If you’d like to gain more control over your life and your free time, then getting control over your finances – and, specifically, your spending, is often essential. This applies to families just as much as it does to individuals. But exactly how can a family dial back spending, and save a little bit extra? There are a number of powerful strategies to think about.

Create and Stick to a Family Budget
Your plans for prosperity should ideally start with a realistic budget. Track how much you’re bringing in each month, and how much you’re spending. Then divide your areas of spending into two categories: non-essential, and essential. The former might include things like your Sky Sports subscription; the latter might include your gas, electricity, and council tax bills.
Once you have a clear view of your finances, you might find it easy to spot areas where you’re spending just a little too much. In some cases, you might be able to make money-saving changes almost immediately.
Shop Smart and Use Discounts
In many areas of ‘essential’ spending, it might be easy to cut back without compromising on your quality of life. In fact, you might emerge from the supermarket on any given week with exactly the same goods, except that, through loyalty cards and other discounts, you’ll have spent significantly less.
Bulk buying can be just as powerful, particularly if the items in question are non-perishable. Just be sure that the savings will actually be worthwhile in practice. If you’re buying huge quantities of dried beans, in other words, be sure to make time to actually soak and cook them.
Consider Financial Products that Offer Savings
Bulk buying doesn’t need to be limited to food, drink and clothing. You can also save money by going in together on financial products, like car insurance. Multi-car insurance is another way to add some additional saving, you just need to make sure that you investigate all of the options, and that you shop around for the most affordable policy.
Adopt Energy-Saving Habits at Home
Certain practices around the house can help to lower your energy consumption. In many cases, this might be a simple matter of switching off the lights and the heating when you aren’t going to be in the house. You might also upgrade older bulbs to modern LED ones, and insulate loft spaces.
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