Can you spot a supermarket 'bargain'

You go to the store with a list of what you are going to get, yet every week you come out with more than you expected to buy. Don't fret you are not alone.
The Money Advice Service (MAS) found that three-quarters (76%) of people regularly spend more than they meant to in the supermarket due to special offers and bogof - or buy one get one free - multi-buy deals.

Sale prices make it harder for people to assess if they are truly getting a better price. Seeing a special offer makes us impulse buy, we think its a great option and worry about missing out. This means on average people spend £11.14 more per shop MAS calculated that this could amount to an overspending of £1274 a year. 

Though these tactics my supermarkets are currently under scrutiny by consumer watchdogs. In particular multi-buy offers where there is no saving (or even increased cost). 

Tips for avoiding overspending at the supermarket

• Avoid shopping on an empty stomach. 59% said that shopping whilst hungry meant that they spent more and often on sweet treats and snacks. 
• Avoid shopping when you  are tired, bored or with children. You are less likely to focus on buying what is on your list and easily become distracted by the impact of offers. 
• Create a meal plan and an associated shopping list. Working off a shopping list is the most effective way to avoid overspending at the store. Using a list means you are 3x less likely to overspend.
• When looking at offers relating to items on your list, think carefully about whether the offer is better value. If its a bulk buy (so the price per KG/L is less) consider whether you will use up all of it or will some of the product go to waste. Take the time to consider if an offer is worth it, most consumers spend 0.4s deciding what to buy at the shelves. Taking a little more time to look at the price per weight (this is usually on the price ticket in smaller print) will help you assess whether it is a better value option. But if in doubt buy the product with the lowest price. 

The Money Advice Service used this quiz to see how good people are at picking out the best deal. Give at go and see how bargain savvy you are.

Can you spot the best deal?

The Money Advice Service (MAS) asked more than 2,000 people to select the best-value options when presented with four sets off offers.

Just 2% correctly identified the best-value deals in all four cases.

See how you get on….

Of the following options for milk, which represents the best deal?

1. Six pints of milk for £1.80
2. Four pints of milk for £1.40
3. Two four-pint cartons of milk on offer for £2
4. Two six-pint cartons of milk on offer for £3.50

Of the following options for buying 500g of lemons, which represents the best deal?

1. One 500g pack of lemons costing £1.20
2. 500g of loose lemons at £2.50 per kilo
3. Buy two get the third free deal on 200g packs of lemons costing 70p each
4. Buy one get one half-price deal on 250g packs of lemons costing 70p each

Of the following options for buying tomato ketchup, which represents the best deal?

1. One 460g bottle on offer at £1.50
2. One 910g bottle costing £2.49
3. Buy one get one half-price deal on 700g bottles costing £2.29 each
4. One 1.35kg bottle costing £3.50

Of the following options for buying eggs, which represents the best deal?

1. Six medium eggs for £1.10
2. Ten medium eggs on offer for £1.50
3. Fifteen medium eggs for £2.10
4. Two packs of six medium eggs on offer for £2.00
5. Buy one get one free offer on packs of 10 medium eggs priced at £2.20

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The answers…

Milk – number 3

Lemons – number 4

Tomato Ketchup – number 3

Eggs – number 5

How did you do in the quiz?

MAS is a free and impartial government money advice service  who have conducted the research which informs this article. We thank them for the important work they continue to do. 

10 Habits of Frugal People

Sometimes becoming frugal can seem elusive, that some people are just naturally born that way and other have no hope of becoming frugal. Being frugal doesn't mean changing your quality of life, it is about changing your mentality to get more out of life. Today we are sharing the ten most important habits frugal people have. We have found areas in a lives where it is easier to be more frugal than others (our vice is dining out), but we try to avoid berating ourselves about it. This list is what we imagine the perfect frugal person to be, in reality, few are going to be perfect at every single element. But the point is the frugality is a journey and that these are some of the end goals to have in mind when planning that journey. 

1. Frugal people have goals set and often plenty off them. This includes a mixture of short term and long term goals to help guide your budgeting in the present and to ensure the goals are achievable. 
2. Frugal people have a plan, whether it is a long term plan about saving for a goal or a plan for this weeks budget. Planning is the key to success, and it allow YOU to direct your path towards the goals you have set. They are prepared for kinks in the road and have funds saved for unexpected expenses. 
3. Frugal people don't care about what others think, they are not obsessed with what the Jone's down the road have or what they might think about them driving older cars. They don't allow what others say to cloud their judgement and prevent them from achieving the goals they have set. 
4. Frugal people are content in who they are because they aren't constantly comparing themselves to others. Comparing yourself to others causes you to continually doubt your decisions and abilities. They are focused on achieving their goals for themselves and their families. This contentment brings greater happiness into their lives and makes them feel fulfilled. 
5. Frugal people don't waste food. Careful meal planning and keeping an eye on use-by dates goes a long way to help avoid food wastage. Also don't be afraid to utilise you freezer it is an excellent way to may food last longer and allows you to purchase food in bulk at lower prices. They know how to make the most of left-overs and how to cook in bulk. 
6. Frugal people aren't afraid to invest in quality. They know that in the long run it is likely to cost less and will bring a greater level of satisfaction. They know the importance of linking purchases to a longer term plan rather than thinking about just needs and wants in the present.  
7. Frugal people don't purchase without comparing. Impulse buys don't come into the equation, especially when its a costly purchase. A comparison of different options looking at lots of variables (not just the price), lead to sound decisions and quality purchases that are less likely to be regretted in the future. They love to use outlet stores, but will always check they can get it for less. 
8. Frugal people don't pay for subscriptions they don't use and reassess the value of the subscriptions based on evolving needs. You may have at one point used the children's channels out of the cable package but now you have an empty nest its not worth the extra expense. Likewise, that gym membership may not be getting the use it used to, it may be more worth wise purchasing a piece of gym equipment for home instead.  
9. Frugal people don't pay unnecessary overdraft or credit card fees. They have direct debits set up for their credit cards so that they pay them off in full at the end of the month. Though thats if they choose to even use credit cards, many would avoid using them all together. They don't have an overdraft set up so they don't feel tempted to use it as it can too easily feel like your money. 
10. Frugal people know that money doesn't buy you happiness. They know that big luxurious purchases don't bring you closer together as a family and that it is the simpler things in life that bring the best memories. They know the true joy of financial peace is freedom to pursue your life how you choose without being indebted or bound to anyone else (be it financially or ideologically). 

What do you thing is the most important factor to being frugal?

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If you are new to our blog, we are all about finding new ways for students and millennials to make and save money. Here are some of our favourite sites and products to help you out:

• Start a blog. Blogging is our side-hustle just over a year ago we didn't think I would bring us any income . You can create your own blog here with my easy-to-use tutorial. You can start your blog for as low as $3.49 per month plus you get a free domain if you sign-up through my tutorial.
• Save money with gift cards Whether its for buying clothes, your weekly shop or dining out use Zeek to buy discounted gift cards to get more bang for your buck. 
• Use Swagbucks for your online searches. Swagbucks is a passive way to earn gift cards. Over the course of a year you could earn $500.  Swagbucks is just like using Google to do your online searches, except you get rewarded “points called SB” for the things you do through their website. Then, when you have enough Swagbucks, you can redeem them for cash, gift cards, and more. Receive $5 for signing up today.
• Try matched betting. Matched betting is a great way to may easy money online. Despite the name it is not gambling and could see you earn £500-£1000 a month for only a couple of hours work a day see here and here. For your free trial head to profit accumulator or join the Facebook 'getting started' group.  
• Sign up for a cashback site like Quidco. where you can earn CASH BACK for just spending like how you normally would online. The service is free too! Plus, when you sign up through my link, you also receive a free £10 bonus!

Enjoy valentines on a budget

Valentine's day has become as commercialised as every other holiday. But can money truly buy you love? Of course not, and showing that special someone your feelings for them shouldn't break the bank. Here are some of our tips for keeping the budget in check whilst enjoying a special valentines day. 

Treat yourself to a meal at home. Dining in doesn't have to be boring. Look for a special treat recipe you can cook together. Or assign each other to do a set course for the meal. We love using Great British Chefs for our at home dinner dates as they have high quality restaurant style dishes that you can cook from the comfort of your own home (and you don't have to be a Michelin star chef to cook them). Dress up the dining room, get the table cloths and candles out and put on a romantic CD (even better make a playlist together).

Handmade card- There are so many great DIY tutorials on Pinterest for homemade cards. There are so many different options and designs there is one out there for all styles and crafting ability.  Check out these fab DIY scented valentines day cards for a brilliant option by EatSleepBe.

Hand made bouquet. There are several ways to do this. If your feeling super crafty try making a paper bouquet see this great tutorial by 100 Layer Cake. If you are wanting something more traditional consider picking up flowers from your local garden centre or supermarket and turning them into a stunning bouquet.

Spa day at home is a great way to bring some papering into your lives. You could get bath bombs, face masks or nose peels, cucumbers and mimosas (or shloer for a alcohol-free version). Plus if you have any essential oils and candles be sure to get those out.  Check out this brilliant Spa Date night kit by Dating Divas . I love the idea of earning Spa vouchers and think the whole ensemble is really cute. 

So you've decided you don't want to have a night in here are a few options whilst not breaking the bank.

Skip dinner and just go out for dessert. Got on a trip to a ice-cream parlour or pick a restaurant rebound for its desserts and get the opportunity to sample desserts you wouldn't normally try (especially if you usually don't go for dessert when eating out). 

Use voucher sites to snag a deal. Sites such as Groupon are great for getting vouchers for things such as spa days and dinners out. We also found these great coupons for free Lindt chocolate boxes which make a great gift option.

What have you got planned for valentines this year? How are you balancing this holiday with your budget?

How to earn £100s in free gift cards

Ever wished you could earn gift vouchers for doing activities you do on a daily basis. Well there is a site out there that allows you to do just that. Swagbacks allows you earn money from browsing the web and doing your online shopping as well as in many other ways.

Through collecting Swagbucks (SB) you can exchange them for gift vouchers from hundreds of different stores or paypal cash. We love using our SB for our amazon purchases but there are so many options. You could even use it as a way to save for birthdays, christmas and vacations. 

How to earn?

There are several different way to earn with Swagbucks some more passive than others. 

Search and Earn - Install the search bar and use it just as you would use bing or google. As you search the internet you'll accumulate SB. This is the most passive way to earn SB as you are doing a task you would already normally do. You are randomly awarded SB once or twice a day of approx 5-10 SB.

Daily polls - Complete a quick (less than 1 minute) daily poll each day to earn 1 SB

Surveys- These are exactly how they sound, simple surveys to be completed. Depending on the length of survey they could earn you from around 25-200 SB a time. There are often surveys for 60SB that take less than 5 minutes to complete.   

Swagcodes- Can often been found on the FB page they provide bonus points they have random values which change day to do. 

Shopping online- Swagbucks offers a cashback-esque option which buy clicking through their site the vendors site you receive SB based on the value of your purchase. These amount vary depending on the vendor and often there will be promotions offering extra SB so keep an eye out. But remember don't go making purchases just for the SB its never cost efficient. 

Discover- Get SB for exploring special offers. 

Coupons (though this feature is not available in the UK). Be sure to check this area if your a big coupon fan. Every coupon you print is worth 10 SB

Playing games and watching videos- These are perhaps the least lucrative and most time consuming options for gaining SB and probably the least worthwhile. But the TV can be great for background watching whilst doing other things such as chores. We don't actively use either for earning SB.

Top Tip 

Download the Swagbucks Toolbar and never miss a SB deal again. It doubles as a search engine bar and a reminder for when your on a site that there is Shop & Earn opportunity. Making earning SB even easier. 

How much could you earn?

Lets take a average year, excluding any SB from shopping you could earn (so this is no where near the maximum you could earn in a year)

1 SB a day from daily polls - 365 SB

60 a day SB Daily Survey  - 21900 SB

250 SB a week for other surveys - 13,000 SB

10 SB from daily searches - 3650 SB

10 SB from Swagbucks TV a day- 3650SB

4 SB from games - 1460SB

Total - 44,025 SB 

Doing this alone would earn you earn over £300 a year for very little effort. Remember this doesn't take into account any Spend and Earn points you may gain or daily swagcodes so there is potential to earn a lot more than £300. There is an awesome FB group were people save for whole trips to Walt Disney World with SwagBucks!!

Ready to start earning free gift cards?

If your ready to start earning free gift cards click on the link here to sign up and enjoy all the benefits of swagbucks.

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• If you are new to our blog, we are all about finding new ways for students and millennials to make and save money. Here are some of our favourite sites and products to help you out:
• Start a blog. Blogging is our side-hustle just over a year ago we didn't think I would bring us any income . You can create your own blog here with my easy-to-use tutorial. You can start your blog for as low as $3.49 per month plus you get a free domain if you sign-up through my tutorial.
• Save money with gift cards Whether its for buying clothes, your weekly shop or dining out use Zeek to buy discounted gift cards to get more bang for your buck. 
• Use Swagbucks for your online searches. Swagbucks is a passive way to earn gift cards. Over the course of a year you could earn $500.  Swagbucks is just like using Google to do your online searches, except you get rewarded “points called SB” for the things you do through their website. Then, when you have enough Swagbucks, you can redeem them for cash, gift cards, and more. Receive $5 for signing up today.
• Try matched betting. Matched betting is a great way to may easy money online. Despite the name it is not gambling and could see you earn £500-£1000 a month for only a couple of hours work a day see here and here. For your free trial head to profit accumulator or join the Facebook 'getting started' group.  
• Sign up for a cashback site like Quidco. where you can earn CASH BACK for just spending like how you normally would online. The service is free too! Plus, when you sign up through my link, you also receive a free £10 bonus!

*This post contains affiliate links, all opinions are our own*

Eliminate your car payment

Having a car on finance has become the norm. For many it has become a way of life, perpetually having a car on finance. The allure of that shiny new car with all the modern specs has caught you and now the dealer has your wallet. But it doesn't have to be that way. Over the duration of your car loan odds are you will pay £1000s in interest (more interest the longer the duration of the loan). The average duration for a car loan is surpassing 5 years now, meaning people are paying more interest than before. 

The average car payment is $480 a month. If you were to purchase an older, second hand run around car, with cash for around $1000 (see gumtree or craigslist for plenty of options). Such a low cost car could be the equivalent of 1-2 months car payments. This allows you to save what you would have spend on a car payment each month for a upgraded vehicle. 

Doing this in 24 months (assuming you savings make a return of 5%) you could have $12,000 to upgrade with. Plus the original cash value of your car, because older cars don't depreciate that much. Thats one serious upgrade, and whats even better its a debt free upgrade. So many people find themselves paying car payments all their working lives.

If you continued to invest that money each month, then in 10 years time you would have just under $75000. Think of all the amazing opportunities having that sort of money would bring into your life. This just shows how much car finance is impacting peoples ability to reach their financial goals and in particular saving for retirement. 

If you have car finance its time to start working on paying it off as soon as early. It is important to understand what kind of finance you have (do you have a bank loan, Hire Purchase, PCP etc). Understanding what kind of finance will help you to make plans for paying off your finance. For example an increasing number of consumers are choosing PCP which means that you essentially rent the car with the option for purchase at the end of the lease (meaning you have to have saved a cash lump sum). We advise calling up your dealer and getting as much information on the type of finance plan you are on so you can make a comprehensive plan for paying off the loan. 

Here are some simple ways to speed up paying off your car

• Opt for bi-monthly payments and you'll slip an extra payment in each year this also helps reduce how much interest you will pay. 
• round up your payments. Say your monthly car bill is $480 round it up to $500 a month and you'll make an extra half payment each year.  
• Make extra payments has a tax return just come in, or done some overtime this month, put it straight towards that car. 
• Pay based on a shorter term - Decide when you want to have the loan paid off by and adjust the monthly payments to reflect the amount required to reach that goal. 

Do you have or have had car finance? How did you pay it off?