Savvy spring savings

 

photo by kenteegardin via PhotoRee

Spring has arrived! As well as the hope of some decent weather, this also means new council tax bills and the beginning of the new financial year. While it is wise to keep an eye on your outgoings throughout the year, a spring clean of your finances is a great way to check that you are paying no more than you need to and getting your budget in order.

Every April I used to do “The Ring Around”; spending hours on the phone ringing my bill providers and making sure that I was getting the right deals and discounts. In recent years I have become lazy (or savvy!) and have done my comparisons online.

The fact that energy prices are higher than ever and don’t seem to be dropping anytime soon is a surprise to no-one. Unless you all know something I don’t, we have no influence over the world energy market and wholesale prices. The only way therefore to keep any control over what we pay out for our gas and electricity is to check our tariffs and switch plans or providers as appropriate to make savings.

It is not always necessary to change your energy company, it could be as easy as changing which plan you are on and that change can save you money! I don’t like paying out if I don’t need to, I’m sure you don’t either so make sure that you are being savvy with your outgoings, be it your gas and electricity, your broadband and phone or personal finances.

I can always find ways to spend (or save of course) money that I keep out of the bill company’s pockets, and by taking an extra few minutes out of my day to make sure I’m not paying too much, I can have the cash to do it!

 *This is a sponsored post but regardless is sound advice and true to what myself and my family believe.

Making extra with MusicMagpie

It’s no secret that we are a frugal family. I hate waste, detest paying more than I should for anything and love a bargain. Better still if I can make a little extra from something I’m not using then I will.

Many of you will have heard of musicMagpie, either through word of mouth or on the TV. Basically, selling dvds with musicMagpie can free up space and make you money. I have sold DVD’s on eBay or Amazon but in truth have found it a hassle. The fees I’ve paid has made it barely worth packaging anything up and walking down to the post office and I hated waiting for items to sell, one by one. The difference with selling dvds with musicMagpie is that everything is sent at once, no repeat visits to the post office, no postage to pay and you know what you will receive payment-wise.

It is insanely easy to sell computer games for cash and recycle your dvds as you simply need to input the barcode number into the site to tell you how much your item is worth. For those of you who are a bit nifty with technology you can scan the barcodes with your webcam making it even easier or scan it in with your iPhone using the clever musicMagpie app.

I have sold DVDs, games and CDs to musicMagpie on several occasions and can personally recommend the service and ease of use. If you are decluttering and fancy making a bit of extra money check out musicMagpie first!

*Sponsored post but true to what we have experienced as a family!