guest post – Easy Ways to Save on Your Monthly Outgoings

There are few things that feel as worrying as the realisation your debt has grown far beyond what you ever imagined it would. The trick is not to let that feeling of powerlessness cripple you into not doing anything about it.

Unfortunately, there are no easy fixes to eliminating your debt. However, if you have a surplus of will power and are prepared to initiate some minor, but long-term adjustments in your life, you’ll find that your finances will look a lot brighter in time.

 

Take a day out to reassess things

Re-evaluating your financial circumstances isn’t something you can do in a few minutes. You’re going to need to take a day out and if necessary, ask a friend who’s good with numbers to help you think things through.

It can be a very painful first step to take, but it’s ultimately necessary if you want to eventually beat your debt and stay on top of your finances. Go through all of your bank statements, find out how much money you’re losing on direct debit standing orders and so on.

 

Change your internet provider

Unfortunately, a lot of broadband customers are irrationally loyal to their internet providers, which means that they’re paying for services that don’t exactly offer the best value for money. 

If you’re serious about getting your financial affairs in order, it’s imperative that you become proactive about making savings where you can. By switching providers to something that’ll get you faster download speeds and better value for money, like broadband from Virgin Media, you’ll make savings as well as have faster internet.

 

Change your energy supplier

A lot of people tend to avoid switching their energy supplier purely because they assume that it’s a massive hassle and somehow involves complicated procedures like re-piping.

This is, of course, completely untrue. All it takes is a few phone calls and a visit from your new energy supplier to change the meters. You could end up saving up to £300 a year.

 

A quick fix: get a lodger in

After you’ve employed the above long-term solutions to gradually beating your debt and you find that you still need a quick cash injection, you should consider renting out a space in your house or apartment to a lodger.

By advertising your spare room for as short a period as a month, say, you’ll be able to get a quick-fix cash solution from your tenant’s advance deposit.