5 Tips For Saving Money

You may have seen me tweeting recently that I've been looking up trips to Iceland for next year. It's been a dream destination of mine for forever, and I'd really love to go! However, spare money for trips isn't something I have, so I'm going to have to be really clever about how I do this. Gary and I have been planning everything we want to do, where we'll go, how long for, and the best way to do this - it's been lovely planning it!

But now is the hard part, the actual saving money bit. And that can be tricky, especially for someone like me, who seeks comfort in an online shopping spree when I've had a bad day (anyone else??!). So I've made a list of the five things I think will help me save some pennies along the way, and I thought I'd share it with you guys today. Feel free to leave me more tips in the comments though, I need all the help I can get.

1. Penny jar.
If in doubt, go back to basics! Collecting pennies and loose change in a jar reminds me of being a little kid, hoping to save up enough for whatever music album I wanted next, or the latest glitter gel pen craze. But it's a damn good way of building up a good chunk of money without even noticing! You probably won't feel a difference in simply throwing any little change you have in a jar each day, and soon it'll build up to a surprising amount.

2. Shop wisely.
Don't waste food (I'm terrible for this tbh), maybe hold off on buying another eyeshadow palette, and make sure you grab a great deal when you are purchasing things. I recently found EverydayIsBlackFriday; an amazing deal finder website that scours the web for all the latest deals out there for you. This saves you from doing any work yourself, and you'd be surprised with the amount of amazing deals you'll find! I found my FAVE foundation (Double Wear) on there with £6 off, so it's definitely gone in my bookmarks.

3. Find ways to make extra.
Is there any services you can sell, even just every now and again? Maybe you're a creative type - open an Etsy shop! Maybe you can pick up an extra shift in work? Or maybe you can simply sell some old belongings? A clear out will probably feel good anyway!

4. Keep your receipts.
I have my boyfriend to thank for this amazing tip; keep your receipts! We have downloaded an app called Shop Prize UK, and each time we purchase something in a shop, we scan our receipt and collect points. If you do this enough, you earn enough points to cash in for a £5 Amazing voucher - woo! This app is free to download, costs you nothing to use, and means you get to save up some vouchers as you shop! Brilliant.

5. Use blogging.
Chance are if you're reading this, you're a blogger. In which case you can totally help yourself save up a little extra money if you use this community and your skills in the right way. Maybe offer your services as a photographer if you have a great talent for outfit shots? You could also offer a tweet scheduling service for people who don't have time. Get creative with your ideas, but there definitely a whole bunch out there. Use your skills!

These are the five things I've been working on myself, and have already helped us save towards our dream trip! I hope they help you guys too, but please do leave some suggestions in the comments for me; I'd love any tips you have!