9 practical tips for cutting your household expenses

4. Create a meal plan. A study has shown that 22,000 tonnes worth of meat is thrown away each year in Scotland, at an estimated cost of £140 million. It is estimated that each household in Scotland could save as much as £460 a year by reducing this avoidable food waste. Try creating a meal plan to help you avoid buying too much food in your weekly shop. By cooking in bulk and freezing the leftovers for another day you could be saving yourself time and money.

5. Review your TV package. If you have a costly monthly subscription, you should ask yourself whether you really use all the channels, or if you be better off ditching it. Providers such as Netflix or Now TV offer their TV packages without tying you into a lengthy contract, giving you the option to cancel if you find yourself not watching it much.

6. Keep on top of your direct debits. Do you have an old magazine subscription still running that you no longer read, or maybe you are forking out for a gym membership but cannot remember the last time you went for a workout? Direct debits set up a long time ago can easily slip through the net, yet cancelling them is easy to do and you can be rewarded with big savings for your efforts.

7. Ensure you are paying the correct amount of council tax. There are subsidies available to certain people which reduces the amount of council tax they need to pay. If you are a single person, a student, or have a severe mental impairment (or live with anyone that has), you could be entitled to a reduction of 25%  - or even find yourself exempt altogether - from your council tax bill.

8. Shop around for insurance rather than just auto-renewing. Just as with your energy supplier, unfortunately loyalty does not pay when it comes to insurance and you could save yourself potentially hundreds of pounds by shopping around before buying insurance. Comparison websites make this easier than ever, allowing you to get quotes from a range of companies at once whether that is on insurance for your home, car, or pet.

9. Ensure you are on the right mobile phone contract for your usage. You may be paying a premium for a host of features you don’t ever use- such as unlimited calls when you mainly use the phone for texting- or, a hefty data package when all you usually do is call and text.

While none of these things may seem big on their own, added together, huge savings can be made with little real-world impact on how you live your life. This money can then better be spent on paying off your debts or building up a nest egg for the future. 

If you are struggling managing your money and need to look at ways of dealing with mounting debt, call the experts at Scotland Debt Solutions today and take the first step towards a debt-free future.