We’ve saved £20k in ten months and plan on having £90k in three years – these easy tips mean you can do it too
A MONEY-saving woman has revealed how she and her partner have saved a huge £20k in just ten months – and they aim to have £90k over three years. Abby Dunsmure, along with her partner, is saving to buy a house and has shared her super simple tips which can help you save too. “These […]
A MONEY-saving woman has revealed how she and her partner have saved a huge £20k in just ten months – and they aim to have £90k over three years.
Abby Dunsmure, along with her partner, is saving to buy a house and has shared her super simple tips which can help you save too.
“These are just a few tips that have helped us over the course of ten months,” she said in a clip on TikTok.
But adds: “It will not work for everybody, this is just what’s helped us.”
Have a seperate savings account
Keeping your savings separate from your everyday account is a good way to hold you accountable.
“The last thing you want to do is have your money altogether. It’s easy just to separate it and that way you can not dip into it as easy,” she said.
This means keeping your bills and other expenses separate, making it easier to see what you’re saving.
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Think of money as working hours
This means, rather than looking at the total cost of an item, break it down into how long it would take you to earn that amount.
For example: “If a handbag cost £80 and it took you say eight hours to earn £80, do you really want to spend £80 that took you eight hours to earn?
“Personally, I wouldn’t want to get up at 6am and work an eight-hour shift for an £80 bag. I have better uses for my money.”
Ask yourself this question
When you are about to make a purchase, ask yourself ‘do you really need it or do you just want it?’
Abby says: “There’s a difference between need and want. Find the difference.”
She says she used to be an impulse buyer but she now knows the difference, and admits “it’s changed my life completely.”
Always budget using lists
“Lists are your best friend,” says Abby. “You need to sit down and set yourself a budget to see what you can realistically afford to save each month.”
When coming up with a budget be sure to “pay yourself first”
This means, allowing yourself a small amount each month to do what you want – this could be getting your hair done or buying something nice.
Switch to own brand
According to Abby, there’s no difference between own brand and pricey branded products – particularly when it comes to food and cleaning items.
“Some things you can notice a difference in taste but nine times out of ten you can’t and you’re saving a lot of money,” she explains.
Stop buying coffee
There is a way to get your coffee fix without going broke so Abby says to quit buying your favourite brew at Costa or Starbucks and make it at home instead.
“Get yourself down to Lidl, 80p for a box of 10 little own brand coffees, take a little flask and do it yourself. It saves you a tonne of money,” she advised.
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And don’t be fooled by tasty Pumpkin Spiced lattes – or other sweet treats – either as you can whip one up yourself at home for a fraction of the price
Abby picked up a huge bottle of syrup from TK Maxx for just £3.99 which will last a very long time.
Always food prep and cut out takeaway
Skip buying pricey lunch while out and about and take your own packed lunch instead.
“It’s unnecessary spending,” Abby warns and you can “easily prep the night before.”
As for buying takeaway, the thrifty Abby said she “can’t remember the last time” they bought takeaway, but they do budget for it every three to four months.
“There is no need to be having a takeaway or two or three every week. Save the money,” she says.
Work overtime
Ideally, we’d all rather work less than pick up more hours, but if you have serious saving goals the more you work the better.
If you have the option, Abby says to take on as many hours as possible which will help you get ahead.
Cancel subscriptions
It’s easy to sign up to multiple subscription-based services and forget you even have them.
But Abby said they cancelled their Sky TV package and now save £30 a month.
That’s £36 a year and in three years they would have saved over £1080 – just by cancelling it.
Buy second-hand presents
Abby says: “I’ve bought my husband a gym equipment set that was over £600 but somebody was selling it on a selling site for £140 so I saved a lot of money.”
She advised: “Go to charity shops, do your research, buy second hand if you can.”
Pay using cash
If you only take the cash you need, it means you can’t overspend and buy more on impulse.
This is where planning makes a huge difference as you’ll know exactly how much money you need.
Remember your goal
Abby says to remind yourself why you started saving, to begin with, and it’ll be easy to remain focused and continue saving.
Remembering your “why” is an easy way to stay motivated, so it’s a good reminder when you feel you’re about to splurge on something.
We also shared six easy tips to keep your home warm WITHOUT turning up the heating – and they’re all completely FREE.
And this couple saved £27K on their dream wedding and the all-night bar only cost them £5 – here’s how they did it.
Meanwhile, this woman says, ‘I’m a teen mum and I’m desperate to move into my own house so I use the Three Tin technique to ramp up my savings’