Andy’s top 10 money hacks – Be Clever With Your Cash

The save on the grocery store checkout everytime hack

How do you pay for groceries? A pat on the again for anybody utilizing one of many prime cashback debit or bank cards. Although you’re not prime of the category.

The hack to avoid wasting much more each time you hit the checkout is to make use of a reduced reward card. You’ll have the ability to get 3% to six%, relying on the grocery store and when or how you purchase the vouchers. That works out as £2 to £6 for each £100 you spend within the grocery store.

The typical spend per individual per week was £41.11 again in 2022 (that’s the most recent report), and can simply be nearer to £50 now due to meals inflation since then. So let’s say that’s a £600 annual spend every.

So utilizing these vouchers might web you between £18 and £36 a 12 months, however keep in mind that’s per individual. For a household of 4, that jumps as much as between £72 and £144. And all you’re doing is altering the way you pay.

You possibly can after all do that for different retailers, however the cause I favour it for supermarkets is it reduces the dangers that include reward playing cards, reminiscent of refunds again to them and expiration.

The perfect locations to purchase these reward playing cards are by way of cashback apps. Charges range so examine all of them to your grocery store. We’ve evaluations of the primary gamers, although additionally take a look at TopGiftcards on TopCashback:

The dummy present account for switching hack

I’ve lined this lots, so I’ll allow you to learn the complete information to dummy present accounts for all the main points, however basically that is opening up an additional checking account that you simply’ll use purely for switching offers.

This implies you may maintain rewards and advantages from present accounts in addition to defending older accounts from dropping off your credit score report.

That is one other hack I take advantage of for financial institution switching when a proposal requires the previous account to have energetic direct debits.

Since I’ve used up all my on a regular basis ones on accounts that give freebies or pay cashback on payments, I generally must arrange new ones. The potential points are the time this will take, and likewise that the plain ones value you cash.

However the workaround is to create direct debits that pay cash out of your present present account to a financial savings account. They’re quick and you’ll simply withdraw the cash again while you’ve met the required standards.

My prime ones are Plum and MoneyBox, and I are inclined to activate them when a proposal comes alongside. There are a lot of different choices for additional direct debits, so examine these out.

The two-4-1 motion pictures for £1 hack

There are many methods I get low cost cinema tickets, however my a prime method is to get Meerkat Films, providing purchase one get one free each Tuesday or Wednesday. Getting this itself isn’t a hack – you simply must take out an insurance coverage coverage from Examine The Market.

The hack is what coverage you purchase, and reasonably than get your house or automobile insurance coverage by way of the comparability web site, you may merely decide up a £1 UK day journey insurance coverage coverage. Easy as that, and also you’ll get entry for a 12 months, together with 25% off meals.

The O2 Precedence even if you happen to’re not on O2 hack

Virgin Media broadband or TV and O2 cell prospects can get the loyalty app O2 Precedence without cost. However you don’t must miss out if you happen to’re on one other community.

You merely want to purchase a PAYG SIM and prime up by £10, which provides you with entry for no less than six months, although usually extra.

I first wrote about this 10 years in the past, and the hack has acquired me freebies from Odeon, Apple TV+, Greggs and extra, in addition to precedence reserving on gigs and different reductions – although it does range 12 months to 12 months simply how first rate these are.

There are comparable hacks for Three and Vodafone, although they’re dearer, requiring prime ups each 90 days and 43 days respectively.

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The £180 from Halifax yearly hack (and £180 on prime)

That is one among my favourites, and it’s a double hack. The Halifax Reward present account pays £5 a month if you happen to spend £500 on the debit card and deposit £1,500 into the account every month. Simple sufficient.

The primary trick right here is you may have as much as three completely different accounts. So reasonably than £60 a 12 months, that’s £180 a 12 months! Although spending £500 on every card might turn into difficult.

The subsequent half solves that, and likewise allows you to earn cashback on the overall £1,500 debit card spend. Quite than use these Halifax debit playing cards to your regular spending, you as an alternative use a cashback credit score or debit card, which might earn you 1% again, including as much as one other £15 a month. That’s one other £180 you’ll make!

However if you happen to do that, how are you going to set off the £500 requirement with Halifax? Effectively, you should utilize your debit playing cards to pay your cashback bank card invoice, and / or switch cash to banks like Chip, Monzo and Revolut as all of them enable prime ups by way of debit card! I’ve written about this Halifax Rewards hack in far more element right here.

The scholar low cost even if you happen to’re not a pupil hack

One of many first articles I wrote 10 years in the past was how anybody might benefit from a loophole to get an NUS card (now referred to as Totum), and all of the reductions that include it – together with Apple. Sadly it was closed 5 – 6 years in the past, however there are a couple of methods you may nonetheless have the ability to nab it and if it really works it’s a very good hack.

First, if you happen to beforehand did this (or really graduated within the final three years) then you must log into your Totum account and search for an alumni choices. You possibly can renew for £35 for 3 years!

If not there are programs costing £12 which might provide you with eligibility. It’s nonetheless just a little gray as as to whether it’ll work, however I believe if you will be shopping for a Mac or iPad it’s price a punt. There’s additionally 10% off at Boots and loads of different financial savings.

The Avios to Nectar factors hack

I’m not the largest fan of Avios factors. Often I’d reasonably store round for the most effective deal on flights. However that shouldn’t put you off any methods to earn Avios, particularly after they are available boosted affords from Amex and Barclaycard bank cards.

That’s as a result of you may swap Avios into Nectar factors, to spend at Sainsbury’s, Argos, eBay and some others. So, when a bank card affords 25,000 Avios, that’s really £167 you may earn.

Even higher, this similar hack can be utilized to spice up American Specific Reward factors. First you swap these factors into Avios factors, then swap over to Nectar. This will increase the worth of some extent from 0.5% to 0.67%.

The bank card ready hack

I’ve spoken lots lately a couple of hack that permits you to stand up to 3 completely different American Specific welcome affords. Effectively, you may get much more of those bonuses – if you happen to wait.

The rule because it stands for many Amex playing cards and the Barclaycard Avios Premier Plus is you may’t get a welcome supply if you happen to’ve had a card in your identify within the final two years. So merely cancel your present card (most likely after a 12 months earlier than new charges kick in – although be sure to’ve protected present factors earned) and wait.

In that point you don’t need to go with out. If in case you have a accomplice, they will open up an Amex or Barclaycard of their identify (additionally for a welcome deal) so you may each spend and earn. Getting a supplementary card will make that simpler.

There are additionally welcome offers at different suppliers in that interval which although much less precious are price going for. We record the most effective affords right here.

As soon as your two years is up, your accomplice can cancel their playing cards and begin a brand new two 12 months cycle!

The cancel NOW TV hack

An enormous cash saver is to cancel Sky or Virgin TV and transfer to Sky’s streaming service NOW. You’ll get a lot of the similar channels and it’ll value much less – although you may’t report.

Now, right here’s the hack. By no means let NOW TV auto renew. All the time go to your account and begin the cancellation course of. Although it will probably take a couple of clicks you’ll nearly at all times be supplied a reduction to stay round, bringing the fee down massively.

After all you don’t need to take the low cost, and it can save you much more by ditching the service for a couple of months right here or there, signing again up when there’s one thing you actually wish to watch.