Budget hacks, tips and tricks to get you through to 2023 - part 2

Some of us are natural bargain hunters and some of us are splurgers but for most of us in the UK, finding new ways to save money and learning how to be extra thrifty has become the new norm. Here is part 2 to our budget hacks series packed full of tips and tricks to help you save some money this winter.

Addicted to your hot water bottle?

With everyone’s energy bills still soaring, a hot water bottle is a great way to keep yourself warm this winter. But what about all of the water that we use by filling it up everyday? Well it turns out there are so many ways you can re-use this water and in turn, save a bit of money on your bills this winter:

• Water your plants. Whether you’re in a flat full of gleaming houseplants, a dying cactus in the bathroom or a huge garden teeming with foliage, make sure you reuse the water from your hot water bottle to quench your plants' thirst instead of turning on the tap.
  
  
• Reuse the water. If there’s no one else using your kettle or if the people you live with don’t mind, then you could re-boil the water from your hot water bottle and have an endless cycle of hot water bottle refills using the same water.
  
  
• Cleaning. Whether you need to give the floors a good mop, wash the car or clean the windows, the water from your hot water bottle could be reused to help you clean and could save you from having to turn the tap on.
  
  

Make use of your freebies!

Most of the UK’s leading life insurance providers now offer free additional benefits when you take out a life insurance policy with them. All the big names in life insurance such as, AIG, Royal London, Aviva, Legal and General and Scottish Widows. If you have a policy, you may have access to the following free benefits*:

• 24/7 access to free UK-based GP appointments (online or by phone)
• Tailored fitness and nutrition plans
• Free mental health support and counselling sessions
• Second medical opinions
• Personal nurses who can help you in different ways, depending on your circumstances
• Therapy and/or counselling

More often than not, these benefits extend to your immediate family and can often include your children too. So, if you need to, make sure you make use of these life insurance freebies this winter!

Are you a stickler for spelling?

Who would've thought that spelling could bag you a bargain…

Popular online shopping site, Ebay, is full of spelling mistakes. But how can spelling mistakes save you money? When someone uploads an item to Ebay and spells the name with a typo, the item will get less hits on Ebay.

For example, if you were looking for a North Face item and type in ‘North Fac’ or ‘Nort Face’, you could stumble upon listings where hardly anyone has seen them and as a result, you could bag yourself a bargain. If you’re a savvy shopper, you could find some seriously good deals, just by using this simple little hack.

Squish your loo rolls

Another small, random hack but by doing it everyday, you could save money in the long run. By squishing your toilet roll, the paper comes off slower and in turn, it makes it harder for so much paper to be used.

We all use toilet paper but some use more than others. If you’re guilty of using way too much toilet paper every time you go to the toilet or even if you have kids who use too much then this hack is for you.

Reuse, reuse, reuse!

Most of us have those select few items that we always seem to keep and repurpose and most of us are probably guilty of having a cupboard full of those Chinese takeaway containers. But there are a couple of items that you could reuse, that could end up saving you a bit of money in the long run.

• Use old gift bags. Next time you get a fancy M&S gift bag from your granny, don’t be so quick to throw it away. By no means are we telling you to become a gift bag hoarder but next time you get a couple of nice ones, keep them and reuse them!
  
  
• Cut up your old socks. We all have those socks that are full of holes and you’ve lost the matching one so why not cut a few of your old ones up and use them as dusters or use them to clean with.
  
  
• Plastic bags. Don’t just reuse your plastic bags, you can sell them too. Both Morrisons and Ocado will pay you to take your used plastic bags when you shop online. They will both pay you 10p a bag and deduct the cost of your order when you hand in your plastic bags. Ocado will also recycle plastic bags from any supermarket.

Removing indexation

If you have a life insurance policy, you may have chosen to index-link your policy. The great thing about indexation is that it is optional and you have the choice to remove it whenever you need. Your life insurance provider will contact you annually to give you the choice to opt out.

With an index-linked policy, your life insurance provider will increase the amount you’re covered for each year by a small percentage in turn this will also increase your monthly premium by a small amount too.

The reason for having an index-linked policy is to ensure your life insurance policy remains roughly in line with inflation, meaning if the time comes for your policy to pay-out, your loved ones will receive a pay-out inline with the costs of goods and services in the UK.

Squeezy tube madness

This one might seem obvious but with anything that comes in a squeezy tube, whether it’s skincare, a cleaning product or a food related item - get into the habit of cutting the end off your tubes.

Getting into the habit of doing this could save you money in the long run and you might even be surprised at how much product is left in there. There’s also now a little gadget you can get yourself to help squeeze out those last little bits of your products, click here to see it!

Heard about our life insurance calculator?

In order to get the best deal for your life insurance policy, we look at your needs, wants and current circumstances. But another big consideration is your budget.

We search the life insurance market, comparing the UK’s leading life insurance providers in order to find the best match for your affordability. But if you wanted to find out a rough estimate of how much your cover could cost, using our life insurance calculator.

All you need to do is pop in your age and an estimate of how much cover you’d want and in a matter of seconds you can find out a rough price for your life insurance policy. Click the button below to try out our life insurance calculator today.

Heating hacks

If you have a smaller home or a flat, or you’re just worried about the heating bill then you could get away with barely turning the heating on this winter. Focusing more on heating yourself and not your home could save you some cash in the long run.

• Investing in an electric blanket this winter and using it to keep warm will only set you back by pence, they aren’t expensive to buy either and can keep you really warm and cosy. Plus, if you have a cold office, they are great to have and you can hide it under the desk.
  
  
• Plug in heaters are super affordable, take up no room at all and you can get them on Amazon - they can be a really low-cost way to heat your home this winter.
  
  
• Hot water bottles have been around forever but there's a reason for that - they really work. Plus, you can even get extra long ones now!
  
  
• It seems obvious but checking for draughts in your home this winter could save you money on the heating bill. If you find a draught in your home, you can block it up with a tape that will only set you back £6.50 from Wickes. Simply place the rubber seal where you can feel a drought and it could help make your home feel warmer this winter.
  
  

Don’t forget about January

Most major retailers participate in the big January sales and we all love to splurge a bit of our Christmas money on them.

But if you fancy getting ahead of the game for next Christmas and being extra thrifty, you’ll be able to get wrapping paper, cards, decorations and pretty much anything else for a fraction of the price.

Scared of spiders?

This one is less of a budget hack and more of a life hack but my fellow arachnophobes out there, if you buy a bunch of fresh mint around your home, it could deter insects like spiders, ants and flies, in those cold winter months.

Don’t chuck your old toothbrushes

Your toothbrush could have so many uses (apart from the obvious) so the next time you need a new one, don’t chuck it out - reuse it! Your old toothbrush could come in handy for:

• Cleaning. Whack a bit of cleaning product on your toothbrush and it becomes a great cleaning tool to get in between your bathroom tiles, taps and all those other little nooks and crannies in your home!
  
  
• Doing your hair. This might seem like a weird one but a toothbrush can be really useful for styling your hair too. Instead of overspending on a fancy styling comb, why not just save a toothbrush (wash it first though)!
  
  
• Jewellery cleaner. An old toothbrush could be a great tool to clean your small, delicate items of jewellery like rings and earrings.
  
  

When it comes to life insurance - we’re here to help!

If you used Busy Bee to set up your life insurance then we are at your disposal and here to help. If you’ve not got cover yet but you want to get a life insurance policy to protect you and your loved ones then you can get started with your free quote by clicking the button below.

The whole reason we’re here is to make life insurance easy for you, so don’t shy away from asking for help if you need it. At Busy Bee Life Insurance, we create a tailored policy to suit your needs, circumstances and affordability. However, if you decide later down the line that that cover no longer suits your budget, we can amend this cover to fit with what works best for you.

Whether it’s shortening the length of your cover, amending the amount you’re covered for or even removing indexation, don’t suffer in silence, we are here to help!

*Benefits listed are not contractual and may be amended or withdrawn in future.