Are you trying to save money in 2018?

Here's a useful guide on how you can tighten up your purse strings this year, according to promotionalcodes.org.uk .

Compiled by mother and blogger, Morgan Woods, these helpful tips enabled her to make to make massive savings last year, and also clear £4,000 of debt in three months.

Morgan saved a staggering £10k in 12 months and owes it to making use of her three Cs - coupons, codes and cashback.

Morgan, who lives with her partner Tom and their two children, has not always been an expert scrimper.

It was only when the couple realised they could not afford to move house without family help that she vowed to change her ways so they could buy their own home.

She halved her grocery bills using coupons, cashback schemes and meal planning.

She also began unplugging electrical items when they were not being used and set a savings goal for motivation.

Morgan and her partner Tom decided to make some changes when they realised they couldn't afford to move house without financial help from family

She makes money with cashback, mystery shopper and receipt apps, and saves on food through meal planning and choosing reduced items.

She also switched her children to packed lunches at school.

Using these methods, Morgan, who lives in Norfolk, managed to clear £4,000 of debt in three months, and in one year the couple had £10,000 towards their house deposit.

Morgan said: "As we’ll be heading into 2018 before we know it, here are my top 18 money saving tips to get you starting the new year off on the right financial foot.

“These are simple money saving tips, but when they are done regularly you’ll be surprised the difference they can make.”

Morgan's 18 tips for 2018

  1. Clip coupons - Coupons can be picked up from numerous places including free in-store magazines, online or I have seen them alongside my grocery receipts.
  2. Get cashback - Cashback sites such as Topcashback and Quidco offer a percentage of your purchase back when shopping. Phone apps such as Shopmium or Checkoutsmart offer cash back on your in store purchases.
  3. Look for coupon codes - Just like in-store coupons you can hunt for online coupon codes.
  4. Shop around - Shop around to find the cheapest price. Google is great at showing you where your item is available and how much it costs at different retailers. Use MySupermarket for grocery savings.
  5. Make your own lunch - Take a packed lunch to work or school. Buying lunch may be easier when you a have hectic morning but if you get organised by making lunch the night before you could save £20+ per week.
  6. Use store loyalty cards - There are so many loyalty cards available these days which have some great incentives.
  7. Only buy what you need - This one seems obvious but it’s so easy to get caught up in a spending frenzy. If you don’t need it, don’t buy it.
  8. Meal plan - Plan your meals out for the following week, go through your cupboards, fridge and freezer. If possible plan meals around what you already have.
  9. Write a shopping list - Ever gone grocery shopping, forgotten what you need and bought duplicates? Write a shopping list and stick to it.
  10. Be realistic - If you haven’t got the money for something then just be honest. There is no shame in admitting to someone else that you can’t afford something. Suggest a cheaper or free alternative.
  11. Take a step back and create a budget - Creating a budget will open your eyes to what money you have available and where it’s going.
  12. Set a goal - For some people saving money seems pointless. Set a goal and it starts to have meaning. Let’s face it you won’t put the extra effort, time or energy in doing these things if you don’t have a reason to.
  13. Yellow stickers - Get up to 75% off your groceries when they have been reduced with yellow stickers.
  14. Unplug electrical items - Unplug your chargers when they are not in use and switch your TV off at the wall. They will still use a small amount of electricity when left on standby.
  15. Use your local library - Most libraries now have internet access as well as lending out books, dvds and cds.
  16. Eat your leftovers - If you have leftover food eat it up. Food is often safe up to three days after cooking, although always check and use your common sense.
  17. Get rid of any unused memberships - If you have any unused memberships draining your account each month, cancel them.
  18. Borrow - Instead of buying something, first think about if you could borrow it from friends or family.

Darren Williams of Promotionalcodes.org.uk added: “If you think these sorts of savings are too small to be worth bothering about, look at Morgan."

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