How To Save Money - 100+ Best ways to Save Cash in 2024

How to save money in 2024, Whether you’re saving up for a big spend item, reaching a savings goal, or paying off debt. Cutting down on your everyday costs is the best way to do more with the money you have. 

 

Saving money doesn't mean depriving yourself of anything, it's about shopping savvy, cutting costs reasonably, and making easy changes.  So if you're feeling the pinch, making a few easy changes to your spending can save you hundreds of £££s a year! Here are the best money saving tips for 2024...

You can cut costs in so many ways across multiple categories, which is why I have grouped the money saving ideas for each area of your budget. Simply use the tips that are relevant to you...

Save Money On Food & Groceries

1 - Create a Food Budget

Work out a realistic budget each week and stick to it - the more stringent you are with your budget, the less likely you are to go over it.  This: Free Printable Grocery Budget Template is just the thing you need to get started.

2 - Meal Plan

To stop overspending on your food shopping, you need to create a weekly (or monthly) meal plan. This method has cut our food spending by thousands of pounds a year.  This: Free Printable Meal Plan is just the thing you need to get started.

3 - Buy Value Products

Most Value foods taste the same as the branded products with the only difference being the packaging. If the packaging is what pus you off, you can always mask your food shop.  Here's how to food shop cheaply and get away with it. 

4 - Clever Cooking

Seek out budget recipe ideas online, there are 100s out there, especially on Pinterest.

5 - Use Leftovers

Don't throw away any leftovers. Pop them in a tub to freeze for another day or in the fridge to use for tomorrow's lunch. 

6 - Fakeaway

Takeaways cost an absolute fortune these days, so why not try to recreate your favourite feast yourself? Again there are plenty of Fakeaway recipes out there to choose from and you could save yourself up to 50% of the cost.

7 - Shop at Budget Supermarkets

By Shopping at Iceland, Aldi and Lidl you can save up to 30% on your shopping bill compared to supermarkets like Waitrose, Asda, and Morrisons.  You can also try out Approved Food, which sells food close to/past its sell-by for a third of the RRP.

8 - Don't Stick To One Supermarket

If there are certain products you must have and they're not currently on offer at the supermarket you're using, have a quick check online to see if they're on offer elsewhere. 

9 -  Use a Food Waste App

You can Reduce Food Waste & Get Cheap Meals with the 'Too Good to Go' APP. It's free and available on Android and Apple.  The app distributes food that food outlets usually throw out at the end of the day for a quarter of the price.

10 - Purchase Reduced Items

Supermarkets reduce perfectly edible food at different points throughout the day.  Both fresh and frozen can be popped in the freezer to use at a later date, enabling you to get your hands on some seriously cheap scran.

11 - Grow your Food

All you need is a bag of compost and a few seeds and you can eat for free.  If you don't have room for a veg patch you can even use old wellies, buckets, hanging baskets and window boxes.

12 - Packed Lunches

You can save £3 - £5 per day (per person) by making a packed lunch, rather than eating out when you're at work or the children are at school.  You can even take packed lunches on days out to make costly family outings a little cheaper. 

13 - Use a Slow Cooker

It costs around 10p to use a slow cooker for around eight hours - while using an oven will cost far more at 30p for one hour.

14 - Drink More Tap Water

Whether in a refillable bottle or at restaurants, drinking more water means spending less money on beverages like pop, juice, and tea. Tap water is just as clean as bottled water and it’s also free.

15 - Go on a Diet

Food is the single most expensive thing the average UK has to budget for, second to rent.  Going on a diet can save you a fortune when done right. You can save up to £100 a month alone on takeaways. 

16 - Never Shop When Hungry

It's a huge no-no to go food shopping when you are starving because you will almost certainly spend way over your budget.  Do a big shop once a week (after you have eaten) to avoid impulse buys!

17 - Learn the Difference Between 'best before' and 'use by' Dates

So much food gets wasted because people don’t know what’s safe to eat and what isn’t, a little research in food education can save you a fortune. 

18 - Save on Your Phone

Download supermarket cashback apps like Shopmium or CheckoutSmart for cashback offers and freebies.

19 - Sign up for loyalty schemes

Supermarket loyalty schemes such as Tesco Clubcard or Sainsbury's Nectar card offer fantastic rewards such as money off when you swipe, coupons, and cardholder-only offers.

 

You might also like: 15 Easy Ways to Lower Your Food Shop Budget

 

Save Money On Travel & Days Out

20 - TasteCard

Get 2 for 1 or 50% off thousands of restaurants with a tastecard. This card also entitles you to 40% off cinema tickets and up to 50% off UK attractions. Try the tastecard for £1

21 - Cheap Travel Agents

Some online travel agencies are cheaper than others, by a mile! I personally can't recommend LoveHolidays enough, they are by far the most affordable travel agents out there right now.  Comparison websites such as TravelSupermarket are also good to check out before you commit to any large travel purchases.

 

See The 10 Best Websites to Find Cheap Holidays for the very best pick.

 

22 - Holiday out of Season

If you are free to travel at any time of the year, Take a holiday when others can't, such as before the school holidays in May and June and you'll get a better price.

23 - Cheaper Destinations

You can get some serious deals on holidays right now in beautiful countries such as Turkey and Tunisia, these have the bonus of being boiling in April, where there are two weeks of half-term to travel in and flights are usually around 40% cheaper. 

24 - UK Breaks

If you're looking for a UK break in a hotel then Groupon is one of the cheapest you're going to find. Just look at the city you fancy and see what hotel breaks you can find.

25 - Use Offers on Theme Parks

UK based Theme parks and Attractions don't come cheap, but there are plenty of ways to save money when planning the day out with your children. Check out these 10 Ways To Save Money at Theme Parks & UK Attractions 

26 - Free Days Out

Going out for the day needn't cost you anything at all, we have a huge guide of free places to visit in the UK. Check it out: 75 Free & Cheap Things to do with the Kids in the Summer Holidays 

27 - Group Discounts

Most attractions in the UK offer Group discounts, so team up with friends and family to buy tickets in bulk to make extra savings.

28 - Free Child Places

If you can't book late, book as early as possible. Travel agents such Tui release their free child places in April & May. So if you can get your deposit ready and get there when the next year's holidays are released you have more chance of bagging a free child place.

29 - Late Deals

If you're in the position to book late, then definitely do it. You can save up to 50% by booking your holiday

 

You Might Also Like: Save Money when Booking a Holiday Abroad or in the UK

 

 

Save Money When Shopping Online

30 - Abandon Your Basket

Put the items you wish to purchase into your basket, then quit the website and take it no further, a lot of companies will then send you an email shortly afterwards with a juicy voucher code to tempt you into completing your order.

31 - Click & Collect

If there's no free postage option, check to see if the retailer offers a Click & Collect service for free, especially for smaller purchases where P&P costs can double your purchase. 

32 - Earn While You Spend

When you shop online use cashback websites to get money back from your purchases by going through. Topcashback and quidco have nearly all the UK's major retailers for you to choose from, as well as utilities, Insurances, and more.

33 - Shop Smart

Amazon and eBay are well known for being the main shopping website for deals. Always check out if the product you wish to purchase can be found on these first.  When shopping in-store, always check out the sale rail and reduced section.

Here's a comprehensive guide on How to find Deals when Shopping Online

34 - Sign up for Newsletters

There's usually a voucher code on offer when signing up for newsletters, it's always worth a try before you make a purchase.

35 - Use Voucher Codes

Always check to see if there's a voucher code available before you make any online purchases, so you can get a further discount, a free gift to sweeten the deal or even a free delivery code - which can be great for smaller orders.

 

Save Money on Utilities

36 - Cut Down on Electric

We waste an inordinate amount of cash simply by not turning off sockets when they're not in use, leaving lights on when we're not in the room, and turning on the heating before popping on extra clothes.  

37 - Use Price Comparison Websites 

Before buying any insurance product, Price comparison websites such as Confused.com should be your first port of call, just remember that not all companies are listed, including three of the biggest: Direct Line, Zurich, and Aviva.

38 - Ditch Your TV Licence

Do you REALLY need a TV license? - If not you could save almost £150 a year. If you only watch catch-up TV such as 4 on Demand and ITV Player you do not need a license, so are all free.

39 - Get Paid For Paying Your Bills

Santander and Royal Bank of Scotland offer current accounts that pay up 1% - 3% cashback on selected household bills, such as gas, electricity, water, Council Tax, home phone, mobile phone, and broadband bills. 

40 - Cashback Credit Card

By shopping online with a credit card, not only are you getting the added 'money back' protection that credit cards provide, should you be scammed or buy damaged goods online. You can also be super savvy and use a credit card like Amex that offers up to 3% cashback on all purchases.

Apply for American Express

41 - Don't Auto Renew

Never let a contract renew - Look for better deals or haggle for a better price.

42 - Threaten to Leave

Got a Mobile phone, broadband, or TV subscription due for renewal? Tell your provider you're disappointed you have found an equivalent service elsewhere that is cheaper than them and you will take your business elsewhere unless they beat the quote.

43 - Switch Energy Suppliers

So finally took the plunge and switched energy provider from SSE to Octopus from £100 a week down to £50!  Once joined you get your own link to refer friends and MAKE £100 a switch.

 

Save Money on Travel & Motoring

44 - Use Uber

Compared to traditional black cabs and taxi firms, mobile taxi app Uber can save you around 50% on taxi rides in most UK cities. You get your price upfront which is great. 

45 - Keep Your Fuel Tank at 75%

Try to keep your vehicle's fuel gauge at 50–75% to ensure perfect fuel consumption - which saves money.  A full tank of petrol adds weight to your car, making your engine work harder (and gas-guzzling) to keep you moving.

46 - Keep Your Tyres Inflated

Making sure that your tyres are inflated to the recommended level will save you about 3% of your petrol costs - As well as making your car safe!

47 - Cheap Parking

Find a cheaper parking spot by using Just Park. Or make use of an unused driveway by renting out your space for commuters to use for parking, to earn yourself some extra cash.

48 - Buy Second Hand

Never buy a brand new car - depreciation is the biggest motoring cost you'll ever have.

49 - Split Long Train Journeys

Split-ticketing is a simple money saving hack that can save you 100s of pounds a year on your train fares! We all love a loophole, but when it's a legitimate one, it makes the deal even sweeter. 

50 - Cycle or Walk

Rather than driving or taking public transport, use a bike or even walk.  It's great exercise and free.

51 - Cheap Flights

Always use Skyscanner when buying flights. Skyscanner compares thousands of routes and providers to find you the cheapest deals.

52 - Cheap Bus Fares

If you catch the bus every day, a bus pass works out cheaper. You can get a free bus pass if you're on certain benefits, disabled, or a pensioner. You should also check to see if there are free metro/shopping bus services in your area, too.

53 - Car Share

Websites like liftshare.com or GoCarShare.com join up with people who wish to share long-distance travel in order to cut costs. You can also consider asking at the office if anyone wants to take turns driving.

 

Here's a comprehensive guide on how to get cheaper car insurance

 

Save Money Around The House

54 - Lower the Thermostat

Put your boiler into ECO mode or lower your thermostat on your water heater by 10°F. This alone can save you between 3-5 per cent in energy costs.

55 - Move Your Partner in

Sharing a home can save you so much money by merging your outgoings and splitting the cost. See these 10 Easy Money Saving Strategies for Couples 

56 - Re-Use Water

Bath and dishwater can be saved and reused for tasks such as watering plants and flushing the toilet.

57 - Rent a Room

If you have a spare room going to waste, why not rent it out? The income can be a very welcome addition to your finances. 

58 - Make Your Own Cleaning Products

There are some really surprising food products that will be lurking in your cupboards that are actually fantastic for cleaning - Check out our 10 Money Saving Cleaning Hacks To Hinch Your Home For Less

59 - Free Boilers & Insulation

Thousands of homes in the UK are eligible for a new boiler and/or insulation completely free under a government-funded grant scheme called 'The ECO Scheme'.

60 - DIY

Save on expensive household projects such as painting and fixing and do-it-yourself. You can find online tutorials and videos that show you how to fix almost anything and all for free. 

61 - Ditch the Dryer

The tumble dryer should only be used occasionally, not for every wash. When the weather's nice during the summer, dry your laundry on the washing line, and in the winter, use your banisters, radiators, and a clothes horse.

Save Money on Nights Out & Entertainment

62 - Have a Romantic Night in

You don't have to go out to have a good time, try inviting over a few friends for a drink and some nibbles. Ask them to bring their own alcohol and you can have a great evening in for 75% less of the costs of going out. 

63 - Book Swap

Once you've read a book, ask around if anyone would be willing to swap it for a book of theirs that you haven't read yet, rather than you both buying a new one.

64 - Free Cinema Tickets

Check out our comprehensive guide on getting free cinema tickets. You can also get 2-for-1 cinema tickets for an entire year by simply making a purchase via Compare the Market with its Meerkat Movies scheme. The best part? It includes travel insurance, which you can get for under £2 which is great if you weren't going to use the service anyway!

65 - Free Tickets & Events

Studio audience tickets are a great opportunity for a free night out, with the added bonus that you get to see what happens behind the scenes at your favourite TV shows.  Here's a comprehensive guide on How to get Free Audience Tickets for TV shows

66 - Work Out From Home

The average gym membership in the UK is £15 per month for budget gyms and upwards of £30 per person for council-run gyms. There are so many ways you can work out for free from home and out in your local area.

67 - Only Take Cash

Leave your cards at home and only take out the cash you have budgeted for the evening with you, that way, you're sure to never go over budget. After a few drinks, we're all guilty of being a little free-spirited and reckless with our debit/credit card.

68 - Take Munchies With You

Cinemas and Theaters charge a fortune for drinks and sweets, so pop into the supermarket or corner shop beforehand to buy your snacks.

 

Seasonal Money Saving Ideas

69 - Get Creative

For birthdays and celebrations like Christmas, get the kids involved with making handmade cards, gifts and decorations from items you can go out collecting for free, or items you already have at home.

70 - Pot-Luck Party Buffets

Whenever you throw a party or BBQ at your house, ask people to contribute by bringing a plate of food.  Most people are happy to bring something along to help out.

71 - Recycle Unwanted Gifts

Whether it's Christmas or Birthdays, we're all given gifts we would never use.  If you can't take them back or exchange them for something you want, simply re-gift them.

71 - Buy Decorations Straight after the Season.

Things like Christmas and Easter decorations go on sale the day after the event, meaning you can pick up some great items ready to put away for next year. 

72 - Cut Down on Buying Gifts

There's always someone's birthday or a celebration to buy for.  Explain to your friends and family that you would rather they didn't buy gifts for you and you won't buy for them - you'll be surprised how many people are in the same position and will be happy with the deal. 

 

Here is how you can 20 Ways to Save Money on Your Summer BBQs

 

General Money Saving

73 - Repair Clothes

Don't throw out old clothes simply because they have a small tear or a button missing.  You can pick up a sewing kit for around £2 in any discount store, which can fix an unlimited amount of clothing - saving you a small fortune. 

74 - Penny Jar

Get a jar suitable for saving small change in and always pick up any change you see lying around on the ground outside to pop into your pot.  You'll be surprised how quickly it adds up. 

75 - Cancel Unused Memberships

Ditch those unneeded digital and online subscriptions you don't use anymore such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Gym Memberships, and Sky extras. 

75 - Share Subscriptions

If you don't want to ditch digital and online subscriptions such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Sky extras - why not share them with a friend or family member? You both get all of the entertainment for half of the price. 

76 - Kick a Bad Habit

Smoking, drinking, and recreational drugs are the biggest money burners. Costing upwards of £2000 per year each. By giving one (or all up) not only will you be saving money, but also your health. 

77 - Don't pay for Software

Almost every software you can purchase has a suitable free alternative, check out FileHippo.com for a safe place to download and always check what's free instead of a paid version. For example, I use openoffice.org rather than Microsoft Word which costs upwards of £100 - and is exactly the same.

78 - Follow Us Online

If you're always on your social media, following money saving bloggers and deal websites is a great idea to get tips and bargain buys straight to your news feed. Here's our Facebook Page and Facebook Group which you should be part of. 

79 - Sign Up for Emails

Sign up to our (and all your favourite retailers) email lists and you'll get the very best deals and voucher codes sent straight to your inbox every week.

80 - Buy own-brand Medicines

When buying over-the-counter medicines, don't be fooled by the packaging. As long as the active ingredient (and the amount of it) is the same, it's the same! You will save a minimum of 50% on the branded medication by doing this.

81 - Trim the Price of Haircuts

For the lads, consider buying a clipper set and doing their trims yourself from home, and for the ladies find a local training school or ask if your usual mop shop needs hair models. You can get free of seriously discounted cuts by letting people train on you (supervised by a trained stylist) 

82 - Buy Second Hand

One man's trash is another man's treasure! You can pick up amazing toys, household items, gadgets, and hardly worn clothes by subscribing to your local Facebook ‘sale or swap’ site.

83 - Buy in Bulk

If you have favourite items that you use frequently, then see if you can purchase them in bulk at places like Costco or a local supplier. You can also stock up when your local supermarket reduces them or puts them on offer. 

84 - Work More

When you're working a lot, not only are you making more money - there's not much time left to shop and spend money. So stay busy and pursue a career you love.

85 - Borrow Items

While it’s always great to have something new, consider what you can borrow. If it's something you will only need for a short time, or will only use once, ask friends and family if they have it to lend before you fork out the cash. 

86 - Stock Up

If you see a shelf full of seriously discounted items that you will make use of, clear it! Don't worry about what people think...I once had two trolleys full of pampers nappies when my twins were newborn that were reduced to £1 per pack and it saved me a small fortune.  

87 - Sell Your Old Stuff

Never give things away, do a car boot sale or pop them on selling sites such as Gumtree or Facebook marketplace. 

88 - Don't Miss out on Benefits

Your circumstances may entitle you to benefits such as universal credit, council tax benefits, and housing benefits, you can use the Entitledto website for a comprehensive calculator which allows you to quickly check every benefit you may be entitled to.

89 - Take the 'No Spend' Challenge

Have at least one no-spend challenge period. This can be one month per year, one week per month, one day per week or whatever suits your circumstances. We have created a free printable challenge pack to help you on your journey and a handy guide on how to start and complete the money saving challenge that is sweeping the UK.  Take the No Spend Challenge today!

90 - New for Old

91 - Get Freebies

Everyone loves getting Free Stuff, websites Freecycle and Freegle are online recycling communities where people give away things they no longer use. These are great for picking up freebies of all kinds, from toys and clothes to bigger items such as beds.

 

Love Freebies? Here's how to Get Free Stuff Delivered To Your Door

 

Save Money on Eating Out

92 - Restaurant Deals & Vouchers

It's worth checking daily-deals websites, such as Groupon VoucherCloud and Wowcher, for restaurant deals before you head off out.

93 - Get Social

If you regularly eat at a particular chain or have a favourite restaurant, then sign up for its social media accounts. That way, you won't miss out on any special offers or deals.

94 - Bring Your Own Bottle

Plenty of restaurants allow you to BYOB - a bottle of house wine at a restaurant costs in the region of £10 - £20, whereas you could pick up your own for around £5.

95 - Grab a Doggy Bag

You paid for it, so don't let your leftovers go to waste, this could be your lunch for the next day.

 

Fix Your Finances

96 - Plan your Budget

Keep track of your income and outgoings which will help you work out how much you can afford to spend and how much you can realistically put away as savings every month. Use this Free Printable Monthly Budget Planner to help you set it up. 

97 - Cut up your Credit Cards

Credit cards make it far too easy to purchase things you can't afford -the interest is so high, that it's easy to spiral out of control into a vicious circle of only paying off the interest and never taking a chunk out of the money owed.

98 - Choose a High-Interest Savings Account

When it comes to your savings, use long-term bank accounts with higher yield rates for even better interest rates on your savings.

99 - Automate Your Savings

Setting up a standing order to go from your current account on the day you get paid is the best way of making sure you do save by automating your savings.

100 - Review Your Bank Account

Periodically go through your direct debits and standing orders on your online banking and cancel anything you can’t financially justify any more or may have forgotten about

101 - Transfer Your Debt

If you're making large interest payments on debt, it might make financial sense to transfer the debt to a credit card with a 0% balance transfer deal.

102 - Get a Free Overdraft

If you regularly go overdrawn, you could benefit from switching to a bank that offers a free authorised overdraft.

103 - Reduce Your Tax Bill

Never pay more tax than you have to. Make sure you are claiming all the tax reliefs you're entitled to. 

104 - Ditch Expensive Drinks

Most of your bill when eating out is made up of expensive drinks, try opting for a refill - and share it with the kids or even a free glass of tap water. 

 

As always, if you know of any great money saving tips you think we should add to this list, please let us know in the comments below...