WEBVTT - Top Tips To Trim Your Spending 0:00:02.160 --> 0:00:05.340 Hey, Kia here. The cost of living has made everything 0:00:05.370 --> 0:00:08.550 so much more expensive. Not just the price of things 0:00:08.550 --> 0:00:11.610 that we buy regularly, but our more significant outgoings too. 0:00:12.180 --> 0:00:16.590 Energy bills, rent and mortgages have seen some huge increases. 0:00:17.070 --> 0:00:19.860 With everything seemingly on the rise, knowing how you can 0:00:19.860 --> 0:00:22.290 cut back to make your money stretch even further is 0:00:22.290 --> 0:00:24.989 something that we all need to know. Welcome to another 0:00:24.989 --> 0:00:27.180 episode of a Little Bit Richer, brought to you by 0:00:27.180 --> 0:00:32.400 my friends at Legal & General. Here to help us with 0:00:32.400 --> 0:00:34.920 the top tips to trim your spending is Charlotte Jessop. 0:00:35.100 --> 0:00:38.850 Charlotte is a financial educator, writer and vlogger, and the woman 0:00:38.850 --> 0:00:42.300 behind the Looking After your Pennies platform. While working as 0:00:42.300 --> 0:00:45.150 a maths teacher, Charlotte noticed a gap in the education 0:00:45.150 --> 0:00:48.870 system around personal finance skills. She shared her own experiences 0:00:48.870 --> 0:00:51.390 with money online, which led to a recognition that poor 0:00:51.390 --> 0:00:57.480 financial education is a national, even global problem. Welcome, Charlotte. 0:00:57.870 --> 0:00:59.160 Hello. Thank you for having me. 0:00:59.220 --> 0:01:01.800 Thank you for coming on. I'm really excited to delve 0:01:02.070 --> 0:01:05.340 deeper into how we can trim back our spending. So 0:01:05.370 --> 0:01:08.759 first things first, let's touch on day- to- day spending. 0:01:08.819 --> 0:01:12.000 So, can you share some ideas on trimming your spending 0:01:12.000 --> 0:01:13.110 when it comes to food? 0:01:13.470 --> 0:01:16.470 I don't think there's any other part of our lives 0:01:16.650 --> 0:01:20.010 where you get this intersection where you are dealing with 0:01:20.010 --> 0:01:23.730 your finances, your health, and also your time management as 0:01:23.730 --> 0:01:27.090 well. Because when you go food shopping, you're looking for 0:01:27.420 --> 0:01:30.959 things that are going to nourish your body, but they 0:01:30.990 --> 0:01:32.850 also have to stay in budget and they also have 0:01:32.850 --> 0:01:35.310 to not take too long to cook because you're busy. 0:01:35.610 --> 0:01:37.290 Then yes, it is one of those things that we 0:01:37.290 --> 0:01:41.250 can control a little bit more with our spending. We 0:01:41.250 --> 0:01:43.709 have a choice about how much it costs, but also 0:01:43.740 --> 0:01:47.340 it is a mammoth task. So, some of the things 0:01:47.340 --> 0:01:50.010 that I recommend people do are things like meal planning. 0:01:50.010 --> 0:01:53.520 So, sit down and decide what you want to eat 0:01:53.520 --> 0:01:57.240 for the week, and sometimes that restriction, that can be 0:01:57.240 --> 0:02:00.029 a little bit controlling for some people. Actually for me, 0:02:00.030 --> 0:02:02.400 I just like the freedom of going, " What we're having 0:02:02.400 --> 0:02:05.550 today? Oh look, we're having chicken nuggets and chips," or 0:02:05.550 --> 0:02:07.980 whatever it is. And the benefit of doing this is 0:02:07.980 --> 0:02:10.320 you can think about what you need to buy. You 0:02:10.320 --> 0:02:12.690 can also think about what time constraints you might have. 0:02:12.690 --> 0:02:13.980 So, if I go out to the shops and I 0:02:13.980 --> 0:02:15.899 buy something that's going to take two hours to prepare, 0:02:16.169 --> 0:02:17.820 that's going to sit in the fridge and go to 0:02:17.820 --> 0:02:20.310 waste. Whereas if I go, actually this needs to be 0:02:20.310 --> 0:02:23.850 a quick in the oven, 15 minute (inaudible) , then 0:02:23.850 --> 0:02:25.740 I know I've got that on the menu. So, that 0:02:25.740 --> 0:02:28.500 really helps reduce things like food waste and keeps the 0:02:28.500 --> 0:02:32.880 cost down. Other things like just choosing your supermarket wisely. 0:02:33.180 --> 0:02:36.418 Some supermarkets are cheaper than others and this is widely 0:02:36.419 --> 0:02:39.240 acknowledged. Do a little bit of shopping around. I also 0:02:39.240 --> 0:02:41.280 do want to acknowledge that I live in Norfolk and 0:02:41.280 --> 0:02:43.230 sometimes you don't get a choice about what supermarket you 0:02:43.230 --> 0:02:46.020 can shop. But yeah, I think just being a little 0:02:46.020 --> 0:02:48.840 bit of aware of things like the pricing. All the 0:02:48.840 --> 0:02:51.630 tickets these days have to have how much it costs 0:02:51.630 --> 0:02:54.750 per kilo or per hundred mil, or whatever it is. 0:02:54.990 --> 0:02:57.000 So, you can make a little bit of a comparison 0:02:57.300 --> 0:02:59.520 when you're in the shops itself. The things on the 0:02:59.520 --> 0:03:02.820 end aisles might look cheaper, but they're not necessarily, they're 0:03:02.820 --> 0:03:06.720 just the promotions. So, take your time with some of 0:03:06.720 --> 0:03:10.290 these things. I'm a big fan of having my shopping 0:03:10.290 --> 0:03:13.050 delivered, and this is mostly because I then have the 0:03:13.050 --> 0:03:17.489 freedom to shop around and compare prices. And one trick 0:03:17.490 --> 0:03:19.530 that I really like, and I use this when I'm 0:03:19.530 --> 0:03:23.579 doing my meal planning, is I will go online and 0:03:23.580 --> 0:03:26.130 look at the supermarket's pricing and go, " Oh actually, what's 0:03:26.130 --> 0:03:30.060 on offer?" Because sometimes chicken might be on offer that 0:03:30.060 --> 0:03:32.370 week and that's a really good price, whereas I was 0:03:32.370 --> 0:03:35.550 thinking about having pork chops or something, but actually the 0:03:35.550 --> 0:03:39.240 chicken might be cheaper. So, I can combine the two things 0:03:39.330 --> 0:03:43.320 and create meals around what's cheaper that week. So, just 0:03:43.320 --> 0:03:46.140 tweaking some of these things can help shave off a 0:03:46.140 --> 0:03:48.300 few pounds off your food bill each week. 0:03:48.390 --> 0:03:50.910 Absolutely. I think one big thing that my dad got 0:03:50.910 --> 0:03:52.920 me into before I went to university and that I still 0:03:52.920 --> 0:03:54.960 do today, and that he loves to do is the 0:03:54.960 --> 0:03:58.410 yellow stickers. Because it does feel like sometimes everything's always 0:03:58.410 --> 0:04:00.030 on the rise, but there are so many different ways 0:04:00.030 --> 0:04:01.410 that you can bring down that spending. 0:04:01.470 --> 0:04:02.010 Absolutely. 0:04:02.070 --> 0:04:06.720 When it comes to treat spending, because I think this is 0:04:06.930 --> 0:04:10.800 a big thing, as people life is very stressful. You 0:04:10.800 --> 0:04:13.980 want to spend some money and treat yourself, but what 0:04:13.980 --> 0:04:15.270 are some ways that we can make sure that we're 0:04:15.270 --> 0:04:18.210 not just splashing the cash, but we're actually being a 0:04:18.210 --> 0:04:19.680 bit more measured with our treat spending? 0:04:20.670 --> 0:04:22.409 So I think one of the things that I love 0:04:22.410 --> 0:04:27.000 to do here is actually pre- determine what I want 0:04:27.000 --> 0:04:29.370 my treats to be, because we can get caught up 0:04:29.430 --> 0:04:32.850 in the moment. So, I like to set a list 0:04:32.850 --> 0:04:36.420 of things that actually mean something to me. So, I 0:04:36.420 --> 0:04:40.950 have various hobbies like paddleboarding and I like eating out, 0:04:40.950 --> 0:04:43.320 and I like travel. So, I'm trying to make sure 0:04:43.320 --> 0:04:45.270 that if I'm going to treat myself, it's on something 0:04:45.270 --> 0:04:48.930 that actually is meaningful to me and I'm not just 0:04:49.260 --> 0:04:52.830 trying to fill in a gap and an emotional splurge, 0:04:53.580 --> 0:04:58.500 but also budgeting that in, allowing that to be part 0:04:58.529 --> 0:05:01.620 of your spending. So many people that I see when 0:05:01.620 --> 0:05:04.200 they are preparing a budget or they're sitting down there, 0:05:04.500 --> 0:05:06.510 they've got a spreadsheet or they've got an app, and 0:05:06.510 --> 0:05:09.810 they've planned out what they want to spend their money 0:05:09.810 --> 0:05:12.960 on, they remove all of the fun, and that makes 0:05:12.960 --> 0:05:16.500 it hard work to stick to a budget, instead if 0:05:16.500 --> 0:05:18.870 you allow some of those things to be in your 0:05:18.870 --> 0:05:21.180 budget. So, if you want to takeaway, put a little 0:05:21.180 --> 0:05:23.669 bit of a takeaway buffer in there. The point of 0:05:23.670 --> 0:05:25.409 life isn't just to sit in your house bored. 0:05:26.040 --> 0:05:28.589 No, it's not. I completely agree. I've had a treat 0:05:28.589 --> 0:05:31.560 yourself fund, that's what I call it, for ages now. So, when I 0:05:31.560 --> 0:05:33.930 see something I don't feel bad. I can spend and say, " 0:05:33.960 --> 0:05:36.510 Okay, it's within my budget. I've got X amount set 0:05:36.510 --> 0:05:39.570 aside. I can buy this." So, let's talk more about 0:05:39.570 --> 0:05:42.359 budgeting then. What can people do when it comes to 0:05:42.360 --> 0:05:45.779 making more significant cutbacks to their spending and their budgets? 0:05:46.230 --> 0:05:48.720 Yeah, so we've talked about things like food shopping. We've 0:05:48.720 --> 0:05:52.650 talked about those treats and reducing those things, but actually 0:05:53.640 --> 0:05:57.029 these are smaller tweaks. What we want to do is 0:05:57.029 --> 0:06:00.900 look at some of the more significant purchases we are 0:06:00.900 --> 0:06:03.419 making in our lives and see what changes we can 0:06:03.420 --> 0:06:06.870 make there. So, I have a budget spreadsheet, I have 0:06:06.870 --> 0:06:09.779 all my outgoings, all my income. And what I do 0:06:09.779 --> 0:06:14.040 is I look, and I'll highlight maybe a category on there. 0:06:14.220 --> 0:06:16.620 So, it might be like my electricity bill and I'll 0:06:16.620 --> 0:06:19.830 be like, I'm coming for you electricity bill, and that 0:06:19.830 --> 0:06:22.440 month I'll work on how I can reduce that. And 0:06:22.440 --> 0:06:26.730 that might mean I switch my provider or it might 0:06:26.730 --> 0:06:29.070 mean that I look at ways that I can reduce my 0:06:29.070 --> 0:06:31.560 spending around the house. Look at those big expenses that 0:06:31.560 --> 0:06:34.739 we have in our lives, rent, mortgage, all of our 0:06:34.740 --> 0:06:37.529 utilities. Here is where we can make the big difference. 0:06:37.529 --> 0:06:41.370 So, things like if your mortgage is out of your 0:06:41.370 --> 0:06:45.150 fixed deal, go speak to a mortgage advisor, speak to 0:06:45.150 --> 0:06:47.220 them and try and get a deal that maybe lowers 0:06:47.220 --> 0:06:49.800 some of those payments. All of these things are very 0:06:49.800 --> 0:06:55.170 much worth looking at and trying to reduce. Because ultimately, 0:06:55.620 --> 0:06:57.960 if my mortgage costs me less, I still get the 0:06:57.960 --> 0:07:01.230 same quality of life. I'm still living in the same 0:07:01.230 --> 0:07:04.529 house, it's just my mortgage is costing me less. Same 0:07:04.529 --> 0:07:07.920 with my electricity. So, these are less about lifestyle choices 0:07:07.920 --> 0:07:11.369 and just significant financial changes, and they can make a 0:07:11.370 --> 0:07:12.780 real difference to your budget. 0:07:12.990 --> 0:07:14.490 I think there's a key thing that you said there, 0:07:14.550 --> 0:07:17.220 is that to speak to someone. So, I drive and 0:07:17.220 --> 0:07:19.470 I have my car. Every year, I do not renew 0:07:19.770 --> 0:07:22.380 my insurance or go over new insurer without picking up 0:07:22.380 --> 0:07:24.090 the phone and see if I can get the best 0:07:24.090 --> 0:07:26.190 deal. I think that is a very key one that you mentioned 0:07:26.190 --> 0:07:28.650 there. Just pick up the phone and speak to someone. 0:07:28.650 --> 0:07:30.270 And if they don't give you one, you're no worse off. 0:07:30.600 --> 0:07:31.500 Yeah, absolutely. 0:07:31.500 --> 0:07:33.360 And I think often a lot of people have this 0:07:33.360 --> 0:07:36.720 consensus that, oh, I'm just bad with money, because they 0:07:36.720 --> 0:07:39.869 feel as though they have no control over how they 0:07:39.870 --> 0:07:42.990 spend their money. So, what would be some of your 0:07:43.050 --> 0:07:46.410 tips when it comes to actually controlling how much you spend? 0:07:47.340 --> 0:07:49.620 I think you need to start with an awareness of 0:07:49.620 --> 0:07:53.700 what you're spending. A lot of people jump straight in 0:07:53.700 --> 0:07:59.310 with trying to just cut out all unnecessary expenditure. And 0:07:59.490 --> 0:08:02.220 what there needs to be is a period of reflection. 0:08:02.580 --> 0:08:06.330 What are you currently spending your money on? And I 0:08:06.330 --> 0:08:08.700 can speak to this, because a couple of months ago 0:08:08.760 --> 0:08:11.220 I realized that there was certain areas I was like, 0:08:11.730 --> 0:08:14.220 how is this costing me this much? And so, I 0:08:14.220 --> 0:08:18.060 reflected a little bit on where my money was going 0:08:18.210 --> 0:08:22.020 and I'm shifting in my seat, because there was some 0:08:22.380 --> 0:08:26.670 almost embarrassing, there was some online shopping that came in 0:08:26.670 --> 0:08:29.130 to 400 pounds. It wasn't like I was like, " Oh, 0:08:29.130 --> 0:08:31.380 I have 400 quid's worth of stuff." Off the back of 0:08:31.380 --> 0:08:35.280 it, it was, " Oh, well where did that go?" And 0:08:35.280 --> 0:08:38.790 there were little trips down to the local shop for top- 0:08:38.790 --> 0:08:42.150 up shops. This was not my grocery shopping, this was 0:08:42.179 --> 0:08:44.819 just the odd, we'll need a pint of milk and 0:08:44.820 --> 0:08:48.510 a chocolate bar, and this and that. So, I needed 0:08:48.510 --> 0:08:51.390 to start from the point of, this is where my 0:08:51.390 --> 0:08:54.390 money is going and why is that happening? What am 0:08:54.390 --> 0:08:58.620 I not doing? So, things like those top- up shops, 0:08:58.620 --> 0:09:00.059 I was like, well, what is it that I'm getting? 0:09:00.059 --> 0:09:03.059 What is it that I'm not getting on my weekly 0:09:03.059 --> 0:09:04.980 shop that I feel the need to go down to 0:09:05.340 --> 0:09:09.420 little Tesco for in order to get every couple of 0:09:09.420 --> 0:09:12.300 days? And then, I was able to make a change 0:09:12.690 --> 0:09:14.700 to my habits. I wasn't able to make a change to 0:09:14.700 --> 0:09:17.970 my grocery shopping and go, " Oh, okay, I need to 0:09:17.970 --> 0:09:20.190 buy more milk." I was like, I'm running out of milk, 0:09:20.190 --> 0:09:21.990 but if I just got six pints a week rather 0:09:21.990 --> 0:09:24.330 than four, that's going to fix my problem and then 0:09:24.330 --> 0:09:27.059 I don't have to go down the shop. So, control 0:09:27.059 --> 0:09:31.650 and spending isn't about completely eliminating some of these things 0:09:31.650 --> 0:09:34.170 that you're doing. It's about just having an awareness of 0:09:34.170 --> 0:09:38.460 why, and that's when you start feeling a little bit 0:09:38.460 --> 0:09:42.780 more in control. So, I don't recommend that anybody goes 0:09:42.780 --> 0:09:47.580 cold turkey on changing their financial habits around their spending. 0:09:47.790 --> 0:09:51.780 Instead just reflect, go through this period of understanding where 0:09:51.780 --> 0:09:54.540 you're at now and looking for areas where you can 0:09:54.540 --> 0:09:58.050 make improvements. And it might be that I allowed myself, 0:09:58.050 --> 0:10:01.830 for example, one trip down to the shop and then 0:10:01.830 --> 0:10:03.390 that change was enough to let me go, "Well actually, I 0:10:03.390 --> 0:10:05.429 don't need to go anyway." It was just a little 0:10:05.490 --> 0:10:09.929 outing. And making those smaller steps is much better than 0:10:09.929 --> 0:10:14.760 trying to make one huge leap to something that feels 0:10:14.940 --> 0:10:15.780 a long way off. 0:10:15.840 --> 0:10:18.630 I think those small steps just feel more achievable and 0:10:18.630 --> 0:10:21.630 more attainable and they keep you motivated on that journey, 0:10:21.900 --> 0:10:25.829 and it gets you building up that good habit. So 0:10:25.830 --> 0:10:28.620 speaking of habits, I want to ask you, what are 0:10:28.620 --> 0:10:33.330 some good or positive spending habits? We've spoken about things 0:10:33.330 --> 0:10:34.770 to be aware of, but what are some good ones 0:10:34.770 --> 0:10:36.600 that we can make sure that we're enforcing? 0:10:37.110 --> 0:10:40.740 Yeah, so I think when it comes to positive habits, having 0:10:40.740 --> 0:10:45.090 a budget, any budget is a great place to start, 0:10:45.330 --> 0:10:48.929 because this isn't just about your own financial awareness. It's 0:10:48.929 --> 0:10:52.260 about knowing what you have coming in, and income is 0:10:52.350 --> 0:10:57.270 just as important as spending, but also things like seeing 0:10:57.270 --> 0:11:00.059 where your money is going. Knowing it's so easy to 0:11:00.059 --> 0:11:03.330 get those little subscriptions crop up. So, having a budget 0:11:03.330 --> 0:11:07.710 that is all encompassing with your spending is an absolute 0:11:07.740 --> 0:11:10.710 place to start. The next habit that follows on from 0:11:10.710 --> 0:11:13.229 that is making sure that you actually bother to look 0:11:13.230 --> 0:11:13.589 at it. 0:11:14.640 --> 0:11:16.710 That's a crucial one. Don't just make it and leave it, 0:11:16.710 --> 0:11:17.910 make sure you're referring back to it. 0:11:17.910 --> 0:11:19.920 You need to be able to check in with that. It 0:11:20.070 --> 0:11:24.540 needs to be a functioning document, something that adapts and 0:11:24.540 --> 0:11:27.420 changes. I think another one is to just have that 0:11:27.660 --> 0:11:31.650 knowledge around your own wants and needs as well. So, 0:11:31.650 --> 0:11:34.020 when it comes to spending, I always sit there and go, " 0:11:34.860 --> 0:11:37.319 I know I want this, but does it align with 0:11:37.320 --> 0:11:40.469 my bigger vision for myself?" Do I want this meal out 0:11:40.679 --> 0:11:43.319 because I can't be bothered to cook, or can I 0:11:43.320 --> 0:11:45.240 just shove a pizza in the oven and then actually 0:11:45.240 --> 0:11:47.010 that can go in my holiday fund, because I want 0:11:47.010 --> 0:11:49.800 the holiday more than I want this meal out today." 0:11:50.490 --> 0:11:53.610 So, just knowing what you're trying to achieve, and having 0:11:53.610 --> 0:11:56.820 goals and being clear about where you're trying to head 0:11:56.820 --> 0:11:59.580 with your finances, can really help you keep on track 0:11:59.580 --> 0:12:01.830 with your spending. And this was huge for me. I 0:12:01.830 --> 0:12:04.589 went traveling with my kids a few years ago, and 0:12:04.590 --> 0:12:07.080 that was literally knowing that we were going away and 0:12:07.080 --> 0:12:10.559 knowing that we needed some money for that really helped me. 0:12:10.620 --> 0:12:13.110 I agree. I think having a clear goal keeps you 0:12:13.110 --> 0:12:15.900 on track and just keeps you focused. But let's talk 0:12:15.900 --> 0:12:19.860 about when things don't always go to plan, especially when 0:12:19.860 --> 0:12:23.070 it comes to budgeting. What would be some easy ways 0:12:23.130 --> 0:12:25.980 that we can correct that and get back on track 0:12:26.010 --> 0:12:27.210 with our budgeting and spending? 0:12:27.990 --> 0:12:30.300 I think one of the key points here is not 0:12:30.300 --> 0:12:33.090 to be too hard on yourself. If you're hard on 0:12:33.090 --> 0:12:37.770 yourself because you've overspent, normally that leads to further overspending. 0:12:38.010 --> 0:12:40.200 It's so easy to draw parallels with the world of 0:12:40.380 --> 0:12:42.960 health and fitness. You have a cheeky muffin and you're 0:12:42.960 --> 0:12:45.390 trying to lose weight, and then you're suddenly like, " Oh 0:12:45.390 --> 0:12:47.910 well, I've messed that up. I might as well have a McDonald's." 0:12:49.050 --> 0:12:50.640 And it's the same when it comes to our money, 0:12:50.670 --> 0:12:52.559 so just be like, " Whoops." 0:12:53.010 --> 0:12:54.929 It happened. We can draw a line under it. 0:12:55.380 --> 0:12:59.520 Exactly. So just be gentle. Be kind on yourself. And 0:12:59.820 --> 0:13:02.070 I think then the next thing is to actually think 0:13:02.100 --> 0:13:05.940 about your budget in terms of monthly or longer term 0:13:06.150 --> 0:13:09.690 progress. So, let's say you set a budget, week one 0:13:09.690 --> 0:13:12.689 of the month it all goes wrong and you've overspent 0:13:12.690 --> 0:13:15.090 a little bit. You don't need to go like, " Well, 0:13:15.090 --> 0:13:17.640 next week I've got to spend nothing." You just take 0:13:17.640 --> 0:13:20.490 what you've got and you get your calculator out and 0:13:20.490 --> 0:13:22.500 you divide it by three and spread it out over 0:13:22.500 --> 0:13:25.320 the next three weeks. But actually, that will get you 0:13:25.590 --> 0:13:26.550 back on track. 0:13:26.610 --> 0:13:28.620 Charlotte, you've been incredible. You've given us some of the 0:13:28.620 --> 0:13:31.290 top tips that we need to trim back our spending 0:13:31.350 --> 0:13:33.959 and ace budgeting. But before you go, I want to 0:13:33.960 --> 0:13:36.600 ask you, what are your top three budgeting hacks? 0:13:37.470 --> 0:13:41.160 So the first one is to just be gentle on yourself. 0:13:41.250 --> 0:13:46.290 We mentioned this already, don't try and over- restrict yourself. 0:13:46.290 --> 0:13:49.380 Your budget should be about creating freedom in your life, 0:13:49.710 --> 0:13:54.270 and you need to start from a place where you 0:13:54.690 --> 0:13:57.360 feel like you are going to actually achieve it. You 0:13:57.360 --> 0:14:00.449 don't want to set any rules in your life or 0:14:00.450 --> 0:14:02.280 cut back so much that it's not going to be 0:14:02.280 --> 0:14:06.000 successful. So, that's the first one. So, the second one 0:14:06.000 --> 0:14:09.120 is I love to team up with my friends. So 0:14:09.210 --> 0:14:11.460 I had a neighbor, she's moved now, and I'm not going to hold 0:14:11.460 --> 0:14:14.219 this against her, but we used to team up on 0:14:14.220 --> 0:14:16.709 that bulk purchasing. So, if there was a deal that 0:14:16.710 --> 0:14:19.710 was two for one on toilet roll or something, I'd 0:14:19.710 --> 0:14:21.840 be like, " Mate, I got you some toilet roll." And 0:14:21.840 --> 0:14:23.610 then we'd split the cost, so then- 0:14:23.610 --> 0:14:23.731 That's great. 0:14:23.731 --> 0:14:27.030 ... we were getting the benefit of the deal and 0:14:27.030 --> 0:14:30.360 actually seeing a reduction in some of our spending. And 0:14:30.360 --> 0:14:32.940 we also did things like pressure washers. We both went 0:14:32.940 --> 0:14:34.890 halves on one of those, because we knew that we 0:14:34.890 --> 0:14:36.660 could share a bit. We wouldn't need it that much. 0:14:36.660 --> 0:14:39.720 So, look at big purchases, even look at those little 0:14:39.720 --> 0:14:41.670 things like toilet roll and see if you can share 0:14:41.670 --> 0:14:45.900 those between family and friends. Now, we started off talking 0:14:45.900 --> 0:14:50.280 about food spending as well. One of my favorite things 0:14:50.280 --> 0:14:52.710 to do is use food waste apps. So, there were 0:14:52.710 --> 0:14:56.100 some examples like Olio and Too Good To Go where 0:14:56.100 --> 0:14:59.400 you can either get free or reduced priced food. And 0:14:59.400 --> 0:15:02.220 what I love about this is not only the monetary 0:15:02.280 --> 0:15:05.490 benefits, you're stopping food waste. And there's a real sense 0:15:05.490 --> 0:15:09.630 of community, like local cafes giving away cake or something, 0:15:09.630 --> 0:15:12.479 and it's just nice to be a part of that process 0:15:12.480 --> 0:15:13.800 and save some money along the way. 0:15:13.980 --> 0:15:17.970 Charlotte, you have been an absolute gem on this episode. 0:15:18.300 --> 0:15:20.370 Honestly, so many tips that I'm going to go away 0:15:20.370 --> 0:15:22.740 and write down and start implementing from today. So, thank 0:15:22.740 --> 0:15:25.320 you so much for coming on and blessing us with 0:15:25.320 --> 0:15:26.220 your tips on this episode. 0:15:26.550 --> 0:15:27.690 You are absolutely welcome. 0:15:29.460 --> 0:15:32.940 Some great advice there. Thank you so much, Charlotte. So 0:15:32.940 --> 0:15:34.860 many ways we can trim our spending and beat the 0:15:34.860 --> 0:15:40.170 budget. Next time, we're talking cryptocurrencies. Where to start and 0:15:40.170 --> 0:15:43.710 what to be careful of. I'd love it if you 0:15:43.710 --> 0:15:46.650 could review the podcast, spread the word, and help others 0:15:46.650 --> 0:15:48.810 get a little bit richer too. Keep up with the 0:15:48.810 --> 0:15:52.530 show on TikTok and Instagram at Legal & General. Thank you for listening. 0:15:52.590 --> 0:15:53.250 See you soon.