Help with the Cost of Living

Managing your money is crucial right now because things are more expensive in the UK.

According to ‘Statista’ 92% of UK households reported that their cost of living had increased compared with a year earlier and many people have reached crisis point.

We are keen to help care leavers learn how to budget for different things like home expenses, buying food and clothes, socialising, and Christmas.

Top Tips for Budgeting

When you need to dry your washing indoors - put a bed sheet over the top of a clothes airer. Place in front of a radiator and this acts like a tent to circulate the warm air.

If you have a broken item that you can't afford to replace, try taking it to your local Repair Café. A volunteer will try and repair it for free, they just ask for a small donation! You can find a local repair cafe by visiting your council’s website or you can search for one here: https://www.repaircafe.org/en/visit/

Keep track of your spending habits to identify areas where you can cut back. Use budgeting apps or simple spreadsheets to monitor your expenses. Being aware of where your money goes will help you make better financial decisions.

Ensure that you pay your bills on time to avoid late fees and penalties. Prioritise essential bills, such as rent/mortgage, utilities, and insurance. Set reminders or automate payments to stay organised.

Household & Bills

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Put up a rail in your airing cupboard to dry smaller clothing such as shirts and tops.

Create a monthly budget listing money coming in and out of your household.

Categorise your bills, such as utilities, rent/mortgage, groceries, transportation, and so on. This will give you a clear overview of your financial obligations.

Look for ways to save energy and water to lower your utility bills. Unplug electronics when not in use and switch to energy-efficient light bulbs!

Do not leave electrical appliances on standby - they're still using energy.

Buying brand new furniture can be expensive, so it can be beneficial to see if you can find it for free rather than buying brand new. There are plenty of websites where people are giving away items they no longer need, such as Freecycle, Freegle, and the Free Stuff section of Gumtree.

Heat the person, not the room! Use a throw, bathrobe, woolly socks, and slippers to keep yourself warm.

Don’t charge phones at night - a small amount of electricity is still drawn when a device is plugged in for charging. Plug in for a couple of hours during the day & unplug to save on electricity bills. This could save you as much as £30/yr.

Using shorter 'quick wash' cycles on your washing machine can save electric and water.

Household Bills and Energy Saving

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If you have a central heating timer in your house, then this is a great way to save money as this allows you to set a heating schedule. You can also switch your heating off at night and during the day when no one is in.

Don't throw away expired cleaning products - as long as you have them stored correctly, you will be able to continue using them.

With energy prices continuously rising, using the microwave rather than the oven could help lower your electricity bills. According to the Energy Saving Trust, microwaves are more efficient than ovens because they heat only the food — not the air around it!

If you are struggling to afford period products, there are options to help with period poverty. Did you know, you can ask for an emergency 'package for Sandy' in Morrisons to receive period products.

Using comparison websites to gather quotes on utility bills such as gas, electricity and broadband can help you save money by spending less with a different provider. Compare prices and look out for the best deal for you!

Is your current phone contract right for you? There are thousands of deals out there! Take a few minutes to check your bill and see if you use your allowance to the maximum. If you aren't, shop around for a cheaper deal!

Review your subscriptions every 3 months and cancel what you don’t need or use.

Saving & Banking

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If you need help with budgeting money, there are plenty of budgeting apps out there to help. Apps such as Money Dashboard, Emma and Plum allow you to add accounts from multiple banks, helping you to keep track of your finances!

Budgeting isn't easy, so find a way that works best for you. You could write your budgeting on paper, on a spreadsheet or use apps such as 'You Need a Budget' or 'Mint'.

Try and save using the new government scheme - they match 50% of your savings, giving low-income earners claiming universal credit or working tax credit a savings boost.

A lot of banks have the facility to round up card purchases to the nearest pound and add the extra pennies into a saver - it's a great way to save some extra cash! Check with your bank to see whether it's something they offer.

Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis has recommended signing up to the Chase bank account. When using their debit card, you get 1% cashback on all normal spending for 12 months!

The '50/30/20’ is where you put aside 50% of your income for essentials like housing and bills. 30% goes on fun things like meals out and holidays. The last 20% then goes into your savings.

If you would like to work out how much you spend on non-essential items and services, check out the Demotivator tool on the MSE website. This can help you to stop spending unnecessary money and budget better!

Water

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Are you lucky enough to have a hot tub in your garden? Use a Scum Ball to prevent the formation of scum lines and reduce foaming. They can absorb more than 40 times their weight in body oils and lotions, and it means you can refill less often.

Do you have dripping taps? They can waste enough water in a year to fill a child’s paddling pool every week of the summer. Get them fixed!

Install a water butt in the garden - they can normally store about 200 litres of water. As well as being better for watering your plants, using rainwater in the garden reduces the amount of treated water you use.

Visit 'Save Water, Save Money' for free water-saving gadgets. This helps save money for those on water meters and will help reduce energy bills as well.

Don't water your lawn - it won't kill it if it goes brown during dry spells – as soon as the rain comes, it will bounce back!

When boiling the kettle, only fill with the required amount of water. Heating appliances use a lot of energy!

Don't leave water running when you brush your teeth - you could waste approximately six litres a minute!

Use cold water when washing your hands in the sink. This can save hot water and the gas or electric to heat it up!

Food Shopping

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Use apps such as 'Too Good To Go' which offers food that's unsold but still in date from supermarkets and restaurants at lower prices.

You can find free food from local bakeries and supermarkets via the app Olio. Instead of throwing away leftovers, people offer it back to their community.

Preserve food in your fridge for longer by ensuring air can circulate around it whilst it's chilling. Don't overcrowd shelves, give food space to remain chilled.

Don't underestimate the savings you can make by batch cooking. On a Sunday night, cook a meal such as a chilli or a casserole and freeze it to use later in the week.

When doing your weekly shopping, try swapping out branded products for shops own branded ones. This can help you save money on your weekly food bill. You can also do this for products such as washing up liquid too!

Make a list for food shopping and try and stick to it - don't add things to your basket on a whim.

Collect leaflets and vouchers for supermarkets. Club cards and loyalty cards are essential!

Make sure you check what time your local supermarket stocks up on their reduced section. You won't believe what deals you can get!

If you are going to buy from the reduced section at a supermarket, consider what meal you will have it with. It is only a bargain if you are going to use it!

Food shopping on an empty stomach can lead you to overspend, because you will likely be tempted to buy a snack. Try and go shopping after eating a meal or a quick snack at home!

Use a supermarket loyalty card when shopping and check their websites on how to get the best value. Some vouchers’ value can be doubled or even trebled if used in certain places.

When you use your loyalty card at Supermarkets such as Tesco and Asda, they will offer ‘price match promises’ on certain items, making them cheaper than rival supermarkets!

When shopping, make sure you check out the supermarkets reduced section. There might be items such as washing powder boxes that have been damaged and are on offer at a reduced price!

If you fancy a takeaway, it is often cheaper to order food directly from the takeaway website rather than through an app such as Deliveroo or Just Eat.

When supermarket shopping, always look at the bottom shelves. The more expensive brands are at eye level and the budget versions are hidden below!

Many cafes and restaurants offer great deals which include free or discounted food.

Use a slow cooker to batch cook meals. Not only do they provide meals to eat that night, but you can also freeze them and use them later!

Socialising

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Instead of buying a bottle of water whilst you're out, purchase a reusable bottle. A lot of places have areas to fill up your bottle for free!

If you enjoy going out for food, check whether you can get any money off vouchers or take advantage of any special deals.

Instead of having a takeaway with friends, consider a 'pot luck' dinner where everyone contributes something to the meal - saving money on takeaway prices!

When going out to socialise on a budget, withdraw some cash from an ATM and leave your bank card at home. That way you won't overspend what you have budgeted!

If you are meeting up with a friend and don't have the budget to do anything expensive, suggest going for a walk in the local park or doing something at home such as a movie night.

Socialising with friends is important for our health and wellbeing. Try to put a budget aside each month for social activities where you can.

Try a clothes swap night - bring 5 items that have been lurking in the back of your wardrobe to swap with friends!

Clothing

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If you have some clothes you no longer wear, take advantage of handing them to a fashion retailer and getting money for them. H&M offer £5 off your next shop over £25 and Oxfam will give you a £5 M&S voucher to spend if you donate at least one item with an M&S label.

When you are looking to purchase new clothes online, try Googling discount codes as you could find some of the larger retail stores have promotions available!

Going incognito (known as private mode) when you shop online can help you save money by automatically deleting your browser history when you close a tab. This means companies can’t track what you’re looking at and put prices up!

If you are looking to purchase an item of clothing that you are unlikely to wear again, consider hiring instead of buying. That way you could save yourself room in your wardrobe!

Having a good clothing reorganisation could mean you find items you’ve forgotten you have. It could also mean that you have lots of pieces to either sell or donate, earning yourself some extra cash in the process.

If you're on any mailing lists for your favourite stores, look back through old emails to see when they tend to discount older or seasonal styles. You'll notice they follow a pretty regular pattern, which you can take advantage of if you're ready.

Christmas

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If you’re planning a purchase and have a specific shop in mind, you could save money by buying it with a gift card that someone else didn’t want. Sites such as Card Yard allow you to buy unwanted gift cards for 5% to 15% below their face value!

Try and start your Christmas shopping a few months in advance. This way, you can buy presents over a time instead of buying them all in one go.

The golden rule of sales is it's only a bargain if you were going to buy it anyway! Make sure you only buy what you have planned on discount days such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Ask your friends and/or family if you can do a Secret Santa this year instead of buying for everyone. That way you only have to buy something for one person.

If you want to make Christmas affordable this year, try setting a budget and stick to it. Check your balance alongside your monthly bills and work out how much you can realistically spend!

It can be easy to buy too much food over Christmas, so try and only buy food you know will be eaten to save spending too much money!

Make a list of who you need to buy for and whenever you see goods at decent prices, buy them and put away in a Christmas cupboard.

Turn2Us

Turn2us is a national charity that provides practical information and support to people facing income shocks and financial insecurity. They believe everyone in the UK should have financial security so they can thrive.