Budgeting

The best ways to budget

Are you worried about how you’re going to be able to heat your home or feed the kids?

Are you trying to stretch your money to last week by week?

We can help.

We’ve put together some useful tips and general advice below on how to manage your money better.

Create a Budget Plan

A good place to start when you are trying to save money is to get a handle on what you are currently spending. When times get tough with money it can be hard to keep a track of your bills. We know this can be stressful. Taking control of your spending will mean you can assess if you are spending more or less than you can afford.

Money Advice Service Budget planner can help you make an easy to understand and easy to use budget. Don’t worry, it’s free. All you need is a list of your bills (including your rent, council tax, utility bills and even your shopping receipts) so that you can include as much information about your monthly spends as possible.

Save money day to day

There are lots of things you can do at home to make savings and lots of other organisations are out there to help you cut costs. Here are just a few things that could make life that little bit easier:

Cut your energy bills

You could reduce your energy bills by switching your gas and electric supply. Apply for various discounts from your supplier or make small changes in your home to help you save you money.

Save money when you shop

You can find discount vouchers and special offers online for days out and food shopping . Search for voucher codes on the internet or visit websites like myvouchercodes.co.uk or vouchercodes.com. You can sometimes get great deals by shopping online or buying things second hand on websites such as eBay and Gumtree.

Buy low cost furniture and electrical goods

Homekind helps social housing tenants buy furniture and other essential items on affordable credit working with local credit unions. There are also many local organisations that sell refurbished and reusable furniture as well as electrical goods at discounted prices. To find you nearest furniture reuse store visit the furniture reuse network website.