Tip #5 – Liquid Savings

I’m going to say something shocking.  You might not want to hear it.  One of the main ways I save money is by….

drinking tap water

That’s right, tap water.  Not bottled, not filtered, but straight from the tap.  This is obviously only applicable if you live in an area where tap water is drinkable – but that’s the majority of the developed world.  Even when I visited China, where it was impossible to drink the tap water, tea was given free at restaurants, and boiling water was provided in most public places, including trains.  So bottled water was unnecessary!

I could go on and on about the health benefits of drinking water.  They’re enormous.  It’s sugar-free, fat-free, chemical-free (well, that’s debatable), but this is a blog about saving money.  The fact is it costs nothing to drink tap water.  Granted, many countries charge for water delivery to houses, but the cost is minimal compared with juice, coffee, tea, or (heaven forbid!) soft drinks. 

I’m going to go further, now, so bear with me.

Don’t drink alcohol.

Seriously.  It’s the most expensive thing you could possibly drink.  Simply cutting out alcohol will lower monthly outgoings significantly. 

I realize that this is all extremely horrifying, and you may be unwilling to go fully over to the “unflavoured” side.  So I have a couple of solutions:

1 – If you’re super-unwilling to drink straight tap water, or it’s not possible to do so, buy a simple water filter like Brita, OR fill large bottles with water from a source which you know is safe.  I did this throughout first year university when the water in my residence tasted horrible, and it’s a standard trick for people who have cottages or boats where the water comes straight from a lake.  As an added bonus, you don’t have to pay for filling up your water bottles from a public place J

2 – If you’re unwilling to completely forego the alcohol, set yourself a nightly limit.  Mine is usually 10 in whatever currency the country I'm in uses ($10, ₤10, €10… adjustable for different countries) and I don’t go above it.  That’s usually one or two drinks.  Nurse those for the length of the night, and you won’t feel hard done by AND you’ll save money AND you won’t get a hangover.  Win-win-win in my books.

3 – If you’re a soda- or juice-junky, I suggest you do your arithmetic.  Find out how much you spend on your liquid addiction each month by writing down the price of each drink you buy - in a restaurant, corner store, or supermarket.  Tot up the amount at the end of the month.  Have a minor heart attack.  Resolve to reduce the amount spent on it by drinking more tap water.

Tip #4 - Pick your loyalties

Loyalty cards.  We all have them.  But do we get enough out of them?

Companies like us to get us to sign up to loyalty cards so they can track our spending habits.  To be honest, it's a creepy thought, and if you're not willing to sacrifice your "privacy" for some extra goodies, then this post should be ignored.

But if, like me, extra stuff for no extra dough is really enticing, then the land of loyalty cards can be riddled with potholes.  The problem is, if you are "loyal" to too many companies, you will never get the promised rewards because you will have spread yourself too thin.  So, with that said, here some useful tips and tricks to keep in mind in order to maximise your "earnings":

1. Stick to your loyalties: only keep one loyalty card per use (ex: gas, flights, train travel, pharmacies, supermarkets, etc), and stick, when possible, to retailers which use these cards.

2. Do your online research: don't buy anything online without first checking whether one of your loyalty cards will give you points for the purchase.  Loads of loyalty cards are connected with many companies, and will reward your everyday shopping simply for spending two minutes to go through their website first.

3. Use a credit card which is connected with one of your loyalties: Many loyalty cards have corresponding credit cards.  My advice here is to be choosy and careful. Pick the loyalty credit card which will reward you the most, and use it as your sole credit card for your normal everyday purchases.   Then, pay it off in full every month.  These cards normally have huge interest rates, so it must be used with care and only buy what you normally would.

4. Don't tap into your points too soon: By chipping away at the points, you may miss out on the opportunity to spend them on something bigger.  Point redemption levels often get more favourable the more points you have, so it pays to save them up!

Happy loyalty shopping, fellow frugals!

Tip #3: Entertainment on a shoestring

Whoever says entertainment costs an arm and a leg is very very wrong indeed.  It’s very possible to get out and have a great day without spending much at all.  Of course, it will depend on your location where you can go and how much it will come to, but by being vigilant and taking advantage of opportunities, you could save yourself a lot of money and not miss out on a great opportunity.

Museums: museums often have free days, and some are “by donation”.  If you are able to donate, it is highly advised to, as this keeps the museum going.  However, it is not required and if you can’t spare the change, don’t feel that you have to!  A good museum can entertain you for several hours.  Bring your own baked goods and drink to eat in the canteen (which are usually open), or a lunch to have in a park outside to make the day truly special and just as inexpensive.

Theatre: theatre tickets can be pricey, and if there’s a particular show that you’re dying to go to, and can justify a high price, then by all means.  For example, I can’t resist a Cirque du Soleil, which isn’t well known for its affordable tickets prices.  But if you’re just up for something, anything, but are unwilling to pay a large amount for, then tickets bought on the day can often be a good way of seeing a great show without spending a great deal of money.  Discount ticket booths for unsold tickets are in several major cities, and standing-room tickets (for example at the Globe Theatre or at the Proms in London) can be very affordable indeed.  The key is to be flexible and prepared to be disappointed.

Movies: here again, the key is to be flexible.  Matinee tickets can be much cheaper, but are often not an option for 9-5ers.  However, summer brings such wonders as outdoor movies, which are usually free or very low cost.  Bring your own towel, pillow, or chair, and a picnic, relax, and prepare for a great evening!  Additionally, it often pays to do your research about the movie theatres themselves.  Small independently run theatres can be far nicer on the wallet than big-name ones.  They don’t usually offer 3D (but who wants that anyway?  It’s more expensive!) but have a nice variety of independent and blockbuster films.  Being flexible is again important, as they will have fewer screens, but it’s possible to get a great price and support a local business too!  And keep a look out for free premiers being advertised. 

Tip #2 Cut-price beauty

Let’s face it.  As much as I like to deny it, looks can sometimes be important.  But beauty treatments, to me at least, have less to do with the beauty side, and more to do with having a few hours of pampering with the phone turned off, where nothing else matters. 

Problem: beauty treatments are expensive

Solution: don’t go to the professionals

In the past few years, I’ve realised that student salons and spas are just as good as professional places, will take longer (more relaxation time!) and cost WAY less.

As a direct price comparison, last year I spent ₤87 from my birthday money on a haircut, facial, and eyebrow wax at a high-end salon in London.  This year, I’m getting a haircut, facial, and manicure and will be paying ₤28 pounds. 

The haircut is free because I will be a hair model for a student hairdresser.  The facial, at ₤18 pounds, and the manicure, at ₤10, are cheap because student spas don’t charge for labour, only materials.

Total savings: ₤59

Hair modelling opportunities can be found by searching “free haircut” or similar key words on local internet posting boards such as gumtree in the UK or kijiji in Canada.  Searching for student spas in your area will turn up results for cheap beauty treatments.

(Note: the cheapest thing would, of course, be to not get any sort of haircut or beauty treatments.  But I’m unwilling to give up my yearly birthday pampering)