There is no way around the fact that we are currently experiencing what many are calling a cost of living crisis. Prices are going up – very quickly in some cases – and wages are staying stagnant. That can make life very difficult for people, and most of us are going to have to cut back in some way.
This might be easy when it comes to luxury items, but what about essentials? The good news is, there are ways you can save money on the things you absolutely have to buy. Read on for some advice about how to make sure you can do this.
1. Buy Used
Everyone’s definition of ‘essential’ will be somewhat different. It’s true the list will include food and heating for everyone, but what else? For some, it will be fuel to get to work. For others, it will be TV streaming services because they need it for relaxation. Others will need electronic equipment to do their jobs or for their kids so they can do their homework.
No matter what your definition of essential might be, one of the best things you can do is to search for used items. Of course, this is not something you can do with food, heating, or fuel, but for most other things, if you buy second hand, you can save a lot of money and, with the right research, you can get items that work brilliantly. A good example is a computer.
Look for refurbished laptops and you’ll see you have much more choice for your budget than if you wanted to buy a new one, and in some cases, these old laptops won’t be old at all. It’s the ideal way to save money and still get the tools you need to live, work, or relax.
2. Buy Generic Brands
We’re all used to name brands. We recognize the labels and logos and we trust that when we buy them, they’ll be good quality. This is perhaps especially true when it comes to food – no one wants to buy something that won’t taste good and buying a brand name makes us feel as though we’ve made a good choice.
The problem is that the brands are more expensive. You’re essentially paying for all that marketing that made you trust the brand in the first place. It’s far better to buy generic, supermarket own brands instead. They’re so much cheaper that you can save a fortune on your weekly shop. Try out a few at a time and in most cases, you’ll see there isn’t a difference in taste either. If you don’t like the grocery version, you can go back to the brand name, but buy supermarket brands for other things. Experiment and save money.
3. Use Coupons
You can use coupons for just about anything these days, and they’re easy to find. You might like to use the free newspapers you can find (or that might be posted through your door) and clip the coupons out to take to the store with you. That works for going to a physical store, but what about buying online?
You can actually install extensions to your web browser that search for deals for you. This will automatically input codes into your checkout process so you get a lower price. You can also search in Google for coupons or discounts for any store you want to buy at. They might not always exist, but if they do it’s worth taking the extra time to find them and save money on something you were going to buy anyway.