Woman reveals painless hacks that save £300 a month

Stuck in the pay day cycle, living from pay cheque to pay cheque with little or no money left over every month?

You're not alone. A recent survey of 1,443 Brits by TheMoneyPig revealed six in 10 Brits run out of money before pay day, with 29% having to borrow from friends and family to get by.

But Annie Ley, 24, manager of a coffee shop from Swansea, has used some clever, cash-savvy tricks which enable her to put away hundreds of pounds each month.

Her simple hacks involve buying everything through cashback sites, planning birthday and Christmas presents months in advance and sticking to a “three-day rule” when it comes to shopping.

Watch: How to save money on a low income

She also enters online competitions, winning everything from a camera bundle worth over £1,000 to luxury skincare and makeup, and regularly checks out freebie sites.

"This year I’m on a mission to spend far less and save much more in order to go towards a house deposit," Ley told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk.

Read more: Thrifty mum reveals food shopping hacks that saved her more than £1k

One of her techniques involve making a list and setting a budget before you head to the shops - and when it comes to reduced items, Ley advises you should only buy products you know you're going to use or are able to freeze.

“The best time to go shopping is at 7pm," she says. "But although the price is often really good - sometimes between 70% and 90% off - if it ends up going off before it can be used, it’s just wasted money and wasted food."

Another of Ley's biggest money-saving tips is sticking to the three-day rule.

“If there is something I see that I really like the look of but isn’t essential, I take a photograph or screenshot of it," she explains.

“If I still really want the item after three days then I will go back to get it.

“This stops impulse purchases and makes you really think about the price and whether you really need it."

Other wallet-friendly tricks she adopts include cutting costs on clothes and presents by purchasing them out of season and in end-of-line sales.

"If you know you have a lot of birthdays or anniversaries you like to buy gifts for through the year, try and plan ahead and grab some bargains in the sales, particularly after Christmas," she suggests.

"I tend to stock up on a few gift sets and stocking fillers which make huge savings throughout the year - things like beauty gift sets, puzzles, games and more."

Read more: Woman who saved £10,000 during first two lockdowns shares her tips for stashing the cash

It's also worth scouring Facebook marketplace and other pre-loved shops for unwanted gifts to snap up as presents.

"I’ve bought designer perfume gift sets for £5 from my local charity shop in the past, still brand new and sealed as well as books, box sets, and brand new clothing for a few pounds each."

Ley also recommends signing up to supermarket and store loyalty schemes.

“Sometimes they will send you double points vouchers or money off vouchers for products you regularly buy," she explains.

"But again, if you were not planning on buying an item, don’t get sucked in with a 50p off coupon."

By being more mindful of her spending and utilising other easy cash-saving hacks, Ley is able to stash away around £300 a month, which she is planning to put towards a deposit on a house.

"We all love a treat or a night out, and that is totally fine now and again, but using some of these tips definitely makes a difference."

Ley's top money-saving tips

Delete shopping and takeaway apps from your phone

By deleting shopping apps such as Amazon, eBay, Wowcher, Boohoo and ASOS, Ley estimates she has saved hundreds of pounds by not getting tempted into mindless spending.

“The same goes for Just Eat, Deliveroo, Uber Eats and other food delivery apps: I am far less tempted to browse and order food online now," she continues.

Check out food waste apps

If you do want something quick and easy as a treat, Ley suggests trying out TooGoodToGo, as you can get some real bargains on there. Some supermarkets also do boxes of surplus food for reduced rates.

"We got one box from a local Morrisons in the summer of 2020, which would have cost £68 full price, and came with fresh berries, tangerines, potatoes, vegetables and stir fry mixes."

Read more: Super-saver mum does food shop a year in advance

Avoid the lure of newsletter offers

While Ley recommends signing up to a website's email to take advantage of first purchase offers, she also suggests unsubscribing afterwards so there's no temptation to buy when you get multiple emails a week.

Delete your card details from your phone and online accounts

That way you have to get up and get your card to pay with it.

“This really makes you think about the purchase before buying," says Ley. "It is just too easy to spend online now, with Apple Pay and PayPal."

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Always look for a promo code

"I rarely buy anything online without a promo code now," Ley says. “There are some great apps and Facebook groups out there where people can share discount codes with one another, and some can be up to 25% off. Try desktop browser extensions, such as Honey and Pouch, which automatically search for discount codes."

Take advantage of free click and collect services

"Most online retailers have a charge for delivery if it’s under a certain spend, but they offer free click and collect service instead, so always weigh up the option, and if you can collect it yourself, do it!" says Ley.

"This can save £3 or £4 a time in delivery fees, especially if you are only buying one item."

Get cashback

By using cashback websites for those times you can't get a discount code, for example with insurance or websites that don’t offer promo codes.

"Last year I received £50 cashback on my car insurance through Quidco - which then covered the cost of the breakdown service for that year," Ley explains.

"Always read the terms and conditions though, as sometimes it’s only on certain products."

Over the past year Ley estimates she's had over £200 back from cashback websites.

Do a pre-shopping stock take

Ley recommends checking your cupboards before buying new products.

"Over the last week I have been having a good sort out of all my products, and I was shocked at how many 'spares' I had in my cupboards and drawers - the amount of toothpaste, hand wash, and bubble bath I have was a big surprise," she explains.

"Take an inventory of what you've got in the freezer, as it can be easy to lose track."

Bag a freebie

Ley suggests checking out apps such as CheckoutSmart, GreenJinn, Shopmium and ClickSnap which allow you to try new products for free.

"In the past six months, I have had over £200 of freebies from these apps alone," she says.

"There are also some great websites and Facebook groups which share freebies too, everything from free samples of skincare products or perfumes, which are great for on the go, to free baby products and more!"

Be in it to win it

Ley says many brands offer competitions and giveaways on their social media pages.

“When I had the time during the first lockdown, I entered a lot and I won thousands of pounds in prizes, from a camera bundle worth over £1,000 to luxury skincare or makeup prizes, electronics, toys, games, clothing, cash and gift cards," she says.

"There are also dedicated websites and groups that share competitions for people to enter."

Compare it

Ley recommends comparing everything, from groceries, toiletries and petrol to hotel bookings, insurance and bills.

"The difference in prices between retailers is shocking," she says.

Cut your phone bill

"I looked into my usage and it turned out I hardly used what I was paying for," Ley explains.

“I always have WiFi so I rarely use my data, I rarely make phone calls and tend to use online messaging instead of SMS. Ley reduced her spend to just £6 a month.

"It is perfect for what I use it for without paying over the odds.

“This is almost a £300 saving since I switched it."

Save your receipts

According to Ley, apps such as Storewards, Shoppix, SnapMyEats and HuYu, reward shoppers for uploading copies of their receipts to see what people are buying.

"It’s not a huge amount per receipt but it all adds up and you can get rewards in the forms of Amazon gift cards or cash directly into your bank account," she says.

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