Saving money is becoming more and more difficult as the cost of living just keeps on rising. That dreaded recent announcement on Tuesday that petrol costs would be going up at midnight, the shock of realising three bags of groceries come to nearly R1 000 are things that can leave one feeling rather despondent, wondering how on earth to make one’s expenses fit one’s budget.
Here are five smart hacks that can help one start saving money right now, and they’re really so simple!
Switch off vampire devices
There are many devices in your home that can suck energy even when not in use. Your TV, for example, or phone charger and that energy-hungry laptop charger all consume energy even when you’re not using them.
By unplugging these devices when they’re not in use, you can save money on your electricity bill, not to mention protect them from energy surges when the load-shedding shift ends and the power comes back on!
Did you know that when a technician flicks the switch to bring your power back on, a surge of around 11 000 volts hits the system, and to the average home that runs on 230 V you can imagine what damage this sudden surge could do to your electrical devices.
Drive less and slower
Driving less has become easier with the transition of the modern workplace into a hybrid model, where many employees are allowed to work from home for a couple of days a week. This allows you to save on petrol costs, as a tank will go a lot further in the average month. And when you need to get out and about on the weekend, try and consolidate all the things you need to do into one trip – and take it easy on the road!
“When you drive faster, your car’s fuel consumption increases to power the engine to drive at higher speeds,” shares Keletso Mpisane, Head of MiWay Blink. “Add in more air resistance the faster you go, and you’re burning rands as fast as your burning fuel. Take it slow – leave earlier if you need to – and you’d be surprised at how much money you can you save!”
While you’re “not driving” around town you can save even more money by taking advantage of the rewards offered by an insurer like MiWay Blink, which gives customers cash-backs for driving less (not to mention saving on your monthly premiums too!) An app on your smart device measures the number of kilometres you drive, and gives you money back according to your driving behaviour.
“It’s so important to help customers wherever we can, especially in the financial strain that we are all facing,” says Mpisane. “We’ve made it possible for customers to pay as they drive through the power of tech.”
Leave online items in the cart for a few days
Online shopping is convenient, it saves time as you don’t have to go out to the shop, and it can consequently save you money too. But the challenge with online shopping is that you’ll often end up buying more than you intended to, on impulse.
A nifty trick here is to leave the items in your online shopping cart for a day or two. This will give your brain (and emotions) time to decide whether all the additional items are really needed and worth the money.
Review your subscriptions
Most of us will have moments when we sign up for an app because we’re working on something specific and need a particular feature, or we hosted and event and needed uninterrupted streaming music so signed up for a premium account – and then clean forgot about it when the urgency of the situation had passed.
But the monthly renewals continue – and so does the drip-depletion of your bank account.
Make a point of it to check in on your app subscriptions monthly – remember that even a small amount taken off every month can add up to a large amount in the end.
Make lunch at home
The mornings can be a rush, getting the kids ready for school, getting yourself ready for work – and it’s so easy to forget to pack a lunch bag for yourself to keep you sustained during the day. Easy then, too, to pop out to the shop to buy lunch (and usually additional snacks and drinks while you’re at it), or order from a food delivery service if you’re too busy to step out – which can be even more expensive.
Consider packing your lunch the night before, so it’s something that’s already ticked off of your to-do list in the morning. Cooking a bit extra for dinner and then packing the leftovers for the next day’s lunch makes it even easier. If you add up the money saved over the course of a month, you’ll be surprised that something as simple of this can be so effective.
