations that you could use to obtain lower annual car insurance quotes.
5. Save money by splitting your train journey
If you're a frequent train traveller, splitting your train journey is an easy way to save money with minimal effort required.
It can actually be cheaper to buy several train tickets to get you from A to B, rather than paying for one ticket for your entire journey. Even better yet, you don't have to work out the maths yourself - websites such as Split Ticketing let you enter your starting and ending train stations, and they will calculate the cheapest route for your journey.
Whilst it may seem like a challenge to save money on a low income, or if you've already cut back on your spending. However, by implementing these simple, yet effective lifestyle changes you'll start to save money with ease. Simply be smart about your spending, employ our money hacks and you'll be one step closer to financial freedom.