Kick-starting your savings

But is it that easy to stop some of our unnecessary spending habits to save a few quid?

Well if we note down exactly what we spend in a week, it may be much easier to stop when we see in black and white the reality of how much we’re spending. Generally though, we all still need a little motivation when it comes to savings, a specific goal to work towards.

• Take stock - Think about what may happen in the future and how you'd cope with either planned or unforeseen future expenditure.
• Make easy lifestyle changes - Do you regularly buy an expensive sandwich for lunch or a coffee on the way to work? Saving the equivalent of £2 per working day, for 1 whole year, could save you over £500!
• Set a goal - Whether it's a new car, dream holiday or life event like a wedding or even retirement, having a goal will help motivate your saving.
• Ask question - If you'd like details on any of our variable and fixed rate savings products, including tax free cash ISAs, pop into any of our branches or call us on 01228 403141.
• Double check the supermarkets premium range
• Sort your subscriptions
• Try not to shop hungry or tired
• Buy presents throughout the year
• Save for the big occasions throughout the year
• Put time aside to look deeper into your finances

Hopefully these insights have given you a little motivation to kick-start a review of your savings. However, if you’ve ever asked yourself where your money goes, or why you always seem to spend before the next pay day, you need to consider budgeting.

With that in mind, we’ve put together this short video to give you a few hints and tips if what you need to think about to kick start a budgeting method that works for you.