Ready, Set, Save – Five ways to save £100 next month

With everyday costs still climbing, finding ways to reduce your costs has never been more important. As a Building Society we have always encouraged smart savings habits, and often the biggest differences come from small, consistent actions. The start of the year is a great time to get your finances back on track. Here’s five practical ways to help you start a savings habit this year. Review your subscriptions and direct debits

Give your subscriptions an audit

Many of us are guilty of paying for services we rarely use. Check your statements and identify unused gym memberships, app subscriptions or streaming services. It’s also worth checking for free trials that automatically renew and setting reminders to cancel before the renewal date to prevent unwanted charges.

The average UK household spends around £70 on groceries. but smarter shopping can make a big impact. Try swapping premium or branded products for supermarket own label versions, comparing prices online before shopping in-store or using a loyalty card or app to benefit from discounts or cash back deals. If you can save £10 on each weekly shop that’s £40 by the end of the month.

Try a supermarket swap

The average UK household spends around £70 a week on groceries, but smarter shopping can make a big impact. Switching from branded groceries to supermarket own brands can reduce your shop by more than £10 a week. And using a loyalty card or app to benefit from discounts or cashback deals also helps keep the pennies in your purse.

Cut back on takeaways and lunches out

A takeaway coffee can cost around £4 these days – and not taking food into the office from home can knock you back up to £8 for a shop bought sandwich. Plan meals ahead, use leftovers creatively – homemade soup, pasta dishes and wraps are affordable, filling and easy to prep in bulk.

Plan a ‘no-spend’ weekend

Identifying one weekend a month to avoid unnecessary spending can help you spot habits you might otherwise miss. Use it to explore free local activities – take a walk, visit a museum or catch up with friends at home instead of going out and watch the pennies add up.

Automate small savings

Many current accounts offer ’round up’ tools that automatically save the spare change from your card purchases. For example, if you spend £3.70 on a coffee, 30 pence goes into your savings. Over a few weeks those pennies can easily add up.

Saving £100 a month doesn’t require drastic changes – just a little attention and planning. By combining a few of these tips you could be well on your way to building a small financial cushion and kick start your new savings habit for the year ahead whether you want to create an emergency fund, or save towards a specific goal like a holiday or home improvement.