Tips for budgeting and saving

What do you want right now? Whatever it is, we’ve designed a range of specialised savings accounts and budgeting tips to help you get what you want.

1. Track your spending.

We have all been in that situation where you look at your finances and ask yourself “Where did all my money go?” Tracking your spending helps you understand your daily money habits and allows you to make changes to start saving so next time you check your account balance your face will light up with a smile!

2. Create a budget.

Once you have started to track your spending e.g. by reviewing your past account statements, it is advised to create a budget. Creating a budget means you know how much money is coming in and going out of your household and will show if you are spending more or less than you can actually afford. It is advised to set up an annual budget so you don’t miss out on any of the one off annual payments.

3. Change one habit and save.

The tracking exercise might have revealed you spend a lot of money on one habit – let’s say you enjoy your daily coffee from the coffee shop next to work or you go out for lunch every day. Why not set yourself a challenge to cut down on this expense and instead make your own coffee at work or bring a homemade lunch and keep this habit to a once a week treat. You could enjoy your barista made coffee on Monday to start the working week or finish the week with a nice lunch out on Sunday with family or friends. You will be amazed at how much a small lifestyle change can make a big difference to your account balance over a year.

4. Don’t let credit card debt sneak up on you.

Pay off your credit card bill every month at the due date to avoid high interest charges. In case of credit card debt, pick the one with the highest interest and start paying down that card immediately. Stop using your card whilst in debt but instead use cash only. Take out enough cash to last one week. That’s all you have for discretionary spending and it will make it harder to spend that cash, especially when you can’t use your credit card.

5. Save on account fees.

When you have worked out how much you can afford to save each month, start putting it into a tempt-proof savings account. Just make sure you keep adding money into it every month. Police Credit Union offers different accounts that don’t incur any fees, which are just another way to help you save some money.