The Single Spark with Chantelle the Coach (previously The Single Girl's Guide to Life)

How to Save Money When You Live on Your Own | Ep 120

• Chantelle the Coach

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If there's one thing that comes into question in the current state of the world, it's how to remain a truly strong, independent woman in a cost of living crisis. 

If you live on your own, you entirely rely on yourself - which is great... until a crisis makes everything cost that little bit more. 

There isn't the security of leaning on another half like couples do. And you still have to take the bins out yourself every week! 

So whilst I can't help with the latter, I've put together my best approaches to navigating these challenging times including ways to make money, save money and spend less. 

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RESOURCES:

- Download my FREE Dating Non-Negotiables Guide

- Visit my website: www.chantellethecoach.com

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Music from Ep 110 onwards by Kadien Music. Get your own podcast music here!
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life coaching for singles, how to be okay on you're own, overcoming loneliness, how to stop feeling lonely, single women, divorced in your 20s

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DISCLAIMER: The podcast and content posted by Chantelle The Coach is presented solely for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user’s own risk. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions.

Speaker 1:

Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Single Spark, the podcast for all strong, independent millennial women who want to find their spark, bring a spark into their life. And on this podcast we might just spark some topics of interest and debate. And this week we are going to be talking about that strength and that independence and how to hold on to it in the middle of a cost of living crisis, because, honestly, life is getting harder. Um, just a few weeks ago they announced that interest rates have been cut and on the surface, that seems like really cool in terms of mortgage rates. Um, mortgage rates so if you don't own your home probably doesn't make a difference to you, because if you rent, then I can't imagine that many landlords will be dropping the rent. You know, once rent is at a point, it stays at a point. So kind of the difference to them if they're on some sort of tracker, because mortgage rates only apply if it's like I've got a mortgage rate right now which is much lower than any of the interest rates and mortgage rates are available now because I locked in.

Speaker 1:

I was not silly when I bought my house. It was 2020, the end of 2020, and I I thought Covid was really going to do us over. I didn't bank on there being like a war and the cost of living crisis, all of that. But I locked in, wasn't stupid, um, locked in at quite a low rate and was really thankful. I didn't predict correctly, as it were. I didn't think. I just thought we'd go into like a real problem after, after Covid and effectively we have. But I don't think it's just Covid that caused it. So my rate doesn't change as a result of the rates going down, and on surface that can be like it's trying to encourage spending and growth, but from what I've been reading, which is not super in-depth, so I'm happy to be corrected if so, but people are kind of predicting that's all well and good, but not sure that's going to help with inflation.

Speaker 1:

Inflation is one of the biggest issues we have right now. Inflation is positive at the moment. It doesn't matter that it goes down a bit or up a bit. It just means that that means the rate at which it's going up. So as long as we are in a plus something above zero percent inflation, that means it's going up and of course we want things to go up.

Speaker 1:

You know, I would like my house to be worth more than it was when I bought it. It would be ideal, but we are seeing those problems really hit everyone, particularly in something like petrol. Seeing the issues with food, I hate going shopping now. I've seen lots of videos of people comparing a shop from five years ago that used to cost 100 pounds and then, like using an app must be a supermarket app putting the exact same items in as best possible that was in that basket back then and the total being somewhere near three, four hundred pounds now, like somewhere between that bracket, and that's insane. Like I don't think my wages have tripled I don't know if yours have, but in five years. So it's really squeezing everyone. Obviously, energy bills going up as well Electricity, gas, all of that kind of thing, and in moments like that it can be questioning of your situation as someone that might live on their own or pride themselves in their independence, and then it comes down to I really have to deal with, like, the weight of my shoulder, the weight of the earth on my shoulders, just to live, and this is not even throwing in the difficulties of life, whether it's in dating and going through breakups or, um, becoming a parent mean.

Speaker 1:

That's wild and life changing as it is, but just to have this basic existence, at least in this country or in particular in this part of the country. I don't know it affects the whole country, but some people feel that being up north is more of a benefit and because it is cheaper in general around there. But then my understanding in general is that wages would be cheaper, but then if you do remote work then I guess not Lots of complexities to it, and so it can really start to push your level of feeling strong in being able to cope in this situation and then the level of independence you have. Now I am thankful I've been okay to pay my bills. I did use the mortgage charter to help with taking a little break for a little bit. So I paid an interest-only mortgage for six months. I wasn't pushed but it just helped cash flow and I felt like why not? I mean going to pay a lot over the time. But I wanted to talk about some ways to keep on top of things, to keep the spend down, to give yourself a level of buffer, a level of confidence that you've got things that you can do.

Speaker 1:

This is not entirely in your control, it's dealt with, oh God way above us and we don't get a choice in to some degree in how much things cost us. You know, my petrol to fill my car went from 40 to 45 pound, which five pounds doesn't sound like a lot, but when you think of that as a percentage, say you know petrol to fill my car went from 40 to 45 pound, which five pounds doesn't sound like a lot, but when you think of that as a percentage, say you know that's a decent amount, an eighth, and I know that that scales up depending on the size of your car, etc. And so in situations like this, when we are out of control of what is happening to us, the only thing that we can do is look to what we can control, and I want to share with you just some key things that I have done in these situations. As I say, my house is not at threat and I think if it were, if I couldn't pay my bills, I would have to be looking at different circumstances. I would have to be looking at alternatives. At different circumstances, I would have to be looking at alternatives. Maybe I do not buy, even though buying has really done me well in terms of a mortgage of 700 pound for a one bed essentially one bed house, um, I believe that the same space being rented out because a lot of them are rented here um, is probably about a grand. So you know that, know that saved me inverted commas £300 a month and that therefore, actually being a buyer, as we know, quite often can save you stuff. But you know, if I couldn't sustain that, you know renting on my own is probably not going to be an option in that regard I'd have to look at getting a flatmate, things like that, and I know people that have had to do that. You know it's helped them, given that breathing space that they need and there's no there's no harm in doing that if that is what you need to do to essentially survive.

Speaker 1:

Sometimes we have to forego some of what we really want living on our own. Maybe that might be for you. It might not be for you, because we need to survive. It's not ideal. You know we want to be able to, not ideal. You know we want to be able to do the things that we want to be able to do. We want the least level of compromise when it comes to being able to execute that.

Speaker 1:

But when things like that are out of our control, having to reconsider options, like I know, and I'm thankful that if I had to, I would move back in with one of my family members. It would not be my first choice by any means. This is, this is my space. I love it and I'll keep it for as long as I can, but if I had to, then that's what I have to do. You know, when I ended my relationship, my marriage, I had to move back home. Now I had a choice I could have gone straight into rented, but I went back home and I had my room and all the other stuff was in the garage and if we hadn't had the garage, I'd have had to have rented some sort of lock up to put everything in. It's just the way it is sometimes that we have to go back a step to move forward three or four in the future.

Speaker 1:

I saved a significant amount of money, had the house deposit chunked away. It didn't get eaten away because I had to use it on rent. I was thankful that my parents had space, a spare room that I could go back into, and I know not everyone's got that situation. Their parents have their own small space maybe, and wouldn't be able to accommodate. Although they'd want to, they would try to, sometimes it's just not an option, and so then, wherever you are, you've then got everything to pay for.

Speaker 1:

And I just wanted to share because in my head, these are things I've been using or have always been aware of, maybe since I was a kid in the ways that I manage money, in the ways that I do, the things that I do, and some are slightly newer because, you know, certain apps weren't around back then, but I think, the more I can share them. You never know if it's helpful to people. So, just for one, one strategy that I've always used for managing money is having about 6,000 accounts under one account. So on Lloyds, my bank of choice, as it has been since I was 11, was I have my current account and then I don't know how many savings accounts I have. I had like 15. Now it's not always been as much as that, because I've got a fair few business ones now where I'm self-employed. So I have to keep tax to the side and I have to keep money to reinvest in the business. I have to keep money in like a business current account, even though it's a savings account. But in my head that's the money allocated to running the business. Now I have, since university, always had savings accounts for different pots, and I think Monzo do actually call these pots.

Speaker 1:

Um, you can set up a pot and the pot in my eyes was rent and bills and travel money and food. So when I got my maintenance loans coming in, I just used to know what I needed. You know, I can't remember what it was now, but maintenance loan would come in. Let's say it was 500 pound a month for the room. So I put 1500 away because I knew it had to last me three months. I put that away in the rent one. That was done and then I'd put my money away into the oh oh the bills one, because you knew what that would roughly going to be if you put it all on direct debits. Always put on direct debits, it spreads the cost out easier rather than peaking and troughing on the old energy bill and then put aside what I thought I would need for travel. Now, obviously, hopefully, you'd have enough to cover all of that. I was supplemented, as it were, in my theatre days because I used to work, so I used to do the same once the work money came in.

Speaker 1:

I still do it now as self-employed, it's you. If you don't have your money, discipline when you're self-employed like it's really difficult. So when money comes in, at certain points I've literally been like right, 10 goes to this, 10 goes that. So 10 to tax and you might go, why not 20? Well, because my expenses will offset a significant amount of that to begin with in the first few years. So 10% to tax, um, 10% to running the business, 10% savings, oh, and then I'll pay myself from the 70% that's left, things like that.

Speaker 1:

Now I tend to, when I get a chunk of money, put it in one pot and then any money that's left over that trickles in kind of becomes my spending money, things like that. So just being organized with money has been one, and actually one thing that's coming through business that, um, you may or may not be interested in is actually having a cash flow spreadsheet. Sounds really geeky and it kind of is um, but essentially you might know all those figures I've just mentioned, but actually seeing it on paper in terms of your income you're and anything that comes your way, anticipating birthday money, for example, and then seeing what needs to go out, the reality is, is that doing that, whether it's in a business scenario, in a personal scenario. Dealing with debt like seeing it makes it so much easier. So, for example, I know that I take a dip on money in june or july because certain contracts end or certain days are hit due to not being able to do supply work, and my biggest hit is always August because school's not opening in August, so I don't get the top up there, so it's February. Now I'm not freaking out about not having money in June, july and August, but I'm very well aware that they are kind of in the red zone or orange zone, which to me means you're going to need to do something to change how much you've got coming in, else you're not going to have enough. Now, if it were June and I was in June and I was looking at that in the red, literally going I don't have enough money this month, I'm going to feel very differently at that point if that's the first time I've realised it compared to now where I'm going okay, june is in March, april, may, june, four months time.

Speaker 1:

What can I do in the next four months? Do I need to do more supply work? Do I need to take on another tutoring slot or three? Do I need to do some more work in the business and get more business that way? And I think I've got different versions now for my life. And my coach would always say to look at it once a week, babe.

Speaker 1:

I look at it every day, every day, every other day, because I like to see what's coming out. I like to see what's coming out, I like to know that I haven't missed something. But also I can see it's done on a weekly basis Obviously have a peak where money comes in from being paid for the previous month's supply, but that's a big chunk. Otherwise, I get paid invoices at very random times and it can be all skewiff and it is quite complex. But just seeing it and being ahead of the game means that you can make adjustments. So I vaguely know how much tax I'm gonna owe for next year. We're not even, we're not even finished this next year yet, as it were, as in the next tax year. We've only just filed the last tax year, the next tax year only just coming to an end in two months time. I already know roughly how much that is and I'm looking at what I've got saved. I'm thinking, okay, we have not saved, maybe quite as enough as we needed. So actually let's adjust this. We're going to say 15% now instead of 10%, whatever it might be, can make all that difference.

Speaker 1:

So, apart from then just generally being organized with money and and accepting the reality because I did my, when I did my first spreadsheet I was like I don't even know how much comes out in my head I've always said like 1100, um, and I still don't know off the top of my head now, but I don't think that's enough. I think it's probably more like 1300 or something like that all together, like with every little direct debit that comes out, all these things that you're like oh, why am I paying that? There's one I've definitely got to cancel because I really need to get rid of it. I don't need it. But, and again things like that, it gets rid of all of that toot because when we've got finances sorted, we're on top of it, we're not stressing about it and we can also make conscious choices to save.

Speaker 1:

Now, as I say, I'm not on the edge of not having enough money for things um, clearly not. You know, sometimes treating my mum to go and see a show. I can't do that every month by any means once a year, um. But having spreadsheets like that allows me to see it, and it doesn't matter whether I'm on the edge or not. I want to make my money go as far as I can. I want my money to make money for me, whatever kind of approach you're going to take. So when I think of money, I love value for money, love value for money.

Speaker 1:

And my entire wardrobe is now kitted out via Vinted, because to me it's the same as driving a car off the forecourt. If you didn't already know, the minute you drive a brand new car off the forecourt, the value of it just plummets straight away. If you try and sold it on the next day, you're not going to get what you have signed up or did pay for it no chance. And the same goes for clothes, even if it's still got the label on it. If you bought that item, in most cases that price is slashed immediately. If you try to sell it on the next day unless it is a very rare item, vintage and really in demand you're not going to be able to sell it for what you paid for. And so I just think well, why am I, especially the way I've seen those prices creeping up and I don't go clothes shopping.

Speaker 1:

I haven't gone clothes shopping for a long time. I pop into the odd shop here and there, but I see the clothes at the likes of Tesco's and Sainsbury's and the price of those things has been creeping up, as everything has. I'm just shocked, even in the discounted sales section some of it's. I just can't justify it because I'm like I know I can find the same on vinted for a quarter of the original price or less if I bundle things up and do it. And the beautiful thing is like I've helped jason do this with the children and children's clothes. Obviously they cycle through them or not, because they're growing a lot quicker at a quicker rate. So one great reason to do that. But two, the resale on kids clothes is huge. School uniform straight on there usually goes like that doesn't take very long at all, um, and you can do the same with adult clothes. It's just that it can't be generic toots.

Speaker 1:

Um, the quirkier the item, I think the more likely it is to go. I've never really struggled selling bright color things or anything. That's a medium high street brand. But you know you just buy blue trousers from Sainsbury's. I've still got a pair of those up. They're not going to go.

Speaker 1:

So you can spend time selling on Vinted, which I've obviously mentioned there. I don't think it's a long-term thing, not a long-term thing. It's not the most effective thing, unless you have very designery things that you you know you value wearing them a couple of times, even for the additional cost, and then you can sell it on for, you know, a good chunk of what you pay for it. That's where I think you can make money that might supplement your income, because supplementing your income is another way to feel like you've still got, you know, the ability to go out for a meal or order a takeaway in or go to a theater show, if you want to do those kind of independent or book a holiday, even supplementing your income and vintage would be one of those but in most cases you're not selling them for enough of a profit.

Speaker 1:

If you've only not got those kind of items around to make it significant, by the time you've and I've been there when you've uploaded the picture, written the description listed it and you know it's for all of £2.50, by the time you've paid the petrol to drop the package off, having found, well, if you're anything like me you buy off into. Then you reuse the packets, right. I'm not buying a packet because that's basically going to cost me the money that it costs that I'm actually getting in, but by the time you've done the petrol run if it's not convenient and on your way anyway. It's kind of a zero-sum game. You have to be careful with it for sure, because that's why I wouldn't see it as an supplemental income. I quite like it just to help me clear things out and not feel bad about landfill and also how, like, charity shops can only take so much right. Um, so I've heard that charity shops are losing out on some of the best stuff now because we're all using vinted. But at the same time I just think so again, you can't even just feel that good about giving the other stuff away because you already know it won't sell or hasn't easily sold. So they put it in. But what the chance of them selling it? It's a tricky one, old vinted.

Speaker 1:

The other way would be to supplement your income to find that other way of increasing what's coming in. Now that can depend on your job. When I was a teacher, tutoring was the easiest thing to do and it was a very adjacent and and I've been thankful that I've been able to continue, that even I mean the tutoring business actually exists on its own. I don't call it a business because I just think of it tutoring, but that is another little income for me. I've actually got six slots this year, the most I've ever done, and that really supplements me. It brings it in, and tutoring is something that you could look into. You can start your rates at £20, £25 and build it up over time as you get more competent, confident, etc.

Speaker 1:

But there are lots of other things that you could do and I'm not going to sit here and list what you could do, because it was always going to be very specific to you, but not forgetting to fall back on what you've already got, what you already know and who you already know. Like, if I didn't have supply work and if tutoring wasn't taking off, then the other thing I would be looking at is going back into theatre, tapping up my old contacts and saying, hey, look, I'm back in the game for depth work, and so you want the casual, flexible version of whatever you're going to do, because I'm back in the game for depth work, and so you want the casual, flexible version of whatever you're going to do, because I'm assuming that you do something else maybe. But depth is when you go in and you cover in the sound department the soundtrack of the sound, number three, number four, whatever, the lowest number, sorry, well, it's the lowest rank, but the highest number, which sounds a bit strange of putting microphones out, of putting the batteries in, of putting them in people's hair, moving the speakers, plugging certain things in, etc. And the latest I knew, the rate has gone up, thankfully, um, I can't remember the exact now, but it was like 100 or so, if not a bit more, 100, something per show, which is, you know, that has gone up with rates. I think it was about 100, because it used to be something like 70 was the one I'm thinking of, so it's gone up with rates. I think it was about 100 because it used to be something like 70 was the one I'm thinking of, so it's gone up by 30 pounds, um, you know, in five years or so, um, which is not bad um, but I live further away now and so for me it's an option I've considered before, um, and I have to think about how much it's going to cost me on the train to get in 20 quid, even with a rail card, because it's off peak, thankfully, but even so costs money to get up there and that's a lot more than it was when it was like about a tenner when I was within a particular zone. And so what am I actually getting out of it? But if I had to, if I needed to or if I just wanted a bit of extra cash, that is an extra. Even take off the travel fees, etc. You know that's an extra 70 80 pounds coming into my pocket there. So something to look at and, not being too prude to do anything.

Speaker 1:

When I first quit my job and shifted into properly into all of this and I'm still not like fully out of it, let me just be really clear. Like I still work in a school, going down to one day a week by the time this goes out it'll be one day a week um, I still do tutoring that's linked to my old job. And then there's the business, and the business is slowly getting there like I'm really proud of it so far. But before that I did amazon flex. I used to go in cars, pick stuff. I used to go in my car, just my car, not other cars. I used to go to a shop pick stuff. I used to go in my car, just my car, not other cars. I used to go to a shop, pick up the bags that had been picked by the people that worked in the supermarket, put them in my car and deliver them.

Speaker 1:

And it's not a profitable game. It's not significantly profitable, but it kept me earning. It gave me, like petrol money. Obviously I used petrol, but it covered that and more. And that was what I needed. I needed to feel like I had that purpose and had control of being able to say yes to more shifts and to generate more money if I needed it, if I was having any wobbles or being like oh, cash flows are getting a bit tight there or here.

Speaker 1:

And then my pièce de résistance, one that has saved me. It must be hundreds of pounds by now. It does say on the app how much it has saved me. It must be hundreds of pounds by now. Um, it does say on the app how much it has saved me, but I don't think it's as much as it says. I can't work out the numbers at all on that front, but you may have heard of a little app called too good to go. I think a lot of people have heard of that.

Speaker 1:

It's when shops, at the end of the day, are getting rid of what is left at a discount price. So greg's say, for example, they'll create a bag but you don't know what's in the bag. That's the catch. It could be a bunch of donuts, it could be a hundred croissants um, it won't be a hundred, but you know it's a little selection of croissants um, it's meant to be worth more than what you pay for it regardless. So you do generally get a good deal and if you feel that you don't, then you contact them, they look into it, double check and they kind of go. Oh yeah, that's not great, and I've had a couple of mishaps with it, places being shut when they weren't meant to be.

Speaker 1:

Um, but a nice little app, until I found the olio app, o-l-i-o and that's kind of the next layer on in terms of if they don't shift their goods in the shop and they don't shift their goods through something like too good to go, the food, well, normally would just go in the shop and they don't shift their goods through something like Too Good To Go, the food, well, normally would just go in the bin, right, except for Oleo. And Oleo is built up of volunteers who go to these shops. They're trained and they've had to read through certain health and safety guidance, but they go and collect the food that didn't sell on reduced and didn't sell on Too Good To Go. They go pick it up, they bring it to their home and didn't sell on too good to go. They go pick it up, they bring it to their home and, as being a volunteer, they get to take 10%. So they get first dibs. But then the food, each individual item gets listed every evening and you can not bid for it, but you just say request it. You request it and say can I come and collect this at 9pm tonight? Collect this at 9pm tonight. And that has changed the game for me in terms of saving so much money on food.

Speaker 1:

Now don't get me wrong. Fresh stuff can go quite quickly or it can go. It just doesn't come up Like fresh meat is a very rare listing on Oleo, very rare listing on oleo. So I don't get too much of that. Fresh fruit and veg is quite common. It often can stay there for a while. The amount of spring onions that I have got off of it, wonderful. But mushrooms. You can corn on the cobs. We've got like loads of stuff comes up easy peelers. Bananas sometimes come up, um, it just depends. It's a bit like ready steady cook I was about to say supermarket sweet, but that is wrong ready city cook where you're given random items you have to come up with, and I kind of like the challenge of that. I really enjoyed it. But you also get all of the sandwiches that they didn't shift at boots at tesco's from the meal deals you get meals, you know. You can get mashed potato that's already made. You can get potatoes in general, but they might have. There's a sausage and mash, tesco Finest that gets put on there.

Speaker 1:

Oh, don't ever buy bread again. Don't ever buy bread again. If you have got an Oleo and go download the app, check it. I'm not affiliated in any way, apart from the fact I use it. Download it, see if it's active in your area, chelmsford, go do it. It's huge bread, bread for days. If you need. Do not buy bread again because it will be on the oleo app.

Speaker 1:

Bread is there the most more than anything else. Baguettes, bloomers, hovers, 50, 50 bread's always there and the good thing about the bread products is because it's a best before product, it doesn't have to go that evening. Chicken on the day like, for example, or anything that's listed used by for that day, must go that evening. You can't say, can I save it for tomorrow, anything like that. Um, you get cakes on there from time to time, sometimes birthday cakes, but you know classic mr kipling cakes come up and they because they're best before they would be available after the first date.

Speaker 1:

So if you miss it now, one that I have really benefited from hugely is the Pret drop. Pret seemed to be working with the likes of Too Good To Go, I think, and Oleo. But on Oleo, at the very least I get lunches and things I can use for dinners, like the soups I would say. Once a week I can get a pret soup and maybe a pret soup roll to go with it, and like that means I'm still enjoying a pret from time to time without having to go to pret and spend pret prices. I am getting those pret items entirely for free. Entirely for free. And it's just slashed my food bill really, because I'm not superbly precious about where I eat from, where I buy from, and I still do go out and buy food. It's not that I'm I've stopped paying for food at all, but part of me really enjoys the fact that it's really sustainable as well. Just like vinted, you know, I'm not contributing to landfill and when it comes to this food, I'm giving it this third opportunity, as it were, in my head, because the reduced kind of really tries to get rid of it, doesn't it? Maybe even fourth with too good to go, but gives it another opportunity to be used.

Speaker 1:

And some stuff I have had to chuck because I couldn't use it, didn't use it, didn't use it in time, but I still tried, and I've just looked over at the window, just as I've said that, and the flowers caught my eye. The flowers came from Olio. There was a, there was two bunches that someone was someone had got from Tesco's and they were getting rid of. It's a lilies and roses set. And then there was this other small bunch of like these purple things that are like on sticks. I mean that is a flower, but purple things on sticks, but they they're almost like. They're not bluebells because they're not that shape, but they're like. I put both bunches together and it looks fabulous, I tell you, and that's just a nice little treat to have got off of Olio. The lilies have almost all opened up. They're going to be a nightmare when those orange things go everywhere. But I haven't had to pay for flowers. You know, that's just that little extra treat that makes all the difference in when we're saving little bits here and there. And of course there's other things. I mean go check out the likes of Money Saving Expert or the Coupon Kid for getting freebies, for getting discount vouchers.

Speaker 1:

And one thing, two things more to mention. One if you have got a mortgage and if you have got any scope to put away for a mortgage, sprive Sprive is it dedicates and automatically will take money for you, putting it aside that you can offset your mortgage with. Now. This is only really helpful if you do have even just a little bit of spare income that you can put toward that. But offsetting your mortgage can have a big impact on the long-term effect. You can reduce it by years if you just keep overpaying consistently.

Speaker 1:

But the beautiful thing about Sprive and it reminded me of the second thing that I'm going to mention the beautiful thing about Sprive is you can also pay at certain supermarkets and at certain outlets and places through Sprive. So if you top up your Sprive account, not for paying the mortgage, but you put 20 quid on and you spend it at Sainsbury's. A certain percentage then goes back into the pot that goes towards your mortgage at no cost to you, no additional cost to you, but it's just. It's essentially the same as a cashback card and that was the other thing I just wanted to drop in before the end. Make sure that, if you can and where possible, when you're buying on the internet, you know if you're, if you're having to buy things for friends, christmas presents, whatever it might be using cashback cards that can reward you for spending in certain shops or websites. Cashback websites things like Quidco or Top Cashback, if you remember that advert will give you kickbacks for spending if you click the link before their link.

Speaker 1:

Before. It's all to do with affiliation. It's all to do with affiliation, it's all to do with reward, but you're getting money back to sprive's quite clever because it puts it in the pot. Then you can offset your mortgage with, which could reduce the amount of interest and the amount of pay in total significantly over time. So this kind of episode has gone in a few directions, but I really wanted to address the kind of money elements of being able to stay strong and independent and cost of living crisis and how to save some pennies along the way, just using things that I'm aware of and that I have used. If you've got anything extra to share, send it my way, throw it into a group if it's in existence, and, until next time, keep sparkling.

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Chantelle Dyson

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