Recent polling shows fairly conclusively that British people remain concerned about the rising cost of living, even if inflation has relaxed over the last year or so.
If you’re worried about your spending, then there’s a simple principle to abide by: shop around, and you’ll make business compete for your money. Often, there are bargains to be had if you’re willing to take the time and consider your options. The fact that there are countless price-comparison sites available for just about every major area of spending makes it easier than ever to shop around.
But, of course, shopping around is more likely to pay off if the area of spending is a significant one. Let’s take a look at a handful of key places to do it.
Lower Your Monthly Bills
Over time, your monthly utility bills can quickly accumulate. The energy regulator, Ofgem, is regularly lifting its price cap, meaning that you’ll pay more during winter. Mobile contracts, broadband deals, electricity, gas, and council tax: they can all add up to hundreds of pounds each month.
Make Informed Purchases
Shopping around effectively is about more than just looking for the cheapest available product or service. It’s also about looking for quality and reliability. Look for the investments that are really going to serve your needs, and make sure that you consider the opinions of those who’ve already made those purchases. Online reviews are a good place to start. But try to look beyond the headline, average ‘star’ rating. It might be that some reviewers have different purposes from others. For example, if you’re looking for a washing machine that’s energy efficient and easy to use, but you aren’t concerned about the amount of noise it generates, then you might adjust your shopping habits accordingly.
Take Advantage of Seasonal Offers
At certain times of the year, you might see that there are major discounts on certain types of purchase. If the goods in question are non-perishable, then this might be an excellent time to invest in ‘high-ticket’ luxury items. For example, if you’ve been looking at buying a new laptop, or perhaps a second monitor for your home office, it might be a good idea to wait for the Black Friday sales.
Better Broadband for Less
Shopping around for the best broadband deals is more than worthwhile. If you don’t need extra goodies like sports packages and streaming entertainment, then you could save considerably by looking for a broadband-only specialist. Remember that there’s a legally enforceable cooling-off period of fourteen days when it comes to broadband switching. Thus, you can sign up for a new contract, secure in the knowledge that you’ll be able to back out if you run into problems.
