MoneyMagpie Editor and financial expert Vicky Parry reveals hacks to spend (almost) nothing one week every month to reduce your outgoings
There are so many things you can claim for free (or almost free) that, with a little planning, you could have a spend-free week every month. When you think about how much that could save you over the course of a year, it’s worth investigating further.
Prepare ahead
The best way to have a spend-free week every month is to plan ahead. A little preparation and forward planning will help you keep to the minimum budget.
There will also be some costs that are unavoidable. For example, you can’t not pay your standing charges or not use any water, gas, or electric for a whole week. However, there are some ways to keep these costs to a bare minimum (keep reading for tips).
Preparation will also mean you can pick which week is your low-spend week. So, if you know there’s a big event or similar coming up, you can avoid having your tight-budget week over that time.
It also is a great way to avoid accidentally making the last week in the month your low-spend week because you’ve overspent before payday. This will help you learn more about ongoing moneysaving tactics to find ways to save money throughout the month and reduce your outgoings overall.
Meal plan
Batch cooking saves money in several ways. First, you can buy in bulk to get savings on the ingredients. Then, you only use the energy to cook the full meal once: reheating (if required) is only a few minutes in the microwave or stove.
But you can save even more if you choose meals that can be eaten cold! For example, pasta can be a hot meal for the first one and pasta salad thereafter. This way, you’re not even spending any money to reheat your meal.
Meal plans also allow you to save on lunches at work. Make a lunch box and take your food to work, making sure you’re using what’s in the cupboard rather than buying new snacks.
Look for free food and drink
There are loads of ways to get free food, if you know where to look. Most major restaurants and cafes have apps with loyalty offers, usually including free food offers for signing up in the first place.
You can also make the most of some supermarkets ’ new no-food-waste policies. While yellow sticker items are always a fantastic way to save money on groceries, Tesco offers them for free after 9pm.
Check out Olio, too. It’s an app that individuals and businesses use to give away or swap leftover food. You can often nab some great freebies. If you’re in dire straits, remember to look up your local food bank, which can help you stock up on store cupboard essentials.
Claim your loyalty points
Whether you have a supermarket loyalty card or you get stamps from your local café for every coffee you buy, be savvy about when you spend your points and earned vouchers.
Save up your freebies and vouchers through the month, and make sure to spend them in your no-spend week. If you plan a really serious no-spend week every few months, you could get a completely free weekly grocery shop, or free dinner at a restaurant, or even free entry to attractions or free cinema tickets.
Use free gym passes
Gym passes come in handy for spend-free and low-spend weeks in more than one way. If you can nab a pass at a multifunctional gym with a café area, you could get your workout, shower AND some work done on your laptop. This saves money on your heating, water, and gets you out of the house for free, too.
Check online for free gym passes, in the first instance. It is also worth looking up local independent gyms, as they will often offer up to a week free to entice new customers. If a friend goes to a local gym, ask if they get free visitor passes, too.
If you have a supermarket loyalty scheme app, make sure you regularly check their partner offers. For example, Lidl Plus recently had a free Nuffield Gym pass available.
Minimise energy use
If your energy tariff is cheaper in off-peak hours (usually midnight to 6am, but check your individual contract), make the most of it. While this isn’t a no-spend option, it will significantly reduce your overall monthly spend on energy.
Charge power banks and battery-powered devices like laptops and mobile phones during these cheaper hours, to then use on battery during peak hours. Set your washing machine and tumble dryer to run in these off-peak hours, too (as long as the noise won’t disturb neighbours).
You can get smart plugs or old-school timer plugs to make sure you’re only using electricity in off-peak hours without needing to wake up in the middle of the night.
And remember: get into the habit of pulling plugs out of the wall instead of leaving them on standby, and always switch lights off when you leave a room. These small changes will make a big difference to your annual energy costs.
Swap clothes with friends
If you love to shop, have a spend-free week by going through the clothes you already have. Look at items that you could change with a little bit of customising or upcycling, or try new outfit combinations you wouldn’t have usually put together.
You could host a clothes swap party with your friends and neighbours, too. This is a great way to give some older items a new lease of life, and get a new wardrobe without spending a single penny.
Find free activities
Spending nothing doesn’t need to mean being antisocial. In fact, the more time you can spend out of the house doing free activities, the less you’ll spend on utilities bills and snacks from the fridge.
Parks, museums, and galleries are the first go-to places for free activities to spend time with a friend. However, make sure you sign up to local newsletters and events information to be the first to know about new classes, free workshops, and one-off free events.
Make sure you also sign up to your local library, as they do far more than simply lending books. (While you’re there, make sure you borrow some free boardgames, computer games, and DVDs for even more free entertainment).
Sign up to free trials
Freebies are everywhere when you start looking for them. This includes free trials for anything from subscription grocery boxes to free audiobooks and magazines.
Set up a freebie-specific email address to avoid overwhelming your main inbox and sign up to freebie newsletters to make sure you’re kept in the know about the latest free stuff you can claim.
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