Simple steps to save £500 and more in one year

With household bills seeming to rise every month, more and more of us are looking for ways to spend less and save more. Thankfully, there are a few quick steps that anyone can take to make some easy savings. Here are our recommendations for some small changes that can make a big difference.

Change where you shop
For most people, one of the biggest outgoings is food. The easiest way to save money here is to look at where you shop - could you do some or all of your shopping at one of the budget supermarkets? You may not get the same range of brands or goods, but even just switching to buying everyday staples such as bread, milk, cereals and fruit and vegetables at the budget supermarkets will save you several pounds a week. As little as £2 a week saved adds up to over £100 per year.

Change how you shop
Another easy way to save money on food shopping is to create a menu plan and take a shopping list. Menu planning simply means working out what you will eat for each meal during the week and then write a list to include everything you need for the plan - and nothing else! This will help you be more disciplined while shopping and less likely to pop extra treats into the trolley.

Review your insurance policies
Great savings can be made for relatively little effort if you review your car insurance policy and any other household insurance policies online before you renew them. There are many different insurance comparison websites available, but all are easy to use and generally produce significant savings. Spend half an hour filling in your details online and you can usually find a great deal to save you money on your existing renewal price.

Voucher deals
These days, it’s easy to avoid paying full price for many things simply by going online and finding a discount voucher. Discounts are either available as codes for online stores or, alternatively, as a printable voucher to be handed over at the till. Discounts can be found for almost any kind of purchase, from theme park tickets to meals out. Serious money savers always check for a discount code or voucher before any significant purchase.

Cash back sites
Cash back websites are a relatively new phenomenon but they are an excellent way of making some extra cash without much effort. Put simply, these sites offer a cash back amounts (generally a set percentage of the cost of the item) on purchases you make via their websites. Get into the habit of checking for cash back on all your online purchases, from clothes to electrical to insurance policies, and it’s easy to build up a nice sum over the course of a year.

By following these five easy suggestions you should be able to save at least £500 a year, if not more. Simply changing a few habits can really benefit your bank balance in a big way.

Author Bio: Diyana Lobo is a freelance content writer by profession. She finds immense pleasure in writing Finance related article.