Summer Savings Challenge Wrap Up
Back in August, I spoke about the fact I was taking part in the Summer Savings Challenge.
It has now been 6 weeks and it is time to look back on how I did and think about how I can keep moving forward with saving.
What Was the Summer Savings Challenge?
For anyone who missed my original post on the summer saving challenge, I’ll give you a bit of a recap.
While in the name it is for summer, it is a challenge you could look to take on at any time.
Shepherds Friendly kindly produced some printables, which make keeping track of your savings from the challenge easy.
As well as offering up some ideas which you might like to follow for the challenge such as:
- Car Sharing with Friends or Work Colleagues.
- Cancelling SKY or premium TV apps.
- Swap the Gym for Home Workouts.
- Freeze Food to Make it Last Longer and Save on Waste.
- Make Packed Lunches Instead of Buying Out.
To name just a few.
How Did I Do?
For my 6 weeks I decided to take on the following challenges:
Week 1 and 2.
Check out those subscriptions – cancel those that aren’t used or wanted anymore.
Week 3 and 4.
Think about turning things off, a long-term goal to help bring the electric bill down.
Week 5 and 6.
Research before buying. Think about coupons, discounts and search for the cheapest price overall.
If you have been following my Facebook page, you may have seen my weekly updates on how I have been doing with this challenge.
For those of you who haven’t here is how I did.
Over the first fortnight, I managed to save £50 per month. Just by cancelling subscriptions which either we didn’t use anymore, or downgrading ones which perhaps we didn’t use to the fullest but we did on a smaller scale.
For me, I think this is something I am going to try and do every few months.
Most subscriptions go out on the 1st. So that will be a day to sit down and look them over.
The next fortnight was more a time to look at myself.
I am awful for not switching things off, be it lights, the radio or the shower and even taps seem to be an issue!
I have been trying to be more self-aware about the things I do. It is a slow process, I’m not going to lie and say, oh yes I’ve managed this 100% of the time. As I haven’t.
However, hopefully, I am starting to go along the right path when it comes to remembering to switch more things off.
For the final fortnight, it was all about remembering to look for discounts.
I have to admit I’ve not bought much this last fortnight, so it’s not been as positive as it could be.
That said I have added the TopCashBack* toolbar to chrome and I’ve started trying to dig out all the vouchers I’ve accumulated across the year, ready for Christmas shopping.
Final Thoughts.
I think for me this challenge has been a success, I have visible savings already.
While I also have things to keep working on. As well as ideas to help expand my saving channels as time goes on.
When it comes to what I am going to do with those pennies, I think I will definitely be looking to place them into something like a Stocks & Shares ISA.
Something which will allow me and push me to save long term, due to the rewards it offers.
Have you been taking part in the summer savings challenge, or been doing a savings challenge all of your own, how have you done?
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Wow £50 a month is impressive, especially just from cancelling subscriptions. I must look into ours tonight 🙂
Honestly, it was so bad! I have to admit some I cancelled as I have a backlog of items although I still liked getting them.
As I tell my kids, the little things add up. So keep up the good work on saving.
They really do – I was amazed how many pound coins I had amounted recently!
These are great tips to save money. Last year, we cut our cable bill by switching to Roku and Sling. Saves us so much money!
I think so many people are saving by moving their TV companies. It is amazing.
This is such a great post filled with great tips to save a ton of cash! I struggle to keep tracks on monthly direct debit of apps that don’t seem like much but all added up make a lot of money.
It is crazy how quickly they all add up isn’t it – sometimes it amazes me how much I pay on bills.
I have not been very good at saving this summer but sounds like you nailed it! These are great tips to get better at saving!
Hopefully a little bit haha! Good luck if you decide to do some winter savings.
These are all great ways to save. I do find that a gym membership helps me to actually work out. However with YouTube, there really is a lot out there on the Internet.
I think if you’re using it – it isn’t a bad thing, it’s when your not it becomes a problem.
Saving money can help you become financially secure and provide a safety net in case of an emergency. Here are a few reasons why we save: Emergency cushion – This could be any number of things: a new roof for your house, out-of-pocket medical expenses, or sudden loss of income.
Most definitely it is always good to have an emergency fund for when the worst happens.
These are great tips that I know my husband would love, he is the switch turner off in our house. Keeping the cable bill to a minimum usually makes so much sense.
My other half is the same, he’s always telling me Sarah you left X on again whoops!
That sounds like a great challenge! I’m glad it was a success for you! Thanks for sharing your journey.
Thank you so much! It was great to be able to take part and learn some new ways to save money for sure!
great tips and it is always the small things the pile up! mine is the daily visit to starbucks, cutting that out save me a lot
It really is, it is amazing to see how the small purchases can quickly mount up on you.
We have done some of the things you mentioned. We are saving more than a hundred on cable (we cut the plug) and also saved on cell phone by switching.
Ekk that is amazing – I think a lot of people are deciding to do that these days.
Majority of your list what I practice doing. For example carpooling with my husband to go to work everyday since we both working at the same time. We also bring our own lunch to make sure we stay in our diet. Aside from that we cancel our cable years ago not only to save up money also to give us reason to go outside and more active.
It is awesome to hear you already have most of it already down! That is awesome!
Thanks for the tips. I love savings challenge and we encourage our kids to do it as well. They also do savings challenge for things they want to purchase or if we’re going on a trip and they want some travel money for souvenirs etc.
That is awesome, I think the younger you learn the easier it is to keep going with it.
Congrats on the savings and I wish I had knew about the challenge as I would have joined in. But like you said we can do it at any time and with the Holidays around the corner now is the perfect time to get started.
Most definitely just because it has summer in the name doesn’t mean it needs doing over summer.
I try so hard to save and every time I get ahead, something comes up. I feel like I just can’t win.
It can be so hard can’t it – I always find the same, I manage to feel like I’m getting somewhere and bam it has gone.
It sounds like you are on the right track to save more money! I do a lot of stuff to try to save as much money as I can, but you have a few more ideas than what I thought of so I think I might try a few of your suggestions.
I hope so I would really like to get my savings up for sure!
With such great steps to more saving, I’m certain that you did save a lot especially when it comes to buying only want is necessary and also buying on sale.
Most definitely I have to admit I always buy on sale haha! I’m awful don’t like buying anything full price.
All of us need to stop and see where we can save money. We are down sizing the tv package. Big savings.
Most definitely I think it can be so easy to just let the money flow out when it comes in.
Glad to have picked up few of the tips you shared here in order to save money. I like car sharing with friend or work colleagues as it will also do the environment good.
I am so glad it has helped you pick up a few tips! That is great.
Interesting post I learned a lot, I just put my foot down now and insisted my kid turned my lights off, although my kid is responsible for keeping the lights on. Thank you.
Haha yeah I think if your often told as well it can become a habit to turn them off which is good!
This is super helpful. I use cash back websites and an app called Chip which stores money aside for you without you even realizing it! I’ve saved sooo much since installing it x
I use chip as well – it has to be one of my apps for 2018! I love that you don’t notice what it takes.
This is something I could do and I don’t mind trying it out. Saving is always a great thing to do.
It really is and their ideas are so simple to implement as well.
No challenge but I do try to save as much as I can every month but sadly this month I haven’t been able to due to it being a festival and travel kind of month!
Ever little helps doesn’t it at any time I think.
It is very helpful. Now i m accepting this summer challenge.
Good luck with doing your own summer challenge!
This is great!! A lot of them is what I do already – don’t forget buying a food saver vac pack ??. It’s amazing the amount you can save when you look at the little things in your daily routine
Ohh now that sounds like an interesting thing to buy! I am totally going to look into it now!