Coping with the costs of living and how to help reduce them

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Costs of living are rising and the reality is they are not rising in line with salaries. Many families are now feeling the pinch when it comes to their budgets and there is very little we can do to some areas.

I am always one to look around for the best deals there are, whether it be from food to bills. If they are increasing I will look to get a better deal, even if it means I have to switch suppliers. It is not always that simple though, there have been times where I have tried to move to a cheaper deal and there hasn’t been one.

However, not one to be beaten, if I can’t reduce costs there are always ways to make a bit of money back from it at the same time to soften the blow. Here are my top tips on how to deal with the costs of living and its rising costs:

  1. Don’t stay loyal – The reality is companies don’t offer their existing customers the best deals they have. For example, we are due to renew our car insurance and pet insurance, but both have risen. Just a quick reach out to the brand on Twitter and they have given us a better deal than last year and it is cheaper than the comparisons I got!
  2. Use professional advice for your important life decisions – Mortgages are expensive and the one area I have no expertise in. It is the one area I believe you need to invest in to make sure you get the best deal. Companys such as Rigby Financial is there to help you out with these important decisions, they also do corporate liability insurance should you own your own business. It is the same with pensions, these can have a big impact on your life in the long run. Don’t take decisions on your future without the right advise.
  3. Meal plan to help reduce costs – Food (and money wastage) is one thing I really can’t stand. I meal plan weekly for us to look at ways to cut our shopping bills down but I also use up leftovers wherever I can. So if there is veg going past it’s best in the fridge it either goes in dinner or in a soup for lunches! Meals that have leftovers are also used for lunches or go in the freezer for an easy meal another time. You can view some of our meal plans here if you need inspiration.
  4. Use cashback & discounts where you can – There is no shame in looking around for a discount or cash back when you are making your purchases. If we are going to be paying out for something anyway why not save or make yourself a little bit of money along the way. I prefer to use Quidco and have earned over £1300 with it since I started using it but there are other sites such as TopCashback that you can use too.

We might not be able to stop the costs of living rising, we can, however, slow down the impact it has on our pockets!

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