4 ways to make saving money simpler and easier

Saving can often be a struggle – and as living costs rise, there are signs households are finding it even tougher.

Households put less money into accounts in February than the average monthly amount in the run-up to the coronavirus pandemic, according to recent Bank of England figures.

Elle McAtamney from TopCashback.co.uk has some tips for making subconscious savings…

1. Let technology do the legwork

Make the most of any tools in your banking app to track your spending, and see what extra could be put into savings.

2. Try removing some temptations

With spring in the air, the temptation to splash out on new outfits can be strong – particularly when browsing online.

McAtamney suggests unfollowing or muting brands on social media, to try and minimise the effect of posts tempting us to spend.

3. Reconnect with physical money

Transactions which are relatively “frictionless” and hassle-free, such as contactless payments and online checkouts with your details pre-saved, can make it more tempting to spend.

McAtamney says: “Contactless transactions are a useful tool that makes shopping quick and easy – so easy in fact, sometimes we forget we are spending at all.

4. Make cashback go further

There may be ways to make cashback more often, or perhaps swap the money for higher rewards.

For example, you may be able to get a bonus on top of the cashback you have earned by transferring it onto an e-gift card with a higher value. Or you could download a browser extension that will notify you when you could earn cashback when shopping online.