Money saving tips!

Up until very recently, I have been terrible at budgeting. Online shopping was my biggest let down as it felt like I wasn't actually spending money - just click a button and it's mine! That is, until I'd check my bank balance...

So anyway, I've started to realise that I'm going to have to stand on my own two feet very shortly once I finish Uni, so really I should stop trying to maintain a lifestyle that I can't actually afford and try to save those pennies!

Here's a few tips and tricks I've found helpful:

For your train journeys:

Invest in a 16-25 railcard: I cannot recommend these enough! They cost £30 for the year and save you 1/3 on rail fares. My card bought itself in its first use and with being at Uni, I spend a lot of time on trains when visiting home. Here is the link!

Split your tickets: Tickety Split is a great app that searches whether or not your train journey would be cheaper if you divided it into multiple tickets. It's not always a major saving but always worth checking! I saved nearly £5 with my last use - every little helps! Here is the link!

For your food shop:

Aldi and Lidl are the way forward: Honestly, you save soooo much money shopping at places like these. My weekly shop here comes to around £15, whereas in Tesco/Asda, it can easily come up to well over £25! I do my main shop at Aldi and then buy anything extra from the bigger supermarkets if they're not available.

Go down a brand level: If you're usually a Tesco's finest fan, try going down to the brand level below. You'll be surprised how actually they're just as nice as the finest. The basics ranges are hit and miss but it's worth trying as some are actually pretty similar to the so called 'better ranges'.

Write a shopping list: and stick to it!!!! It's so easy to be tempted and make impulsive buys but having a list will help you stay on track.

Scout out your local market: The fruit and veg are a lot cheaper and often nicer than those in the supermarket - plus they're so  much cuter to look around!

Do you need it?: I still pick things up impulsively but I do always ask myself this question and have been a lot better at putting things back!!

Buying Gifts:

Be prepared: My mum has always told me that if I see something nice in the sales, then buy it there and then, even if you friend's birthday is months away! Your friend gets something they like that's worth more and you stick to your budget - it's a win win situation. I've already started stocking up on Christmas presents!

Make your own!!: I wrote a post about putting together your own little gift box - have a read here!

Budgeting:

Be realistic: If you know that you always buy that magazine you love then that's fine, just factor it in. If you can't survive on a £15/week food shop then make sure you budget what you're more likely to spend.

Leave a little for the unexpected: Every month there's always an extra expense that crops us, so try and have some money aside for these things :)

Make note of the regular out payments: Your phone contract, energy bills...all the boring stuff - just whack them straight off your monthly budget..it's heartbreaking but it's going to go anyway :(

I hope some of these help :) Let me know your tips in the comments below!