Brits reveal quirky money-saving hacks - including re-using teabags and cutting own hair
Re-using teabags, cutting their own hair and only flushing the loo once a day are some of Brits' quirkier money-saving hacks, a study has revealed. Researchers looked into the inventive ways people save money, and found that a just under a third still swear by saving pennies in a jar.
Other common techniques include giving up the gym to work out at home, eating random concoctions from the freezer to avoid shopping, and turning off all the plugs before leaving the house.
Time is money, and we all know how making small tweaks to your daily routine can make a difference
Eating at other people’s homes as often as possible, bulk-buying items, and sewing or knitting their own clothes were among the more unusual money-saving hacks.
And savvy Brits believe their money saving tricks save them £423 per person every year.
But when it comes to their utility bills, a third (31 percent) admit they would rather pay more than spend time hunting around for the best value option.
A spokesman for Utility Warehouse, which commissioned the poll of 2,000 people, said: "Time is money, and we all know how making small tweaks to your daily routine can make a difference.
"As a nation, we’re masters of saving the pennies but could do with some help when it comes to saving the pounds.
"With essential home utilities making up between 5-10 percent of our household spend, switching suppliers may not be the most creative way to save money, but it’s among the most impactful, and the quickest.
"In light of the research we want to help people explore the simple things they can do to save money quickly and easily - so we’ve launched a Time is Money guide with hints and tips from our experts."
The research also found as many as one in four adults have literally cut back on their outgoings – by cutting their own hair.
And 12 percent even re-use teabags to get as much use out of their groceries as possible, while the same amount admit to only flushing the loo once a day.
Four in ten adults suspect they could have lower energy bills, if they could only be bothered to make the switch, with 71 percent "surprised" at the size of their bills.
But more than a third of respondents feel they simply don’t get paid enough to save any money, and 27 percent bemoan something in the house always seeming to need replacing.
A third (36 percent) have even hidden purchases from their partner because they didn’t want them to know they’d spent money, according to the OnePoll figures.
Utility Warehouse’s spokesman added: "Being more prudent with money is a vital life skill, and it’s interesting to see how few people look to make the impactful and relatively hassle-free changes - like buying bulk items in advance - in favour of more time-consuming hacks like constantly entering competitions.
"We like to think it’s possible for people to save money without it causing a time-consuming headache every day."
The Time is Money guide can be downloaded here.
BRITS' TOP 35 MONEY-SAVING HACKS
- Making sure lights are always turned off
- Wear a jumper instead of turning on the heating
- Use discount vouchers
- Use comparison websites
- Walk or cycle more
- Make packed lunches
- Shop around for the cheapest utilities provider
- Switch utility providers
- Turn off all the plugs before leaving the house
- Check for two-for-one deals
- Buy second-hand or refurbished items
- Exercise at home
- Save pennies in a jar
- Use cashback websites
- Bulk-buy items in advance
- Grow your own fruit and veg
- Cut your own hair
- Order groceries online
- Eat random concoctions from the freezer until food runs out
- Sell anything you possibly can on an online marketplace
- Wash hair every other day
- Check ISA rates
- Collect coupons from newspapers
- Continuously enter competitions
- Squeeze old soap bars together
- Rent books from a library
- Get quarterly haircuts
- Transfer credit card balances
- Sign up for free cinema tickets websites
- Flush the toilet once a day
- Re-use teabags
- Sew/knit your own clothes
- Drive through countries to avoid costs of flying
- Car share
- Invite yourself round friend’s and family’s houses for dinner regularly