It’s no secret that we’re spending more time at home than we ever have before. While we might be missing the hustle and bustle of city life, most of us will have saved on some of our typical outgoings – whether that be public transport or more leisurely activities. But are there any other ways that we can save even more money from the comfort of our homes?
We’ve put together a list of four different areas that you should look into. These simple adjustments will definitely help you financially in the long-run and you will never look back!
Goodbye, standby!
According to research, 76% of homes in the UK leave their electricals on standby. Not only is this bad for the planet, but it isn’t a pretty sight for your bank account. From televisions to game consoles, and more commonly now desktops, you could save a brilliant £80 a year by turning these gadgets off at the walls when you’re not using them.
Save money while shopping
If you’re an avid online shopper, your favourite brands might offer a loyalty scheme. By signing up to these, you can collect points after every purchase and use them to make additional savings in the future. If a loyalty scheme isn’t a viable option with where you usually shop, sign up to their newsletter as their marketing team will most likely push some cheaper deals or discount codes straight into your inbox.
Another great tool is Honey – a free browser extension which scans the internet to find relevant discount codes and applies them on check-out. You’ll make so many savings!
Sell what you don’t use or need
While this might sound obvious, selling what you don’t use or no longer need can be a great way to make some money. Over the years we’ve all collected a so much ‘stuff’, and just because they don’t spark our interest anymore, don’t mean they won’t be a favourite of someone else. Sort through your cupboards and pop them online so that they can find some well-deserved love!
If you’re looking for useful tools to sell your items on, apps like Depop are great for selling clothes. However, Facebook Marketplace is popular for pretty much everything!
Work From Home Tax Relief
For many, working from home has become the norm. As offices across the country remain closed for the foreseeable future, it’s unsurprising that we’ve all experienced a spike in our household bills. However, you are able to claim this back as a business expense if you’ve worked from home any time since 6th of April 2020!
HMRC commented: "We recognise that the working-from-home situation is very fluid this year, so we're accepting claims for the full year's expenses. That includes even if people have only worked from home for some of the year, to avoid needing to contact us if you have to work from home again."
The way it works is that it is claimed for the whole tax year which is worth £60 or £125. It has been reported that over 1.7 million people in the country have claimed this, so you don’t want to miss out if you are finding yourself more out of pocket than usual. Visit the government website to find out more information. Did we mention, you can also claim a tax relief for any equipment that you may have bought during this period? It only takes a few minutes to complete the online form!
We hope these tips come in useful on your savvy saving endeavours. Here’s to saving more money in 2021!
