How to make your money go further: top tips

When it comes to getting your personal finances under control, the battle can sometimes seem impossible to win. With everything from childcare costs to mortgage repayments on your outgoings list, it’s an endless cycle. And given that Swindon is located in the south of England where the cost of living tends to be high, it can sometimes seem even harder to make your money go far enough. Luckily, help is at hand. Here are some top tips on how to stretch every penny as far as you can. Cook in bulk Food costs can go sky high if they’re left unchecked - and that’s why cooking in bulk is a good idea. Whenever you make a meal with adjustable quantities that can easily be scaled up, such as a chilli, why not consider making an extra few portions which you can freeze and then defrost later? That way, you’ll be much less tempted to order a takeaway or buy an expensive ready meal in the event that you can’t be bothered cooking at the end of a long day. And by bulking out meals with extra ingredients - like some lentils or chopped vegetables into a Bolognese sauce, for example - you’ll be able to push your meals as far as they’ll go. Claim what you’re owed Sometimes, you don’t even need to cut back or look for money saving opportunities in order to increase your cash flow. By focusing on claiming any cash that you might be owed, you can open up a handy extra income stream. If you bought one of many different types of financial product in the past, for example, it could be that you can claim compensation for any payment protection insurance you may have been mis-sold. This new site, ppi-claim.co, can help you make a claim. Limit those treats Treating yourself is something that many people like to do on a regular basis. Whether it’s a new pair of shoes from the shops in The Brunel Shopping Centre or simply a few chocolate bars from the corner shop, everyone has their vice. But the cost can soon add up, and it can start to have a negative impact on your budget. By limiting your treats to a manageable amount (such as once a month for the shoes, or once a week for the chocolate bar) instead, you can cut back on an area which can drain your cash. What’s more, it will give you something to look forward to as well! Making your money go further isn’t something that necessarily has to be unpleasant. There are plenty of ways to stretch a limited budget as far as possible, such as by cutting back on the number of treats you enjoy or making sure that you set aside time to claim any cash you might owe. By thinking ahead and planning carefully, you can make sure every pound that comes into your household is one that is spent cost-effectively and with value for money in mind.