Unfortunately, inflation in the UK is at a record high. Fuel bills are shooting up astronomically. Prices are creeping up by the minute. This only means less disposable income for us, if any! It’s all a bit of a bummer, but this post will give you some ideas on how to beat inflation. Or at least it will help you counteract the affects.
8 tips on how to beat inflation
1. Matched betting
Well, the most obvious one is matched betting. That’s a no brainer. Tax free, flexible and fun. You get all the best tools and resources at OddsMonkey, plus you don’t need to have a huge amount of funds to start. The best part? The profit is made quite quickly and you don’t need to know a single thing about sports or betting. It’s amazing, which is why it’s listed as number one!
For more information, check out our guide on What is Matched Betting? Or, start your OddsMonkey Free Trial now.
2. Redeem reward points and use gift cards
People often forget to use these. You can save money on groceries but putting these points to good use. This then leaves you, (hopefully) with a bit of an excess from your shopping budget to put towards the increasing cost of bills. If you want to be even more efficient, use these points on non-perishables that last longer and take some of the financial burden off if you’re having a particularly expensive month.
As for gift cards, you can sell these online to people looking for a discount at their favourite shops. You win, they win.
3. Do a subscription cull
If you don’t use it, get rid of it. I, for one, managed to save over £10 a month just by getting rid of some TV channels that I simply never watch. £120/year saved just like that! This doesn’t have to be just TV channels, but also magazines, apps, banking fees for accounts you don’t use etc. For any subscriptions that you’re not sure about, you can always just freeze them temporarily until you make a decision.
4. Shop around for better deals
Don’t be shy to ask for a discount or look for a better deal. We all love to be loyal to our favourite brands and you still can be. Just look for a better offer online and ask your preferred brand to match it. Most companies don’t want to lose their customers and especially in this climate, they normally try their best to accommodate as much as they can to avoid losing them. You may not win every time but give it a try because the yearly savings really add up. Even if you re-mortgage and save a fraction of a %, this saving adds up nicely for the duration of your mortgage.
You can also benefit by doing banking switches. Some banks offer £125 cash just for switching over to them and they do all the admin for you.
5. Become a freelancer
Create a Facebook page and promote your freelance services. Even just doing a few hours a week and getting paid goes a long way to contributing to the increasing household expenses. You can offer your services online such as web development, graphic design, translations, teaching, music lessons, languages etc. The world is your oyster!
6. Find a secondary job or a side hustle
Check out our Make Money Online Hub for some ideas. If you work full time and don’t have much time to spare, then you can look at some jobs you can do on the weekend such as in retail, deliveries, tutoring etc. Even just working 4-6 hours on a Saturday or Sunday can really help boost your income.
7. Cut out the car
The average full tank in the UK now costs a whopping £90! It is a huge benefit to our wallet to use our car less. You can take this opportunity to get fit as well and walk or ride your bike to school or work. For further distances, there’s always public transport. Very green indeed, both environmentally and cash-wise!
8. Research government benefits
You might actually be eligible for some benefits that you may not know about. The government has various plans in place for various reasons so it’s worth taking a look.
Popular sites like MoneySavingExpert have up-to-date information on benefits, bank accounts, discounts and deals, and often freebies too. Who doesn’t love a freebie?! We can always rely on Martin Lewis to fight our corner to get us the best offers around.
These are just a few tips to get you making and saving. If you’ve got any other tips on how to beat inflation, do get in touch with us and share your thoughts!
