It is Money Week, so here are some tips for ways you can save some cash without taking all the fun out of your life.
Do you really need a landline? You are probably finding the landline is ringing less these days. The calls you are getting are likely to be from someone trying to sell you something. Not only that, but if you have switched to fibre for your internet you have probably found that your phone company has lifted the price for your landline. So get rid of it.
Ask your electricity company if they will give you a discount, or shop around for a new deal.
Your insurance company might offer you a cheaper deal by combining your house, contents and car policies.
Make a shopping list before you go to the supermarket. Do not go food shopping on an empty stomach. Go after you have eaten - you will be less tempted to buy some treats.
Set up a 'bills' account so that your pay goes into that as soon as you have been paid.
If you spend $10 a day buying your lunch, you could be spending $2,500 a year.
So try making your own lunch. Yes, it is still going to cost you money to make your lunch at home. But you could save yourself $1,000 a year, plus you can cut back on the calories too.
Do you really need the latest big-screen TV or the new iPhone 7? Holding on to your existing devices through at least one more upgrade cycle can save you cash.
If you are upgrading devices, make sure you buy what you can afford. That does not mean putting it on the credit card and then taking months to pay it off. You need to pay the full credit card bill each and every month, otherwise the interest costs will quickly add up.
Using public transport more could also cut down your bills. If you are in a household that own two cars, you might consider whether you need both of them.
If you do manage to make some savings it is important you hold onto that money. Make sure it gets put into a retirement or long-term savings plan. Compounding interest means the money will grow to a much larger amount over time.
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