Check out these ten simple ways you spend absolutely nothing and still get what you want!
The whole point of lovemoney.com is to show you how to have a better relationship with your money, and a big part of that is never spending when you don’t have to. With that in mind, we recently put together a list of 10 things you should never pay for.
Turns out you loved it! So, for those of you who can’t get enough of these money saving tips, here are ten more in alphabetical order:
1. Books and DVDs
If your book and DVD collection is starting to take over your living room, you know the time has come to stop. In fact, you need never spend money on them ever again if you give the increasingly popular online book and DVD swapping sites a go. For example, sites like Bookhopper, Bookmooch, Readitswapit or Swapshop are all worth visiting. Or for something really radical: pop down to your local library where you can borrow DVDs for next to nothing and books for free!
2. Budgeting tools
Never ever pay for budgeting tools. There’s absolutely no need for it when they are plenty of services available free. Our own spend tracking tool, Tracker, is a great example which allows you to see all your money in one place, check your expenditure versus your income and see where all your money goes. But, best of all, it costs you absolutely nothing to use, and it can save you heaps of money.
3. Carrier bags
OK, so you’re not going to save a fortune by taking your own shopping bags to the supermarket instead of paying for carrier bags, but I still think it’s worth doing. After all, most of them will only get binned once you have unpacked your groceries at home. Remember every penny counts, and you’ll help save the environment at the same time.
John Fitzsimons highlights the best sites to visit if you fancy a freebie!
4. Computer software
You could save a packet by choosing free basic computer software and anti-virus programs rather than paying through the nose for branded versions. For example, you could ditch your Microsoft Office products and replace them with OpenOffice, which offers a free set of Microsoft compatible programs which are broadly similar. Similarly, why not try free anti-virus software such as AVG Anti-Virus or Avira Antivir. Meanwhile, you can also save the pennies on music by swapping iTunes for Spotify where you can listen to music online for free as long as you can put up with the annoying ads!
5. Credit reports
It’s really important to check your credit report regularly. This can alert you to fraudulent activity and identity theft more quickly, as well as helping to ensure your report is accurate which could affect your eligibility for credit in the future. The report can also highlight how to improve your credit rating and show potential lenders you can manage credit well. So it’s good news that you can get a free Experian credit report right here on lovemoney.com. But don’t forget to cancel your subscription once the free trial has finished.
6. Legal services
The law is so unbelievably complex it’s easy to get duped into paying hundreds of pounds for certain legal services that you would be perfectly capable of carrying out yourself for far less. For example, at TotallyFreeWills you can create a will online and have it confirmed as legal by a solicitor without paying a penny. Similarly, online services which offer to help with DIY divorce in return for a fee are also completely unnecessary since you can fill out all the paperwork yourself. (But you will need to pay for the legal documents.)
Of course, it’s absolutely essential that you only attempt these things alone if your circumstances are straightforward, otherwise you should get specialist legal advice.
7. Mobile handsets
Unless you absolutely have to have the latest technology, there’s really no need to pay for your mobile handset. There are quite literally hundreds of mobile phone deals out there with free handsets included in the monthly price. All you need to do now is use a mobile comparison site such as Recombu or Mobiles.co.uk to help you find the best value for money.
Recent question on this topic
- jaymax90 asks:
I love a bargain but is there really such a thing as a freebie as suggested by gofavour.com.?
- MikeGG1 answered "GoFavour isn't a freebie. It is a bartering system. They do something for you in return..."
- Read more answers
8. Furniture
You can really save a small fortune by hunting down the items you need from a second hand website for free. Sites, such as the ever-popular Ilovefreegle and Recycle, match up people who have furntiure to give away with people who need them. You could find just anything from garden furniture to bookshelves going up for grabs in your local area. Make sure you also list the items you no longer need too. You may just be able to find a good home for them, which is a great way of keeping anything reusable out of landfill sites.
9. Sandwiches from shops
Nobody likes to be ripped-off. Personally, I hate the way the price of lunch items is massively hiked up at places like airports and train stations when you don't have time to go anywhere else. The profit margins must be enormous! Of course, there’s one very easy way to get round this - plan ahead and BYO!
10. SIM cards
Finally, free no-contract SIM cards are pretty easy to pick up so there’s no excuse for opening your wallet. SIMPacks provides a comprehensive UK free SIM cards guide including a ratings system to tell you which ones are the best. For example, you can get a free T-Mobile SIM card on a pay-as-you-go deal and enjoy unlimited texts when you top up by £10 a month. What a bargain!
More: Eight things we all pay too much for | 5 weird things that save you money